“The Bear” season 3 is SHIT!!!

I hear you OP and mostly agree but I do think the “Napkins” episode (Tina’s backstory) was one of the best in the series.

R1 that was the best episode of the season for sure. Everything else was meh.

We rewatched season 2 and having loved it the first time think it's not that great and kind of bro-y

The Bear has always been infuriating. They can go from sublime to absolute shit in seconds.

I watched the first 2 seasons. What had me shaking his head is the last episode, all that fuss they made for a sandwich shop?!?

My partner and I watched the first season together. He is watching the second now by himself. I “get it” but it’s just not my kind of show. I am not a huge fan of shows that throw countless problems, obstacles in a characters way just to drag out a season then have everything wrapped up with a deus ex machina of discovering 100k in tomato cans. It’s like the writers are just making up stuff to get a six year syndication arc. They’ll have a nuclear bomb blow up The Bear only to resolve it as Cam’s fever dream over running a restaurant.

Did always seem like one of those ideas that would work better as a limited mini series.

No wonder it sweeps the comedy awards..funniest show on television!! Belly laugh after belly laugh.

The Bear - a demi-glace is much more stressful than we previously imagined and can lead to thoughts of suicide.

I LOVED season one.

I liked season two.

And I haven't even started season three.

It reminds me of the Ted Lasso. Once it believed its own hype, the magic was gone.

That’s pretty much exactly it R10. I did the Ted Lasso gauntlet. So by the time I started watching the much hyped first season of The Bear, I saw the tell-tale signs of how it was going to progress - and dipped out.

Ted Lasso now that I think of it wasn’t my first. Weeds was. It took a cool idea and just became increasingly impossible, implausible.

Ted Lasso's major problem was that it was an American show set in the UK. It had American ideas of the UK that just didn't work. You can't transplant an American idea onto the UK and expect it to work. We might speak the same language but we are very, very different countries.

I get that R13. Makes sense from a UK perspective for sure.

But I don't think that's why us Americans tired so quickly of Ted Lasso. Sadly, most of us wouldn't really be aware of the cultural differences it may have gotten wrong!

Our problem was the shift in tone and how up its own ass it became.

I never got Ted Lasso. I thought it was a satire on American positive thinking but it was for real. After Season 1, I had enough. The Bear was well done in Season 1 but still overrated. I’m struggling with Season 3 as the show is going nowhere. Eventually all the plot holes start to glare in these shows and they become ridiculous.

I never cared for Jason Sudeikis, he seems kind of sleazy so it was hard to buy him as that character

(and yes I know that's what acting is)

I’m only on Episode one and my goodness it took two watches to get through it. It’s so confusing and I just don’t remember all the shit they are stuck on. Olivia Colman is the only bright part because she exudes warmth and positivity. Wish the show would pivot to her kitchen or something because this is bleak ass hell.

I keenly awaited season 3 and now I am struggling to watch it. The Bear had such promise. So far, season 3 seems to be about all this artistic cinematography. Cut the crap and focus on an actual storyline.

Agree 100% with the above statemets about Ted Lasso. Season 1 was great, I literally LOL'd at many points. I couldn't even complete season 2.

I hope HACKS wins Best Comedy at the next Emmys, and not this “comedy”.

Tina’s backstory and Sugar going into labor episodes were both great. The rest…meh. I hate the stupid fat cousins and there was way too much of them this season. Wanna make the dining room run smoother? Fire Richie. And the fat cousin. Also, the way everyone hangs on Sydney’s every word like she’s some culinary goddess is so silly. It’s like everyone thinking Barbra was so sexy in the latter part of Mirror Has Two Faces. Just, no.

I've only seen two episodes so far and I LOVE it

R12 Weeds isn’t the same. Weeds was strong until about season 6. The issue was Weeds overstayed and instead of ending on a high note they kept it going and finding new ways to stir the pot.

People speak of Ted Lasso without acknowledging it only lasted 3 seasons. The Bear has already been renewed for 2 more I believe.

