The Bear has finally served up its fourth season, but some critics are sending it back to the kitchen. FX’s hit culinary drama has reunited fans with Carmy (Jeremy Allen White), Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), and Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) after a year of waiting. Seasons 1 and 2 were massive hits for FX, earning multiple Emmy Awards and the immense acclaim of fans. But if the first two seasons were a three-Michelin-star restaurant, some fans thought that Season 3 was the equivalent of a Denny’s. There’s a lot riding on Season 4 to reignite passion in the series, but The Bear might not be retaining its three stars this time around.
The reviews for The Bear Season 4 are in, and it’s not the successful relaunch that the new season was hoping for. Season 4 currently sits at 77% on Rotten Tomatoes after 26 reviews. This is far from the rotten rating some fans feared after Season 3 missed the mark, but Season 4’s score still marks a record low for the series. The first two seasons both hold incredibly high scores of 100% and 99%, respectively. The divisive third season saw that score drop to 89%. However, Season 4’s critics’ rating is the lowest in the series’ history.
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However, the audience ratings tell a very different story. In that regard, Season 3 is still fans’ least favorite of all four seasons. Season 3 holds a very divisive audience rating of 51%. While Season 4’s critics’ rating is concerning, audiences appear to be enjoying the new season a lot more, as it holds an 84% audience score. This is, again, nowhere near the heights of Seasons 1 and 2, but it’s a slow return to form for FX’s once dominating series.
What Are Critics Saying About ‘The Bear’ Season 4?
FX
The critics’ consensus on Season 4 ranges drastically depending on which review you read. Some critics, like Slashfilm‘s Chris Evangelista, thought that “The Bear Season 4 is a big improvement over Season 3.” Nick Shager of The Daily Beast also showered Season 4 with praise, writing, “A wonderfully nuanced and touching portrait of combatting loneliness, self-destructive rage, and bitterness and resentment through calm, trust, and compassion.” Many agreed that Season 4 improves upon Season 3’s weakest moments, as Entertainment Weekly‘s Kristen Baldwin put it:
“Though not quite at the level of the sublime second season, the new episodes put Carmen and company back on track by allowing them to confront, at long last, “the f—ing elephant in the f—ing restaurant.”
But, as the 77% rating suggests, not everyone was impressed. Angie Han of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, “Where The Bear once seemed almost too restless, the latest run has the feel of a show burnt out from the effort of trying to outdo itself. Rather than push forward or drill deeper, it retreats into familiar territory.”
All 10 episodes of The Bear’s fourth season are now streaming on Hulu. Before the new season’s release, there were rumors of the show coming to an end after Season 4. However, these have not been confirmed by FX.
3.5
/5
Release Date
June 23, 2022
Network
Hulu
Showrunner
Christopher Storer
Directors
Ramy Youssef
Writers
Catherine Schetina, Alex Russell, Karen Joseph Adcock, Sofya Levitsky-Weitz, Stacy Osei-Kuffour
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