Film & TV Writer Khue Pham raves about the latest season of The Bear, finding the character dynamics to be the strongest part of the season
Spoilers for The Bear Season 4
The Bear came back for a fourth season this June, more introspective than ever, prioritising character work and conversation over moving narrative along. The show follows Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), a Chicago native who has risen above his troubled family background to become one of the best Chef de Cuisines, or CDC’s, in the US, returning to his roots after his older brother committed suicide. He takes over and becomes Executive Chef of his brother’s shabby restaurant (The Beef), turning it into fine dining (The Bear).
The elastic balance between stability and confrontation makes for a delicious and satisfying season for viewers like me who are deeply invested.
The Bear has seen much critical acclaim, particularly the explosive season 2 with a record breaking 23 Emmy nominations. Past seasons have embraced everything that goes into a restaurant: chaos, care, complicated relationships, friction between professional drive and private issues, and more – so what does that leave? While season 4 pulls back with slower pacing and less chaos, its focus on nurturing relationships and bringing arcs full circle makes it The Bear’s most heartwarming season yet. Occasionally, restrained angst explodes, creating stand out moments that feed TikTok editors’ thirst for drama. The elastic balance between stability and confrontation makes for a delicious and satisfying season for viewers like me who are deeply invested.
Plotwise, this season was relatively calm because Carmy (or Carmental, as characters in the show call him) did not crash out once. Instead, he takes up almost every suggestion given by the people around him. This is welcome change as his arc had been stagnant the past 3 seasons, seeing him stuck in his loop of trauma, abuse, and grief, lashing out at people who do good by him, which was incredibly frustrating given his talent as a chef and potential to be a reliable role model for his staff.
Towards the end of the season, Carmy makes a drastic decision that although distances him from the restaurant, would set up a lot of space for him to explore life outside of it, which I find incredibly exciting for what it could mean for his wellbeing and relationship with Sydney (Ayo Edebiri), his CDC and other half of this will-they-won’t-they duo.
Sydney has always been a force to be reckoned with. Still, in past seasons, she was an ambitious diamond-in-the-rough rookie, eager to prove herself. In season 4, her place feels more certain and her emotional intelligence, talent as a chef, humour, and care shine through in the supportive relationships she has built with her colleagues. Her main dilemma now is an offer with seemingly better terms from Adam (Adam Shapiro), another fine dining restaurant owner, to become his CDC. My favourite episode from the season is ‘Worms’, centred on Sydney, co-written by Ayo Edebiri, which follows Sydney getting her hair done and hanging out with relatives in Southside Chicago, comfortable in her roots. The wholesome conversations and overall vibe made me feel warm and fuzzy inside.
When Adam reaches out for an answer, his microaggressions towards Sydney become increasingly obvious, jarring with the rest of the episode. This juxtaposition makes sure that as Sydney continues to deliberate, everyone is aware of both sides of the till, of how rare The Bear family’s synergy is. Although I had hoped for Sydney’s arc to progress much further this season, for her to take more decisive actions (like jumping ship to rub it in Carmy’s face), it was unexpectedly successful how The Bear doubled down and showed her even more caring and supportive than ever. It humanises Sydney, making her principled and more than a 2D character that can change just like that. I hope that season 5 Sydney goes even further in her career, getting all the recognition she desires and deserves while experiencing even more fulfilling relationships.
In a similar vein, I really enjoyed seeing ensemble characters continue to work through longstanding issues. Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), the restaurant’s General Manager / Maître D’hôtel and Carmy’s “cousin”, has one of the most compelling character arcs. One of my favourite moments this season is from episode 7, ‘Bears’: when talking to Uncle Jimmy, a close relative that’s like their father figure, about William Friedkin’s observation of a garden in Kyoto, where he thinks of rocks as people, ‘separated’ and ‘alone’ other than.
The Kyoto Zen garden William Friedkin saw was incredibly powerful as it brings Richie’s arc full circle, after he had dealt with self worth issues and feelings of isolation throughout past seasons. Arguably, this season’s strongest achievement is how the characters consistently progress by leaning on each other, thus blurring the line from work family to family family, cementing The Bear as the healing show it was always meant to be.
Arguably, this season’s strongest achievement is how the characters consistently progress by leaning on each other…
Also core to The Bear is its powerful visual language, particularly its wardrobe. Crisp white chef uniforms. Richie’s Hugo Boss suit. Sydney’s tastefully eclectic bandanas. Carmy’s Birkenstocks Tokio (his lethal aura was the straw that broke the camel’s back in my decision to purchase Birkenstock clogs). The working class-chic look, plus each character’s unique accents, not only make them look instantly cool, but also convey where they come from, where they are at, and where they might be going.
Wardrobe is pivotal when addressing the cult of SydCarm (Sydney and Carmy). Despite sentiments against the pairing from showcreators, narrative and visual symbols keep providing more reasons for them to be together. One of such is how Sydney deeply inspires Carmy’s craft. In episode 8, ‘Green’, Carmy completes a lamb dish he had been struggling with since season 3. The final product shares colours with Sydney’s outfit from the episode prior.
For two people whose love language is food, a stronger hint at their connection couldn’t be had! It does a disservice to their integrity and the narrative if this dynamic doesn’t get validated and pursued. Arguably more than any other relationship, there is still much to uncover between these two. They haven’t had the chance to confront the insecurities they feel from each other, the power they have over each other, and what they can do for one another. I hope season 5 allows Carmy to arrive at a good internal space and learn to love himself, so that he can pursue Sydney and the restaurant healthily.
With slow-moving pacing but amazing character work, season 4 ties many knots and opens doors. It sets season 5, recently confirmed to happen, to be a decisive final season. I can not wait for June 2026 to tune in to the drama that unfolds and the beautiful, fortified relationships that come out by the end.
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