After one of the most frustrating cliffhangers that left viewers hungry for more, The Bear better be cooking up something good for season four. In the final minutes of the FX series’s of the third installment , Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) gets his long-awaited Chicago Tribune review, along with four missed calls from Cicero (Oliver Platt). Carmy then lifts his head up from his phone and yells out “Motherfucker!” just before the credits roll, leading audiences to think that road to Michelin glory has been cut short.
But let’s backtrack a bit. After Carmy is freed from the freezer in the season three premiere, he immediately jumps into making a list of non-negotiables. “Less is more.” “Vibrant collaboration.” “Change menu every day.” The latter ends up being a literal recipe for disaster, which is kind of the tone of the next nine episodes. Carmy and Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) are in a constant screaming match. Meanwhile, Sydney’s (Ayo Edebiri) ideas are being dismissed, and her input? Ignored.
By the end, Carmy finally gets to confront his old boss David Fields, played by Joel McHale. The two reconnect at a “funeral” for chef Terry’s (Olivia Colman) Ever restaurant. The exchange is one-sided for the most part, to which chef David responds: “I don’t think about you.” Maybe Carmy can move on now that he’s gotten all that past trauma off his chest. However, any moments of levity are quickly squashed once that review comes in and a “To Be Continued” title card flashes across the screen.
Understandably, fans are anxiously awaiting the show’s fourth season in hopes it will provide some important answers. Will Sydney sign the partnership agreement or jump ship and take chef Adam Shapiro’s job offer instead? Is Jimmy going to close the restaurant for good? Can Carmy and Claire (Molly Gordon) repair their relationship—and do we even care? Below, we’re breaking down everything there is to know about The Bear season four from possible plot lines, a potential release date, and who in the cast is returning.
Will There Be a Season 4 of The Bear ?
The Bear hasn’t been officially confirmed for renewal, but Storer did slap a big “to be continued” on the finale, so it’s looking good. Sources told Deadline back in March that the show had been quietly picked up for a fourth season, however, there’s still no word from FX on the matter. Looking back, the series was renewed for season three in November 2023, so a season four announcement is likely still coming.
At the same time, Deadline also reported that seasons three and four were shot back-to-back. During a press conference, White addressed the speculation around the rumored season four shoot: “We did something like that,” he said.
Ayo Edebiri as Sydney in ‘The Bear’ season three.
The Bear Season 4 Release Date: When Will It Air?
FX has yet to set a premiere date for season four. In an interview with Esquire UK , White said filming is slated to start “ sometime early next year ” around “February/March time” like the last few years—so it’s possible they only shot some of the footage while season three was in production. Each of the show’s previous installments aired in late June. Putting two and two together, that means the fourth season would have a summer 2025 debut. Let the countdown begin.
No cast members have been confirmed for season four, but you can expect the key players to return, including White, Edebiri, Moss-Bachrach, Platt, Lionel Boyce, Matty Matheson, Abby Elliott, Ricky Staffieri, and Liza Colón-Zayas. Aside from the core ensemble, we wouldn’t be surprised to see cameos from Jon Bernthal, who plays Mikey Berzatto, or Jamie Lee Curtis as Momma Donna Berzatto.
When The Bear does return, we’re sure it’ll be stocked with even more guest appearances. Since it premiered, the show has hosted a revolving door of famous faces. The season three roster included everyone from Josh Hartnett, Will Poulter, and John Cena to real-life culinary heavyweights such as Thomas Keller, Grant Achatz, and Christina Tosi. If you remember, season two added the likes of John Mulaney, Sarah Paulson, and Bob Odenkirk to the Berzatto family.
Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Cousin Richie in ‘The Bear’ season three.
The Bear Season 4 Plot: What Will Happen?
As The Bear ventures into its fourth season, the storyline is set to pick up from season three’s dramatic cliffhanger ending. At least that’s what Moss-Bachrach recently told Men’s Journal . “I feel like The Bear is always pretty clear about picking up where it left off,” he said. “So I’m trying to think what the last shot of season three is. We see Carmy underneath the L train, getting a text, getting a review that he seems to have mixed feelings about. I imagine that maybe perhaps they go back in the restaurant the next day and try to sort that review out.”
The official synopsis is still under wraps, but looking ahead, there are more than a few burning questions that definitely need answering. Most importantly, The Bear is hinging its whole season four storyline on the Tribune review. Was it good? Bad? Words like “sloppy” and “inconsistent” appearing in the review definitely don’t sound great, but then again, Carmy is a perfectionist but, at the same time, not the most reliable narrator. Don’t forget, there were compliments peppered in, too, including descriptors like “brilliant,” “excellent,” and “innovative.” So we’ll have to wait and see how things shake out.
Another major question mark is Sydney, who’s torn between staying in a toxic yet familial workplace environment and the opportunity to be chef de cuisine at chef Shapiro’s new restaurant. As far as we know, she still hasn’t signed the partnership contract despite several people (including Sugar) telling her to. She also had a panic attack in the finale because she couldn’t decide whether to leave the place she helped build. It’s looking like loyalty only goes so far.
Will There Be a Season 5 of The Bear ?
Reports that seasons three and four of The Bear were being shot simultaneously had fans speculating if the series was coming to an end—something that happened with another critically acclaimed FX comedy, Atlanta . “We really don’t know,” FX executive John Landgraf told Screen Rant on whether season four will be the show’s last. “These decisions are really creative decisions. It was Sterlin Harjo who made a decision that Rez Dogs was a three-season series. And so it’s really Chris [Storer’s] decision on The Bear . It’s about, how much more story does he have to tell? I mean, obviously, I’m hoping he has more than one more season of story to tell. But not to the extent that if there was one great season or three mediocre ones, I’d rather have one great one. You just have to follow the creative.”
How and Where to Watch The Bear Season 4
The Bear is a Hulu exclusive, so you’ll need a subscription to stream the series when it premieres. Hulu currently offers two different subscription plans—one with ad breaks ($7.99/month) and one without ($17.99 per month). In the meantime, seasons one, two, and three are already online, so you can devour the whole thing in one sitting.
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