The Bear’s Third Season Serves Complex Flavors and Emotional Depths

While fans have spent the past two years saying a hearty yes, chef! to FX’s restaurant drama The Bear, some struggle to join the chorus. Christopher Storer’s series demonstrates merits like artful aesthetics and committed performances, but also displays confusion in its intentions. It goes back and forth between tone and tempo, focusing more on showing off technical prowess than maintaining cohesion.

Experiments in Form

The third season, which premiered on Hulu on June 26, showcases Storer’s willingness to experiment. From playing with timelines to presenting almost plotless episodes, these attempts sometimes seem more calculated than curious.

Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) spends much of the season reflecting on the experiences that shaped him as a chef. Haunted by his time in other kitchens—including that of the gracious Terry (Olivia Colman) and a cruel overseer played by Joel McHale—his journey is an emotional one.

Standout Episodes

The standalone episodes shine the most in Season 3. Ice Chips, the eighth episode, features exceptional performances from Abby Elliott’s Sugar and Jamie Lee Curtis’s matriarch Donna. Their tight closeups and intense interactions create the season’s highlight.

Cameo Appearances Add Flavor

One of the joys of The Bear is its impressive cast filled with real-world culinary experts. Famous chefs like Daniel Boulud make cameo appearances, giving authentic insight into the culinary world. These moments capture the truth and profundity the series aims for.

Return to the Kitchen

However, when returning to kitchen storytelling, the show sometimes makes overly dramatic stints without enough substance to justify them. Cooking is portrayed as a metaphor for life’s struggles, yet this underlying theme remains inadequately fleshed out.

Emotional Core Needs Consistency

The core emotional arcs often feel either underdeveloped or heavy-handed, struggling to maintain balance. Real chefs like Thomas Keller appear briefly, adding moments of warmth and authenticity that highlight what makes this series watchable despite its flaws.

A Final Taste

Ultimately, The Bear continues its path with ambitious yet uneven strides. While it strives for authenticity and thematic depth, it sometimes delights its audience more with its visual poetry than with a cohesive narrative structure.