REVIEW: ‘The Bear’ Season 5 Cuts Together A Montage Of The Series’ Greatest Hits

In The Bear Season 5, the sendoff to the series, two things stand out over the course of the eight episodes. The first: yes, this is a welcome return to the kitchen and, yes, it’s nice to see Carmy (Jeremy Allen White), Sydney (Ayo Edebiri), and Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) simply work together again for a night of robust dinner service. The second: showrunner Christopher Storer can’t seem to get out of his own way. While The Bear goes out on a note that looks to recapture the magic of its first two seasons, it also plays like an engorged montage of never-ending plating sequences, ambient shots of silverware, and probing for depth that unveil a less-than-savory center. 

It’s not bad. The Bear, for all the discourse surrounding whether it’s a comedy or a drama (it’s sometimes a funny drama), has never been bad. Even the most maddening plot developments (you’ll never, ever, convince me that Claire matters or that I should care about her and Carmy) work because of the strong ensemble cast. Everyone from Edebiri to Liza Colón-Zayas to Oliver Platt is delivering top-notch performances, giving their respective characters a real sense of agency. We believe them as people, even if their decision-making is questionable at best. 

But what makes The Bear Season 5 frustrating is how close it comes to achieving excellence. Season 4 ended on one of the strongest moments of the series, as Carmy tells Syd and Richie that he’s not just leaving the restaurant but leaving kitchens for good, period.

The moment is a superb display of character growth as he realizes that stepping into a kitchen is, in his case, an active form of self-harm. And, as he mentions, he is breaking the cycle. Not of quitting, as his Uncle believes, but of subjecting himself to a prolonged misery which is, in and of itself, is its own form of quitting. Quitting in the sense of failing to try to be happier, less burdened because to do so requires a terrifying first step. It requires making a decision that goes against his literal DNA. 

A return to the kitchen strengthens the Bear Season 5.

It’s also frustrating though because it creates an uneven tension throughout the final season as we wonder how The Bear will end without its figurehead. That is partially the point, because the majority of The Bear Season 5 follows the course of a single shift, from a tenuous opening to a chaotic, euphoric close, as they continue to beat the odds. Carmy forfeits control to Syd, who immediately demonstrates why she’s such a good fit to captain this ship with its blown pipes and leaks, and the two, with the rest of the staff, have to recalibrate what it means to be a team as their ticking clock continues to hit its endpoint. 

It’s the fact that they’re in the kitchen for the entire season that lets it come so close to capturing its early success. And they really do find a way to ensure that every cast member appears at The Bear, as they escape torrential Chicago weather and the onslaught of impending personal doom or triumph. From a rallying group of partygoers keeping the spirit alive outside the restaurant as they look for additional room to put their guests, to Donna (Jamie Lee Curtis) arriving with Sugar’s daughter to sit tight in the office, the entire ensemble finds a place in the final episodes. 

This is most effective in these rallying work montages because the energy sizzles with frenetic excitement as we watch talented, competent individuals come together and synergize – to make magic. While it remains questionable whether all the dishes they plate look appetizing (that prawn course, in particular, looked stomach-turning), there’s no denying the impact of watching everyone learn, grow, and improve in real time. 

The emotional moments work because of the characters and performances. 

While Carmy looks ahead at projects that scare and inspire him, Syd, Marcus (Lionel Boyce), and co are entrenched in the kitchen that has, for better and sometimes worse, massively changed their lives. They’re still here to innovate. So when Carmy breaks a dish in a feverish moment of bad luck (who among us hasn’t broken a plate in dinner service…), Syd can rally. It allows White to show off once more his considerable talents in just a few micro-expressions as the guilt and horror threaten to overwhelm him, while also reminding us why Syd was the right person to take control. 

But it all feels overwrought. The Bear Season 5, without question, succeeds in delivering an emotional finish. And there are certain moments, such as when Carmy tells Syd about earning two stars, that are tear-inducing because we know how hard they’ve had to work to earn them. There’s a similar moment where Carmy walks Richie back from a panic attack while the latter tries to gather himself in the walk in freezer (again, relatable) that shows how much these two have changed.  

But we can feel the mechanics behind each emotional beat. We can sense the writer’s thinking: “Yes, this will surely make them weep and feel gooey inside,” because everything is so overtly orchestrated to elicit that response. And, by doing so, creates an inorganic atmosphere. A shame, considering it was that authenticity of kitchen lifestyles that made it so appealing at the start. 

The Bear Season 5 ends on a note that promises greater things for all of the main characters. From new stations to new career paths, a chance to travel, and a happier home life, there’s promise and hope that feel well-earned and well-deployed. That said, for all that The Bear re-establishes its footing and for all the attachment we feel for these characters, bolstered by the chemistry-fueled performances, the effect remains a touch too affected. Nicely plated, but lacking a depth of flavor. 

The Bear Season 5 is out now on FX on Hulu.

Catch up with other season reviews:

Season 1 | Season 2 | Season 3 | Season 4