Between all the barbecues and beach trips, no summer in the past few years has quite felt complete without a new season of FX’s “The Bear.”

This summer was no exception, with season four dropping on June 25.

For a show that makes sure you know “Every Second Counts,” a lot of viewers felt betrayed by last season’s supposed waste of time. With all of its hit-or-miss character-centric episodes and the focus on celebrity cameos (John Cena!), it’s no surprise that many viewed it as an ego trip of a season. 

Recovering from that is a tall order, but many disillusioned audience members who see consistent emotional payoff as a non-negotiable for their TV shows will find season four to be more to their taste. 

Season four sees Chicago’s favorite underdog restaurant working hard to get out of debt and hopefully add a Michelin Star to its name.

Protagonist Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) is as emotionally stifled as ever, even in his most vulnerable moments. Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s Richie is still a great foil to our head chef, but their banter takes a backseat to the resolution of the show’s loose ends. 

Even with the increase in conflict resolution, the episodes take their time setting up these moments. 

My personal favorite was “Worms,” written by Ayo Edebiri. It sees Sydney (Edebiri) stranded at her cousin’s house with her initially withdrawn (and hungry) “iPad Kid” niece. 

Over the course of a meal’s preparation, Sydney uses her niece’s conflicting thoughts on whether or not to attend a friend’s sleepover as a blueprint for grappling with her looming choice of ditching the kitchen she grew to love in favor of a new one. 

It’s a simpler storyline, but having a character as conflicted as Sydney take a step back and see her situation through a child’s point of view reminds us that the conflicts these top chefs face really are universal. 

This episode also works wonders with the show’s emotional throughline — working a restaurant is all about caring for people who may one day take care of you. The season’s emphasis on that concept is a welcome refresher from the series’ typical Italian American squabbling Olympics. 

Another standout episode was “Bears,” which centers around Frank (Josh Hartnett) and Tiffany Jermovich’s (Gillian Jacobs) wedding. While it plays out like a nearly feature-length check-in on the show’s rotating cast of recurring celebrity actor characters, it mixes in some sweet familial moments and character crossovers. 

Much like opening a restaurant, though, watching a TV show is a commitment — one that a lot of people might not want to take. As someone who finds it hard to sit through TV episodes, this season barely met my attention span criteria. 

However, there is something to be said about the show’s timeliness. With most streaming shows now having years-long gaps between seasons, it’s nice to have a reliable cast of characters that return annually. 

The season ending also leaves its characters at a crossroads. With the show’s main cast moving on to playing high-profile roles, from Bruce Springsteen to a member of the Fantastic Four, it’s hard to say when we’ll see the staff of The Bear again. 

That being said, I wouldn’t mind if the show took a year-long hiatus before coming back with a season five — which has already been renewed by FX. After all, these chefs have earned a summer off. 

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