How The Bear Season 3’s Ending Rests on a Review and Sets Up Season 4

This article contains spoilers for THE BEAR season 3 episode 10.

After much anticipation, FX’s The Bear is back with a 10-episode third season that sees Carmy Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), Sydney Adamu (Ayo Edebiri), and Richie Jerimovich (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) working to elevate their new fine dining establishment to the highest degree possible and survive in the difficult restaurant business.

As you can imagine, fans were left with some major cliffhangers before the credits rolled and the words: to be continued. While it’s a nice reassurance that we will officially be getting a fourth season, there’s a lot to break down and think about. Here’s what happened and all of the lingering questions. 

Was The Review Good or Bad?

The fate of the restaurant heavily rests on the Chicago Tribune’s review with Uncle Jimmy (Oliver Platt) already warning Carmy that if it’s bad, he’s got to cut the string. The final moments of the season see the review finally publish and then allows viewers to see a selection of words from it.

Confusing. Excellent. Culinary. Dissonance. Innovative. Brilliant. Sloppy. Inconsistent. Delicious. Simple. Complex. Disappointed. Berzatto. Subtract. Overdone. Incredible. Tired. Stale. Talent. 

Struggling to figure out what exactly these words all mean? You’re not the only one. There is one thing to note besides the mixed adjectives: Carmy’s last name, Berzatto, is included, meaning he was specifically talked about. Whether it’s in a good or bad way, we’re not sure yet. Carmy’s phone screen also shows four missed calls from Uncle Jimmy as well as two messages and three missed calls from Computer (Brian Koppelman). As for his reaction, that’s a simple “Motherfucker!”

Our best guess is that the article expresses that The Bear is dealing with an identity crisis, not exactly sure what it is or which food it wants to embrace despite the team’s best efforts. This would explain why the review basically goes from positive to negative in every other word.  

It’s Time for Another Funeral

While the first funeral was for Marcus’ (Lionel Boyce) mother, the second one, which takes place during the finale, is for Chef Andrea Terry’s (Olivia Colman) restaurant, Ever. So who attends? Carmy, Sydney, Richie, Luca (Will Poulter), and more, including many real-life famous chefs. Carmy and even Sydney both seem to be working through their inner struggles through flashbacks, triggered by the conversations around them. This leads Carmy to literally confront his demon, finding Chef David (Joel McHale) and calling him out on how he treated his employees, commenting that the other chef gave him ulcers, panic attacks, and nightmares. 

It does not even phase his former boss, who says that he is the reason Carmy has confidence, leadership, and ability. While he hasn’t apologized to or even called Claire, it’s clear that Chef David’s methods are a huge reason for their breakup and Carmy’s mindset. In order to be excellent, he had to get rid of everything else and put his personal life on hold. Was it worth it? Will this conversation be the push he needs to make things right with Claire, who is still haunting him, and Richie? Well, only season 4 can give us that answer. 

Sign the Agreement, Syd

One of the biggest questions viewers are left with is what Sydney’s next move will be. She was offered the opportunity to run her own kitchen in Chef Adam Shapiro’s (played by Adam Shapiro) new restaurant but it would obviously mean leaving The Bear and all that she’s put into it behind. It would be a big deal considering she does not seem to be getting the credit she deserves for being a partner, which she would officially be as soon as she signs the agreement. Not to mention, Carmy is changing things and not truly listening to her ideas, not giving her much creative say in the business and menu. 

Shapiro does follow up for an answer, but Sydney still hasn’t spoken with Carmy about it, trying to find the right time, even though there will never be one. She promises that she is still interested and is definitely giving it some real thought. However, the choice is taking its toll on her as we witness the chef reach her breaking point. After seeing a newspaper clipping on the fridge about how The Beef has evolved, she thinks back on how everyone involved has evolved with it. This has her leaving the post-funeral party, going outside of the apartment, hyperventilating, and having what seems to be a panic attack. 

All 10 episodes of The Bear season 3 are available to stream on Hulu.