R19 this show is going to win at the next Emmys because the next Emmys the show will be nominated for season two. Season three is not eligible until next year’s Emmys.

r19, either that or Abbot Elementary. Shows that actually make you like rather than a couple of chuckles. The Bear is not a comedy. The Emmys can be fucking ridiculous sometimes.

^ i.e. Orange is the New Black was a comedy series. It was a great show with laughs here and there. But I’d definitely not call it a comedy.

I don’t get the love for Sydney at all. I’ve hated her negative and sarcastic chip on her shoulder from day one. The awards the actress won really surprise me.

R20, agreed. I could see it if her character were an older, more authoritative chef with loads of experience. How old is her character supposed to be again?

Ayo 100% deserved the awards she won for season 1 and she will win for season 2 also.

The character is a know it all but that’s how she’s written. Ayo is just doing her job.

She’s a young chef just starting though. Everyone always listening to her is weird. Even listening to Carmine is a stretch.

I'm only on Ep. 6 but Carmy and Richie need to STFU. Their fights have become tedious. I was liking Richie much better at the end of S2.

R29, I agree that Ayo is a great actress. So far, she hasn't been given much to work with in S3 (from what I've seen).

Regarding the season finale, and Carmy’s confrontation with his old boss: on the one hand, Carmy should’ve punched the shit out of him. On the other hand, since Carmy’s been such an asshole this season, he kinda deserved the verbal smack down from his old asshole boss. With all that said, I still want something awful to happen to that old boss.

R31 his old boss is a big time chef in NYC who is respected. Of Carmy beats his ass the old chef can have his career destroyed by just word of mouth

If Joel McHale's character is based on Thomas Keller, does that mean Chef Thomas Keller is an ass in real life?

Flashback, character spotlight episodes on successful streaming shows are often done to save money. Inevitably those episodes use less of the cast. Lowering the expensive players number of contracted episodes.

[quote]I LOVED season one. I liked season two. And I haven't even started season three.

I tolerated season one. I watched 3 eps of season two and decided I did not need this shit. Not even gonna try season three.

Not only have I opted out of watching The Bear, it’s made me want to avoid all restaurants everywhere.

The much celebrated Christmas episode in Season 2 was ruined by Jamie Lee Curtis’ overacting. And none of these actors feel remotely Italian.

And yet r37, that intense and dismal episode will be nominated and probably win the Emmy for best COMEDY writing. Yes, I said comedy.

The season 3 episode with John Cena is absolute garbage.,What high end restaurant would have those ugly fat guys as waiters. And in 6 months a guy who worked in a greasy spoon has become. a well paid pastry chef. Nothing makes sense,

LOL at those who compared Curtis to Aida Turturro as Janice in Sopranos.

Edie Falco and Aida’s performances in Sopranos were master classes in subtly counter-balancing the “bigness” of a performance.

That contrast is what creates “layered” characters.

They couldn’t be more different and more nuanced than whatever the hell JLC is doing in "The Bear" which comes off as color by numbers schtick especially when you have direct experience with the nuances of mental illness and a domineering matriarch type.

Watch an episode like “Sopranos Home Movies” and the difference is clear as day..

R34 that isn’t true. The flashbacks used are all new footage. Not flashback footage of old episodes. It’s only on its 3rd season and does like 10 episodes a season.

The “flashbacks” are to give the viewer the backstory. It’s all filmed newly though. What you’re describing is something different

R38 there was a lot of comedy in the episode. The dark way humor is used in this series goes over everyone’s heads. Some people get it but it seems the average Joe doesn’t.

JLC was the better part of the episode. They ALL overacted. She was at least top tier at it.

And I’m over casting non-Italians as Italians in general.

R41, I think you missed the point of r34 is saying. He wasn't saying that the episodes aren't newly filmed. He was saying that because you are focusing on the backstory of one person or group of people, you don't have to use the entire "salaried-per-episode" cast in that particular episode, just maybe two or three of them. When you shoot a "current episode", pretty much everyone in the cast is used and paid for their work. Celebrities who pop up in flashback episodes are hitching their wagon to a popular show now in the hopes of remaining relevant and working and are probably not asking their usual price for an appearance.

