Summary

Season 2 ends with Carmy facing challenges to save his restaurant, setting stage for intense emotions in Season 3.
Richie and other characters show significant growth and development in the second season.
Season 3 sees Carmy pushing for success at The Bear, navigating personal and professional challenges in pursuit of a Michelin star.

One of the best shows on television right now, The Bear has aired two seasons to date with a third coming on June 27, 2024, and a fourth already confirmed. Earning widespread critical acclaim for its first two seasons, including 10 Primetime Emmy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards for the show itself as well as several cast members, The Bear combines comedic moments with intense, dark emotional ones.

By the end of Season 2, Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) was well on his way to turning his late brother’s sandwich shop around and proving himself a worthy fine-dining chef in the process. But it isn’t going to be easy. With challenges galore to overcome, both personal and professional, fans are eager to see where the story goes in Season 3, especially given the explosive way that Season 2 ended.

The Bear Release Date June 23, 2022 Seasons 2 Creator Christopher Storer

Where Carmy Stands In Season 2

Carmy started the second season with high hopes, having discovered that his brother hid tons of cash in cans of tomato sauce. This meant he could refresh the restaurant to fit the exacting standards he wanted. Or so he thought. The money still wasn’t enough, so a last-minute deal with Cicero (Oliver Platt) sees Carmy put everything on the line. He tells his “uncle” that he’ll sign the deed over to him if he doesn’t pay him back in 18 months. Naturally, this increases the pressure and raises the stakes to succeed even higher.

Amid it all, he takes a step back and reconnects with an old childhood friend named Claire (Molly Gordon), who eventually becomes a romantic interest. But Carmy’s absence as he spends more time with Claire is noticed, especially by Sydney (Ayo Edebiri). She’s desperately trying to balance running everything while still being told she needs to involve him in decisions.

Despite all the hardship, Carmy is finally ready for the soft opening of the restaurant, which he has renamed The Bear. Everything starts well until, just after the doors open, Carmy gets stuck in the walk-in freezer. The handle he failed to get fixed breaks. With the hustle and bustle of the opening, no one can help nor does Carmy want anyone’s attention away from the kitchen anyway. So, they continue with dinner service, completing it successfully (albeit not without hiccups) without him.

Carmy’s Time in the Fridge
Image via FX/Hulu

Carmy is torn to bits having worked so hard for this one night only to completely miss out on it. In an earlier episode called “Fishes,” one of the most talked about episodes of the season, fans learn why it’s so important to Carmy to have this night go well. The episode is a flashback to a frantic Christmas at his mother’s home five years prior. Donna (Jamie Lee Curtis) is volatile, temperamental, and has had one too many drinks while trying to desperately cook an elaborate meal for the family.

From candid conversations with his brother Michael (Jon Bernthal) to dealing with constant conflict in the family, it’s no wonder Carmy took off to Copenhagen. He not only wanted to prove to his brother that he was good enough to help him run the restaurant, he needed to do it for himself, too. Now being so close to achieving his dream, Carmy can’t get over the fact that he messed it up by losing focus for the sake of his personal happiness.

While still trapped in the freezer after service, Carmy talks out loud about getting distracted by his relationship with Claire versus focusing on what was most important, calling his moments with her a waste of time. Unbeknownst to him, Claire has been listening and runs out in tears. Still stuck in the freezer, Carmy has a screaming match with Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) where the two share deeply hurtful words. Angry at himself, Carmy finally gets around to listening to a voicemail Claire left for him earlier that day in which she professes her love, twisting the knife further in his gut. Carmy is in a dark place, but chances are, he’ll pick himself up and keep going, eyes always on the prize.

The Others Showed Massive Character Growth

Richie’s Journey
While Carmy is at the center of the story, the other characters experience tremendous growth through the second season as well. Arguably none more so than Richie, one of the show’s best characters. Believing that his cousin has more potential than he realizes, Carmy sends Richie to an upscale fine-dining restaurant to spend the week getting educated on the industry. Calling in a favor, he gives Richie the opportunity of a lifetime.

