Spoiler Alert: This article contains spoilers for The Bear Season 5.After five seasons, The Bear is now over. I was moved by the beautiful finale episode that concludes Carmy’s (Jeremy Allen White) story, along with the arcs of the other talented characters, including Sydney (Ayo Edebiri), Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas), Marcus (Lionel Boyce), and Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach).
The Bear Season 5’s eight episodes are now streaming on Hulu/Disney+, and the series finale, “The Original Beef of Chicagoland,” is exactly as hopeful and compelling as I had hoped. After observing the stress and tragedy that the characters have experienced since the first episode, I wanted happy endings for everyone. So, let’s talk about how it all wrapped up.
Does Carmy Really Quit the Restaurant Industry?
Yes, I’m here to report that Carmy leaves The Bear behind and embarks on a new life. The finale leaves his next steps mysterious and ambiguous, which is exactly the vibe of the FX/Hulu series. The most significant moment from the finale is when Carmy opens up about his life in the restaurant industry during an important meeting. The always charming Stevie (John Mulaney) encourages him to be himself beforehand, telling him he has “stories and trauma and darkness and food.” At first, I wondered if Carmy was pitching a memoir about his experiences (and it would be called The Bear, naturally), and I was pleasantly surprised to learn that he was hoping to land an internship at an architectural firm.
As Carmy explains, he loves the changing color of food as it cooks, and has always enjoyed art and drawing. We don’t find out exactly what Carmy does next, and he might even go back to cooking, as he seems to be reflecting positively on his achievements. However, the glimpse of him and Claire (Molly Gordon) at Ritchie’s daughter, Eva’s (Annabelle Toomey), birthday party in the final scene suggests he’s able to move on. He texts his late brother Mikey’s (Jon Bernthal) phone and says “all good,” suggesting he’s finally in a good place.
But no matter what, it’s clear that Carmy will take everything he has learned from the Beef and the Bear and carry them with him. He’s learned a lot in the past five seasons, from realizing the importance of teamwork, compassion, and compliments to knowing that he has to open up about his mental health.
Do the Bear and the Beef Survive?
Besides Carmy’s decision, the two biggest questions going into the series finale of The Bear were about the future of the Bear restaurant and the Beef, the sandwich shop we all know and love from the beginning of the show. I’m happy to report that both restaurants are still in business, although in new ways. Sydney is not only running the fine dining place that she and Carmy dreamed of (with Tina by her side, which is one of the best parts of the entire series finale), but Ebra (Edwin Lee Gibson) achieves his dream of franchising the Beef. In a beautiful moment, Carmy says he doesn’t even need to hear the pitch because he believes in the idea so much.
After The Bear Season 5’s first seven episodes follow one day, Episode 8 takes place afterward. What happens now that the team has gotten through what Carmy calls the “worst service” after a rainstorm, burst pipes, not having enough food, and an overbooked restaurant?
Well, as those of us who have believed in these charming and smart characters from day one knew was possible, Sydney leads the team perfectly. Everyone is inspired and ready to keep going, proving that all these characters have had solid and impressive arcs about self-belief, confidence, and moving forward, no matter what.
While it feels right for Carmy to say goodbye to cooking (at least for now… I’m hopeful he might find his love for it again someday), it wouldn’t be a natural series finale for The Bear if the restaurant shut down. Yes, this is a sad show, whether we’re watching the surprise episode “Gary” or Season 2’s “Fishes.” It’s almost too much sometimes. However, it’s not a totally bleak story without any hope. When Sydney tells Sugar (Abby Elliott) that this is where she is meant to be, we know it’s true, and we’ve been waiting since the first episode to hear her say that. I love the scene when Carmy tells Sydney that she got two Michelin stars. It’s quiet and beautiful, especially when she cries and they hug.
The Real Meaning of ‘The Bear’s Ending
The Bear may be a TV show about food, but it’s also a story about art, creativity, teamwork, friendship, love, family, and second chances after trauma. None of the characters has had an easy time. Carmy and Sugar will always carry around wounds from their mother, Donna (Jamie Lee Curtis), although I was pleased to see that Donna and Sugar are repairing the relationship now that Sugar is a mom. Of course, they’ll always miss their brother Mikey (Jon Bernthal), and nothing can replace him or the tragedy of his death. But, as the characters remind each other throughout the finale, they have one another, and they can move forward.
Carmy’s beautiful speech during his internship interview sums up the themes of The Bear Season 5 finale and the series in general. He has experienced a lot of growth and realizes that Sydney can lead the team better than he could. But although the service we saw in Episode 7 was hard, he said it was “the most fun I’ve ever had.” Carmy also shows how much he has changed when he talks Ritchie through a panic attack and asks what feeling led him there. I never thought I would see Carmy be so vulnerable or hear him talk about his emotions.
Some days, we all experience what this team has. Nothing goes right, from bad weather to running out of supplies to someone falling through the ceiling (okay, maybe not that last part). But if you can work together and remember why you love what you do, you can be great. I think The Bear is one of the most original shows of the 2020s, and I’m grateful to have gone on this journey. So, as Luca (Will Poulter) goes to Copenhagen, Richie and Jess (Sarah Ramos) head to Japan (aw), and Carmy, Sydney, Tina, Sugar, and the rest of the team keep doing what they love, I’m grateful that The Bear has told such a moving story about following your dreams.
- Release Date
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2022 – 2026-00-00
- Network
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Hulu
- Showrunner
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Christopher Storer
- Directors
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Ramy Youssef
- Writers
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Catherine Schetina, Alex Russell, Karen Joseph Adcock, Sofya Levitsky-Weitz, Stacy Osei-Kuffour
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