• by Barbara Lippert , Columnist, June 26, 2024

Perhaps FX was as excited and jumpy as I was, waiting to see “The Bear” band back together. Thus, the much-awaited season 3 episodes dropped on June 26 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on Hulu and FX in the U.S.,  three hours earlier than  had  been previously announced.

Titled “Tomorrow,” the first episode is described as “The next day and the days that led to it,” which sounds perfect.  The second is called “Next,” while the third ep, “Doors,” echoes that back-of-the house-shout that has become familiar to Bear-watchers.

All 10 episodes of the critically acclaimed series were released at once. So we can chew on this delicious output for weeks.

It turns out that every smarter-than-the-average Bear character is back, including actors Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, alongside Abby Elliott, Lionel Boyce, Liza Colón-Zayas and Matty Matheson. And be still my heart: Oliver Platt and Molly Gordon will again play their respective roles, as Uncle Jimmy -- the restaurant investor poised to take The Bear back if there’s no profit -- and the lovely Claire, with whom Carmy allowed himself a romantic situationship. That left the Jeremy Allen White character stressed-out, in an existential (and freezer) crisis over having taken his manic focus away from the kitchen. Claire hears him calling their relationship “a waste of time.”

As for that other female fave, new partner/chef de cuisine Sydney (Edebiri) also argues with her partner Carmy, but is now a triple threat. Like her character, the actor also keeps stretching and directed episode 6, titled "Napkins."  Reportedly, that episode will follow line-cook now-sous-chef Tina (Colón-Zayas), whose nuanced life story has been perceptively told so far.

In the meantime, as it did in season 2, American Express and Disney/FX’s The Bear" collaborated to create custom content. It features Resy restaurants in Chicago providing “Inside Access” to "The Bear."

After all, Chicago and its real-life foodie culture (from street beef to the meticulous level of haute cuisine that Carmen Berzatto is killing himself to achieve) is more than a backdrop. A deep understanding of the city’s character and quirks is woven into the writing.

Three tightly shot spots feel like a smart and natural extension of this foodie heaven. They focus on the chefs and owners of several Chicago-based Resy restaurants, two of which were featured in some form on “The Bear.”

 “In season two,” says Jason Vincent, Giant’s chef/owner, "the restaurant Verdana was made up for the show, but it was actually [shot in] my restaurant, Giant.”  He goes on to talk charmingly about what occasionally gun-toting Cousin Richie learned about the importance of hospitality in the show.

The second spot features an innovative breakfast sandwich “invented” by the character Sydney for the Bear’s kitchen. It’s stolen from the restaurant Kasama, and co-owner Genie Kwon tells the camera that “people come in and order like Sydney.”

A third spot focuses on the importance of travel for chefs to learn their craft, which connects with the second season storyline featuring Marcus, the gentle baker (Boyce) sent to a Michelin-starred restaurant in Copenhagen  to train under a master pastry chef. It turns out that the master was a competitor and colleague of Carmy before the muscley chef came back to Chicago to take over his deceased brother’s sandwich joint.

Oliver & Nicolas Poilevey, co-owners of the restaurant Obélix (and Chicago natives and brothers) talk about the inspiration they got from training abroad.

The spots are enjoyable and sync perfectly with the vibe of the show. 

Now let’s get to bingeing and feasting.