Richie is none-too-pleased about the early mornings, long hours, the strict dress code, and having to deal with uppity clientele and dishes he can’t even spell, much less pronounce. Plus, his first days involve nothing but spending hours polishing forks, a job he considers to be meaningless. But the staff, led by supervisor Garrett (Andrew Lopez), helps open Richie’s eyes to how great it can feel to have a passion and dedication to serving others and bringing joy to people. It doesn’t matter if it’s a $5 beef sandwich or an eight-course meal. When it’s the latter, the meal is the experience. Richie finally gets it.

Richie begins to take the job seriously, waking up every morning excited to learn. He gets better and better and finally realizes that Carmy didn’t send him there to get rid of him, he sent him there to show him what he could be. It worked. By the end, Richie is wearing suits and running the front of the house of The Bear like a pro. With his newfound purpose, Richie’s arc is one of the most compelling and hopeful of the season.

Related The Bear: 10 Actors We Want to See in Season 3 The Bear has gathered an impressive list of guest stars, and these are some actors we want to see in Season 3 of the hit series.

Marcus and Tina
Then, there’s Marcus (Lionel Boyce), who Carmy sends to Copenhagen to train in the art of pastry making with an old friend, a memorable guest appearance from Will Poulter as Luca. There, Marcus becomes inspired and starts gaining the confidence he needs to develop his own desserts and unique concepts.

Tina (Liza Colon-Zayas), a fan-favorite character, also has an awakening, gaining confidence that both Carmy and Sydney knew she had all along. When Sydney sends her to culinary school, Tina soaks up the knowledge and experience and earns her place in a higher rank in the kitchen.

Sydney’s Arc
Sydney also comes into her own throughout the season. She becomes frustrated with Carmy, who isn’t giving her enough autonomy and decides to take the bull by the horns and pick up the slack when Carmy disappears. By the end, the two reconcile and Carmy presents Sydney with a meaningful gift and token of his appreciation and recognition: her own custom chef’s coat.

With Sydney running the soft opening on her own while Carmy is stuck in the freezer, she handles everything wonderfully. Despite setbacks, like a line cook disappearing and the restaurant running out of forks, nothing slows her down. Sydney has the happiest ending of all, getting the recognition she yearned for from her father and finally realizing that she has what it takes. But there’s still a lot of work to do.

What We Know So Far about The Bear Season 3

The Bear Season 3 picks up where we left off with Carmy more desperate than ever to make The Bear a success. But he’s getting on everyone’s nerves with his strict standards and rules. He even has a list of “non-negotiables” that he claims are essential to any fine-dining restaurant that operates at the highest level. As per the trailer, these include things like “push boundaries,” “constantly evolve the creativity,” and “vibrant collaboration.”

Carmy always throws himself so heavily into his work, but the extra intense focus is also likely driven in part because he’s grieving the break-up with Claire. If he lost the woman he loved, it had better be worth it. With Fak (Matty Matheson) appearing in a scene visiting Claire at the hospital and telling her that Carmy loves her, there’s hope yet for a happy reunion. Maybe Carmy can have it all.

Related The Bear: 10 Examples of Chekhov’s Gun in the Hulu Series We’re all familiar with the concept of “showing, not telling,” and foreshadowing, but The Bear takes this art form to new heights.

But with his laser focus on work, Carmy might not yet be ready for Claire. His ultimate goal? Carmy is out for a Michelin Star, and he’ll seemingly stop at nothing to get it. From different menu items daily to nit-picking over bowls being the exact same size, he will do what it takes. That means fans can expect the same frantic energy from the show this season, along with a whole lot of conflict and butting heads, yelling, screaming, and delectable dishes that somehow form amidst the chaos. To that, any fan of the show says “Yes, chef!”

All episodes of The Bear Season 3 premiere on FX and Hulu on June 27, 2024.