It’s honestly really hard to believe that this most recent season of The Bear is its last.
I think it’s quite rare that shows end on their own terms, especially one that has been as successful as The Bear has been. But, I applaud the creators for not dragging something out longer than they intended. And also kudos to FX for not trying to force them into keep going. I’m sure they tried, but ultimately, why ruin a good thing? And they can all hold their heads high, because this was an insanely good final season. In fact, it might be one of the best ones I’ve seen. But, as I go into the details, you might question that statement, so to that I’d say watch it and judge it on your own.
At the end of the fourth season, the timer is at zero and The Bear has failed to make a profit good enough to stay open. They never got their star, and reservations can’t keep up with the demands of the kitchen. And oh yeah, Carmy is basically jumping ship and leaving it all to Sydney to handle. Not that I think she can’t, but the whole situation is a bit haphazard and awkward. But, we meet the staff the day after their deadline and it’s a little unclear about what the future holds. But, it seems like they plan to go through a whole day as normal as they can, but god it is not easy for them.
The first thing they notice is that their spoon supply is weirdly low, and then they get the news that no new food deliveries are coming because Jimmy shut them down with the no money has has left to fund the place. Then somehow, a couple of water lines burst into the restaurant, flooding many areas within the building, but thankfully not the dining space. However, this leaves them with only one functioning sink, and lots of time spent sucking up water. It doesn’t help that Chicago is experiencing the worst rain they’ve seen in ages. With the threat of closing for good, they are short-staffed, and to add to the stress, their online reservation system was out for a time. A glitch allowed a record number of reservations that Richie is both too kind and nervous to cancel.
This means that Sydney needs to get really creative on how to stretch the food that they have left. And there can be no errors in the process. Of course you know that won’t be the case. Then they’ve got Marcus’ dad, and new star reviewer, and turn around times to worry about. Sydney also has the added stress of dealing with Carmy who claims he’ll be hands off, then tries to micromanage until it’s revealed to the team that after the day’s over, he won’t be back. That all presents its own set of challenges. But god bless this blood and found family, because it is truly all hands on deck helping out over the course of the evening – even Pete!
Did I mention that seven of the eight episodes focus on the hours ticking by in this one day? It does, which at first made me think it was going to be a real drag of a season, but they managed to fill it creatively, and with a good dose of humor (maybe it does deserve that comedy nod after all?). No fear, we do get a glimpse into the future, but I’m not going to spoil what you’ll find there. All I know is that fans of the show should be satisfied when it’s all said and done. I was, at the very least. Bon appetit!