It’s becoming increasingly normal for me to write sentences with both Chicago Med and The Bear in them. A few days ago, news came down the pipeline about the upcoming 2024 TV schedule and we learned that former NBC alum Parenthood ’s Sarah Ramos would be returning to the network for a role in the One Chicago cast . This is cool news in and of itself, but I’m actually mostly stoked because it aligns perfectly with what I’m hoping will happen in The Bear Season 4.
Listen, Sarah Ramos has also had a guest stint on The Bear across the past two seasons, first when Richie staged at Ever and met the incredibly competent maître d'hôtel Jessica (Ramos) while working there. She returned in Season 3 as Ever was giving its last hurrah before closing its doors, and the future is uncertain for herself and other members of the staff. It’s unclear if Jessica and Richie’s relationship will remain strictly professional, but there’s clearly chemistry between the two of them that needs to still play out.
Now, her gig on Chicago Med implies that Ramos will be spending a lot of time in Chicago, where, intriguingly enough, The Bear also films. She wouldn’t be the only cast member to straddle both shows, either.
There’s precedent already for this with Oliver Platt, who also appears in The Bear as the restaurant's financial backer and excellent comedic relief Uncle Jimmy. Platt actually spoke out about how Chicago Med and The Bear have graciously accommodated him filming both series , and I’d assume the same could hold true for Ramos should the Hulu series want her back in Season 4.
Honestly, Richie’s arc on the show has been the most satisfying for me personally, to see his eyes opened to another way of working in the restaurant business, as well as see him come to terms and grow as a human being after his divorce. There’s one world where Jessica could be a part of the former plot and work at The Bear and another world where she could be part of the latter plot and date Richie.
Intriguingly, there’s also an entire subplot on the series where Sydney won’t sign her contract and is maybe getting poached by Ever’s Adam Shapiro, so Jessica could come into play in a rival restaurant as well. To be honest, I'm more excited about a Team Ressica storyline than hoping Shapiro’s restaurant pans out, but no matter what the script entails, one of the big questions I had when Season 3 ended had to do with whether or not Ramos would return once more.
While there's no official word from the Hulu and FX series, this latest casting does give the actress the opportunity to do both. Plus, I feel like she was great in Parenthood , she’s great in her small role on The Bear and it’s nice to see her hard work finally paying off in some new high-profile gigs. Whatever happens, though, I think the door is wide open now for the actress to return and I will be watching with my Hulu subscription .
The Bear ’s one of the best shows on Hulu , and it’s aging like fine wine. Chicago Med also has one of the most loyal fanbases on TV. Straddling both would not be a bad place to be at all.
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