The Bear Season 4: It's Time to Wrap It Up

This season felt overly drawn out and repetitive, with too many episodes that were either skippable or packed with filler. The pacing dragged, and the show is beginning to feel like it's going in circles. At this point, the character arcs are stalling, and the overall story hasn’t progressed enough to justify yet another season.

The moments that stood out most to me were the character-focused ones—particularly those centered on Carmy and Sydney. They’re really the only characters who still feel like they have meaningful development happening. Surprisingly, the character often dismissed for his weight ended up having the best writing this season. His storyline brought much-needed heart and nuance to an otherwise meandering season.

Unfortunately, everything else fell flat. Natalie remains a character I just can’t connect with, and many of the emotional beats across the ensemble felt too drawn out to land with real impact. The tight pacing and simmering tension that made the earlier seasons so compelling are gone. Even the signature yelling—once a symbol of the chaos and pressure of the kitchen—now spills out into other scenes where it loses its intensity and becomes exhausting.

To its credit, the first and last episodes were genuinely strong. They reminded me of what the show used to do so well. The soundtrack, too, was excellent—well-curated and emotionally resonant. But a great beginning and end can’t fully compensate for the slow, repetitive middle stretch.

In the end, it feels like the show is treading water. The emotional stakes aren't rising, the arcs are stagnating, and the spark that once made it special is fading. As much as I’ve appreciated the journey so far, it feels like the right time to bring it to a close before it drags on any further.