Thankfully, “The Bear” is cooking again with season 4. At times, this new season almost feels like an apology for season 3 — a fact underscored by multiple scenes of the characters telling each other they’re sorry for the lousy things they’ve done in the past. Season 4 is a reminder of why so many people fell for this show in the first place: it’s funny, it’s dramatic, it’s raw, and it’s highly watchable. It’s also surprisingly sweet — the characters who populate this series really care for each other. They’re not just coworkers, they’re family. And we’re invested in seeing them work things out as they struggle with all the chaos life throws at them.
Season 3 set up a looming Chicago Tribune review that could make or break The Bear. Carmy got a glimpse of that review in the season’s final seconds, and he didn’t seem particularly pleased. Sure enough, season 4 confirms that the review was not overwhelmingly positive — “They didn’t like the vibes,” Carmy says to Ayo Edebiri’s Sydney, to which Sydney replies: “They didn’t like the chaos.” Sydney counters that Carmy seems addicted to the idea of chaos — why else would he insist on constantly changing up The Bear’s menu, throwing his entire team for a loop night after night? Carmy insists he doesn’t love chaos — but what does he love? He used to love cooking, but now, his entire worldview seems to be upended.
Bad review in hand, The Bear is now at a crossroads. The restaurant only has enough money to stay afloat for a short period of time, and the clock is literally ticking. Can Carmy and his team get their act together to pull off a miracle and save The Bear? Or will it be going out of business like so many other restaurants? But saving The Bear isn’t the only focus of season 4. This new season also finds the characters all asking themselves where they’re going — a moment where Carmy watches a clip from Bill Murray’s time-loop movie “Groundhog Day” hammers home the idea that everyone might be caught in a never-ending cycle. Murray’s character escaped his seemingly endless loop by learning to be a better person, and that’s exactly what Carmy and his friends have to do, too. They have to grow, and they have to make amends.