‘The Bear’ Season 3: What to Know Ahead of the Premiere

The Bear season 3 is almost here and fans are finally getting a new look at the upcoming season. 

Just hours after FX announced that the highly anticipated third season will arrive on Hulu on June 26 — rather than the originally planned June 27 — the network and streaming service shared fresh photos of Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), Sydney Adamu (Ayo Edebiri), Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and other characters looking just as stressed as ever as they attempt to get their Chicago-based eatery off the ground. 

One picture shows Syd and Carmy in what appears to be the middle of a heart-to-heart in the middle of the kitchen, while others included in the bunch show Richie standing outside of a door — possibly being ignored by his young daughter — and Carmy staring down an unseen figure opposite him. 

The pictures all come from the first two episodes of season 3. The network and streamer are still keeping plot details for the majority of the 10 new episodes under wraps.

The newly released pics come just days after a poster for the third installment finally dropped on social media and showed Carmy and Sydney both in their chef outfits and emerging together from the kitchen where the supporting cast members are looking ahead. Just behind the head chef and sous chef is Richie, holding up an order from just behind the window into the kitchen. 

Also featured in the background of the poster are fan-favorite characters like Neil (Matty Matheson), Natalie “Sugar” Berzatto (Abby Elliott), Marcus (L-Boy) and Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas). While not located on the poster, both Claire (Molly Gordon) and Jimmy (Oliver Platt) are expected to return.

The poster follows a first look at the new season, which dropped in late May and showed the gang of the Chicago-based restaurant, The Bear, devolving into chaos — more than usual, that is — as a montage of spills, fights, and a literal fire to put out is presented to fans. 

“This is a dysfunctional kitchen,” Sydney declared in a teaser released earlier this year. “Show me a functional one,” Carmy and Richie retort in unison.

All the new visuals precede the highly anticipated release of the dramedy, which received a whopping 13 Emmy nominations for its first season, winning 10 of the awards, including the trophies for Best Comedy Series, Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (White) and Best Supporting Actress (Edebiri).

In honor of the new poster and the updated release date, ET has compiled a list of answers to the most burning questions about The Bear season 3. 

When Does The Bear Season 3 Hit Hulu? 

All 10 episodes of The Bear‘s third season premiere on Hulu at 9 p.m. EST on June 26. In February, FX Chairman John Landgraf spoke at a Television Critics Association event and confirmed that the episodes would debut in June and all at the same time, like the first two seasons. 

“I have no doubt we’ll just keep doing it,” Landgraf said, joking that it may also be the favored release strategy for those who watch religiously as the show can be “a little anxiety-inducing.” 

What Do We Know About the Plot of Season 3? 

After announcing that the show would premiere on June 26 rather than the initial June 27, Hulu officials shared a description of the third season, which will follow the chefs “as they do what it takes to elevate The Bear, their beef stand turned fine dining establishment, to the highest level, all while doing their best just to stay in business. It’s a losing battle every single day in the restaurant business. Carmy pushes himself harder than ever, and demands excellence from his crew, who do their best to match his intensity.”

Don’t expect to get a break from the sometimes nauseating plotlines, either. The description continues, “Their quest for culinary excellence will propel the crew to new levels and stress the bonds that hold the restaurant together. As the team grows in size, each member will strive to reach a greater level of service within their role. In the restaurant industry, you’re never on solid ground, and with that ever-changing landscape comes new challenges and opportunities.

“Our chefs have learned that every second counts, but this season we’ll find out if they have what it takes to make it to tomorrow,” the synopsis concludes. 

While indistinct, it’s at least a little more than what we had known previously — which was not much of anything. It is believed, based on 3×1’s description on Rotten Tomatoes, that the show will pick up where season 2 left off as Carmy and his team continue to get their restaurant, The Bear, off the ground. 

“The next day and the days that led to it,” reads the description of the first episode of season 3. Other like-wise short and vague episode synopses for all 10 episodes can be found here.

Tensions mount between the crew and Carmy as he doles out a list of “non-negotiables” that Edebiri‘s Sydney and the rest of the team question the reality of day-to-day execution. And as different ideas of excellence clash, the ongoing fraught interpersonal dynamics of The Bear’s crew — in and out of the kitchen — bubbles over until it overflows. 

