‘The Bear’: Jeremy Allen White Drives Season 4 With Renewed Underdog Intensity 

Alci Rengifo

The fourth season of “The Bear” opens with a stinging development that will ring sweet for critics. A scathing review becomes the true moment of crisis for the show’s hero. In a way it’s almost an inside reflection by the series itself, which seemed to have lost a little of its spark in season three, despite still garnering acclaim and awards. It’s nearly impossible for some shows to fully reclaim the glory of their first seasons and this new round of episodes doesn’t reach the strength of even season two, yet it is a near return to form. Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) is still determined to take The Bear restaurant high, but rising is never easy.

The season opens with a moving flashback of Carmy pitching a new restaurant idea to his brother Michael (Jon Bernthal) before cutting to the present. A scathing review by the Chicago Tribune has left The Bear in a state of uncertainty. That coveted Michelin star feels so distant. Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) admits she doesn’t like the chaos Carm seems to conjure. It doesn’t help that the review singles her out for delivering constantly late pasta. Uncle Jimmy (Oliver Platt), the restaurant’s key investor, places a countdown clock on the kitchen wall. When it hits zero, the place goes under. Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) is practically having an internal meltdown over the situation. Sugar (Abby Elliott) and Pete (Chris Witaske) are hardly doing better. When the storm slightly settles, Richie brings in some help in the form of Chef Jessica (Sarah Ramos) and her crack team who will put the restaurant back in order with firmness, or so we hope.

Creator Christopher Storer returns to the spirit of driving home how running a high-end restaurant is as difficult as making a high-quality television series. There are more cinematic references. At one point, a depressed Richie is watching an interview at home with director Ridley Scott. At times the editing and rhythm seem to borrow from a director like Scott. Last season seemed to slow down to a grind. This one is propulsive all the way. When Chef Jessica arrives like the ultimate restaurant boot camp leader, the soundtrack drops some of Tangerine Dream’s score for Michael Mann’s “Thief.” In a rush everyone strives to get back on their feet in the early episodes, pushed by Carmy’s refusal to surrender. Restaurant life mixes with personal character flaws and positives. Richie tries to take responsibility early on for that terrible Chicago Tribune review, admitting he should have noticed the critic returning several times to the establishment. There’s also a rather potent fourth episode written by Edebiri and cast member Lionel Boyce and directed by Janicza Bravo, which explores Sydney’s backstory and the personal journey that led her to cooking. Danielle Deadwyler makes a memorable guest appearance as Chantel, Sydney’s lively cousin who has a daughter, TJ (Arion King).

In all group efforts there are clashing personalities and moments of great doubt. A running plot has Sydney being offered to run the kitchen of trendy new Chef Adam (Adam Shapiro). He’s not so much a villain as a potential option for Sydney to jump ship. When she visits his restaurant, doubt sets in because she doesn’t click with him as with Carmy, despite how tempestuous it can get at The Bear. Yet, Adam talks like the chef equivalent of a tech bro, even offering to develop a health coverage plan. It could be too ambitious, but has appeal. Other side stories follow characters like Ebraheim (Edwin Lee Gibson), who hires a consultant named Albert (Rob Reiner) to help with his sandwich business goals. Reiner, himself a veteran director, has too much in the scruffy role, mostly played behind dark sunglasses. Sugar is almost the eye of the storm at The Bear, trying to keep everyone calm, something symbolized when she makes Pete throw away the Chicago Tribune review.

Carmy is the storm at the heart of “The Bear” until the very end. This is a good return for Jeremy Allen White in the show that has defined him, just as the trailer drops for “Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere,” the upcoming biopic where White plays Bruce Springsteen. He has that natural look of the underdog, even when surrounded by the sheen of a restaurant aspiring to Michelin status. In this season once again the fever to succeed is a conduit for his demons. The man is so obsessed he forgets the little things, like visiting Sugar’s new baby. The writing explores the personal scars that have shaped Carmy more intimately, culminating in a sincere return of his mother, Donna (Jamie Lee Curtis) for what feels like imperfect but necessary closure. Carmy can be kind, as when he tastes one of Sydney’s dishes and like a proud mentor, tells her it’s “perfect.” He can indeed heal a friendship with Claire (Molly Gordon) after their romantic crash. The season finale finds him making a decision that could either mean the end of the series or an unpredictable new road. Such is a restless character and “The Bear” always captured that spirit wonderfully. This season is a well-served dish that suggests some good courses remain. 

“The Bear” season four begins streaming June 25 at 8 p.m. ET on Hulu.