Susan Granger’s review of “The Bear: Season 3” (FX/Hulu)
“The Bear” totally devoured the 2024 Emmy nominations, breaking a record at 23 – the most nominations ever for a comedy series. During its first two seasons, “The Bear” captivated fans and critics alike with its endearing rough-around-the-edges cast, led by Jeremy Allen White’s Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto.
Following Carmy’s ongoing uphill battle to revive and totally reinvent his Italian family’s failing Chicago beef sandwich shop, Season 3 focuses on the dysfunctional restaurant kitchen crew, particularly anxious Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) and volatile Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), as they anxiously await a Chicago Tribune review that could determine the restaurant’s future.
Fed up with the toxic dynamics of the elite ‘fine dining’ kitchens in which he was trained, Carmy works at imbuing his staff with the discipline and ambition of ‘nouvelle cuisine,’ a culinary movement characterized by lighter, more delicate dishes, utilizing fresh, high-quality, seasonal ingredients, focusing on minimalism and presenting the dishes in an elegant, artistic, visually appealing manner.
For perfectionist Carmy, a James Beard Award-winner who was named a Food & Wine Best New Chef before he turned 21, his list of fine dining ‘non-negotiables’ also includes changing the entire menu on a daily basis, never repeating a dish exactly the same way.
Amid the profanity-laced performances, there are riveting if relentless cooking montages, including flashbacks recalling Carmy’s stint at Noma in Copenhagen and Daniel in Manhattan.
That’s amplified by episode-long glimpses into the character-driven backstories of grieving pastry chef Marcus (Lionel Boyce), middle-aged line cook Tina (Liza Colon-Zayas), Carmy’s pregnant sister/Bear co-owner Natalie (Abby Elliott) and their abusive mother Donna (Jamie Lee Curtis).
In 10 episodes, series creator/writer/director Christopher Storer boldly strives to destabilize every juicy segment, including elliptical references to Carmy’s love interest Claire (Molly Gordon).
This season concludes with the closing of the beloved restaurant Ever, run by charming Andrea Terry (Olivia Colman), complete with cameos from real-life A-list chefs like Daniel Boulud, Rene Redzepi, Thomas Keller, and Genie Kwon,
FYI: The tantalizing food is prepared by Chris Storer’s sister, Courtney Storer – and “The Bear” has already been renewed for Season 4.
On the Grange Gauge of 1 to 10, “The Bear: Season 3” is an ambitious, audacious 8 – with all episodes streaming on Hulu.
