According to one of its stars, fans have nailed what they thought The Bear Season 3's ending.
After two seasons of slow-building, Season 3 of the award-winning FX and Hulu dramedy saw Jeremy Allen White's head chef Carmy Berzatto finally get what he dreamed of — a high-end restaurant in his home city of Chicago.
However, Carmy may be a little in over his head. The latest batch of episodes shows this, as the TV restauranteur and his kitchen staff (including Ayo Edebiri's Sydney) slog through the drama-filled dregs of restaurant ownership.
The Meaning Behind The Bear's Season 3 Ending Confirmed
After fervent speculation about the ending of The Bear Season 3, series star Lionel Boyce confirmed what it all means.
Season 3 of the beloved series came to a screeching halt as Carmy — who was mid-walk on a chilly Chicago night — pulled out his phone to find the long-awaited first review of his Bear restaurant sitting there ready to read.
According to Boyce (who plays Marcus in the series), that ambiguous feeling left at The Bear's most recent season break was intentional.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Boyce said the script ever included the moment "with all the missed calls and text messages" on Carmy's phone, and that even he was left asking "Where is this going?:"
"That part, with all the missed calls and text messages, wasn’t in the script. The only thing the script said was that Carmy walks off and the review pops up. So then when I saw the missed calls and texts on his phone screen, I was like, 'OK interesting. Where is this going?'"
This confirms fan suspicions that the series creators were intentionally leaving audiences hanging on the review itself and that as far back as the script, its actual content was meant to be put in question.
This particular review had been a centerpiece of the season up to that point. Early in the season, the staff of The Bear was made aware a local critic had dined at their fine establishment without their knowledge and was going to write the restaurant's very first review.
The importance of the review was then upped even more as Oliver Platt's Uncle Jimmy (Carmy's close family friend and the financier of his new culinary endeavor) gave Jeremy Allen White's head chef an ultimatum. He tells Carmy that if the review is not good, he is going to pull out his significant backing of the business.
As Carmy opens the review viewers are greeted by a montage of buzzwords flashing across the screen, some more positive than others.
In the moment, it is unclear whether these specific turns of phrase are from the review itself or are a part of Carmy's psyche and are a manifestation of his internal doubt (something very present throughout the whole series up to that point).
The show cuts to a "To Be Continued" title card before it can be revealed what the Chicago Tribune writer said about The Bear, leaving many to wonder if the review was positive or negative.
What To Expect in The Bear Season 4
As The Bear now turns its sights toward its upcoming Season 4, fans have a few things they can look forward to.
The biggest of these is the review teased at the end of Season 3. If this review does not hit the standard set out by Oliver Platt's Uncle Jimmy, then Carmy's dream and The Bear itself will likely cease to exist.
So, to say what this critic has to say holds a heavy weight might be a bit of an understatement.
Surely, when Season 4 does eventually debut, the exact phrasing of The Bear's first review will be a key focal point.
The other big thing the next season will have to tackle is the fate of Ayo Edebiri's Sydney.
Sydney starts as an aspiring Chicago chef who idolizes Carmy and jumps at the chance to work with him when he takes over The Beef in Season 1.
That relationship shifted slightly in the seasons since, as Sydney gets a taste of what it is to work with someone like Carmy, who is so emotionally stunted and dealing with his own trauma.
The strain that grows between the two in Season 3 leaves Sydney crying on the floor outside her apartment. There, she weighs whether to sign the partnership agreement Carmy left for her or leave The Bear entirely for a new exciting job offer that comes up during the most recent season.
This is another ambiguous element left to the end of Season 3, as fans wonder whether Chef Sydney will leave her found family at The Bear or not.
When asked about her decision, Marcus actor Lionel Boyce remarked, "I don’t know where they’re going to steer this ship, but I think they do a good job of subverting expectations:"
"The thing with this show is every season I’d be having theories, and without fail what actually happens is different. I don’t know where they’re going to steer this ship, but I think they do a good job of subverting expectations. I can ask Chris, or I’ll just wait until I get to read the scripts."
Everything in Season 3 is set up for Sydney to leave The Bear and venture off on her own, but she is obviously conflicted about this.
If the series creators were truly going to "[subvert] expectations" with Sydney's fate, then it would make sense for her to stay at The Bear despite all the emotional turmoil Carmy has put her through.
Maybe Season 4 will see Edebiri's aspiring chef say she is not going to leave but wants to be treated as a true partner to Carmy instead of his second fiddle or understudy.
The Bear Season 3 is now streaming on Hulu.
Read more about The Bear:
What Did Carmy Say to Claire In The Bear?
Full Cast of The Bear Season 3 - Every Main Character & Actor Who Appears (Photos)
