SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers for “The Original Beef of Chicagoland,” the series finale of “The Bear,” now streaming on Hulu.
The real restaurant was the friendships they made along the way.
That’s basically the hyper-earnest thesis of “The Bear,” which aired its series finale on Hulu on Thursday. Sure, the titular restaurant can sear a critically acclaimed scallop, but it’s always been about the people making, serving and eating the food. That’s what makes it all mean something. The Bear “has something” that no other restaurant has, says Will Poulter’s Luca in a clichéd farewell monologue. And what’s that? “Family.”
In the penultimate episode of “The Bear,” Carmy (Jeremy Allen White), Sydney (Ayo Edebiri), Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and co. survive a brutal service that threatened to be their last. A thunderstorm, supply issues and too many reservations pushed the kitchen staff to the brink. And Uncle Jimmy (Oliver Platt), who has bankrolled the restaurant as it upgraded from an italian beef shop to a fine dining establishment, is out of cash. (He had even sold his watches to stay afloat.)
The entire season to that point had taken place over the course of one evening, and, in a breath of fresh air, the finale spans the days following that calamitous — but ultimately successful — service. Natalie (Abby Elliott) informs Richie he’s been invited to join an international hospitality seminar in Japan, and she and Carmy urge him to board his first-ever flight and go.
Ebraheim’s (Edwin Lee Gibson) detailed pitch to franchise The Beef, the profitable sandwich window part of the restaurant, and open ghost kitchens in the suburbs finally reaches Carmy, who gives his stamp of approval. Marcus (Lionel Boyce) drops Luca off at the airport — his pastry pal is heading back to Copenhagen. And Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas) prepares to take on the role of Sydney’s chef de cuisine.
And, finally, Carmy answers the phone when that unknown number calls him for the third or fourth time. It’s Peter Clark, aka “Star Man,” who delivers the news that The Bear has been awarded two Michelin stars. In one of the most affecting scenes of the season, Sydney asks Carmy, “Did we get a star?” and Carmy shakes his head no, before replying: “You got two.” (That’s “you,” not “we” — remember, he announced his plan to leave the culinary industry at the end of Season 4 and spent all of Season 5 working under Sydney in a passing of the torch. Or spatula.) Both Sydney’s and Carmy’s reactions are subdued — neither knows how to process it. But a few minutes later, after they’ve parted, Sydney bursts out of the kitchen to embrace Carmy, crying and wrapping her arms around her former boss, mentor and best friend.
Elsewhere, Jimmy and the Beef boys begin their new venture and scope out their first ghost kitchen. (In a nice tribute to the late Rob Reiner, Ebra dials up his character Albert to tell him the good news.) With Sydney now in charge of the main dining room, The Bear will continue to operate as an elite restaurant with sandwich spinoffs.
John Mulaney makes a late-season appearance as cousin-by-marriage Stevie. He drops off Carmy, who is unusually clad in a suit and tie, at a building downtown to meet a woman named Sue (Bonnie Hunt). It’s an interview for something, but it feels more like a therapy session, as Carmy explains why he’s leaving the kitchen and admits about his final service, “If I had been in charge — if I had been the head chef — I would have made it worse.”
He’s confident in his choice to leave The Bear in the hands of Sydney and Richie and co., and he says it was amazing it was to see everyone “score.” “Even though it sucked,” he says, “it was the most fun I’ve ever had.”
Eventually, it’s revealed that Carmy is interviewing for an internship at an architectural firm, where he’ll take his obsession with the colors, presentation and design of food and apply it to buildings.
In one of the show’s final scenes, Richie takes his young daughter, Eva, to the restaurant, where he’s set up a surprise birthday party. The whole gang is there — including absentee guest stars Bob Odenkirk, Josh Hartnett and Molly Gordon (we never do get full closure on the Carmy and Claire romance). Everyone is singing, talking, laughing, enjoying food.
Then Richie is taking off on his flight to Japan, nervously looking out the window, when a hand reaches out to comfort him. It’s his colleague Jess (Sarah Ramos), resolving their long “will they, won’t they” dynamic. (At least one of the main characters seems to finish the series with some action on the romance front.)
And Carmy’s at his new desk, wearing his white tee and apron. He sends a text to his deceased brother Mikey (Jon Bernthal) — “All good” — and stops to appreciate his new surroundings. Still, he closes his eyes and thinks about his happy place — the restaurant. Not because it’s where he spent his formative years pursuing greatness, but because that’s where his people are.