“The Bear,” “Only Murders,” and more of this summer’s hottest TV series
USA TODAY TV critic Kelly Lawler lists this summer’s must-see TV shows, including the return of “The Bear” and “Only Murders in the Building.”
Please take out your forks and knives and order “The Bear” again.
No show lends itself to binge-watching more than the culinary and emotional feast of FX and Hulu’s restaurant-set dramedy (Season 3 now streaming on Hulu, ★★★ out of four). This is a show you devour as soon as new episodes become available. You enjoy every mundane fight between characters. You devour the few moments of emotional clarity. You consume the frenzy of a restaurant kitchen so that the frenzy doesn’t consume you.
Returning after winning a ton of Emmy, SAG and Golden Globe awards this winter, “Bear” has gone from the hip and meme-worthy show of summers 2022 and 2023 to a bona fide Hollywood heavyweight. Now, it seems there’s nothing creator Christopher Storer can’t pack into the show’s new season, from even more A-list guest stars to weird experimental episode formats to more expensive Wagyu beef than you might find at Nobu.
The show is still the same as it was in its two great seasons: still stressful enough to give you ulcers just watching it, and still full of biting scripts, great performances, and more trauma processing than you’ll find in a therapist’s office. The Bear still grabs you and keeps you trapped in its own world for 10 episodes. When you get out, you call your friends “cousin” and shout “hands!” every time you need someone to hold something. To say you’re immersed in the story is an understatement.
Season 3 is also, a bit like its chef Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), a bit pompous and self-indulgent after all the hype and praise. Chefs (fictional and real ones playing themselves) keep talking about how less is more, and pointing out that too many flavors can ruin a dish. Perhaps the writers of “The Bear” could have cut an element or two from Season 3.
That’s not to say the season is bad—quite the opposite. But this is a show where the characters demand “everyday excellence.” How could I not judge it with the same eye that Carmy would judge his sous chefs’ creations?
The series picks up after the turbulent season two finale, in which a fairly innocuous preview of friends and family at Carmy and his protégé/partner Sydney’s (Ayo Edebiri) new restaurant is shattered by Carmy’s tantrum when he gets trapped in a freezer.
The aftershocks of that night are massive: from further cracks in Carmy’s already fragile mental state, to a rupture in his relationship with his friend and property manager Richie (Ebon Moss-Bacharach), to the chaos of the restaurant’s evening service. In addition to the threat of a nervous breakdown for Carmy, the restaurant is on the brink of financial ruin, and the Chicago Tribune report is due any day.
So yeah, just another nerve-wracking day in the neighborhood for our fair chefs.
Amid all the madness of the show’s infamous kitchen scenes, there are also quieter moments, like one episode where chef-turned-chic sous-chef Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas) gets a heartbreaking backstory, and another set far from the kitchen with a recurring guest star. They’re powerful and understated, as good as “The Bear” gets.
The show’s characters have the deepest conversations of their lives practically every day. And that’s OK! The show has always taken itself as seriously as Carmy takes a plate of ravioli. But a few moments this season cross the line from boldly artsy to pretentious. The season premiere, which Gen Z might simply describe as “Vibes,” is an extended montage designed to take the viewer back into Carmy’s mind and mood. Experimental and cool? Sure! Also a little smug? Yes, indeed.
In some over-the-top moments, the show turns from a story into a thought experiment about the nature of food, cooking, and life. The plot isn’t everything, but it’s what keeps a television series grounded. It’s OK to have your head in the clouds and think big thoughts every now and then, but at some point you have to come back down to earth. Season 3 just floats along at times, especially in the first and last parts.
There’s still a lot of story to be told in this world. Tina has had the spotlight this season, but we still want to know more about Marcus (Lionel Boyce), the Faks (Matty Matheson and Ricky Staffieri), Ebraheim (Edwin Lee Gibson), and every other fascinating member of the kitchen staff. Richie and Carmy have a lot more to fight over. Sydney is just beginning to realize her full potential. There are more plates to cook. As anyone in the restaurant industry can tell us, the work is never done.
The Bear is one of the best shows on TV right now and will secure its place on the best of all time list if it keeps going like this and strips away the excesses. There is no need for bells and whistles, trills and soubise foam over the main dish. The characters, the cuisine, the relationships and the hardships are what people want to see again and again.
Give us what we hunger for.
