prepare your forks and knives for another serving of the bear The Culinary and emotional Feast presented by FX and Hulu season three now streaming on Hulu out of four is the epitome of binge watching this show is a treat to devour when new episodes drop you savor every profane argument chew on the few moments of emotional Clarity and consume the chaotic energy of the restaurant kitchen lest it consume you bear returns triumphantly having scooped up numerous sag and Golden Globe Awards this winter solidifying its transition from a buzzworthy memeable show to a heavyweight in Hollywood it appears there is nothing Creator Christopher store can incorporate into the new season A-list guest stars experimental episode formats and more high-end wagy beef than you'd find at noou the series remains true to its roots so stress inducing it might give you an ulcer full of sharp scripts Stellar performances and more trauma processing than in a therapist's office the bear grips you and pulls you into its unique world for 10 intense episodes leaving you calling friends cousin and shouting hands at every turn immersive is an understatement season 3 is however a bit like its head chef Carmen Cari beado Jeremy Allen White slightly overblown and self-important after all the accolades chefs both fictional and real emphasize that less is more cautioning that two too many flavors can spoil a dish perhaps the writers of the bear could have trimmed a few elements from season 3's plate this isn't to say the season is bad far from it but when the characters demand everyday Excellence how can we not judge the show with the same critical I Cari might use on his Sue Chef's Creations the series resumes after the tumultuous season 2 finale where a supposedly calm friends and family preview at Cari and his minty SL partner Sydney's AO edab byai new restaurant is disrupted by car's meltdown when he gets trapped in a freezer the aftermath of that night is significant from further destabilization of car's fragile mental state to a rift in his friendship with house manager Richie eban moss bakarak and Chaos during the restaurant's nightly service on top of car's looming nervous breakdown the restaurant faces Financial instability and a critical Chicago Tribune Review is expected any day amidst the manic energy of the infamous kitchen scenes there are quieter powerful moments such as an episode that delves into the backstory of beef sandwich line cook turn suf Tina Liza colon Zas and another featuring a returning guest star set far from the kitchen these moments are the best the bear has to offer powerful and understated the characters often have profound conversations daily and while the show takes itself as seriously as Cari takes a plate of ravioli some moments this season tip from boldly artistic to pretentious the season premiere an extended montage tement to immerse viewers into car's mind and mood is experimental and cool but also somewhat self-indulgent at times the series morphs from a story into a philosophical exploration of food cooking and life while abstract thoughts are valuable they need grounding in a narrative season 3 occasionally drifts away especially in the first and final episodes there is still plenty of story to tell Tina got the spotlight this season but there's more to explore about Marcus liony Bo the facts matd mat and Ricky staffieri ibraim Edwin Lee Gibson and the rest of the kitchen staff Richie and Cari have unresolved conflicts and Sydney is only beginning to realize her potential the work much like in a real kitchen is never done the bear is one of the best shows on television today and has the potential to be an all-time great if it stays focused and sheds the excess the characters the kitchen Dynamics the relationships and the Heart ships are what draw viewers back give us the hearty core of the story without the unnecessary Frills that's what we're hungry for