The Bear

[3dender]

We watched first 2 eps. Pretty good, feels a bit stale maybe, with Richie's newfound maturity feeling pretty sudden and unbelievable.

My overriding takeaway is just how miserable and psychically hazardous it looks to work in a kitchen. Not sure if that's what they're going for... very hard to relate to most of these characters I guess is what I'm saying.

[FrankTheTank]

Episode 7 is similar to the episode Fishes, but a little less crazy. Guest stars all over the place.

Episode 10 is titled "Goodbye", so yeah, this could be it. Season 4 is getting dragged by some critics as well.

[Targaryen]

Interesting casting choice for the latest Fak to appear on screen.

[FrankTheTank]

I finished season 4, and won't give any spoilers, but I really hope there is a season 5. Nothing has been said yet, and I know all of the actors seem to be very busy, but it deserves one more season.

I would 100% watch a FAK sibling spinoff.

[Dicktar2023]

There will be a Season 5.

https://deadline.com/2025/07/the-bear-r ... 236447261/

[Targaryen]

There will be a Season 5.

https://deadline.com/2025/07/the-bear-r ... 236447261/

Apparently, all the core cast members were contractually obligated to do a fifth season if FX decided to renew it. Will be interesting to schedule filming with Jeremy Allen White about to shoot a Bruce Springsteen biopic and Ebon Moss-Bachrach doing filming for the next two Avengers movies.

Gonna predict that all ten episodes will be released on June 24, 2026. Every season so far has been released in the middle of the last week of June.

[George Zipp]

There will be a Season 5.

https://deadline.com/2025/07/the-bear-r ... 236447261/

Apparently, all the core cast members were contractually obligated to do a fifth season if FX decided to renew it. Will be interesting to schedule filming with Jeremy Allen White about to shoot a Bruce Springsteen biopic and Ebon Moss-Bachrach doing filming for the next two Avengers movies.

Gonna predict that all ten episodes will be released on June 24, 2026. Every season so far has been released in the middle of the last week of June.

The Springsteen movie comes out Oct. 24. There are already previews out there online. My guess is principal shooting is long done, and they are in the editing phase, soon to move to the reshoot phase followed by the promotional phase for the movie, the golden globes and oscars. So yeah, they will have to work around his time on every late-night show, Stern, plugging the thing in Europe, Japan etc but it's been filmed.

Can't speak to Ebon's schedule. These things typically have a way of working out.

I'm about halfway thru the new season. Enjoying it more than last season for whatever that is worth.

[Targaryen]

Did anybody catch the huge continuity error with the countdown clock in the very first episode of the season? The time starts with 1440 hours, which is exactly 60 days (60 x 24 = 1440), but once it begins counting down, it immediately goes to 1339 hours. 100 hours just vanished right off the bat. Surprised nobody caught this in post-production editing.

[FrankTheTank]

Happy for a season 5, but I am 99% sure that will be it, and it should be IMO. All of the main characters (and even some side ones) have really elevated their Hollywood status since the beginning of the show, but sure schedules can all be worked out. I really enjoyed season 4.

[Targaryen]

I can't imagine it not ending with S5, given where things ended in S4. I guess we get to find out if they get a happily ever after following the huge plot development revealed in the finale.

[FrankTheTank]

Happy for a season 5, but I really hope that is it. Now...if they wanna talk about a FAK family spinoff, sure.

[3dender]

I like the characters and am invested in their story/growth, and there are some very authentic conversations/interactions that happen (especially the Clair/Carmy reconciliation and then the season finale episode) but man was this season slow.

I just wish all the characters could take like 30% less time pausing momentously before they speak. Carmy (White) is the worst at this, but almost every character/actor does it. Just spit it out already for the love of god.

I'm not gonna go back and rewatch S1/2 to verify but it seems like this really started in S3 where they slowed down and got more meditative. I can handle it in doses, but not all ep every ep.

I'll still watch a S5 but I'll probably enjoy it even less than this one.

[George Zipp]

I like the characters and am invested in their story/growth, and there are some very authentic conversations/interactions that happen (especially the Clair/Carmy reconciliation and then the season finale episode) but man was this season slow.

I just wish all the characters could take like 30% less time pausing momentously before they speak. Carmy (White) is the worst at this, but almost every character/actor does it. Just spit it out already for the love of god.

I'm not gonna go back and rewatch S1/2 to verify but it seems like this really started in S3 where they slowed down and got more meditative. I can handle it in doses, but not all ep every ep.

I'll still watch a S5 but I'll probably enjoy it even less than this one.

My wife and I made the exact same observation, sort of. What you said happens way too much. We commented on it. Kept thinking of Sam Kinnison yelling "Say it." The other thing that happened this season, more so in the past, at least from my fuzzy memory, is the amount of yelling over each other at the same time. I can barely follow one voice at a time at conversation level, now when it's two, screaming over each other, doesn't help.

My take is the second half of the season was much better than the first half. Still was very uneven and I'm ready for S5 to be it.

Anyone else notice how the size of the under the table scene expanded from just Richie and the new hubby and the kid to start to where they barely fit and by the end of the scene it looked like a stadium crowd. Stuff like that cracks me up.

[Ronnie Dobbs]

Season 1 and 2 were great. Season 3 had its moments, but didn't really go anywhere. Season 4 went somewhere, I guess. The last two seasons really don't have me that excited about the rest of this series, but I'm sticking with it.

I do have to say, though, all the actors do a great job.

One other thing I got a say, I hate the Matty Matheson character. He's like full on developmentally disabled. It's ridiculous. I want him off my screen every time he's on it.

And while I don't think I'll ever go to one of these tasting menu Michelin starred type restaurants, I can't believe that they are constantly learning about their upcoming customers, doing special things for them, and even giving them free meals. It seems like a nice thing to put in a story that people on TV will enjoy, but I feel that it's gotta be fake. At least I've never seen anything like it at any of the most expensive restaurants I've ever been to.

[3dender]

One other thing I got a say, I hate the Matty Matheson character. He's like full on developmentally disabled. It's ridiculous. I want him off my screen every time he's on it.

I enjoy him when he's on screen, but yeah it's confusing how dumb they made him, seemingly just this season (but maybe it was just more in your face). It's also jarring to the overall tone of the rest of the drama going on.

Apparently he deserves a lot of credit for the overall authentic feel of the show, so maybe they just sorta let him do what he wants. What would be really interesting would be to see them write him some interior life and challenge Matty the Chef to expand as an actor, rather than just having him be a cartoon character, basically the series mascot.

[Targaryen]

One other thing I got a say, I hate the Matty Matheson character. He's like full on developmentally disabled. It's ridiculous. I want him off my screen every time he's on it.

I enjoy him when he's on screen, but yeah it's confusing how dumb they made him, seemingly just this season (but maybe it was just more in your face). It's also jarring to the overall tone of the rest of the drama going on.

Apparently he deserves a lot of credit for the overall authentic feel of the show, so maybe they just sorta let him do what he wants. What would be really interesting would be to see them write him some interior life and challenge Matty the Chef to expand as an actor, rather than just having him be a cartoon character, basically the series mascot.

They've been building up the weird infantilization thing between Natalie and him since at least back in S2, but now they have cousin Michelle and Richie's ex Tiff also talking to him like he's their five year old son.