WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for The Bear season 3.
Summary
The Bearseason 3 has divided audiences while earning nearly universal praise from critics.The Bearseason 3 introduces several different forms of tension and pressureafter the grand opening of The Bear restaurant, most of them coming from within Carmy himself, while also expanding on several key characters' backstories and adding a few new members toThe Bear’sextended family tree. The latest season of the Emmy-winning series does feature some of thebest episodes ofThe Bear, such as “Tomorrow”, “Ice Chips”, and “Napkins”, which marked Ayo Edebiri’s directorial debut, but also featured some of its least compelling entries.
The Bearreceived a Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes after earning an impressive 93% critic score, cementing it as one of the best seasons of television of 2024. This is right on par with the near-perfect99% Rotten Tomatoes score of season 2 and the absolutely perfect 100% rating of season 1. While most would agree thatThe Bearseason 3 doesn’t necessarily exceed the quality or brilliance of its previous two seasons, if it does fall short of its predecessors, it’s not by a very large margin. Viewers, however, have been essentially split byThe Bear’sthird season, resulting in an audience rating of 58%, the lowest of the series by a longshot.
All 15 Real Professional Chefs In The Bear Season 3
Episodes of The Bear season 3 take the FX series further into the world of culinary when real-life chefs join the cast in guest appearances.
10Critics Celebrated The Ambitious & Unconventional Storytelling In The Bear Season 3
Many critics were impressed by the season’s sophisticated approach
Many critics were impressed by the sophisticated approach toThe Bearseason 3 which featured a more unconventional narrative and development style. Shirley Li ofThe Atlanticwrites in her review ofThe Bearseason 3, “The Bear makes its own kind of music in Season 3. Episodes play like symphonies of images rather than conventional, plot-driven television.”
Rebecca Tucker ofGlobe and Mailnotes, “Season 3 feels very much like the show’s entree: After a stellar amuse bouche and a surprising appetizer, the main has hit the table. It’s a meat-and-potatoes course, with lots of necessary substance substituted for style.“Critics applauded the expansion of the nonlinear storytelling approachthat was seen throughout seasons 1 and 2 and found it to be a daring and effective way to continue progressing the series.
9Audiences Disliked The Bear Season 3’s Plotless Structure
The season lost its sharp focus on plot and character development
Marcus loses his mom and Sydney gets a new apartment and opportunity, but not much else really happens.
While critics were impressed by the continued expansion ofThe Bear’smore experimental approaches to storytelling, many viewers were left frustrated for essentially the same reasons. One of the most common complaints among casual viewers and fans ofThe Bearseason 3 is that the season as a whole has lost its sharp focus on plot and character development, two of the aspects that made previous seasons ofThe Bearso entertaining and rewarding as an audience member.
There is some innovative character development through extended flashbacks seen in “Tomorrow” and Napkins”, but ultimatelymany viewers felt that there wasn’t enough progress or change for the characters in the present tense. Marcus loses his mom and Sydney gets a new apartment and an opportunity, but not much else really happens.
10 Storylines The Bear Season 4 Has To Resolve After That Cliffhanger Ending
From Syd’s job offer to the review, The Bear season 3 left a lot of unanswered questions and lingering threads that need to be resolved in season 4.
8Critics Applauded The Continued Outstanding Performances In The Bear Season 3
Audiences weren’t as celebratory of the performances due to the lack of plot
One thing that was certainly not lost inThe Bearseason 3 was the outstanding performances of its ensemble cast, led byEmmy winners Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ayo Edebiri, and Jeremy Allen White. Nandini Balial ofRogerEbert.comwrites in her review, “Storer and his colleagues are wise to place a cast of this caliber in basically a season-long series of two-person plays.”
Peter Travers ofABC Newsalso comments on how the excellent cast continues to elevate the series. “Jeremy Allen White and the best ensemble cast on TV go slower and cut deeper in a third season of tracking a Chicago restaurant family in the art of making art and emotional chaos. Dizzying, demanding, and utterly dazzling, it’s an indisputable classic.” While criticizing the outstanding cast is certainly a tough argument, many viewers equate the quality of the performances with the entertainment value of the season.
The entire season did little to move the story along
Season 3 often breaks away from the restaurant-focused issues in The Bear to narrow in on the characters' personal struggles as well, i.e. Lionel’s mom and Richie’s family, which some viewers were not expecting.
The main gripe that many casual viewers ofThe Bearseason 3 had with the story is that it was full of “filler” content, meaning it really did nothing to move the story along. This is certainly a fair assessment ofThe Bearseason 3, which undoubtedly takes more breaths in between scenesthan past seasons. It’s also a season that focuses on death and the ending of certain milestones and achievements, resting on the notion that the idea of success itself is always fleeting.
Seasons 1 and 2 and very tangible goals that culminated in the opening of The Bear, but instead of transforming Carmy, Richie, and Sydney’s lives overnight, it ended up creating new stresses and problems. Season 3 breaks away from these issues to narrow in on the characters' personal struggles as well, i.e. Lionel’s mom and Richie’s family, which some viewers were not expecting.
10 Ways The Bear Season 3 Sets Up A Very Different Season 4
The Bear season 3 introduces several possibilities that could shake up the winning formula of the series, especially regarding Sydney’s next move.