I LOVE IT. It’s quiet, loud and thoughtful. You naysayers expect every fucking TV show to be a Dua Lipa video. You can fuck off

[quote] You naysayers expect every fucking TV show to be a Dua Lipa video.

I can't say that I am a Dua Lipa expert, but is there really an epidemic of Lipa-inspired television?

I find all the reverence for fine dining a bit much. I listened to the celebrity chefs talk about their higher purpose in the last episode and thought "What the fuck is Christina Tosi doing there? She puts sprinkles on every dessert and makes cereal milk ice cream" Then I read her husband is a consultant on the show.

The Tribune's restaurant critic did an article about how wrong it got restaurant reviews--that one from the Trib can't make or break any place and is rarely that negative.

For the sake of realism, I hope someone steals the safe next season or that guys wander in to steal patrons' purses. See video below.

The “comedy” taxonomy is pure category fraud.

It’s a drama. Period.

I read a couple articles today that dealt with the noticeable blowback against The Bear. One was an interview with a couple critics who thought Season 3 was a step backward that didn’t move the story along. One thought it was too dark and insular. The other article was about sites such as DL and Reddit where posters who saw the awards the show won and started streaming it but hated it.

And would there be links to these articles R48?

R49 Hollywood Reporter

I've thought the show was overrated since day one, but the last season was terrible. I agree with all the criticisms already mentioned, but I'm surprised no one mentioned Claire. How much time did season 3 spend on Carmy obsessing over her? Based on that, you'd have thought that she was a major presence throughout the first two seasons. In reality, she was a fairly minor character in season 2 and their relationship was pretty short-lived. All the time spent on Carmy's obsessing over the breakup seemed totally disproportionate to how much the audience cared about that.

R48 The Daily Beast

Claire is also such a flat, dream-girl, Madonna-like character who, despite having a likely very stressful job as an ER doctor at a Chicago hospital, was always there to serve Carmy’s bottomless pit of emotional need.

she's not that interesting

[quote] The other article was about sites such as DL and Reddit where posters who saw the awards the show won and started streaming it but hated it.

I don't remember posters on DL hating the first two seasons. Both threads for both seasons were filled with raves. I definitely liked the first two seasons -- raw, compelling television.

I'm enjoying this season

R56, I think this season can be seen as setting up/laying the groundwork for a better Season 4.

Lost me at CASH HIDDEN IN CANS OF TOMATO SAUCE

R58, Old Italian Mob Sekret

It's all mood. The plot doesn't move much. I didn't like it anywhere near as much as seasons 1 and 2, but it was okay once past the first three episodes. The Bear isn't a very arduous watch, even when it drags as it did this season. There were a few high points. Hopefully this sets up for a better season 4.

that's likely why I like it

I’m officially over this show. I tried watching the first few episodes of Season 3, and couldn’t get past the fact it’s the unfunniest “comedy” ever made. The Bear focuses so hard on surprise cameos and angsty bullshit, the creators forget to actually add humor.

what a stupid reason to dislike a show

Just because it's labeled a comedy for awards purposes (which has been talked about a lot on DL) doesn't mean you have to look at it as such.

After the first episode of S3, my partner said: "You know, this used to be an interesting show, sometimes funny, sometimes poignant, even anxiety inducing (the Christmas dinner episode from S2) but, this... This feels like a film school project, and not a particularly interesting one." Things did improve around Episode 4, but the Fak Brothers? Just fucking NO. They've truly overstayed their welcome. It's still not a bad show but the whole season felt like a long therapy session dealing with past trauma.

The reason the show rubs me the wrong way is that the characters talk like actors trying to talk like real people.

Masturbatory, self-indulgent season. 40% of it wasn't needed.

If I were a customer at their restaurant, I would walk the fuck out if Fak walked up to my table serving me a glass of water, let alone food. Anyone who is that fat and has face, neck, and hand tattoos is a disgusting piece of shit.

I’d slap the shit out of you

[quote] The much celebrated Christmas episode in Season 2 was ruined by Jamie Lee Curtis’ overacting.

Everything she touches turns to shit.

R70, What's an Oscar Got to Do With It, Ang?