While the specifics of the new season remain to be seen, fans can enjoy reports speculating that the actors have already filmed for a fourth season. 

What Has the Cast Said About Season 3? 

The cast members have kept similarly tight-lipped on what the third season holds but ET recently spoke with Edebiri, 28, who will make her directorial debut with episode 6, “Napkins.” It has since been revealed the episode will follow Tina (Colón-Zayas) looking “for a new opportunity.”

“Well, you know, check it out — it comes out June 27th,” she told ET, adding of the experience, “It was amazing. It was really the best.”

Where Did Season 2 of The Bear Leave Off? 

Fans of the show will remember that season 2 ended with Carmy trapped in the walk-in freezer at his restaurant and engaged in an argument with Richie (Moss-Bachrach) over letting Claire (Molly Gordon) get away. The argument closed out the episode which also saw the restaurant falling into shambles upon its reopening. 

Who Stars in The Bear Season 3?

Aside from the main cast including White, Edebiri, Colón-Zayas, Moss-Bachrach, Elliot, Matheson and L-Boy, the show has welcomed some big-name recurring actors and guest stars in its first two seasons. 

Chicago Med actor Oliver Platt has played Uncle Jimmy since season 1 while Theater Camp star Molly Gordon appeared for the first time as Carmy’s love interest, Claire, in season 2. Other recurring actors include Jon Bernthal as Michael “Mikey” Berzatto, Edwin Lee Gibson as Ebrahim, José Cervantes as Angel, Richard Esteras as Manny andd Chris Witaske as Pete. 

Fans can only hope that season 3 brings top-tier guest stars in the same way that season 2 did. Throughout the sophomore season of the FX show, Bob Odenkirk, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sarah Paulson, John Mulaney, Will Poulter, Olivia Colman and Gillian Jacobs all appeared in ten episodes. 

While Landgraf said in February that could not share any potential guest stars or plotlines for the upcoming season, he did say to expect the unexpected, just like season 2. 

When Was The Bear Renewed for Season 3?

In November, the show was officially renewed for season 3 just hours after the SAG-AFTRA strike — which lasted 118 days and delayed production on several other FX shows — came to an end. 

“The Bear, which wowed audiences in its first season only to achieve even greater heights in season two, has become a cultural phenomenon,” said Nick Grad, President of FX Entertainment, in a press release at the time.

“We’re so proud to partner with Christopher Storer, Joanna Calo, Josh Senior, and the rest of the creative team, as well as the brilliant cast led by Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. What they and the crew have done is truly remarkable, and we and our partners at Hulu join fans in looking forward to the next chapter in the story of The Bear,” Grad continued. 

Around the same time as the show’s renewal, ET spoke with White, and he gave an update on how he is preparing for season 3. 

“I haven’t read scripts yet, that’s the truth,” White shared with ET. “But, yeah, we will be going back [into production] in, like, late February, early March. I’m gonna get together with some chefs starting in January and start doing some prep.”

For White, that means emotional prep as the series heavily focuses on emotional storylines and “anxiety-inducing” situations as Landgraf said, including a season 2 cliffhanger that scratches the surface of the restaurant workers’ issues. 

Has The Bear Been Renewed for Season 4? 

ET has confirmed that The Bear will return for a fourth season at an undecided date, presumably June 2025. The first two seasons dropped in June 2022 and June 2023, respectively. 

Earlier this year, reports emerged from local outlets in Chicago that The Bear was filming additional episodes on top of season 3, with Reel Chicago declaring that production members stated the additional episodes are part of season 3, while others have stated the episodes are for season 4. Either way, the network is giving the award-winning series its full support as they continue to shoot in Chicago. 

It’s not surprising for fans who recently watched as the series swept the Emmy Awards for its first season — the show will find out its fate for the second season when the Emmy nominations are announced in July. The show also took home numerous Golden Globes, SAG Awards and other major trophies on the awards circuit. 

“We couldn’t be prouder or more excited [of the show],” Landgraf said in February of the series returning. 

Seasons 1 and 2 of FX’s The Bear are now streaming on Hulu. The Bear season 3 begins streaming on Hulu on June 26 at 9 p.m. EST.

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