6Critics Noted The Brilliant Balance Of Peace & Chaos In The Bear Season 3
Audiences were not as appreciative of the thematic balancing act
Critics mostly felt thatThe Bearseason 3 still kept the delicate balance of peace and chaos of previous seasons intact and some even felt that the latest season did it better than ever before. Benji Watson ofThe Daily Telegraphwrites in his review, “The Bear remains among the very best shows on television, its own non-negotiables – a singular marriage of peace and chaos framed in superb camerawork and terrific performances – are all present and correct.”
Many critics also felt thatthe humanistic spirit ofThe Bearwas not only replicated from past seasons but improvedin season 3. Dan Einav ofThe Financial Timeswrites, “The Bear strikes a balance between pathos and humour, human complexity and cartoonish absurdity, cynicism and a sincere sense of affection for these characters, the city of Chicago and the culinary craft.” Audiences were not as appreciative of the thematic balancing act created by Christopher Storer inThe Bearseason 3.
5Audiences Found The Bear Season 3 To Be Less Fun Than Past Seasons
Season 3 laid on the stressful and anxiety-inducing aspects of the series too heavily and lacked some of the more inspirational qualities of fan-favorite episodes such as “Forks” and “Honeydew.”
One of the best parts of watching the first two seasons ofThe Bearwas that while it was at times stressful and anxiety-inducing, it was also funny and enjoyable. A common sentiment among fans who left negative reviews ofThe Bearseason 3 is thatthe season lost some of its appeal because it wasn’t as entertaining or fun to sit through. Some viewers even called the third season downright boring, which is stunning to consider compared to the high praise from critics.
Another common complaint was that season 3 laid on the stressful and anxiety-inducing aspects of the series too heavily and lacked some of the more inspirational qualities of fan-favorite episodes such as “Forks” and “Honeydew.” It did, however, featureOlivia Colman’s character taking shotsand eating frozen pizza while singing “Laid” by James, which is a plus.
Every Cameo In The Bear Season 3
The Bear season 3 has plenty of new and returning cameos, with several big name actors making their introductions to the extended family tree.
4Critics Loved The Expanded Backstories & New Cameos In The Bear Season 3
Some viewers didn’t think that John Cena was a great fit
Critics praisedThe Bearseason 3 for once again employing excellent use of its guest appearances, particularly from Jamie Lee Curtis, Olivia Colman, and newcomers Josh Hartnett and, shockingly, John Cena. Neil Justin of theMinneapolis Star Tribunewrites, “Those who watch primarily for the verbal fireworks won’t get shafted; neither will viewers who tune in for the high-profile cameos.“Critics also appreciated the inclusion of several celebrity chefs, many of whom actually played themselves in the series and added to the deeper sense of authenticity in the show. Caryn James ofBBC.comwrites, “The Bear is a classic in the making.”
3Audiences Were Annoyed By The Bear Season 3’s Reliance On Flashbacks
Critics and audiences were very split on their impact
Interestingly, critics found the flashbacks to effectively move the story forward, while many audience members felt that they obstruct natural narrative progression.
While the extended flashback sequences were some of the best moments ofThe Bearseasons 1 and particularly 2, many viewers felt that they were overdone in season 3. Critics mostly applauded the flashback-heavy season 3, episode 1 “Tomorrow” for its innovative approach to character development and backstory. However, the episode did the opposite for some viewers,who were annoyed by the repetitive use of cinematic musicthat they felt took the series in a less compelling direction. Interestingly, critics found the flashbacks to effectively move the story forward, while many audience members felt that they obstruct natural narrative progression.
Bradley Cooper’s “Cameo” In The Bear Season 3 & Shared Universe Hint Explained
Bradley Cooper’s “guest appearance” in The Bear season 3’s finale is a direct reference to one of his most forgettable movies from 2015.
2Some Critics Argued That The Bear Season 3 Was Better Than 1 & 2
Many viewers consider season 3 the worst of the series
Some critics were quick to crownThe Bearseason 3 as the best of the entire series,which many audience members could not even fathom. Daniel Feinberg ofThe Hollywood Reporterwrites, “On an episode-by-episode basis, the third season of The Bear is as good as anything the show has ever done. Possibly better?” Robert Lloyd ofThe Los Angeles Timeswrites, “To somewhat understate the case, the new, third season of FX’s The Bear… is as magnificent as television ever gets.” Bill Goodykoontz ofArizona Republicwrites, “The show is just as great as it was last season, and that’s just it — as great, no greater.” Some viewers called the season disappointing, abysmal, and a joke.
1Audiences Were Disappointed By The Creative Choices Of The Bear Season 3
The Bear season 3’s diversion of expectations worked against many fans
A common critique ofThe Bearseason 3 is that somehow it feels both too much and not enough.
When it comes down to it, many audience members simply did not want to go along with the creative experiments that were all over The Bear season 3. Some viewers called the seasonpretentious, haughty, indulgent, rushed, and just about every other way you can say “not as good as the other two.“A common critique ofThe Bearseason 3 is that somehow it feels both too much and not enough. Too much time meandering on character tangents, not enough time raising the stakes of the central plot. Too much focus on real-life chefs and Carmy’s backstory through flashbacks, not enough development on the fictional story and Carmy’s growth as a protagonist. Ultimately, the first two seasons ofThe Bearwere universally celebrated for their creative decision-making, while season 3 lost the interest of many viewers for that exact reason.
The Bear Season 3, Episode 5’s Opening Song Has A Deep Connection To This 69-Year-Old Movie
One of The Bear season 3’s episodes features an orchestral track from a classic film noir, which has major implications for Carmy, Natalie, & Sydney.
