It’s one of TV’s most-lauded shows, picking up an astonishing 23 nods at this year’s Emmys nominations. But when the third season of The Bear premiered back in late June, the hospitality drama, which stars Jeremy Allen White as tortured chef Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto, was met with decidedly underwhelming reviews. The Guardian called it “unbelievably frustrating”, The Atlantic postured that it had become “hard to watch” and The New Yorker didn’t mince words, saying the most recent series was both “overstuffed” and “undercooked.
” Ouch. But now the dust has settled and more of us have caught up — is it really so bad? And was it ever going to measure up to critics’ sky-high expectations? “The Bear was such a sensation that many audiences wanted it to maintain that level of intensity and momentum,” notes Wenlei Ma, Culture Editor for The Nightly. “Personally, I loved the third season but I can see why it disappointed some.
“I think what the show tried to do is to reflect the frustrations of real life, which is to say that sometimes you do stagnate, or you backslide in your growth journey or you don’t get the catharsis you’re looking for from confronting a bully — and maybe that’s not what some people want from their TV shows as well?” Ma makes a good point, though audience sentiment seems to be a lot more cut-and-dry. Many have simply . .
. bailed out. Some cite the characters’ constant arguing, others say the “comedy” has disa.