Let’s Discuss the Last Scene in ‘The Bear’ Season 3 Finale
If you made it through season 3 of The Bear, you’re probably wondering if the Chicago Tribune wrote a positive review of Carmy’s restaurant. Despite the best efforts of our culinary heroes, a critic from the Tribune managed to sneak in unnoticed—meaning the review could say just about anything. Of course, it’s easier to tailor a perfect dining experience when you know someone important is in the building. When you don’t? Well…that’s Carmy’s worst nightmare. (Aside from his literal nightmares about Chef Joel McHale.)
The finale ends with Carmy receiving a dreaded notification: The review is up. A jumble of words flash across the screen: confusing, excellent, culinary, dissonance, innovative, brilliant, sloppy, inconsistent, delicious, simple, complex, disappointed, Berzatto, subtract, overdone, incredible, tired, stale, talent.
So. Many. Words! And The Bear refuses to tell us what they amount to—which will make our wait for season 4 even more painful. Even if The Bear creator Chris Storer won’t give us answers quite yet, that didn't stop us from speculating about what the Tribune piece actually says.
So, What’s the Verdict?
Here’s the good news: Carmy’s not the most reliable narrator. He tends to visualize the worst when he’s anxious—and as viewers, we often see whatever he’s thinking. In other words, “disappointed, sloppy, and inconsistent” might be what he fears rather than what’s actually real. Remember when Carmy imagined slanderous reviews of The Bear earlier in the season? For all we know, the Chicago Tribune review could have said: Berzatto’s restaurant was a “brilliant” “culinary” experience with “delicious” recipes, “talented” chefs, and “incredible” service.
Unfortunately, Carmy also has four missed calls from Cicero, his financer, and five missed calls from Computer, his financial advisor. Maybe the review was devastating. It could’ve said something like: Berzzato’s restaurant was “sloppy.” The meals were “inconsistent,” some were “delicious,” and others were “overdone.” The staff seemed “tired,” and my bread was “stale.”
It’s a toss-up. Until season 4 premieres, we’ll have to cross our fingers and hope that the mysterious critic was impressed. If it’s any consolation, an actual food critic from the Chicago Tribune chimed in with a bit of reassurance. We’re not sure exactly how long The Bear was open before the writer visited the restaurant, but food critic Louisa Kung Liu Chu wrote that the paper would have held off for at least a month, if not longer. “I would have waited a little longer for a final review since The Bear changes their menu so much based on seasonal farmers-market sourcing,” she explained. Phew. If The Bear continues to keep its portrayal of the culinary world realistic, Carmy & Co. might’ve had a fair shot.
In our version of events, Carmy is well on his way to earning a Michelin star. If not, Liu Chu insists a bad review isn’t the end of the world. “What The Bear gets wrong is that one bad review can break a restaurant,” she said. “I unfortunately had to give a half-star review to The Weiners Circle, the most notorious hot-dog stand in Chicago. But in a dramatic redemption story, just months later, they earned a Chicago Tribune Food Award.”
If there’s one thing Carmy’s good at, it’s a redemption arc. Don’t lose hope, people!
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