‘The Bear’: Jeremy Allen White and Co. Exit the Kitchen With Renewed Spirit and Sincere Performances 

Alci Rengifo

The fifth and final season of “The Bear” scales back down to the raw basics of its premise. After a fourth season that lost a bit of this show’s original power, if not the whole narrative thread, this finale comes full circle to the beginning. Creator Christopher Storer understands this series is an underdog tale. In the spirit of other similar series, the heroes reached what felt like the peak of success before crashing back down. The stakes are quite high as this final round kicks off in a Chicago beset by a major rainstorm. 

As the season begins, the title restaurant is literally out of time. The clock set by Uncle Jimmy (Oliver Platt) last season has run out. He figures there is no option but to cut the place loose before losing even more money. Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) has already told Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) and Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) that he plans to leave the restaurant, forming a partnership with Sydney. As rain pummels the city, Jess (Sarah Ramos) lets Richie know the restaurant’s reservation app is down. The update comes just as Richie gets t-boned while driving. Meanwhile, Marcus (Lionel Boyce) picks up Luca (Will Poulter) and lets him know today has to go perfect since he has invited his father for dinner. Sugar (Abby Elliott) is keeping track of the bills to keep the restaurant afloat, while leaving her newborn baby in the care of manic mom Donna (Jamie Lee Curtis). Ebraheim (Edwin Lee Gibson) rehearses how to pitch franchising the beef window to Carmy. The tensions only escalate when a pipe bursts, flooding part of the restaurant and Sydney is informed that Jimmy has cancelled the latest order of food essentials. Oh, and the reservation app kicks back to life with enough numbers for at least three turns. 

Propulsive would be the best way to describe the energy of season five. Whereas last season opened with a slow burner, meditative spirit, this one goes full throttle into various crises and the tension of big decisions. The first episodes capture the stress of situations colliding with the pipes bursting, the kitchen finding itself devoid of food and Jimmy seeming to openly sit back so it all collapses. Carmy seems to be in a serene state, maybe because he’s so used to the chaos, assuring Sydney everything will be fine. He also asks that they keep their future plans secret for now from the rest of the staff. Then, there are the engaging micro stories going on all around, like Jimmy being given surprising options by Cheese (Elsie Fisher), the savant niece of Nicholas (Brian Koppelman). The three get into shouting matches over what to do with the restaurant, mostly getting so contentious because Jimmy seems closed to reason. Cheese and Nicholas then drop on him some illuminating information about the nature of owning all the space around and above The Bear.

While this series begins and ends with Carmy, Sydney really comes into her own as the other center of gravity of the series. The writing convinces us these characters have grown. When the kitchen erupts into a shouting match over the rising number of reservations, Sydney now calms down, her mind going back to past clashes, and then assures everyone dishes will be clean and food served with genuine authority. Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas) is also now more assured as Sydney’s right hand, opening the season with a tender scene where she cooks a meal at home and shares tender but sobering words with her husband. Nothing in this world is assured, but the hard work pays off. Everything from the camera work to plot beats gets so economical, episodes nearly work as micro short films. You could have an entire short about Ebraheim’s prepared speech for Carmy, with self-pep talking to remind himself not to be intimidated by Carmy’s blue eyes. A weaker angle is the romance between Richie and Jessica (Sarah Ramos), which has some engaging moments but feels lost in the clutter of everything else going on.

As the episodes hurtle into the team facing the onslaught of guests, the true suspense is generated from down to earth decisions. Will Carmy leave The Bear? He admits to the team that he gets no real joy out of this work anymore. Will Luca move back to Europe? Can the place survive with Sydney in charge? The answers to these questions will arrive with some clichés that feel genuine. “The Bear” at its best had the grit and sobering understanding of what it takes to build not just a restaurant, but anything of substance. The final episode doesn’t aim for any kind of depressing curtain drop. Carmy will get to walk down a new career path. Sydney will achieve her goals and be the true head of the kitchen. As in real life, none of it is necessarily perfect, just hopeful. Those coveted Michelin stars should also not be forgotten. In the oddest, rather comic twist of the finale, The Bear will get not one but two. What we as viewers are left with is wanting to see Jeremy Allen White’s next steps after a series that has defined his rugged underdog appeal. Ayo Edebiri also leaves this series, confirming her great range. Through its highs and lows, “The Bear” was a great time in the backrooms of the restaurant scene, but it was the talent involved that leaves us hungry for more.

“The Bear” season five begins streaming June 25 on FX on Hulu.