‘The Bear’: 11 Burning Questions We Need Answered in Season 5
Spoiler Alert
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for The Bear Season 4.]
The Bear‘s fourth season has posed plenty of questions that remain unanswered by the time the finale episode, “Goodbye,” arrives, and while FX has yet to announce a renewal for a fifth season, it certainly feels as though there are loose ends to explore.
If you have yet to tune into the season, we’d advise turning back now because we’re about to take a deep dive into spoiler territory.
For those who have watched Season 4 of the Emmy-winning series, The Bear delivered quite the cliffhanger conclusion as Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) revealed plans to step away from his position as the head chef of the titular restaurant, leaving Sydney (Ayo Edebiri), Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), and Natalie (Abby Elliott) to take over as half of the business’s owners, with Jimmy (Oliver Platt) having ownership over the other half. While that revelation raises several questions, there are plenty of others we’re digging into below.
Scroll down for a closer look at the questions we’d like to see answered if The Bear returns for Season 5, and let us know which questions you’d like to see resolved in the comments section.
FX’s The Bear, Season 4, Streaming now, Hulu
Will Carmy leave The Bear for good?
While we believe Carmy will take a step back from the kitchen, it would seem wild if he quit cold turkey. Sure, he told Sydney and Richie he’d stay on to make sure things are stable before he fully backs away, but can he stay away from the stoves and chaos for good? We’re unconvinced, but we’d like to see him try. As fans will recall, Luca (Will Poulter) even made a comment about how it’s hard to stay away from the kitchen once you catch the bug for it.
How will Sydney, Richie, and Natalie work out as partners?
Currently, the restaurant works fairly well, at least since Carmy relented on some of his non-negotiables. Will that newfound harmony remain among Sydney, Richie, and Natalie as they try to keep the place afloat sans Carmy? As fans know from past seasons, Sydney and Richie’s dynamic has improved by leaps and bounds, and Natalie is always a peacekeeper, but without one of the vital pieces to their kitchen puzzle present, will the tightened bonds get stronger or begin to fray?
Will Marcus reconnect with his dad?
This season, Marcus (Lionel Boyce) struggled to connect with his dad, whom we’ve yet to meet on the show. Receiving texts to try and meet up, Marcus almost walked into a diner where his dad was sitting, but ultimately chose not to. Is there room for him to reconnect with the man from his past? After all, Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas) made a good point when she told Marcus in Episode 6 that “parents are human, too.” He did send a text to his dad about his success at the restaurant, seemingly leaving that door open.
What does Marcus's new title mean for the restaurant?
In the season’s penultimate episode, Natalie took a call from Food & Wine, which revealed to her that Marcus had been named among their new class of best new chefs, raising the notoriety of The Bear restaurant as a result. Is that revelation enough to save the place from the brink of closure? It seemed pretty promising, but it would be nice to see how Marcus’s growth as a chef has raised the reputation of the establishment.
Is Luca going to stick around the kitchen?
If Carmy is really leaving, would Luca stay on with the staff? It seems like he’s planning to continue sticking around Chicago for the time being, and it would be fun to see him take on more of a leadership position after staging for a bit in Season 4. After all, he’s as well-trained as Carmy. We’ll keep our fingers crossed, especially considering his impeccable chemistry with both Sydney and Marcus…
What will Ebraheim's deal with Albert mean for the restaurant?
Throughout the season, Ebraheim (Edwin Lee Gibson) was exploring ways to improve upon the booming business of the bear’s sandwich counter, which was thriving. He turned to Albert (Rob Reiner), a business manager who suggested franchising the sandwich counter out to other locations. By the end of the season, Ebraheim had taken him up on the suggestion, but we have yet to see the results or reaction to him cutting such a deal. Will it be received well? Could it save the restaurant overall? We need to know.
How will the team react to Carmy's decision?
We already know that Carmy’s plan to exit the restaurant has upset Sydney and Richie. Will his departure upset the rest of the staff, or will his decision be met with grace? It’s something we’d like to see in a fifth season, but again, only time will tell.
Will Carmy's absence help the kitchen?
As we saw earlier in the season, after Carmy’s decision to ease up on some of his stricter non-negotiables, the team saw improvement and smoother sailing in the kitchen. Would that upward trajectory continue or be disrupted by his departure? Is this the answer to saving the restaurant? While we doubt his exit would disrupt the kitchen too much, it definitely means things would feel very different at the restaurant as Sydney steps into the top spot.
What happened between Natalie and Francie?
One of the funnier reveals this season was the feud between Natalie and Francie Fak (Brie Larson), which has been teased previously, but came to a head when the women crossed paths at the wedding of Tiffany (Gillian Jacobs) and Frank (Josh Hartnett). It’s clear the women had a falling out after previously being friends, but after an alluded-to hookup and brief remarks about the reason they stopped talking, we’re dying to know what went down. And now that they seemingly made up, what would that friendship look like? Hopefully, we’ll find out.
Is Jimmy struggling more than he's letting on?
Earlier in the season, Donna (Jamie Lee Curtis) helped Jimmy as he put his house up on the market. Knowing that he’s put a timer on the restaurant’s room for improvement, could Jimmy’s financial situation be more precarious than we previously understood? It’s something we’ll definitely keep an eye on moving into a potential fifth season.
Can Donna repair her relationship with Carmy and Natalie?
Carmy made a huge step in moving forward with his life by visiting his mom, Donna, in the latter half of Season 4, allowing her to read a letter to him apologizing for her past actions. As difficult as it was to face her after years of avoidance, it’s one of the more poignant scenes of the season, and after Natalie’s tentative reconciliation with her in Season 3, it feels like the door is open for the family to repair their bonds, but it still feels like the early stages. Will they be able to repair what was broken years ago? It would be nice to see it onscreen.
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C
The bigger question is whether the guest was a Michelin inspector.
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B
I want to know if Carmy and Claire are really going to rekindle their relationship and how that unfolds, more than I want to know what happened with Natalie and Francie. Surprised that didn't make the list.
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R
I think that if there's a season 5, that it will open with Jimmy considering the guy played by Meathead's offer to close down The Bear and do the franchises for for The Original Beef of Chicagoland. I think that Carmy will step away for awhile, maybe pursue some other line of work but that kitchen will continue to call him back.
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