The Bear Season-Finale Recap: Closure

Last year, with “Fishes,” The Bear produced an episode packed with guest stars, from Bob Odenkirk to John Mulaney to Jamie Lee Curtis. This year’s star-packed episode, “Forever,” is slightly different. Instead of guest actors — though it does have some of those — the show packs its call sheet with culinary stars, all supposed to have worked at or touched Chef Andrea Terry’s Ever at some point in its decadeslong run.

There’s Grant Achatz, whose Alinea, in some ways, set the standard for Chicago fine dining. There’s Kevin Boehm, whose Boka group owns some of the best chef-driven restaurants in the country. There’s Milk Bar’s Christina Tosi and Elske’s Anna Posey, and Noma pastry chef turned taqueria owner Rosio Sanchez and molecular gastronomy pioneer Wylie Dufresne. Former Eleven Madison Park GM Will Guidara is there, in part presumably because he’s also a producer on The Bear, as are Kasama’s Genie Kwon and legendary pastry chef Malcolm Livingston II.

Thomas Keller’s there too, albeit in an earlier flashback that has him explaining the joy of proper wishbone removal and of nurturing talent at the French Laundry. There’s also a photo of Bradley Cooper for some reason, no doubt because of his totally adequate work as chef Jack Bourdain in the 2005 TV series Kitchen Confidential. (Would Anthony Bourdain like The Bear? I’d like to think so.)

Most notably present — to Carmy, at least — is the presence of Chef Joel McHale, the nightmare scion behind NYC’s Empire. (Apparently, his name is “Chef David,” but the show never really calls him that, so let’s call him Joel McHale.) He seems to have come through Ever at some time and his presence is the proverbial fly in the ointment for Carmy, who was already having a tough enough time dealing with the restaurant’s closure. When one of the chefs at dinner notes, anecdotally, that “the greatest mistake [in a chef’s career] is working for a bad boss,” you know it shoots right through Carmy, especially because they add that just being around that person unlocks the notion that it’s okay to create the chaotic, dysfunctional culture that exists at the Bear.

That’s what Carmy’s been doing all season — Carmy has been using the same epithets and lines McHale used on him. He’s not 100 percent as terrible — he doesn’t tell his staff their families hate them, for instance — but he certainly lays it on thick, especially considering these are people, like Tina, that he purports to love. As Thomas Keller reminded us at the beginning of the episode, being a chef is about nurturing people, from the guests to the staff to the fishers, foragers, gardeners, and delivery drivers who help get the food on the plate. Can you even call yourself a great chef if your food is good but your attitude is bad? In the shots we get of Sweeps and Tina and Marcus back at the restaurant, it’s clear that they love food, have fun with it, and love the Bear. Still, it’s Carmy’s demanding presence bringing them down during service, throwing them into the weeds, and making them fail to reach their full potential.

When Chef Terry gets up to speak, pinging her wineglass with her Rolex, she reiterates the importance of a restaurant family, saying that the important thing about a place like Ever isn’t the impact, the history, or the awards; it’s the people. You remember who you worked with and the faces of surprised patrons on their 60th birthdays, and while the people who eat there might remember dishes, sure, they also remember service, and they remember the thoughtful minds and careful hands that put those dishes together.

Not that Carmy heard or absorbed any of that. He was too busy staring down Joel McHale, whom he has the following to say about:

“The fucking worst.” “A total prick.” “Fuckface.” “Dead inside.” “Never turns it off.” “I don’t think he sleeps.” “I don’t think he eats.” “Don’t think he loves.” “Hates black pepper for some reason.”

And, finally, that Chef Joel McHale is getting up. Carmy follows him, because of course he does, and confronts his emotional torturer in the hallway on the way to the bathroom. McHale pretends not to know him, calling him Ragazzo. While it seems like Carmy might rip into him, he really has nothing planned beyond “fuck you,” but then admits Carmy thinks about him too much — Joel McHale shoots back that he doesn’t think about him at all. Carmy asks why he’s such an asshole, and Chef Joel explains that it’s the relentless degradation and pressure that made Carmy into the successful chef he is today. “You were an okay chef when you started with me,” the elder chef says. “You left an excellent chef, so you’re welcome.”

