The Bear Season 3 Review: The best anxiety inducing series returns without losing much steam

Christopher Storer’s incredible dialogue, the best editing on television, and Ritchie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) being my favorite character on TV make The Bear Season 3 one of 2024’s best shows.

Season 3 picks up shortly after the chaotic season 2 finale. Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) tries to make amends with everyone except Claire. Storrer also uses the premiere to show Carmy’s culinary journey in New York City and other restaurants. This flashback is the impetus for what Carmy wants The Bear to be as a restaurant. The first episode feels almost like a different show. There’s little dialogue and the only chaos is in Carmy’s mind. It’s an intoxicating way to start the season and one of the year’s best TV episodes.

The second episode of The Bear Season 3 is like warm, comforting, anxiety-inducing food. Ritchie and Carmy launch profanity-laced tirades at one another. Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) tries to keep the peace between them. The other chefs, employees, and owners saunter in adding ingredients to the fire.

The first season was about Carmy taking over his brother’s Chicago beef restaurant. The second season was about opening his restaurant. This season is about operating the restaurant.

The Bear Season 3 delves into the struggles of running a restaurant on multiple fronts. From exorbitant food costs to the stress of perfect food, The Bear is beautiful chaos.

The cast is incredible. White and Edebiri are great, even if their characters kind of remain neutral throughout the season. Carmy still isn’t dealing with mental health issues. Sydney faces a difficult choice between being a partner or joining another restaurant. Ritchie remains the best-developed character on television. Moss-Bachrach is even better in season 3 than in season 2. The Bear Season 3 MVP is Abby Elliot as Natalie. While pregnant and near the due date, she can offer a friendly shoulder to Sydney and then flip back into manager mode instantly.

As great as The Bear Season 3 is, it might be the show’s weakest season. Focusing on a changing menu and earning a Michelin star isn’t as compelling as opening a restaurant. White is excellent at portraying Carmy’s anxiety. However, Carmy doesn’t change much as a character until the finale. Sydney is presented with opportunities to change or grow. Unfortunately, the only significant change is that she has moved into a new apartment.

Despite some issues, the terrific cast, random guest stars, and Storer’s writing make The Bear one of the best television shows.

With an overview of The Bear Season 3 and the episode rating 9 out of 10 (Outstanding), let’s take a closer look at the best episodes, characters, and favorite guest stars. The Bear is streaming on Hulu.

Best Episodes of The Bear Season 3

The top three episodes of The Bear Season 3, from best to worst, are Tomorrow, Napkins and Next.

Next is the 2nd episode of the season. Carmy reveals his plans to Sydney. He plans to change the menu every day, wants to push for a Michelin star, and offers Sydney a partnership agreement. Ritchie arrives. After accepting Carmy’s apology, they go back to profanity-laced tirades. The rest of the cast saunters in, but everything stops after Marcus (Leroy Bruce, outstanding) walks in. His mom died during the opening night. Carmy offers his condolences, which Marcus appreciates. However, Marcus wants to return to work because he feels The Bear is where he should be.

Napkins is the 6th episode of season 3 and features brilliant directing by Edebiri alongside terrific performances by Liza Colón-Zayas as Tina and Jon Bernthal as Mikey. Napkins is another origin story that shows how Tina was hired at The Beef, now The Bear. Tina was let go from a job and was having trouble finding work. After a string of disastrous interviews, she stumbles into The Beef. She simply asks for coffee, but Ritchie includes a sandwich anyway. Then, Mikey walks in, and the two share a sweet conversation where they trade stories about their rough lives. Mikey hires her as a line cook.

Tomorrow is the season premiere and the best episode of The Bear Season 3. Carmy apologizes to Sydney and Ritchie for his actions from the freezer. Meanwhile, brilliantly edited flashbacks dive into Carmy’s culinary journey. At present, Carmy also writes out a list of non-negotiables. Olivia Coleman, Will Poulter, and Joel McHale are fantastic in this episode.

Best Characters

The best characters and performances in season 3 are Moss-Bachrach as Ritchie, Elliott as Natalie and Boyce as Marcus.

Ritchie’s character growth from Season 1 to Season 3 is incredible. He can still launch into a verbal tirade when the situation demands it. However, the way he manages the front of the house is excellent. Ritchie’s not perfect, but his desire to improve is inspiring. For example, Ritchie finds out from Gary Woods (Corey Hendrix) that they missed a birthday. He’s genuinely upset and vows not to let it happen again. The interactions between Ritchie and his daughter, as well as his ex’s new fiance, really go a long way in showing his growth and loneliness.

Natalie shines at transitioning from support to button pusher in an instant. For example, she offers a shoulder for Sydney but doesn’t let Sydney get away before sternly reminding her to sign the partnership agreement. Natalie’s most significant moment happens near the end of the season. Owner Jimmy Kalinowski (Oliver Platt) brings in a money cruncher. He suggests firing Marcus as a pastry chef. Natalie refuses to fire Marcus no matter what. The delivery episode featuring Elliot and Jamie Lee Curtis returning as Momma Berzatto is also terrific.

Carmy and Sydney may be the heads of The Bear, but Marcus is the restaurant’s soul. His speech in the second episode, where he says The Bear is where he’s supposed to be, is touching and almost as moving as his incredible eulogy, in which he talks about feeling loved by his mother no matter what.

Guest Stars

The Bear Season 3 features a trio of awesome guest stars in John Cena, Josh Hartnett and David Zayas.

Out of the guest stars, Cena gets the most to do in episode 5 as Theodor and Neil’s brother, Sammy. Ritchie brings him in to buff the floors, but Sammy winds up needing to pickup duck for the kitchen. Cena’s considerable comedic chops are put to great use in this episode.

Hartnett is Tiff’s (Gillian Jacobs) fiance, Frank. Ritchie drops off his daughter at Frank’s place. Before Ritchie leaves, Frank wants to have a quick chat. Instead of a confrontation, Frank stammers out an apology for essentially not asking Ritchie for permission to marry Ritchie’s ex. The scene is hilariously awkward.

Zayas appears in Napkins as Tina’s supportive, overly optimistic husband, David. The relationship between Tina and David is just really sweet. After Tina loses her job, she worries about finances. David is convinced he will get a promotion and tries to prevent Tina from worrying too much.

The Bear Season 3 Final Thoughts

The incredible guest cast, writing, and editing help turn The Bear Season 3 into another satisfying main course. Although the appetizer of character development for Sydney and Carmy is less than I prefer, there’s no denying that The Bear is still one of the best television shows.