TV Review: ‘The Bear’ Season Three Debuts New Kitchen And New Problems
by Allison Dempsey
The first three episodes of the show’s newest installment sees Carmy cracking under more intense pressures
After a three hour push-up by FX, Season 3 of The Bear — modern TV’s most beloved and stressful dramadey — has finally returned to streaming services. We last saw an unstable Carmy (Jeremy Allen White), moments after soft opening the swanky new Bear restaurant, locking himself in a freezer and breaking up with his girlfriend, Claire (Molly Gordon); a relationship he claims is a “waste of time.”
The powerful, atmospheric season premiere sets the stage for what’s to come, with the first episode oddly containing almost zero dialogue and flashbacks to Carmy training in a rigorous New York City kitchen. He is plagued by memories of the death of his brother, Mikey (Jon Bernthal), and the family dramas from Season 2. In a vulnerable moment, he leaves Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who he last saw on terrible terms, an emotional voicemail.
We clearly see all of the tedious habits Carmy learned during his NYC training play out when he arrives back at The Bear during episodes two and three. Meticulous labeling, impossible “non-negotiable” standards for the staff and the immense desire for a Michelin star cloud his view, a weight which causes the kitchen to immediately crash right as soon as they officially open. Carmy and Richie are still not on speaking terms, and Richie’s goal of creating an effortless “dream-weave” flow conflicts with Carmy’s aim of a wired-in, clean-cut work environment that is simply not working. Fights, miscommunications and high costs plague The Bear staff in these episodes, prompting everyone to ask the same question: “Where are the hands?”
The stressors that trigger the cast of The Bear this time are a little bit different from those in the previous season, but the beginning of the new season still possesses that anxious, nail-biting charm that made audiences fall for it in the first place. This year already seems more tender and artistic; the moody visuals from the first episode stray from the show’s usual, in-your-face cinematographic style. The setting reveals holes as well — the strikingly bright setup of The Bear’s kitchen islands is unable to hide the sheer messiness of the staff’s headspace.
As fast-moving and anxiety-inducing as ever, The Bear Season 3 seems set up to be another successful and fan-favorite collection of episodes. You’ll want to binge it through right away as soon as you start it, but don’t forget what Carmy’s souvenir kitchen slogan he borrowed from NYC says: “Every second counts.”
The Bear is available on Hulu.