‘Nothing less’ – how The Bear made TV’s most powerful comeback | A bear

No show began to need to end if A bear. The series was originally billed as a progressive vehicle, the story of a hot-shot chef who is set to fix and save his dead brother’s sandwich restaurant. Over the course of eight breathless episodes we watched Carmy repeatedly wrestle with the challenges of the job – fights, demands, accidental stabbings – as she tried to rebuild her image.

With the benefit of hindsight, this should have been the whole show. Because the Bear was in such a strong fight to get to where it wanted to go, that when it got there, it didn’t have the first clue of what to do. Seasons three and four both stood up badly, in the way of montages and flashbacks that felt like placeholders. The exit was visible.

We found out a few months ago that winter would be The Bear’s last. As such, it had one last chance to get back on track; putting an end to his thoughts with a straight gun like the good old days. And I’ll be damned if they didn’t remove it. We’ll get to the finale in a little while, but, as a series of episodes, the fifth season may be the most exciting since the first. There were moments of watching where I found myself relaxing. My favorite old show had done the same thing.

Usually, winter is set on a single day, when everything you can imagine has gone wrong. The workers have left. The weather is bad. The plumbing is on the fritz. The money is gone. There is not enough food and there are too many people. Which sounds very alarming, but that’s the story. Despite what its creators thought in the last few years, people did not watch The Bear witness a series of food scenes. They wanted to see a group of people struggle against many obstacles in the workplace. Finally, here’s what we got.

Importantly, however, we must see its proper quality. This was the version of The Bear (a restaurant) run by Ayo Edebiri’s Sydney, following Carmy’s resignation last year. His handling of multiple challenges was consistent with his favorite old saying that stress is everywhere, but action is choice. Therefore, they often kick the same kind of itch The Pitt does, where you feel the joy of seeing talented people solve problems together.

And it was fun, too. After winning so many Emmys for comedy, despite not having an obvious sense of humor, it felt like The Bear had something to prove. Almost every person was allowed to entertain this time, from Ebra’s determination not to be surprised by Carmy’s blue eyes to the scene of the entire series – a Greek group of diners who filled the kitchen, without a doubt Yes-Chefing to the mockery of real chefs. It’s unlikely that you’ll read this thread as a fan of The Bear, who all went to Carmy’s heavy-duty T-shirts all those years ago.

The ending was another change of pace. Stripped of the Hans Zimmer-designed electronics that accompanied most of the series (which replaced the show’s previous rock instruments), the finale was a fantasy, with a few non-confrontational scenes where everyone got what they wanted.

The restaurant has been recognized by Michelin. It solved its financial problems by becoming a franchise. Cousin Richie, a man who once found the 40-minute drive too difficult, finally left the country. And Carmy, as promised, left the restaurant. This was an interesting decision, because throughout the show he showed his culinary skills, and a part of the audience may be disappointed that he did not continue to follow his passion.

The fact that he didn’t do this opened up a lot of discussion, what to do when you start hating the only thing you’re good at. One last shot at him – finally at peace, maybe for the first time – it seems that moving is a risk worth taking.

The Bear has been an incredible rollercoaster. The height was as high as you could get, but the descent was terrible. The fact that it ended as strong as it did is amazing. I wouldn’t dare say this a few years ago, but I will miss it.