Ebon Moss-Bachrach Reveals ‘The Bear’ Filmed 18 Episodes — Which Were Split Into Season 3 and 4
The Bear fans might get season 4 sooner than expected.
Ebon Moss-Bachrach discussed how the cast filmed an extended amount of episodes for season 3 — which were then split apart for a fourth installment.
“When we went in to start season 3, we weren't going in to make season 3 and 4," Moss-Bachrach, 47, who plays Richie, recalled during the Sunday, July 7, episode of the "Talk Easy With Sam Fragoso" podcast. "But it swelled and our episodes got quite big — over an hour."
Moss-Bachrach noted that the extra footage allowed for them to start season 4 production immediately, adding, "Some of these episodes were splitting [and we] are not making it into two seasons and now we are going to be making 15 or 16 episodes instead of 10. But we’re gonna do it all at the same time."
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The shake-up proved to be a challenge since The Bear wasn't filmed in order.
"I would come in at the beginning of the day and shoot a scene from late in season 4 and then shoot a scene from early season 4 and then shoot a scene late in season 3," Moss-Bachrach explained. "Jeremy [Allen White], Ayo [Edebiri] and I are in a constant state of rereading through the seasons and trying to remember where your person is at."
Moss-Bachrach referred to the process as "thrilling" but also "confusing." He elaborated on filming Richie's two-season arc during an interview with Mr. Porter's The Journal published on Monday, July 8, saying, “We shot about 18 episodes, but everything shifts. In the past, what was one episode on the page has been split into two."
The actor continued: "I just lose myself in the messiness and chaos of it. I like getting taken by a wave that’s bigger than you thought it was, tumbled around and spit out the other end.”
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The Bear, which released season 3 last month, explores the food industry through the lens of a talented chef named Carmy (White), who returned to Chicago shortly after his older brother Mikey's (Jon Bernthal) death to take over their family sandwich shop, The Beef. After closing the local spot, Carmy and the employees reinvented the restaurant into The Bear, which found success and failure in the most recent season.
Before season 3 even aired, reports surfaced about FX quietly renewing The Bear for more episodes. Multiple outlets reported the show filmed seasons 3 and 4 at the same time due to the busy schedules of cast members such as White, 33, Edebiri, 28, and Moss-Bachrach.
Matty Matheson, who plays Fak, was asked about filming both seasons together, which he admitted was hard. He specifically cited his attempt to remember what scenes he could speak about since there is footage fans wouldn’t see yet.
"We can’t talk about a bunch of stuff. But I kind of forget everything, which is perfect because I’m like, 'I don’t even know,'" he joked during an interview with Variety in June. "I haven’t even watched the season, actually. I’ve seen some edits and some early episodes, but I’ve only seen episodes 1 through 4, really."
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Season 3 received a lackluster response from critics and fans alike as Carmy pushed The Bear — and the employees — to a level of success not all of them wanted. Sydney (Edebiri), Richie and others in the kitchen found it tough adjusting to the higher caliber of service and that led to new rifts and challenges.
Carmy and Sydney also dealt with distance despite being partners since the first season. Carmy's volatile behavior led Sydney to consider leaving The Bear for another opportunity. The final scene of the season showed Carmy reading The Bear's first review as a "To Be Continued" message flashed across the screen.
The Bear is currently streaming on Hulu.
