The Bear Season 4 Brings Carmy Back to the Chaos: What To Expect After That Wild Cliffhanger

Few shows can get your heart racing and make your stomach rumble quite like FX's The Bear. This Chicago-set restaurant drama, which sometimes feels more like a comedy and sometimes like a punch to the gut, follows fine-dining chef Carmy. He comes back home to run his late brother's Italian beef shop. When it first arrived in 2022, no one really knew what to expect. Since then, it has become one of TV's most talked about series.

The show's first three seasons have picked up a lot of awards. Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Liza Colón-Zayas have all won acting nods. Fans are still buzzing after the third season which wrapped up with a major cliffhanger last summer. Luckily, FX greenlit The Bear Season 4 before season 3 even started. This means the next group of episodes has had plenty of time to cook and get ready for us.

So, what exactly happened at the end of The Bear season 3? The finale left everyone hanging, with quick looks at the restaurant's important Chicago Tribune review. The review called the restaurant "excellent" but also "stale." It was "simple" yet "complex," "innovative" but also "confusing." Are these words actually in the review? Or are they just Carmy's (Jeremy Allen White) anxieties playing tricks on him? It is not totally clear. But the calls from Uncle Jimmy (Oliver Platt) did not sound good. Neither did Carmy's frustrated shout of "Motherf---er!"

The Deep Dive Into Carmy's Anxiety and The Restaurant's Future After The Season 3 Finale

Understanding The Consequences of Carmy's Choices And The Looming Threat To The Bear

Uncle Jimmy made it very clear that a bad review could mean he would shut the restaurant down. His money situation does not allow him to keep things running at a loss. Carmy's controlling ways and rude behavior throughout season 3 have pushed almost everyone away. He and Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) are in a difficult spot. Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) is thinking about leaving the restaurant altogether and giving up her partnership deal. She is even considering a new job with Ever chef Adam (Adam Shapiro). And Claire (Molly Gordon) is still waiting for Carmy to apologize or really, anything at all after their breakup. It was a messy ending and left many questions hanging.

The first look at season 4 shows Carmy trying to bring some calm to his kitchen after seasons of total chaos. He has to do it fast, too. The restaurant's money is running out, and a literal clock is ticking. If they do not fix things they might have to close their doors for good. The official description for season 4 says that Carmy, Sydney, and Richie are "determined not only to survive, but also to take The Bear to the next level." It also says they will face new challenges and must adapt. This season, "the pursuit of excellence isn’t just about getting better — it’s about deciding what’s worth holding on to."

John Landgraf, head of FX, talked about the show last year. He said that if season 3 was about feeling "stuck," then season 4 is about getting "unstuck." He knew that being stuck is not always the most exciting thing to watch. But he also thinks season 3 had some truly brilliant moments. He promised that those who stuck with the show will be greatly rewarded in season 4. He believes that after feeling stuck, comes the feeling of becoming unstuck. Joanna Calo, a co-showrunner with creator Christopher Storer, described the new season as "beautiful." She told a Brazilian outlet that "There’s a lot of joy this season. It’s not one of the meaner ones." This sounds like good news for viewers who found season 3 a bit heavy.

When Can We All Watch The Bear Season 4 And What Does Its Release Schedule Look Like?

Mark Your Calendars For The Return Of Carmy And The Crew, And What This Means For Future Seasons

FX announced on May 13 that all 10 episodes of The Bear season 4 will start streaming on Hulu on June 25 at 8 PM ET / 5 PM PT. This is right on time for fans who are used to the show's consistent release schedule. Last year, Landgraf had mentioned that season 4 would come out around June 2025, about a year after season 3. This quick turnaround is pretty rare for TV shows these days.

There were rumors that seasons 3 and 4 were filmed one right after the other. Landgraf confirmed that "most" of season 4 was already done. Jeremy Allen White had guessed that filming would start again in early 2025. In February, the cast and crew were seen filming in different parts of Chicago. The show has been great at sticking to a yearly release, which is not something many streaming shows manage to do. Most shows now have gaps of 1.5 to 3 years between seasons. The Bear is one of the few that keeps that classic one-year wait. This kind of consistency is a big win for fans. It means they do not have to wait too long for new stories from The Bear restaurant.

Why can The Bear keep hitting these deadlines? Well, it probably helps that the writers are very talented and work fast. The episodes are shorter, and most of them take place in one spot. This means it is not a huge production that needs to travel all over the place. This makes it easier to film quickly and efficiently. However, there is one thing that could make it harder for the show to keep up this pace. The success of The Bear has made its main actors very popular. Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach are now getting big movie roles. Moss-Bachrach is even playing The Thing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So, I am wondering if getting the cast to be available might become an issue if they want to keep releasing a season every year.

Will This Be The Final Chapter For The Bear? Thoughts On A Potential Fifth Season

Considering The Future Beyond Season 4 And The Stars' Growing Popularity

Right now, we do not know if The Bear's fourth season will be its last. Landgraf has said that the decision rests with creator Christopher Storer. Last fall, when asked if that was still the case, he simply said "accurate." But it would not be a huge surprise if season 4 ends up being the final one for The Bear. As mentioned, White and Edebiri have become highly sought-after film stars. Moss-Bachrach is now part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with his role as Ben Grimm, The Thing, in The Fantastic Four. He has also been announced for the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday. This increased demand for the actors could make it hard to keep the show going for many more years.

However, the showrunners have also shared some hopeful words about the show's future. Creator Dan Harmon and showrunner Scott Marder of Rick and Morty once discussed their show's future. Harmon noted that if a show starts to "suck" or if there is "fatigue," that would be a reason to stop. But Marder added that internally, the show is "still breaking as smooth and fun and like effortlessly through [Season] 10 as it was in the early days." This kind of enthusiasm from the creative team is a good sign for The Bear too. If the writers and cast are still excited and finding new ideas, there is less reason to stop. It would be a shame to see it go too soon, especially with how quickly it has become a favorite for so many people.

The show's ability to remain relevant year after year with its quick production schedule is truly impressive. It is not just the writing, direction, and performances which are often Emmy-worthy. It is also the show's efficiency in getting new episodes to us. This helps keep it fresh in our minds. When I think of other shows that manage this quick timetable, not many come to mind. The Bear stands out as one of the few exceptions. I hope it can continue this pace and keep delivering the tense, heartfelt, and sometimes very funny stories we have come to love.