**This article contains spoilers for The Bear**
If there was one thing this summer was (besides brat), it was the summer of screens. Films like Twisters, Inside Out 2, and Deadpool & Wolverine brought people back to the theaters in flocks, while hit TV shows like Presumed Innocent and Bridgerton kept us on our toes (and our couches).
If you’re anything like me, however, your most anticipated drop of the summer was the newest season of FX’s The Bear, which follows Chef Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto and his team’s struggle to open their Chicago restaurant in the wake of complex family drama, professional conflicts, and financial peril.
In my 12 hours of elevated heart rate and sweaty palms (I’m looking at you, episode eight), many things stuck out more than ever. The show is beautifully shot, capturing the Chicago landscapes, scenes from the modern minimalistic kitchen, and nuanced body language that makes the show what it is. More than that, I noticed the motif of time.
Clocks are heavily featured in the 10 episodes, giving the viewer the impression that Carmy’s restaurant, The Bear, is running out of time. Routinely ringing alarm clocks, nightmares where characters wake up to glowing numbers, and the proudly displayed “Every Second Counts” sign in Carmy’s mentor’s restaurant. All of these things confirm that something is coming and is going to happen fast.
The show had a lot to offer in its first two seasons, but for some, like me, season three left many unanswered questions and confusion in its wake. Here are my unofficial fan theories of what I think will happen in the confirmed season four:
1. The highly anticipated food review for The Bear is mixed.
After becoming aware of The Bear’s failing profits and displeased investors, Carmy is left with an ultimatum: either the upcoming Chicago Tribune review will keep The Bear afloat, or a poor review will force the restaurant to close before it even really gets started. In the last episode, Carmy is featured reading the review before the season ends. Words like “excellent,” “sloppy,” “inconsistent,” and “innovative” quickly flash upon the screen.
I predict the review will highlight Carmy’s partner, Chef Sydney Adamu, instead of himself. Because of her expertise, level-headedness, and creativity, it’s easy for the audience to see her growth this season. She becomes more self-assured, is recognized by other notable figures in their field, and excels in leadership when Carmy fails to keep himself together. My guess is that they attribute success to her but blame Carmy for the executive dysfunctions.
2. Sydney takes the other job with Adam.
Carmy and Sydney progressively fall out and argue with each other throughout season three. He treats her poorly and becomes the antithesis of what he was in the prior seasons. We see Sydney, though notably more confident, struggle to decide whether or not to sign the partnership agreement presented to her at the start. For her to be able to lead others, make decisions for herself, and realize her worth yet not sign the contract, leads me to believe that she knows in her heart what she has to do.
In addition, in her conversations with pastry chef Marcus about their mothers who have passed, Sydney has a new sense of self and mortality, pushing her to treat herself better and finally go for the job. The dichotomy between Adam and Carmy is stark and hard to miss, and I think Adam will be a mentor to her like she is to Tina.
3. Ebra gets his own episode, just like Tina did.
One of the best episodes of season three is “Napkins,” an Ayo Edibiri-directed masterpiece that dives into the history of how sous-chef Tina came to work for the Berzatto family. The episode proves that all the characters have unique histories, ambitions, talents, fears, and struggles. The episode also adds depth to the other characters, like Carmy’s brother Michael, who passed away before the start of the show.
Almost all other characters have gotten individual focus throughout the seasons. We see more of Cousin Richie’s family life, Carmy’s inner demons, and even Marcus’ journey of self-development in his training in the Netherlands.
One of the only characters who hasn’t been done justice is The Bear’s assistant chef, Ebra. A Somali refugee, Ebra is one of the original employees when Carmy inherits the restaurant from his brother. He is eventually given the opportunity under Carmy to attend culinary school, which he strongly dislikes. I wish the writers had given his character more depth, especially because of his backstory, and I anticipate he will be given a spotlight in the next season.
4. Carmy and Claire still don’t get together.
After Carmy’s freezer freakout at the end of season two, the fate of his and Claire’s relationship was one of the main concerns of season three. However, many fans were disappointed by his lack of effort to reconcile and truly apologize to her. Claire Bear doesn’t deserve that. Anyways.
Carmy has a lot of inner work to contend with. He’s dealing with strained relationships throughout his team, familial conflicts that have once again reared their ugly heads, the possible death of his dream, his mentors leaving the field, and facing enemies, like his former boss, who remind him of his failures.
For Carmy to remain a dynamic character, I suspect the writers will center season four on his redemption arc. Carmy spent most of season three being the person he loathes so deeply, Chef David, from one of his first restaurant jobs. He becomes borderline verbally abusive and hot-tempered, fails to share credit, and doesn’t acknowledge the work his team is putting in.
I see him reaching out to his mother, apologizing to Sydney, realizing the gravity of the predicament that The Bear is in, and finally going to more group meetings like we see he does with AA. I think that with the help of his kinder mentors, who have guest appearances throughout the season, Carmy will finally get the help he needs before it’s too late. As a result, I think his relationship with Claire will still be put on the back burner. An apology would be nice, though.
Season four leaves a lot of anticipation and annoying Fak quips on the table. Will the writers say “Yes, Chef,” or will The Bear be on the chopping block?
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