Ayo Edebiri is the only thing about Season 3 that worked, both in front of and behind the camera.

R72, I'm confused by her character this season. In the first two seasons, she was adamant about getting that coveted Michelin star at all costs and was the one pushing Carmy for it. And now that he's being a hardass and all in for that Michelin star, she is grumbling and indecisive?

To me, I think she's getting that she would have to go whole hog into the family dynamics if she wanted that star, and that she was working in a powderkeg. Constant risk assessment mixed with moment by moment survival.

I think i want more

The birth episode with Jamie Lee Curtis was unbearable. Tight close ups on the two actors and JLC chewing all the scenery. Horrible.

I wonder if the strike had something to do with the story barely moving this season? I hope that gets fixed by Season 4.

I kind of went with the first episode on it's own terms, though it was more of an exercise. The third episode made me want to slit my wrists. The Tina episode was the only one I truly liked. I didn't buy the birth episode at all. Working way too hard. All season I wanted Syd to say to Carmy that she would stay as long as he stopped bossing her around and making stupid decisions like completely new dishes every night. Otherwise, she should have just lsft. The whole season was a study in frustration.

I loved the third episode. Very tense. I dont’t know why it would have come as a surprise though. The first and second episodes had similar energy

This show’s plot is like buying cheap underwear. By the third year it’s threadbare, stretched out and shredded with holes.

I think I discovered the secret for watching season 3. Last night, I popped half a gummy and I was actually able to watch 3 episodes back-to-back.

Jamie Lee Curtis SHOULD NOT be filmed at close range.

I know many question the authenticity of the staff in this show. Restaurants are a DEI wet-dream. They're one of the most diverse workplaces.

You really don't have to have many specialized skills to work in a restaurant. Got a pulse? Need some quick money? Join us!

R82, are you a Trumper?

r83 no. Have you ever worked in the restaurant business for any appreciable amount of time?

R82 is a turd in a punch bowl

R81 I’ve taken gummies for the whole season and it was still a chore. I get they’re just treading water until the fourth season but this was too much.

Agreed, OP I hate it

R82 are you retarded? No one was sitting here wondering if restaurants are diverse. wtf.

I love it

The Tina episode was amazing

If you want to see how a real three-Michelin-star restaurant operates (there is NO YELLING whatsoever) please enjoy Frederick Wiseman's documentary Menus-Plaisirs - Les Troisgros. Yes, it is four hours long and entirely in French with subtitles, but it is hypnotic. I believe it's on the PBS Passport streamer, but you may find it elsewhere.

Different restaurants operate differently. You also can’t compare an American restaurant to one in France

Oui, but it makes a nice change from the agita.

Some episodes are more serious than others but I’m truly shocked some people don’t see how this is a comedy. I decided to start rewatching season 3 today to give it another chance and the arguing between them in itself is hysterical at times.

I agree

r94, it shouldn’t be winning all the awards over actual comedy shows that are smartly written and offer far more laughs than The Bear.

The Bear is a comedy.

Doesn't take much to rile people up lately. See R88.

Calm down, sir.

[quote]Some episodes are more serious than others but I’m truly shocked some people don’t see how this is a comedy.

It's interesting how opinions can differ so much on a show. I loved season one, I loved season two, and I'm loving season three. To me, it's some of the best writing on television, and it's compelling to watch. But I'm an actor, and character and dialogue-driven drama hits my sweet spot.

R99 ……

It very much is a comedy series. It’s not the writers fault some of you are so small brained you can’t understand its humor.

I think it’s delightful

Hmm...seems like there are articles being written about whether it is/is not a comedy. Never seen that about any other TV show.

If I need to be told it's a comedy by a journalist, then maybe the writers have somewhat failed.

The fact that there's a question about whether it's a comedy or not is a testament to the writing. The conversations sound like real, everyday conversations. That "Fuck you," "No. Fuck You" scene around the counter in the kitchen in Season 3 Episode 2 is amazing. And it sounds and feels like many real-life discussions I've had with my family. That's what makes it compelling to me. Even in our dark times, there's levity. Writing that into a script without it seeming forced is not well executed often. This show does that beautifully.

