The Bear wrapped up season 4 on a very emotional note — but was it secretly a series finale?
Hulu released new episodes on Wednesday, June 25, following Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) moving forward after a lackluster review threatened the future of the restaurant. He appeared determined to get The Bear to a better place, with several scenes hinting at something larger in the works.
It wasn’t until the finale that the audience — and Sydney (Ayo Edebiri), Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and Natalie (Abby Elliot) — learned that Carmy was preparing the restaurant for his departure. Yes, you read that right: After realizing he no longer loved the work, Carmy set a plan in motion for Sydney to take over in his place.
Sydney, however, was not thrilled to find out the news, resulting in an emotional argument at the back of The Bear. Richie subsequently joined in and had a very strong reaction to Carmy’s decision to leave. It got even worse when Carmy brought up his late brother, Mikey (Jon Bernthal), and the group addressed the grief they were still working through.
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Despite being opposed to working without her partner, Sydney agreed to stay under one condition — she wanted Richie to become a partner in Carmy’s place. Natalie then found the trio and learned that Carmy was leaving their family business behind.
Natalie started crying as the scene switched to The Bear at night. The restaurant was closed as the timer Cicero (Oliver Platt) gave them to mark the two months they had left to save The Bear reached its countdown.
There has been no official confirmation on whether season 4 will be the show’s last. Most of the cast didn’t do much promotion before the new episodes dropped, but there have been rumors that The Bear is preparing to take its final bow.
Keep scrolling for a full breakdown of The Bear’s season 4 — and possible series — finale:
Carmy
Season 4 hinted at a potential conclusion with the way Carmy was able to get to a better place. He reconnected with Claire (Molly Gordon) and they were possibly on the road to a relationship again in the near future. Carmy accepted his mother back into his life, he continued to attend Al Anon meetings and he was thinking about making changes to benefit his mental health.
Carmy didn’t reveal he was planning to leave The Bear until the end. The final episode, which was filmed in one single shot, captured Carmy giving his goodbyes to Sydney and Richie after all the work they put into creating the restaurant together. It remained unclear what Carmy would do next — or if The Bear would survive without him.
Richie
After not always knowing his place at The Bear, Richie was able to come into his own this season. He was successfully doing his job and making professional strides. Richie’s personal life had its challenges, but he ended on good terms with his ex-wife and even attended her wedding, with the show briefly bringing Josh Hartnett back into our lives.
It remained unclear whether Richie would explore his chemistry with the employee from Ever who now works at The Bear, but it seemed like an option down the road. For now, Richie’s final scene was him finding out he would be a partner at The Bear alongside Natalie and Sydney.
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Syd
The Bear spent 10 episodes showing Sydney trying — and failing — to tell Carmy about her other job offer. She turned it down despite questioning her future at The Bear. Sydney later dealt with a personal scare when her dad suffered a heart attack. After conversations with several different people — including Donna (Jamie Lee Curtis) — Sydney decided to stay at The Bear.
Horrible argument with Carmy aside, Sydney was getting ready to take over by the end of the finale.
Marcus
The pastry chef was continuing to create masterpieces in the kitchen. Marcus also sold his mother’s house, considering a reunion with his dad before deciding to do it on his terms. By the end of the season, Marcus was part of Food and Wine’s new class of exceptional chefs.
Tina
Season 4 Tina sharpened her skills in the kitchen with support from her coworkers. Her final scene showed her accomplishing a dish she was trying to prepare in record time.
Natalie
Most of the season showed Natalie adjusting to motherhood after welcoming her daughter with husband Pete. She was also trying to keep The Bear afloat, which wasn’t always easy. Natalie’s feud with the infamous Francie Fak was finally addressed with Brie Larson making a memorable cameo. It was still unclear what exactly led to their falling out, but the former friends — and past romantic partners — were able to reconcile and start fresh.
Natalie’s last scene was her hugging Carmy outside of The Bear while coming to terms with him leaving the business.
