One of the absolute best shows of 2022, The Bear is a comedy-drama series created by Christopher Storer.
In the US, it premiered on Hulu, but for everybody else around the world, the show quickly made its way to Disney+.
Critically acclaimed, chaotic and dysfunctional, The Bear follows Carmen Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), a young chef from the fine dining world.
Following the death of his brother, he returns to his hometown of Chicago to take over his family's Italian beef sandwich shop.
The kitchen is run down, the staff is unruly, and there are debts left behind by his brother to deal with.
With the second season just as successful as the first, we left our favourite restaurant with everything up in the air. So where will The Bear season 3 take us?
THE BEAR SEASON 3 RELEASE DATE
With another cracking season in the bag, and one that will no doubt earn it another raft of award nominations, HULU has finally confirmed The Bear season 3.
We suspect that the hold up was due largely to the writers and actors strike in the US. But thankfully we can all rest easy as we know our favourite chefs will be back to bring us even more mayhem than before.
Historically the show has aired in June and soon after it launches on Disney+ for fans around the world.
And despite the lengthy strikes, if filming does begin in February 2024 (as it did with season 2), we could easily see The Bear season 3 in June 2024.
THE BEAR SEASON 2 RECAP
In season 2 of The Bear, Carmy and Sydney embark on the journey of developing a menu for their restaurant.
However, financial constraints lead them to borrow $500,000 from Cicero, with the stipulation that failure to repay within eighteen months would result in Cicero taking over their $2 million property.
As they aim to open in three months, they face construction issues and Sydney's father expresses doubts about her restaurant venture. She then tries to solidify her team by promoting Tina to sous-chef and sending her and Ebra to culinary school.
Carmy's personal life gets complicated as he reconnects with his childhood friend Claire, though he initially avoids deepening their relationship.
As the opening nears, Natalie announces her pregnancy, and Sydney starts hiring. Marcus, tasked with dessert creation, travels to Copenhagen for inspiration and develops feelings for Sydney.
Flashbacks, particularly those in episode six (starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Bob Odenkirk, Nobody, Better Call Saul) reveal Carmy's tumultuous family dynamics, especially during a Christmas dinner that ends in chaos.
Richie's stint at a fine dining restaurant reshapes his perspective on the culinary world, and he returns to “The Bear” with renewed vigor.
As the opening looms, personal relationships strain, leading to misunderstandings and heartbreak. Despite the hurdles, the team pulls through, ending the season on a high note with a successful opening night, though personal relationships remain in turmoil.
THE BEAR SEASON 3 WHAT WILL HAPPEN?
We left the season season with the new restaurant in great shape. However, the same can't said of the characters, who in one way or another, are all dealing with their own personal issues.
Carmy, having been locked in the fridge and inadvertently ending his relationship with Claire, is in a very bad head space. Unable to balance both work and his personal life, he is going to have to do some much needed soul searching in The Bear season 3.
Sydney is going to have to dig deep to overcome her nerves about stepping up as a partner in the restaurant and all of the pressure that it entails.
Richie, having undergone an almost complete transformation, now knows what he wants from his professional life – but can he get it at The Bear?
Collectively, they still have to pay Cicero back or risk losing the restaurant, Natalie will be trying to balance a new baby and her job and of course, they must all try to resolve their family issues, not least of which is with their mother Donna (Jamie Lee Curtis) who is clearly not in a healthy space either.
Can they make The Bear work? Can they overcome their own personal demons and get to a more fulfilling place? Hopefully, we'll find out in The Bear season 3.
Where Is The Bear Filmed?
The Bear is filmed on location in Chicago, Illinois. In fact, many of the places you see are real including Mr. Beef which can be found at 666 N. Orleans St, Chicago and Cicero's house which is in Glenview.
Sugar's house is filmed in Evanston, Illinois and the rest of the scenes are shot at Cinespace Chicago Film Studios, Chicago.
And to add even more authenticity to the show, Jeremy Allen White actually went to cooking school for two weeks. He also worked at multiple restaurants, including the Michelin star-rated Pasjoli, to train for the show.
Plus no hand doubles were used in the making of the show so all of the chopping and prep that you see in the show was done by the actors.
What Awards Has The Bear Won?
FX announced that The Bear was the most-watched comedy series in the network’s history. Fans just couldn't get enough, giving it an average rating of 8.4 on IMDB and an approval rating of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
When the awards season kicked in, the show was one of the biggest contenders with Jeremy Allen White winning a Golden Globe, Screen Actor's Guild and a Critic's Choice Award for Best Actor in a Comedy Series.
Season two has proved to be as successful as the first, with six Primetime Emmy nominations, and undoubtedly many more to come as awards season 2023 kicks in.
