The fifth and final season of The Bear is unveiled in a distress-laden trailer ahead of its Disney+ arrival.
We already knew season 5 would be the finale, but a clear new chapter of television is turning the page. Christopher Storer’s series helped FX cement itself as the new HBO (Fargo, Shogun, Alien: Earth), while popularizing a trend of shows that dive into the anxiety-ridden daily grind of particular professional worlds (The Pitt).
Behind this close-up look at the restaurant world, The Bear has never lost sight of its setting (Chicago) or its characters, all marked by fault lines and family traumas that have surfaced from episode to episode. Storer and FX recently offered a special chapter, Gary, a flashback in the form of a road trip between Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and Mikey, Carmy’s brother (Jon Bernthal), revealing the deep-set distress of the players along the way. Will there be any calm in season 5? Not necessarily, judging by the trailer.
The Last Supper
In practical terms, it’s a mess. At the end of season 4 (spoilers ahead), Carmy admits he no longer finds joy in cooking at that level and contemplates handing the restaurant over to Sydney and Richie. The snag: the ten episodes have built toward a countdown, as The Bear loses money and Carmy’s uncle Cicero is ready to pull the plug and sell the place.
So season 5 will try to steady the ship from this backdrop, while also facing a raft of problems (including a flood). On the other hand, Christopher Storer presents this adversity alongside a growing willingness to speak more openly, and the characters (Carmy front and center) finally confront their toxic defense mechanisms and begin to practice forgiveness.
Alongside Jeremy Allen White, the series can still count on Ayo Edebiri, Abby Elliott, Lionel Boyce, Liza Colón-Zayas, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Will Poulter. Season 5 of The Bear will consist of eight episodes, available on Disney+ starting June 26.
