The Bear seasons 1 - 3

Last year I saw FX's fantastic show, Shogun, a new adaptation which was a breath of fresh air and a second season is already in the works. Around that same time I was also watching the highly acclaimed FX series The Bear, and with season four just around the corner, I wanted look back at the show so far.

Set in Chicago, the first season sees, Carmy, a talented chef trade life in New York City for his deceased brother's sandwich diner that isn't quite up to the Michelin standards he had been trained for all in order to keep the family business running. His brother took out money in the past and had brought together something of a rag tag team, who all have potential, but Carmy finds the situation incredibly stressful to manage,

Stress being the key word of the show, similar to Adam Sandler's Uncut Gems, but once I found the groove of the show, it is exhilarating to watch and comes full of energy with each episode. The cast, which are mix of familiar faces and unknowns (or at least to me), all do a fantastic job and there was never a dull moment. This show became an easy one to recommend.

The second season somehow manages to amp-up the drama even more as Carmy tries to revamp his brother's restaurant and make it his own. Here we get more flashbacks, the Christmas episode being a particular standout, and it never wastes a moment. There is movement and energy to the story while the show still allows time for character development, such as the forks episode being another highlight. 

Some faulter as they go along but the second season is almost perfect and provides some of the best drama on TV this decade so far as it attracts more talent into minor roles. I just wish I could say it stuck the landing as the final episode ends on a rather duff note that felt bizarre and avoidable, leaving me to go, "Oh, why'd they do that?" when it had been doing so well until that moment upset the rhythm of the show. It felt as of the showrunners needed something to cause two characters to part ways and they chose a rather unsatisfying option. 

And sadly this was a warning sign of the things to come with season three. For a show that had been doing so well, the third season loses the energy and momentum that made it so engaging to watch and instead leaves everything in stasis for ten episodes. A character is given a choice as to whether to leave the restaurant at the start of the season and they a still deciding by the end, which neatly encapsulates how this season goes nowhere in terms of plot or character development. At times it is almost downright pretentious as famous chefs are brought in as guest appearances, and then there are some rather lacklustre cameos with forced humour to leave a bitter aftertaste. 

There is one highlight in season three as we see one of the characters, Tina, before she joined the restaurant but everything else here feels almost entirely skippable. I hate to say it but I imagine the recap before season four will be all you need in the interest of saving time for catching up on The Bear. I had heard this season wasn't perfect before watching but it still disappointed and, if you forgive the pun, left me hungry for something better.

As it stands, The Bear is still a great show but I can't argue against skipping the third season. Much like how studio interference impacted Homeland and Lost, it felt as if the showrunners here were forced to keep the show running for longer than initially planned and so the story suffers as a result. It's nothing The Bear can't bounce back from but it will need to return strong in order to win the audience back.