‘The Bear’ Season 3 Review: Carmy Secures His Role as The Chairman of The Tortured Chefs Department

The Bear’s second season ended with Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) cowering in the glow of his restaurant’s walk-in refrigerator, trapped with his own worst enemy: himself. After letting his found family down by getting locked inside on opening night, the shattered chef accidentally broke up with his girlfriend Claire (Molly Gordon) from behind the broken door, calling their relationship a waste of time and declaring, “I don’t need to provide amusement or enjoyment. I don’t need to receive any amusement or enjoyment.”

Spoilers for The Bear Season 3 ahead.

In Season 3 of Christopher Storer and co-showrunner Joanna Calo’s Emmy-winning series, Carmy successfully escapes the frigid vault. But as the chef sets out to punish himself through a ruthless pursuit of perfection, those chilling Season 2 words become a manifestation that shifts the team’s synergy and unexpectedly shakes up the show.

The latest 10 episode batch of FX’s critically-acclaimed summer sensation follows Carmy, Sydney (Ayo Edebiri), Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), and the rest of The Bear’s crew as they strive to level up and make a mark in the world of fine dining — one worthy of a Michelin star. The original sandwich shop may be history, but there’s still plenty of beef between these characters, who spend a significant stretch of the season stuck in their own heads ruminating on the past. As comedic duo Neil (Matty Matheson) and Ted Fak (Ricky Staffieri) would say — in a nod to one of The Bear’s fresh bits — everyone’s “haunted” by something, be it grief, other people, emotional trauma, regrets, happier times, or Carmy’s intimidating list of non-negotiables. As for viewers, they’ll find themselves haunted by The Bear’s unwavering excellence once again.

Those who’ve grown to love the show’s tumultuous kitchen crises may experience emotional whiplash after discovering that the first episode of The Bear‘s third season is largely dialogue-free. Written by Storer and Matheson, the 37-minute premiere uniquely captures the aftermath of friends and family night gone awry by taking viewers inside Carmy’s head, where he’s cooking up a marvelously messy meal of flashbacks. Set to devastating Nine Inch Nails track, “Together,” the episode offers hypnotic glimpses into Carmy’s formative kitchen training at restaurants like Daniel, The French Laundry, and Ever. As he embarks on his Season 3 quest to recapture the focus he had back in the day as an aspiring chef, we get morsels of his time spent crashing on Stevie’s (John Mulaney) couch in New York, being berated by the monstrous David Fields (Joel McHale), working alongside Luca (Will Poulter) and Chef Terry (Olivia Colman), attempting to process the events of “Fishes,” and even receiving the call about Michael’s (Jon Bernthal) death.

The ambitious feat toggles between past and present, mirroring Carmy’s restless mind and portraying anxiety in an innovative, poignant, and achingly gorgeous way. It’s the first of several bold, standout episodes — which includes “Napkins,” Edebiri’s moving directorial debut that gives a taste of Tina’s (Liza Colón-Zayas) backstory. And it’s an immediate reminder that with the stakes higher than ever, The Bear remains unafraid to take risks that generate singular, well-earned rewards.

Season 3 makes a concerted effort to find moments of calm and quiet, but the show’s signature brand of meticulously choreographed chaos continues to reign, with incessant bickering and Succession-level swearing lurking around every corner. Major developments like a make-it-or-break-it restaurant review from the Chicago Tribune, exciting opportunities for Sydney, and several funerals (not all for people) cast stressful shadows over the season. Yet the core group’s crippling lack of communication, coupled with Carmy’s impossibly high standards, are ultimately what keeps them in the pressure cooker.

“The Bear Season 3 makes a concerted effort to find moments of calm and quiet, but the show’s signature brand of meticulously choreographed chaos continues to reign, with incessant bickering and Succession-level swearing lurking around every corner.”

While Carmy works overtime as Chairman of the Tortured Chefs Department — yes, Season 3 has another Taylor Swift needle drop, though it’s not a track off her latest album — Sydney’s anxiety simmers as she struggles to determine if her personal ambitions align with her professional trajectory. The weight of a major decision unlocks layers of depth in Edebiri’s performance, making her lighthearted scenes all the more impressive. And she’s not the only one wrestling with personal crises. Moss-Bachrach shines as Richie desperately tries to maintain the inspiration he worked so hard to cultivate in Season 2 despite continual clashes with “cousin.” And supporting characters step up, with Colón-Zayas and Lionel Boyce each tackling more emotionally demanding storylines. Marcus, reeling from loss, sets out to make magic from his grief. And Tina not only proves she’s a leading lady, but shares scenes with the late Mikey in another affecting performance from Bernthal.

Abby Elliott, who blossomed in Season 2 as Natalie “Sugar” Berzatto, also lets it rip this season as she anxiously anticipates motherhood. She delivers a beautifully complex performance alongside a familiar guest star, and though there may never be another jaw-dropping “Fishes” parade of Hollywood greats, Season 3 does deliver its fair share of surprising additions to the cast. In terms of romance, those who thought Claire was one of TV’s most infuriating manic pixie dream girls may be troubled to learn that her presence is frequently felt throughout the season, despite her barely being present. But you may be happy (or just more annoyed!) to learn that Carmy’s supercuts reveal moments of their relationship that took place off screen and prove that she is, in fact, capable of carrying out deeper conversations. If you hated on Claire because you’re a proud SydCarmy shipper, I’m here to tell you not to get your hopes up. I’m not shutting down the possibility forever (though the stars themselves might be), but if Carmy starts seeing anyone in his current state, it should be a therapist. Sydney deserves more from a romantic partner than her professional partner can give in Season 3. Plus, she may find another swoonworthy prospect towards the end of the season.

In speeding through a month of service in a succinct 27 minutes, Episode 3 upholds the show’s internal “every second counts” motto, utilizing a montage-heavy approach and dramatic classical music to create that frantic rhythm and eerie sense of urgency. Storer refuses to put The Bear in a box, so installments like Episode 8 — essentially a stripped down 40-minute conversation between an unlikely pairing — remind us the series can be just as compelling when it slows down and lets stellar writing and performances do the heavy lifting.

The Bear continues to get the chefs out of the kitchen and dive deeper into their personal lives in Season 3. All the while, the show remains a fierce love letter to the hospitality industry, the city of Chicago, and the power of food — one that greatly benefits from its expert input and cameos. The Emmys that the show picked up for its first season are evidence that the series has always found humor amidst grief, but it’s worth noting that the comedy feels noticeably amped up this year. (I’m still laughing over an exchange about Vermont butter, and we even get a “Yes, chef!” joke from Sydney’s dad.)

With the kitchen staff so out of sync, however, Season 3 emits a different sort of discomfort heavily rooted in fractured relationships and internal anguish. In trying to carve The Bear’s own legacy and carry on those of the restaurants and chefs that made him, Carmy hardens from the traumas that haunt him. His inability to call Claire and say “I’m sorry” or have another heart-to-heart under a table with Sydney makes for an agonizing watch at times, but through his angst, the sheer thought of losing a beloved restaurant reminds him how much he loves the work and why he does what he does.

When reminiscing on one of his favorite jobs, Sydney asks Carm if he knew when he was there that it was a special place. He essentially says no. And honestly? I can’t relate — because The Bear‘s brilliant blend of overstimulating mayhem, precision, and catharsis is a special place onto itself. Season 3 grills, sears, then professionally plates your heartstrings, right before cruelly tossing them in the trash, and no matter what becomes of Carmy’s rising Chicago hot spot in the future, the show will leave an enduring legacy on television.

The Bear Season 3 is now streaming on Hulu.