Everything We Know About ‘The Bear’ Season 3 So Far
Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Bear.
Who wants thirds? The Bear, FX’s series about a young fine dining chef who comes back home to Chicago to run his late brother’s Italian beef shop, has captivated viewers with its unflinching and sometimes fevered portrayal of the restaurant industry. Created by Christopher Storer, the wildly popular culinary dramedy earned a whopping 13 Emmy nominations and a perfect 100 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes for its first installment which aired in June 2022. When its second installment was released in 2023, the debut broke a streaming record and became the most-watched premiere of any FX show to date.
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In season one, The Bear followed James Beard Award-winning chef Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) as he returns to his hometown to manage The Original Beef of Chicagoland, a failing family restaurant owned by his brother Mikey (Jon Bernthal) before he died by suicide. After Carmy steps in, he immediately takes over from Mikey’s best friend, Cousin Richie (played by Ebon Moss-Bachrach), and revamps The Beef menu. He also hires Sydney (Ayo Edebiri), a Chicago native and recent CIA grad, as his sous chef. By the end, Carmy announces that The Beef is shutting down for good but taking its place will be a new restaurant called, you guessed it, The Bear.
When season two picks up, the team is preparing to bring Carmy’s dream to life. The building is in the midst of a total overhaul thanks to a massive stash of cash that was being hidden in tomato cans (shout-out Mikey). Plus, everyone on staff is working to get themselves into shape if they ever want a chance at nabbing a Michelin star. Well, everyone except for Carmy, who’s distracted by a budding relationship and his unhealed emotional wounds.
At the 2024 Golden Globes, The Bear took home a slew of awards including best television series—musical or comedy. White also came out on top and nabbed his second consecutive win for best actor and co-star Edebiri earned her first trophy for her performance. Since the finale aired last summer, it’s safe to say fans have been hungry for more. Will The Bear be serving up a third season? When will it come out? Who are the guest stars going to be? We’ve got all the answers below.
Is The Bear Going to Have a Season 3?
Yes, Chef! The Bear has officially been renewed for a third season. FX confirmed the news in November, roughly five months after the second installment premiered on Hulu and posted an official announcement video on X (formerly known as Twitter).
“The Bear, which wowed audiences in its first season only to achieve even greater heights in season two, has become a cultural phenomenon,” FX entertainment president Nick Grad said in a statement. “We’re so proud to partner with Christopher Storer, Joanna Calo, Josh Senior, and the rest of the creative team, as well as the brilliant cast led by Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. What they and the crew have done is truly remarkable, and we and our partners at Hulu join fans in looking forward to the next chapter in the story of The Bear.”
Not everyone is as excited about The Bear’s return though, or even the show in general. Previously, Chicago restaurateur Rick Bayless offered his criticism of the critically acclaimed series. The celebrity chef took issue with The Bear’s negative portrayal of the fine-dining industry and its influence on aspiring cooks. “If you’re a mother of a teenage boy that’s watching that show and he goes, ‘Mom, I want to work in restaurants,’ would you let him?” Bayless said at the Wall Street Journal Global Food Forum. “No you wouldn’t. That’s like the worst profession in the world.”
At the same time, Chris Zucchero, a childhood friend of Storer’s and owner of Chicago’s beloved Mr. Beef, the Italian sandwich shop that inspired the series, said he’s never even seen The Bear. However, Zucchero wasn’t trying to stir the pot in his interview with Variety. He simply hasn’t had the time in between running his bustling business, which has gotten a major boost from fans. “We’ve been very blessed here because of that show,” Zucchero said on CBS’s Sunday Morning. “And it’s all because of that show.”
The Bear Season 3 Release Date: When Will It Air?
FX has confirmed that The Bear season three will premiere on June 27, 2024. The network released a short teaser in May and the series will be available to stream in its entirety on Hulu.
During FX’s Television Critics Association (TCA) presentation in February, chairman John Landgraf announced that much like seasons one and two, the streamer would be releasing all 10 episodes at once, rather than week-to-week. “It wasn’t lost on me or anyone who worked on the show that it was anxiety-inducing,” he said. “So we made a decision to drop the whole thing because it has a beautiful, uplifting ending.”
It was previously reported by Deadline that production was slated to begin in late February or early March of this year. At the time, White revealed to Entertainment Tonight that he had yet to see any scripts for season three and would be stepping back into the kitchen before heading to set. “I haven’t read scripts yet, that’s the truth,” he said. “But, yeah, we will be going back [into production] in, like, late February, early March. I’m gonna get together with some chefs starting in January and start doing some prep.”
The Bear Season 3 Cast: Who’s Returning?
The cast for season three includes all the usual suspects. The ensemble—which is led by White, Edebiri, and Moss-Bachrach—includes Abby Elliott as Natalie “Sugar” Berzatto, Lionel Boyce as Marcus Brooks, and Liza Colón-Zayas who plays Tina. Additional supporting characters include Edwin Lee Gibson who plays Ebraheim, Matty Matheson as Neil Fak, Jon Bernthal as Mikey Berzatto, and Oliver Platt as Uncle Jimmy.
Molly Gordon, who stars as Claire, will also return. In season two, Claire is introduced as Carmy’s childhood friend-turned-romantic interest. The two begin dating after a chance encounter at a grocery store, the only problem is that Claire is in training to become an ER doctor and Carmy is in the middle of opening his first restaurant, so they don’t exactly have time for a relationship. The pair did presumably break up in the finale, but we’ll have to see if Carmy is willing (or wants) to make amends.
