The Bear can make fans cry, laugh, and feel inspired in a single scene, so it’s no wonder that everyone found it tough to be patient for season 3. The latest episodes proved the story of Carmy Berzatto’s (Jeremy Allen White) dream of running a restaurant of his own is still fascinating (and I think it’s a crime that season 4 isn’t out already).
However, some might say that The Bear season 3 wasn’t the strongest season, and after reflecting on these 10 episodes, I can say some episodes were better than others. Here’s my ranking of the third season.
10. Episode 9: “Apologies”
Instead of ramping up the action before the season 3 finale, episode 9 just isn’t all that riveting. The most memorable thing that happens is that the Faks (still some of the best characters on the show) tell Claire Dunlap (Molly Gordon) that Carmy is sorry. But since Carmy isn’t the one who apologizes, so this isn’t as great a scene as it could be. Claire and Carmy are both too stubborn to talk to each other, and I just want to tell them to make up already and stop making everyone else so miserable.
9. Episode 10: “Forever”
The first and last episodes of a season need to set up the action, and then tie everything up (while still leaving some compelling threads for the next season, of course). After a frustrating season 3 finale, I hope The Bear season 4 looks different, because I’m still upset that so many issues didn’t get resolved. Instead of letting Sydney Adamu (Ayo Edebiri) move on to a new job or signing her contract at The Bear, she still thinks about her life choices. And while everyone should think before they speak or act (especially these days), fans don’t want to watch characters sitting around and thinking instead of springing into action.
8. Episode 2: “Next”
“Next” explains that Carmy has “non-negotiables” for the restaurant, which are the bane of everyone’s existence in every The Bear season 3 episode. Since these are a necessary part of his character arc this season, and demonstrate that Carmy’s putting too much pressure on himself, this isn’t a terrible episode. But it’s also hard to watch him boss the others around constantly, so it’s not the most enjoyable to watch, either.
7. Episode 8: Violet
The most exciting storylines in “Violet” include Josh Hartnett’s deft cameo as Tiffany Jerimovich’s (Gillian Jacobs) adorably kind fiancé, Frank, and Sydney deciding to leave her supportive dad (actor and filmmaking pioneer Robert Townsend) and get her own place. While these are cool developments, and it’s gratifying to see Sydney making moves, these small moments aren’t enough to make a more compelling episode. Sydney’s arc has always focused on her family, but it would be nice to see more of her personal life. Seeing her in a tiny apartment just isn’t that much fun.
6. Episode 6: “Doors”
Richie Jerimovich (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and Carmy have a massive fight in this episode, which proves to Sydney that if she’s going to stick around, she’ll have to deal with this exhausting dynamic more and more (poor Sydney). While a blow-up feels inevitable, “Doors” isn’t enjoyable to watch, and doesn’t have enough drama to really pull the viewer in. Still, the characters have never really dealt with their conflict, so this is still a worthy and important plot point.
5. Episode 7: “Legacy”
As the episode title suggests, Carmy reflects on how he can leave his mark on the industry here. Since The Bear season 3 focuses on him so much, this could be considered one of the season’s themes. But since not much else happens here, this episode is pretty middle of the road, which is why it’s ranked as number five.
4. Episode 5: “Children”
While it might not be the episode that everyone talks about from season 3, “Children” has the biggest plot point of the season: Chef Terry (the incredible Olivia Colman), who has acted as a kind of mentor and aspirational figure for several members of the Bear squad, is going to shut down her beautiful and inspiring restaurant, Ever. This sends everyone, including Carmy, into a tailspin, as it proves that fine dining might be over in the city of Chicago. This episode also hints at money trouble to come, as fans meet Nicholas “The Computer” Marshall (Brian Koppelman), who will later tell Uncle Jimmy (Oliver Platt) that the restaurant can’t stay open much longer.
3. Episode 6: “Napkins”
On the one hand, the sixth episode about Tina Marrero (Liza Colón-Zayas) doesn’t move the overall plot forward. On the other hand, Tina is such a compelling and well-drawn character, and Colón-Zayas’s performance is so richly detailed and emotive that it was past time that fans learned how Tina found her way to The Beef, so this is my third favorite episode of the third season. Also notable, this semi-capsule episode was directed by none other than Ayo Edibiri, whose talent seemingly knows no bounds. Mikey Berzatto (Jon Bernthal) treats Tina with compassion and understanding in one stand-out scene. And theough this episode, The Bear continues to flesh out Mikey’s arc and treat him like a real human being, instead of a statistic or an after-school special.
2. Episode 1: “Tomorrow”
The Bear season 3 premiere is a perfect introduction to Carmy’s vision for his new restaurant. There are a lot of great montages here — both gorgeously shot and touching footage of Chicago food workers, and character montages that show the hard work Carmy has put in throughout his various jobs, along with the pain that he still carries around of never feeling good enough. It’s hard to watch this episode and not want to give Carmy a big hug, especially after knowing that he’s going to treat everyone so badly throughout the whole season.
1. Episode 8: “Ice Chips”
While my all-time fave The Bear episode is still season 2’s” Forks,” I have to give The Bear season 3, episode 8, “Ice Chips” a round of applause for covering trauma, family history, and the unique experience of giving birth all in one go. (Also, an episode with Jamie Lee Curtis can’t be anything short of amazing.) I especially appreciate this episode because, unlike unrealistic depictions in the movies, Sugar’s (Abby Elliott) labor actually takes a fairly long time. Watching Sugar balance her excitement and terror about the way her life is about to change with her complex feelings about her mom is the best part of The Bear season 3.