Summary

• The Bear is a landmark series, embodying the spirit of the present era with its blend of drama and humor.
• The cast is crucial to the show's success, and changing key could jeopardize its essence.
• While The Bear's storytelling is exceptional, there is a need to explore new narrative horizons to avoid redundancy.

The Bear is hands down one of my favorite series of all time. Of course, I'm not alone in saying this, considering the series has also won over millions of viewers and the 2023 Television Academy, earning 10 well-deserved Emmys. Series like The Bear become landmarks of the time periods in which they were released, tapping into the zeitgeist of ever-changing cultural sensibility and ultimately becoming a part of a lasting era. The Office was an era. Seinfeld and Friends were eras. I Love Lucy became a cultural obsession and the face of a revolutionary era in television.

While The Bear is certainly an evolved type of comedy series that masterfully blends drama and humor, it is currently the best out there, which is an honor it should continue to hold until it ends. Like the other comedy shows previously mentioned, The Bear embodies the spirit and the attitude of the time it takes place in (present day), and becomes emblematic of an era as it unfolds in real time. The Bear was shot out of a cannon as the world was starting to open up again following the pandemic, and that post-lockdown energy is felt in every frantic frame and emotional outburst of season 1.

It seems like nothing, not even Carmy's self-destructive tendencies, can stop the lightning-fast momentum of The Bear. Season 2 smoothed its edges and refined its taste, while season 3 looks to be offering a medley of the first two seasons, and production on season 4 has already started. The Bear has proven itself to be a well-designed, highly efficient machine with a pace and turnaround that would likely intimidate most producers. Still, creator Christopher Storer has yet to take his foot off the gas, and the increasingly in-demand crew seems determined to see it out. This is exactly why the best comedy series on television has got to go.

The Bear Should Take The Succession & Atlanta Route To Ensure Its Legacy

Both ran for 4 exceptional seasons and ended at the top of their game

Most viewers of Succession, myself included, were stunned to discover that the popular HBO series would willingly close its doors at the height of its popularity. The series finale was its most viewed episode by a long shot with 2.9 million viewers, followed by the season 4 premiere with 2.3 million. Succession creator Jesse Armstrong chose to take his beloved series out to pasture to avoid extending it to the point of regression. It's the ultimate "kill your darlings" moment in television writing, and it was the best thing Armstrong could have done to preserve the integrity of the series.

The case of Atlanta's season 4 conclusion was a bit more multifaceted, considering Armstong doesn't have a bustling hip-hop act to maintain as does Donald Glover. Still, the point remains that Succession and Atlanta ran for four exceptional seasons and are considered two of the greatest series ever made. The Bear has to avoid becoming a great series that was left in the oven too long, fizzling out to a dissatisfying end that undermines the brilliance of its previous seasons (cough, cough, Shameless, cough, Dexter). Hitting the four seasons mark seems to be a great target to emulate.

The Cast Is The Bread & Butter Of The Bear & Should Never Be Changed

Making The Bear without Carmy, Richie, or any key cast member is unfathomable

One of my biggest fears about a potential season 5 of The Bear is that it'll do without several familiar faces. The Bear is the The Bear because of its ensemble cast and their chemistry, first and foremost, who will collectively become more difficult to retain after season 4. The show simply couldn't go on without Carmy or Richie, and in my mind, couldn't afford to lose characters like Marcus, Fak, and Tina. Ayo Edebiri was recently cast in the next Luca Guadagnino film and stars in Disney's Inside Out 2, which will open up even more opportunities for her as well.

The Bear's guest stars are also phenomenal, but mostly because of how they enhance and complement the key existing characters in the series. Would I drop everything to watch a spin-off series with Will Poulter and Lionel Boyce called Honeydew? Does The Bear stream on Hulu? Carmy and company built the new restaurant from the ground up, and we as viewers were right there with them through the "Forks" and the "Fishes" through and through. The character development and backstory are the heart and soul of The Bear, and the sense of comion and teamwork makes each character irreplaceable. Except maybe Claire.

The Bear’s Storytelling Is Exceptional But The Scope Of Its World Is Limited

The show could focus less on the cuisine and more on what makes Carmy tick

The Bear is like an unhealthy comfort food; you know what you're getting every time. This is why the show is so embraced by viewers but it's also the very thing that could work against the series in the long run. Carmy and the crew have already come a long way during the first two seasons, both individually and collectively. The Bear is up and running, which is a major life-changing accomplishment, and I already can't wait to see season 3's version of the chaotic handheld one-take shot as all hell breaks loose in the kitchen. This is part of what viewers have come to love and expect from The Bear, but at what point does reliability turn into redundancy?

There is plenty more fruit to explore in non-negotiables list for the newly revamped restaurant, will it still be enjoyable to watch, or will it just be sad? Carmy's only real path to full character development is peace of mind, which to him is basically the equivalent of a sitcom love interest he can't be with because it's more entertaining when they're apart.

I Selfishly Need To See Jeremy Allen White In More Movies

White is destined to turn those Emmys into Oscars

Jeremy Allen White is iconic as Carmy but he was also an integral part of The Iron Claw, which I would argue was the best sports-themed movie of 2023 (sorry Air). Outside of that, however, White has hardly done much outside of Shameless, the series that made him a household name, and The Bear, the series that made him a star. White's role as Kerry Von Erich in The Iron Claw proves that he needs to be in more movies, but a long-term commitment to The Bear would get in the way of that, at least in part. His Bruce Springsteen biopic Deliver Me From Nowhere should be great and will hopefully launch his career as a standalone movie star.

If there's one thing that's certain, The Bear is a show that knows itself. The investment from its cast has to be stronger than ever after White, Edebiri, and Moss-Bachrach cleaned up at the Emmys, but I would venture to guess that their breakout success won't be getting much to their heads. The level of ion and commitment that goes into The Bear is so evident that it actually becomes one of its main attractions and why the show itself has such a tangible identity. I have little doubt that Storer and the whole production team could create six or more solid-to-great seasons of The Bear, but if it will hinder White's budding movie career, then leave it at four.