The Bear Season 3 Review: A Delicious Season Missing A Few Key Ingredients

Spoiler alert: This review of "The Bear" season 3 is as spoiler-free as humanly possible, but there are minor details here and there that some folks might consider to be spoilers, so consider this a friendly warning.

A question lurks at the center of "The Bear" season 3. It asks: what does it take to be great? Not good, not even excellent, but great? And more than that, is it all even worth it in the end? Greatness seems impossible without sacrifice, without suffering, without alienation. At the end of the day, you may achieve greatness — but at what cost? "The Bear" has always been a show that revels in the skills of its characters; there's something wonderful about watching people be good at their jobs. It's like problem-solving — the characters are often faced with a seemingly insurmountable task, and, through their hard work and determination, they're able to pull it off, with stunning results. Season 2 was devoted to the staff of The Original Beef of Chicagoland transforming the rundown sandwich shop into a fine dining establishment — and that's exactly what they did. In the season 2 finale, the Beef had become The Bear, and while there were setbacks — arguments, a cook caught smoking cracking, and lead character and Executive Chef Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) stuck in the freezer — things seemingly went well. The task had been completed. The problem had been solved.

And now season 3 asks: what happens next? Perhaps a more stable, less conflicted person would be able to take a breath and rest on their laurels, at least for a few days. But that's not who Carmy is. Instead, he immediately sets about blowing things up. He creates an lengthy list of "Non Negotiables" that he wants the staff of The Bear to follow, and one of the items on his list includes changing the menu every night, a concept that throws everyone for a loop. 

The Bear may be up and running, but the problems are just beginning. Carmy remains at the center of all this chaos, and even though season 2 saw him growing closer with seemingly everyone, he seems alienated in season 3. He ruined things with girlfriend Claire (Molly Gordon) in season 3 by accidentally telling her he felt the relationship was little more than a distraction. And now, he seems even at odds with his closest cohorts, Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), Sydney (Ayo Edebiri), and sister Natalie (Abby Elliott). So what happens next? Can Carmy achieve the greatness he so hungers for? And will it even be worth it in the end?

With "The Bear" season 3, creator Christopher Storer, who directs a huge chunk of the new season, seems to be getting experimental. This is a more abstract season than what came before, running on vibes and moods and atmosphere. The premiere episode, "Tomorrow," is a strange, fascinating way to kick things off — low on dialogue, heavy on creating a kind of sensorial landscape. It jumps around in time, back and forth, allowing the viewer to fill in the blanks. It feels like a dream, or a memory, or a memory of a dream. Storer and company are able to pull this off because they've built up such good will with what came before, but the end result is a difficult, conflicting season that doesn't quite reach the highs of seasons 1 and 2.

That's not to say "The Bear" season 3 is a disappointment. The show remains electric, with a wonderful cast continuing to find new insights into their respective characters. Everyone seems to be at a crossroads here, standing on uneven ground. This can feel like a punch in the gut — season 2 gave one the sense that most of these characters had all found their footing. But a show like this needs drama to keep going — it needs conflict. And the conflict presents itself in the form of Carmy's seemingly unhealthy quest for greatness. He doesn't just want The Bear to succeed — he needs it to succeed. His entire persona is wrapped-up in the idea of having an acclaimed restaurant, even if it means alienating everything and everyone around him. As a result of all this, Carmy feels adrift this season, the only survivor of a shipwreck, unable and unwilling to hope for rescue. 

The previous seasons of "The Bear" both had what I'd consider to be "special" episodes. Season 1's "Review" was (mostly) shot to look like it was unfolding in one long take, while season 2's "Fishes" brought in a cavalcade of guest stars to tell a flashback story. Season 3, in turn, feels like it's almost entirely made up of "special" episodes, as if Storer and company are attempting to take big, unconventional, unexpected swings with one episode after another. This is both rewarding and frustrating. From a formal standpoint, it makes "The Bear" feel unlike any other show on the air right now. But it also keeps things off-kilter — this new season never quite finds the groove of seasons 1 and 2. 

Things also feel quiet — seasons 1 and 2 were loaded with wall-to-wall songs from a blasting soundtrack, while season 3 is more committed to moments where silence fills a room. If it sounds like I'm doing a lot of comparison to what came before, that's because I am. "The Bear" had firmly established itself with its first two seasons. With season 3, it's flipping the script. Like Carmy's ever-changing menu, it's consistently evolving into something different. Still, the elements that make the show strong remain strong, particularly the performances, which are intense and compelling as the camera often lets the cast's worried faces fill the entire screen. This is also the most melancholy the show has ever been — it might get billed as a comedy during awards season, but season 3 is fairly humor-free. 

Ultimately, "The Bear" season 3 still offers up a delicious meal, but some of the ingredients are missing. This remains one of the best shows on TV right now, but season 3 can't quite replicate the recipe that made seasons 1 and 2 so stellar. That doesn't mean you won't be hungry for more whenever the show returns for season 4.

/Film Rating: 7 out of 10

"The Bear" season 3 is now streaming on Hulu.