R103 iirc this was also discussed in regard to Orange is the New Black being nominated in the comedy category.

Sorry, but it's a drama with comedy (or dramedy, if you will.) There's less comedy in it then LA Law, The West Wing, or Mad Men - all listed as dramas. Maybe it's the (sometime) half hour length.

Bailed out after the beginning of s2. Everyone is a jerk except for Ayo.

There are no true comedies in the comedy race any more.

Hacks in the closest and even that is a dramedy at best.

Is a therapy session funny? Because that's what Season 3 really was.

Abbott Elementary isn’t a comedy?

That show I dropped as it felt to real to real life

Marcus the pastry chef is hardly a jerk, R107. I would happily watch an entire season about him. Ibrahim, too.

Same, R112. I love Marcus. And Ibrahim and Tina. The only characters who bore me are Carmy and Claire.

It has become UNWATCHABLE.

I've purposely skipped over all previous threads for "The Bear" given that I hadn't watched it; I ended up bingeing the first two seasons immediately before delving into S3. Agreed that it's TOTAL shit.

It is jarring as fuck to go from exemplary to middling merely between seasons, at least if you binge it all for the first time in under 10 days. The Tina standalone episode was the only decent part, along with Natalie giving birth: I'll take Jamie Lee in a bizarrely uptight blonde wig chewing the scenery anytime! Still, S3 is basically a metaphor for The Bear (meaning the restaurant) itself: it has a solid foundation, but they can't seem to stick the landing with any consistency, and they flat-out lose the plot on a regular basis.

I remain deeply confused about its depiction of the Chicago fine dining scene. Ever, a real-life Michelin two-star, was both the name *and* setting for Olivia Colman's fictional three-star restaurant on the show – seemingly the city's only three-star – that she unexpectedly decides to close. (But the real Ever is still around, though I gather it was originally intended to be left unmentioned as the location where Richie learns to stage – meaning its actual filming location.) But then the writers decided Chef Terry needed to go, meaning they had to name the place, AND (oddly) decided Alinea & Grant Schatz exist in their universe after all. Schatz is one of the guests at Chef Terry's funeral dinner: this is weird given that Alinea is Chicago's only actual current three-star, and Charlie Trotter – the only former one – is the one that closed somewhat abruptly (but long enough to go unmentioned on the show).

Also confusing: Carmy's employment history. The show's been "hinting" that he worked at Noma, The French Laundry, and Eleven Madison Park since S1, presumably because they didn't want to associate Joel McHale's asshole chef with any of them – so they invented a fictional place called "Empire" after truly *establishing* (but only for the first time this season) that Carmy did, in fact, work at all three? And how has Chef Asshole avoided being cancelled Mario Batali-style for inappropriate kitchen behavior? (It's not just sexual innuendo that qualifies.)

S1 was a solid Michelin two-star; S2 leveled up to three-star; and S3 flopped them back to Bib Gourmand.

I just didn’t like how the success or failure of the people seem to wax and wane only according to the need to elongate the series. We need to draw it out - the same problems after problems. We need to wrap it up, instant success. All the problems are different versions of the same thing over and over - hinging on the possibility of inevitable closure.

Jon Bernthal is a stand out in that one episode

Way too fucking bro-y. It's like they want to make sure this show about fancy food with a diverse cast is appealing to men. And even worse: sensitive moody bros.

I also don't believe for a second that they're doing a new menu every day.

I love the whole thing, maybe the chef cameos at the end were too much. Olivia Colman is an AMAZING actress

R119, they didn't actually do a different menu every day, which you can tell by listening to what's available on a given night at The Bear. I'm guessing Carmy just did lip service to it, e.g. replacing whitefish with bass (or any other light-colored fish) as somehow being "different," but not really.

carmy is a carny

The insistence on trying to make the Claire character happen is killing the show. She’s deadly dull, she has no connection with the restaurant “family”, and she’s got zero chemistry with Carmy. Why are the writers so obsessed with her?

Tina’s episode (which was fantastic) and the brief returns of Olivia Colman and Will Poulter were the only things I enjoyed this season.