Not only will everybody’s favourite stressful chef series, The Bear, be returning for a third season later this year, but it has also been strongly suggested that the dark comedy series has been renewed for a fourth series too.
The series, which debuted in 2022 and won six Emmys during this year's ceremony, tells the story of young chef Carmy, played by Jeremy Allen White, as he endeavours to transform his family’s Chicago sandwich shop, formerly known as The Beef, into a Michelin-starred restaurant, which he's renamed The Bear.
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‘The Bear, which wowed audiences in its first season only to achieve even greater heights in season two, has become a cultural phenomenon,’ FX entertainment president Nick Grad said in a statement. ‘We’re so proud to partner with Christopher Storer, Joanna Calo, Josh Senior, and the rest of the creative team, as well as the brilliant cast led by Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. What they and the crew have done is truly remarkable, and we and our partners at Hulu join fans in looking forward to the next chapter in the story of The Bear.’
As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, sources have confirmed that the series has quietly been commissioned for a fourth series too, although FX has yet to release an official statement. Sources revealed to the publication that the third and fourth series of The Bear will 'film back to back in a bid to keep the show on its annual release target.'
In April 2024, a clip from the third season, which had been captured illicitly during a meeting of Disney shareholders, was leaked online. FX, the network behind The Bear, condemned the use of the clip and asked for its immediate removal, though not before some eagle-eyed fans caught a glimpse of the upcoming comedy-drama.
But before we get ahead of ourselves, after the ending of the sophomoric season, to say we have questions is a serious understatement. This is everything we know so far about the third season of The Bear.
What is the plot of The Bear season three?
The end of the second season of The Bear sees Carmy locked in the restaurant’s walk-in freezer on opening night. Unable to bark orders at his team, he begins to have a mental breakdown. Just before a locksmith arrives to saw into the door, Carmy manages to destroy two of his closest relationships with his best friend Richie, played by Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and his new girlfriend Claire, played by Molly Gordon.
On March 11 2024, the cast of the show were spotted filming what appeared to be a funeral scene for the third season outside of a church in Chicago, and while it wasn't immediately clear who had died, they were most likely attending the funeral of Lionel Boyce's character, Marcus Brooks' mother, who passed away during the season two finale.
While little is known about the third season, in an interview last summer, Edebiri responded to fan theories about a possible romance between her character Sydney and White’s Carmy. ‘I don’t think they’re going to get what they want,’ she told The Hollywood Reporter. ‘It’s really not our thought process when we’re making the show.’
Elsewhere, whilst accepting the award for Best Actor in a comedy series at the SAG awards, Jeremy Allen White admitted that he wishes Carmy a 'happy ending' in season 3, via Deadline. The actor went on to add: 'That he learns how to understand himself a little bit better and appreciates what he has and then finds some peace.'
Whether this will definitely be Carmy's fate for the upcoming season is yet to be revealed.
Who will star in The Bear?
It is believed that White, Edebiri and Moss-Bachrach will all be back for the third installment of The Bear, while little is currently known about any new additions that could be made to the cast.
Olivia Coleman, who set fans of the series' hearts ablaze with her blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo in its sophomoric outing, was spotted in April 2024 filming with White. Fans have understandably been speculating since the spotting, which was reported by DeuxMoi, whether this means that Coleman will become more of a series regular in the upcoming third season.
When will The Bear be released?
The previous seasons have debuted in June 2022 and 2023 respectively and, while production for the third season was initially put on hold due to the now-resolved actors strikes, however, in a recent interview with Variety, John Landgraf, the chairman on FX, announced that the show will make its return in June of this year.
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Naomi May is a freelance writer and editor with an emphasis on popular culture, lifestyle and politics. After graduating with a First Class Honours from City University's prestigious Journalism course, Naomi joined the Evening Standard as its Fashion and Beauty Writer, working across both the newspaper and website. She is now the Acting News Editor at ELLE UK and has written features for the likes of The Guardian, Vogue, Vice and Refinery29, among many others.
