5 Seasons Later, It's Finally Time To Say Goodbye to 'The Bear'
Having studied for an MA in Screenwriting at UAL in 2023, Billy honed his writing skills and also developed his ability to critique the work of other creative minds.
Before that, Billy studied politics at the University of Nottingham, which helped him to bring nuanced and scholarly analysis to the frameworks within which filmmakers and writers have framed their thematic messages.
FX's The Bear has to be up there as one of the most addictive shows on TV. It is skin-tingling and anxiety-inducing, yet also beloved and something most fans would never want to let go of. However, all good things must come to an end, and recent reports suggest that the upcoming fifth season will be the final outing for Christopher Storer's drama. While many would love for there to always be a new season of The Bear to binge, it's the right time for the show to end.
The storylines of The Bear's protagonists are perfectly positioned for a send-off that suggests their future paths, without following them into repetitive and unnecessary scenarios. Not only can The Bear walk away on a high, but it can also definitively end, adding closure for the audience, rather than the cliffhanger that was originally planned.
Recent Leaks Suggest 'The Bear' Will End With Season 5
Many fans will have been hoping that, despite rumblings that all pointed to Season 5 indeed being the end of The Bear, the lack of an official announcement meant that this might not be true. Deadline reported that it had been told by multiple sources that the show would end this season, and Jamie Lee Curtis, who plays the Berzattos' mother, Donna, appears to have inadvertently confirmed this with a post on her social media, including a heartfelt caption to her co-stars, including the message: "FINISHED STRONG!"
Perhaps she could simply mean her own character's journey. However, considering how Jeremy Allen White already revealed during The Hollywood Reporter's Award Chatter podcast that "the fourth season was going to be the last" until Storer changed his mind, it feels like this has been coming for a long time, and even the idea of a Season 5 was a stretch beyond the original intention.
Ending 'The Bear' With Season 5 Is the Right Thing for the Characters
Of course, The Bear is so much more than White's Carmy. Syd (Ayo Edebiri) and Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) are as important as the brilliant yet troubled chef, and the supporting cast, such as Marcus (Lionel Boyce) and Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas), add depth to The Bear that not many other shows possess. For all of these characters, their development arcs have essentially reached their end, with Marcus and Tina now established chefs, Richie understanding the importance of hospitality, Syd taking on more leadership, and Carmy ready to focus inward for the first time. There are still obstacles and goals for the characters to achieve. Carmy needs to fully cut himself off from the restaurant now that he wants to leave, and we need to see what state the restaurant will be in when he leaves. Anything beyond that would take the plot far past the original premise of a chef who needs to fix a restaurant and the people inside.
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'The Bear' Deserves a Definitive Ending With Season 5
As previously mentioned, the initial plan for The Bear was for Season 4 to be the final season. However, if The Bear had merely ended with a complete change of the power structure of the restaurant, with Syd and Richie taking over, and the promise that Carmy would try to set them up for success before leaving, it would have been far too unstable a future for the characters and restaurant. Instead, with Season 5, there can be an objective goal that means Carmy would have achieved this setup and would have the emotional security to walk away. Whether this is a financial target that gives the restaurant a steady footing, or acquiring a Michelin star, what the fans need to be able to say goodbye to The Bear is the knowledge of where these characters are going when we leave them for the final time.
Despite this smart move, there will undoubtedly be viewers who believe The Bear isn't ready to end, no matter how far Carmy and the others have come. In fairness, these people are not wrong that there will always be more challenges that lie ahead, and no ending for The Bear will tell the full life stories of these characters. But that isn't what a great ending for a show does. It wraps up the original flaws and tribulations in a satisfying way that feels natural. When judging this decision by these standards, The Bear's fifth season needs to be its end.
- Release Date
- June 23, 2022
- Network
- Hulu
- Showrunner
- Christopher Storer
- Directors
- Ramy Youssef
- Writers
- Catherine Schetina, Alex Russell, Karen Joseph Adcock, Sofya Levitsky-Weitz, Stacy Osei-Kuffour
Cast
-
Carmen 'Carmy' Berzatto -
Richard 'Richie' Jerimovich
Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto, a young chef from the fine dining world, returns to Chicago to run his family's sandwich shop after a tragedy. As he navigates the chaotic environment of the small kitchen, Carmy must manage the struggles of turning around the failing business while dealing with his own grief and personal demons. The series dives deep into the intense world of culinary arts, highlighting the challenges of running a restaurant, the bonds formed among staff, and the relentless pursuit of perfection.
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