‘The Bear’ Season 4 Review: Strange Comfort in Action

What makes The Bear great?

That was the question on my mind the minute I pressed play on the season, and something I’m still actively thinking about. What about it is compelling to me, and why? I think it’s a good thought to have about any film or show, or even just media in general, but it’s also not something I think about while I’m actively watching a show. 

There’s a feeling that The Bear evokes that I can’t quite put into words, but it’s not like anything I’ve ever felt with a show. There’s a scene in this new season where Donna (Jamie Lee Curtis) is talking about The Beef and how she loved seeing the same people in there every day. Then she called it a strange comfort. 

That’s the moment it hit me. That’s it. That’s perfect. To me, this is what this season felt like. It’s a very different season of The Bear than usual, but it’s the characters that kept me coming back for more. What this season does is ask you how you feel about these characters. Do you really care about them? If you tick yes, I promise you, you will like this season, but if you are at all iffy on that assessment, then I don’t think you will.

The Bear Season 3 ends off with a cliffhanger of the looming review—perhaps the most important review in the history of reviews. It determines the future of The Bear. Season 4 starts off with that review. We quickly learn that The Bear received mixed reviews, but The Beef window, run by Ebraheim (Edwin Lee Gibson), on the other hand, was a massive hit. 

Thus, the clock starts ticking…literally. Uncle Jimmy installs a clock ticking down from 1440 hours (2 months). If by then, they aren’t able to stop bleeding money or get a star, Uncle Jimmy will pull the plug on the entire operation. Now they’re racing against the clock—every second counts.

What’s most fascinating to me is Christopher Storer’s continuous improvement as a director. He’s directed 29 of the 38 episodes, and you can really see the progression through his work. He feels more confident behind the camera than ever. He catches the vibe and feel of the city of Chicago really well, and he always has, but there are certain moments that he very impressively crafts. 

Featured in one such memorable sequence (and more) is Sydney (Ayo Edebiri), who also has a decision to make. Stay at the uncertain future of The Bear with Carmy (Jeremy Allen White), heeding the erratic ship or try to build something of her own with Shapiro (Adam Shapiro), who’s also an unknown quantity in her mind? Sydney’s always been a major player in the show, but season 4 feels like the most we’ve gotten from her thus far. She really fills in as lead, and it really does work.

What The Bear has always been able to do better than almost any show I’ve ever seen is change up the pace. That tinkering with pace and velocity has allowed the show to tackle as many arcs as efficiently as it does. It’s like a tennis match. No player wins by hitting the same shot every time. They switch up their shots—both the pace and the type of shot. That’s what made the show so effective.

Interestingly, this time around, it’s less of a factor. Instead of switching it up episode to episode, the season sort of mellows down to a certain frequency that it doesn’t quite tinker with too much until it’s near the end, which offers an interesting vibe. It’s more of a shift from scene to scene than it is episode to episode. 

This is the one thing I was a bit mixed on with this season. Perhaps the expectation of that change of pace is a major factor in that, but there were points where the season felt like it was stagnating instead of evolving. But the truth is, I think the season as a whole is the evolved version of previous seasons. It feels more mature, not in its storytelling method but with its characters.

It feels more comfortable to let it breathe in the moment. That’s what this season felt like. It was moments, it was conversations to be had. It was pent-up emotions coming out. In that goal, the season is wholly effective. The show has never been one building towards a certain plot—it’s always been characters leading their lives, and we figure out their journey as we go.

As someone who loves these characters and loves how deeply flawed yet endearing they are, I loved it. I didn’t love every aspect of it, but there is so much to love about going on that journey of imperfection. I think what Season 4, and the show in general, does best is it makes you cheer when the characters cheer.

Another slight mark I have on this season is that I don’t think it quite had a standout episode in the same way the other seasons did. I don’t think it quite has a “Review” or a “Fishes” or ”Forks” or even a “Napkins”. In turn, however, is a very consistent season without any real blemishes to speak of. 

I think that’s where the calm is most effective. It’s slow growth, yes, but it’s fruitful growth. Past seasons always showcased a character’s growth through certain episodes, but this time around, there are no shortcuts. Each arc, as little as it may be spans multiple episodes. Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas), in particular, has a mini arc in the kitchen trying to get a dish out in a certain amount of time which I really liked. Ebra is also a bigger player, which I also thought helped ground the show using his normalcy.

Season 4 feels like a culmination of resolution in a lot of ways, and Carmy is at the center of that. It’s the season everyone say their peace, which creates these poignant conversations had between these characters that illustrate why it all works. The real essence behind all these scenes is the brilliant acting. Every single actor on this show, big or small, is fantastic. There are so many heavy scenes that these actors nail. They make it all feel so natural and it’s a large part of why this show is so effective. 

They add to the strange comfort in action. I love the small moments as much as the big. I love the little bits of humor diced in perfectly. I love the conversations, the awkward pauses, the random bits, but this season is at its best when it’s two (or more) characters in a room resolving their differences.

In my review for Season 3 of The Bear, I wrote that how people feel about Season 3 hinges on how Season 4 is received. The former felt very much, felt like a set-up season, and it’s fascinating how different both seasons operate. While I’m not quite sure if it resolves every single thing that is set up, it tries to do as much as it can. It’s tough to say whether it makes Season 3 look better or not, but like their themes, Season 4 shines in its consistency and Season 3 shined in its ability to change it up.

Season 4 is the change of pace that The Bear might not have wanted or even needed, but one that still feels earned. It’s not quite a conclusion to the story, and it does feel like it’s setting up another journey to be had in Season 5, which can hopefully build upon the aspects we all love about this show.

The Bear season 4 stars Jeremy Allen White as Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Richard “Richie” Jerimovich, Ayo Edebiri as Sydney Adamu, Lionel Boyce as Marcus Brooks, Liza Colón-Zayas as Tina Marrero, Abby Elliott as Natalie “Sugar” Berzatto, Edwin Lee Gibson as Ebraheim, and Matty Matheson as Neil Fak, with guest appearances from Jamie Lee Curtis, Bob Odenkirk, John Mulaney, and Brie Larson.

Thanks for reading this The Bear Season 4 review. For more reviews, stay tuned here at Feature First.