The slow but shouty and intense restaurant drama of The Bear seems to repel some viewers but this reviewer has been entranced since the opening episode (check out my reviews of Season 1, Season 2, and Season 3). The story of a restaurant named for its chef is the story of Carmy (The Bear), a laconic Chicagoan obsessed with becoming the best of the best in his trade, a man hiding from his tumultuous family (many of whom work at The Bear) and from his own uncertainties. Stunted in his personal development, he returns to Chicago upon the suicide of his blustery brother and converts the family beef joint into a Michelin aspirant. Plenty of creators would tackle this dual chef-restaurant tale over the course of a movie but the show’s creator and core writer/director Christopher Storer lingers in order to spotlight the milieu of high-end cuisine and to hunker down into the lives of his large assemblage of characters. It veers from comedy to tragedy to farce to high art, often within individual episodes, and Storer is never afraid to experiment (Season 3 angered some fans with its strange episodes). The acting is as good as any I’ve seen this year (and the previous three years), with so many superlative performances one cannot do them justice. Needless to say, Jeremy Allen White is magnetic as Carmy. In Season 4, Carmen wrestles with his life as his creation hauls itself out of disaster after a mediocre review, while Carmen’s offsider Syd is tempted by an outside offer. Each of the ten episodes is strong and real, and Storer has again fielded one extra-long tumultuous episode showcasing the Berzatto family in all its chaotic variety. Perhaps signaling an approaching end to the series, some of the plot outcomes are touchingly sappy. Overall, Season 4 is another example of Golden Age perfection.
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