Carmy is stunned. Can only stammer back something about ulcers and panic attacks and nightmares. McHale doubles down, telling his former protégé that he might have made him sick, but he also “gave him confidence and leadership and ability.” And even though Carmy says his “life stopped” pretty much the second he started working at Empire, McHale tells him it was for a purpose. To become great, he needed to cut out everything else — the family, the joy, the fun, and the life. Never mind the fact that, sitting in Chef Terry’s restaurant, it’s clearly evident that you can be kind and have a life and still be an incredible chef. That’s what McHale thinks, full stop, and it’s what he’s passed down to Carmy. The elder chef walks away, unchanged, and Carmy cries.

Carmy’s at his lowest point, so it’s probably good that Syd still hasn’t told him about her impending move over to whatever Shapiro’s currently planning. She hasn’t signed anything, so I suppose it’s possible she might not go — especially considering how we see her break down at the end of the episode, full of love for her friends at the Bear — but you have to wonder if she stayed, would that be the right decision for her? Or would it be the right decision for Carmy? Her discussion with Luca seems to give her a little pause, too, since his stories about siblings and having someone you’ve come up with through tough times feels like it’s a direct nudge at the relationship she and Carmy have. (For the last time, it’s not romantic!)

Olivia Colman’s Chef Terry is scattered through the episode, and she gives a pep talk / “don’t do what I did” talk to Carmy outside. She spent her whole life pursuing something you can’t catch, and now she wants to travel, go to parties, and have nights off. That’s what Carmy should do, too, but he clearly doesn’t know it yet. That’s evident when the Tribune’s Bear review is out. While the show keeps its substance deliberately opaque — words flashed include “confusing,” “excellent,” “culinary,” “innovative,” “dissonance,” “brilliant,” “sloppy,” “delicious,” “simple,” “complex,” “tired,” “stale,” “talent” — I would wager it’s more of a rave than a slam. Even the harshest words on that list, like “tired” and “stale,” could just be used in a sentence like “The Bear breaks up the tired and stale fine dining scene” or something to that effect. I could be wrong, of course, but Computer and Cicero’s multiple calls and texts plus Carmy’s “motherfucker” makes me think it’s either that or that perhaps the review calls out the “confusing” “dissonance” of having a delicious meal in an environment full of shouting that also just so happens to smell like Italian beef.

We’ll have to wait until next season to find out, which could be The Bear’s last if rumors are to be believed. And while I don’t think season three of The Bear was its best, maybe it helps to think about it like that frozen pizza Chef Terry pulled out of Syd’s freezer: Even at its worst, The Bear is still pretty damn good.

Small Bites 

• Whenever I see Wylie Dufresne, I think of Mitch Hedberg’s bit about restaurant waiting lists. (“Who can eat at a time like this? People are missing!”)

• In 2024, could you even be a toxic chef? Would people come work for you? Wouldn’t your nightmare reputation land you a local Eater exposé faster than you could say “fire agnolotti”? Industry professionals, I need your thoughts here.

• How did Carmy go from working at the Beef to working at the French Laundry? Was there another stop in a Chicago restaurant I can’t remember or a star-making stint in culinary school?

• You can make Grant Achatz’s Hot Potato Cold Potato yourself at home.

• In terms of the chefs’ acting skills, I thought Livingston did the best. I know some of it was just shooting the shit and telling stories, but he seemed chill and comfortable, and I bought it. Also, fun fact, his run at Noma is part of what inspired the character of Marcus, so it makes perfect sense that he’s finally on the show.

• A few thoughts about Syd’s party: (1)Her neighbors must hate her because it is surely 2 a.m. (2) I find it hard to believe that’s where Chef Terry would go after her restaurant closes, but also Olivia Colman is the absolute coolest and she seems to be having a dream of a time. (3) I like what I see between Richie and Sarah Ramos’s Jess, who I think would be the perfect plus-one (and more) for Tiffany and Frank’s wedding, especially if Richie takes her advice and surrounds himself with people who are better than him. (4) James’ “Laid” is the best party song of all time. (5) A whole keg for a party of about 12 people? Never change, Chicago.

• That’s it for me this season! Thanks, everyone, for reading, and let’s all meet back here next summer for season four.