“As Jeremy, a reader of scripts and watcher of the show, I think she deserves an apology at the very least,” White said during an interview at the Golden Globes. “So I hope there’s some version of that when I read scripts again.”
The Bear has quickly become known for its guest cameos, and we have no doubt that season three will be jam-packed with even more famous faces. In fact, White told Deadline he’s hoping to recreate the magic of the “Fishes” Christmas episode and would ideally like to “get as many [guest stars] to come back for one day.”
In its second season, The Bear surprised fans with a star-studded roster that included appearances by Sarah Paulson, Gillian Jacobs, John Mulaney, Bob Odenkirk, and Joel McHale. White also revealed that in the future, he’d like to have A-lister Olivia Coleman reprise her role as Chef Terry from the “Forks” episode and Oscar winner Jamie Lee Curtis return to screen as matriarch Donna Berzatto. In April, a video from the set of The Bear was shared on X featuring Will Polter, who we can only assume will be back as Chef Luca (fingers crossed).
When asked about his dream guest star, White tossed out a few names that he’d like to see pop up in future seasons. Sam Rockwell, who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) was one, along with Emmy winner John Turturro, who stars in Apple TV’s Severance.
The Bear Season 3 Plot: What Will Happen?
If you recall, The Bear’s sophomore season concluded with Carmy accidentally getting locked in a walk-in fridge during friends and family night. You know, the same one he kept forgetting to fix. Of course, that wasn’t the only mishap of the evening. The restaurant also ran out of forks, Sydney throws up in the alley, new hire Josh (Alex Moffat) gets fired for smoking meth on the job, the toilet explodes, and the tickets start to overflow à la “The Review” episode from season one. This time, however, Richie is left to run point and Sydney steps up as head chef. Somehow, they manage to pull the whole thing off without Carmy.
Looking ahead, some loose ends will hopefully be addressed in season three. There’s a potential workplace romance building between pastry chef Marcus and Sydney. Although, it’s shaping up to be more of a love triangle given that Sydney might have eyes for Carmy. By the end, it’s also implied that Marcus’s mom, who we know is terminally ill, dies amid the chaos of opening night. We presume that her passing will weigh heavily on Marcus in the upcoming season.
Carmy’s breakdown is another unresolved storyline set up for season three. It’s clear that he’s still grappling with past traumas and is in a really unhealthy place mentally. Is there any way he’ll reconcile with Donna? Will he be able to pay back Uncle Jimmy? White told Deadline, “I hope he gets out of the fridge. I hope he can make some apologies, and I hope people aren’t tired of hearing them.”
The Bear Season 3 Trailer: Open for Business
In a trailer for The Bear season three, Carmy and his clan of Chicago misfits are back in the kitchen and the restaurant is finally up and running. The clip kicks off with Carmy handing out his list of non-negotiables, which he says is “how restaurants at the highest level operate.” The video then moves on to Fak, who is doing his best to convince Claire to get back with Carmy. Even Uncle Jimmy wonders what happened to her.
Syndey, on the other hand, is about to become a partner in the restaurant and we’re fairly certain things will get messy. Speaking of which, Carmy flips on Richie for not noticing a size difference between serving bowls even though Richie says they’re the same, just handmade.
As per usual, tensions appear to be high in the kitchen with Tina questioning why they’re changing the menu every day. The footage also shows Fak and his brother Ted (Ricky Staffieri) preparing a bulletin board with photos of food critics just in case one walks through the door. “We’re going to get a star,” Carmy declares. You can watch the full video below and two new teasers here.
The official synopsis for The Bear season three reads: “As they do what it takes to elevate The Bear, [Carmy, Sydney and Richie’s] beef stand turned fine-dining establishment, to the highest level, all while doing their best just to stay in business.
“It’s a losing battle every single day in the restaurant business. Carmy pushes himself harder than ever and demands excellence from his crew, who do their best to match his intensity.
“Their quest for culinary excellence will propel the crew to new levels and stress the bonds that hold the restaurant together. As the team grows in size, each member will strive to reach a greater level of service within their role. In the restaurant industry, you’re never on solid ground, and with that ever-changing landscape comes new challenges and opportunities.
“Our chefs have learned that every second counts, but this season we’ll find out if they have what it takes to make it to tomorrow.”
Will There Be a Season 4 of The Bear?
It appears so. While season three of The Bear is currently in production, sources confirmed to Variety that the show has been quietly renewed for a fourth season. According to the publication, the forthcoming installment will be shot back-to-back with season three. FX has not yet announced the renewal and there’s no word on whether season four will be the final in the series.
Where to Watch The Bear Season 3
The Bear is an FX on Hulu original, therefore it’s only available to stream through Hulu. If you’re not already a subscriber, you can sign up for its ad-supported plan, which starts at $7.99 per month. Of course, you can also upgrade to the commercial-free package (our pick) for $17.99 per month. Whichever route you go, note that both tiers come with a 30-day free trial.
Disney also recently announced that it’ll be rolling out a beta version of a one-app streaming service for Hulu and Disney+ bundle subscribers in December, which would allow viewers to toggle between shows like The Bear and The Mandalorian on one platform. Currently, the Disney+ and Hulu bundle is offered at $9.99 per month with ads and $19.99 per month for the ad-free plan.
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