Warning! Spoilers for The Bear season 4 ahead!
The Bearseason 4 has finally delivered on the cliffhanger from season 3, and it doesn’t look good for the FX series' fine dining spot. This most recent installment arrived almost exactly a year after the last, with new episodes now streaming on Hulu as of June 21, 2025. This is a rather short span of time considering the typical two-year gaps common in TV. Still, it was tough to go through these 12 months wondering what on earththe Chicago Tribune had to say about Carmy’s new restaurant, The Bear.
Throughout the majority ofThe Bearseason 3, the staff at the titular restaurant were eager to hear what their first food critic had to say about the cuisine. Then, tension grew even higher when Uncle Jimmy announced that a poor review would mean the place would have to cease operations immediately. Add in the fact that Carmy was basically out of touch and doing just far too much inThe Bearseason 3, andeverything seemed to come down to what this review would say. Naturally, the final moments of the season finale saw Carmy reading the Tribune’s review, but the contents weren’t revealed until season 4.
The Bear Season 4 Reveals The Tribune’s Review Was Bad
The Bear’s Biggest Problems Were Reflected In The Review
Carmy’s reaction at the end ofThe Bearseason 3 was intense, but this series is full of intense characters—his cursing didn’t necessarily mean the review was bad. However,The Bearseason 4 came with confirmation.The food critic hadn’t been too impressed with the “confusing” and"show-offy" fine dining experiencethat Carmy had put together. The critic also mentioned the dysfunction within the restaurant. Screaming from inside the kitchen could be heard in the dining room, and the service was disorganized and inconsistent.
To make matters worse, the critic who came to The Bear in season 3 dined there several times, and their experience didn’t improve. Carmy’s ever-changing menu wasn’t doing the place any favors, and the discord among the staff was, presumably, one of the few consistent elements within the restaurant. Thankfully, however,the Chicago Tribune’s review wasn’t all bad. There was one thing about The Bear that the critic really liked, and it’s this that saved Carmy from getting shut down entirely.
How The Bear Was Able To Survive The Tribune’s Negative Review
The Original Beef Saved The Day
Uncle Jimmy didn’t immediately shut things down as he had promised inThe Bearseason 3. Instead, he and Computer installed a clock in the kitchen that counted down the days until The Bear could no longer take money from his pocket—the moment when it needed to be entirely self-sustained. Jimmy did this because the Tribute’s review wasn’t altogether bad.The critic had absolutely loved the Italian Beef sandwich purchased from The Bear’s takeout window. Oddly enough, it was The Original Beef that saved the day.
The Bear needs a major win before its future can be assured past the events of The Bear season 4.
It appears that The Beef will continue to be a significant asset to The Bear since Ebraheim is exploring some legitimate ways to expand. With a couple more locations, the simple takeout restaurant could be enough to build a bit of a foundation under The Bear, allowing for more extravagant service. Still, this alone won’t be enough. The Bear needs a major win before its future can be assured past theevents ofThe Bearseason 4.
Will The Bear Finally Get A Good Review In Season 5?
The Bear Is Still Fighting For Success
Things have improved at Carmy’s restaurant as of the end ofThe Bearseason 4.Service is fast and more consistent, which has everything to do with Carmy’s decision to solidify the menu rather than stick to his “no repeats” rule.Richie has really nailed the attention to detail with the guests, so every person who dines at the Bear leaves feeling like a member of the family. This is all great news, butThe Bear has still yet to get a review since the Tribune’s unfortunate publication.
Still, this isn’t to say that the titular restaurant ofThe Bearhasn’t received any good publicity. Marcus was formally recognized for his hard work, and this is sure to bring The Bear some renewed attention. Hopefully, the next step after this will be a rave review inThe Bearseason 5.Perhaps Carmy will even get that Michelin Star before he hangs up his chef’s coatand officially passes the mantle to Sydney (whenever that happens).
