WARNING: DO NOT READ FURTHER IF YOU HAVEN’T WATCHED THE SECOND SEASON OF THE BEAR. HEAVY SPOILERS AHEAD.
Ready?
OK.
WHEW. What a ride. It was always possible the second season of Hulu’s summer hit The Bear would surpass all expectations, but this Chicago-based meditation on fine dining, following your dreams, and mental health knocked its latest offering out of the park. It started with Italian beef sandwiches, but it’s so much more now.
We got background into the madness of the Berzatto clan with a hold-your-breath tense Christmas dinner episode. I’m still reeling and still woozy over it. We learned more about Sydney’s personal family motivations as she tries to make herself and her father proud. We even received very intimate episodes concerning Tina, Marcus (in Copenhagen, no less!), and Richie becoming the best versions of themselves. Each personal tale was so enriching and so rewarding.
Everything about the second season of The Bear felt bigger and better (and like there was more money thrown around in production). And after that show-stopping finale featuring notes like Carmy being his own worst enemy again and a few pseudo-romances, there remains a lot to unpack for our favorite River North culinary group of friends.
For now, Hulu hasn’t renewed The Bear for a third season. In collaboration with FX Productions, it hasn’t canceled the series outright, either. While it seems unlikely the streaming service would discontinue one of its most popular shows, nothing is guaranteed. That’s especially amidst the Writers Guild of America strike, which is ongoing.
In the event the show does return for Summer 2024, here are some loose story threads we need to see addressed.