After a stellar second season, there's a good chance Hulu and FX will renew The Bear for Season 3.
Created by Christopher Storer, The Bear revolves around Jeremy Allen White's Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto, an award-winning chef who returns to his hometown to manage the chaotic kitchen at his late brother's sandwich shop.
The Bear made its debut on Hulu on June 23, 2022. A month after its premiere, FX decided to renew the series for a 10-episode second season, with it premiering on June 22, 2023.
Will The Bear Season 3 Release?
At this point, Hulu and FX have yet to announce The Bear Season 3. Despite that, the show's massive critical and viewership success may well eventually lead to another renewal.
However, with the ongoing writers' and actors' strikes by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild (SAG), there might be a delay in any potential Season 3 announcement.
The fact the latest season only just recently premiered during the writers' strike, combined with the lack of an official renewal at this time, likely means no work has yet happened on Season 3.
So, while the window between Seasons 1 and 2 was almost exactly a year, fans may be kept waiting a little longer for Season 3 to come along at Hulu.
Season 1 earned a total of 13 Emmy nominations while also becoming the most-watched single season ever in FX history.
The Bear Season 2 took it up a notch with extremely high Hulu viewership. After making its debut on Hulu, it became the most-watched premiere of any FX series on the Disney-owned streaming service.
In addition, JustWatch, via Media Play News, noted that The Bear was the most streamed TV series across all platforms in the United States during the week ending June 25, 2023.
Aside from its impressive viewership, The Bear also did well in terms of audience reception.
The Bear has an overall 99% critic approval rating and a 92% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Meanwhile, on Metacritic, the series has a weighted average score of 90 out of 100.
These numbers indicate that critics and fans want something in common: Season 3.
The Bear Season 3 Cast: Who Would Return?
The majority of the cast members of The Bear are likely to return in Season 3 if Hulu and FX renew the series.
Here's a list of actors and characters who are expected to come back:
- Jeremy Allen White - Carmy
- Ebon Moss-Bachrach - Richie
- Ayo Edebiri - Sydney
- Abby Elliott - Natalie
- Liza Colón-Zayas - Tina
- Edwin Lee Gibson - Ebra
- Matty Matheson - Neil Fak
- Lionel Boyce - Marcus
- Oliver Platt - Uncle Jimmy
- Chris Witaske - Pete
- Molly Gordon - Claire
Jamie Lee Curtis, who plays Carmy's mom, could also return in Season 3 if the show decides to showcase more of the lead character's family history.
What Could Happen in The Bear Season 3?
At the end of Season 2, The Bear (the restaurant) saw a hugely successful opening night despite numerous obstacles including faulty fridge doors and troublesome staff members. The night left its crew in shambles though, thus perfectly setting up the ramifications that Season 3 is poised to explore.
Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who plays Richie, spoke with Digital Spy in July to tease what lies ahead in Season 3.
The actor said that the upcoming season could revolve around the restaurant's day-to-day operations, with him wondering "if it's sustainable," especially after a disastrous Season 2 finale:
"The first season we meet the restaurant. And then the second season is creating a new iteration of the restaurant and it ends on the first day.
So now I'm curious to see what the day-to-day life is and if it's sustainable. That would be a third season in my mind is like, okay, so what is the new thing like? Because they don't really get to see it too much."
For starters, The Bear Season 3 could explore how the main characters (Carmy and Richie) will find a way to repay their debt for the restaurant to Jimmy.
The aftermath of Carmy and Claire's falling out in the Season 2 finale could also be highlighted.
Given that the pair's relationship has been a vital arc in the second season, Carmy's next actions to try and resolve his issues with Claire while also balancing his time in the kitchen could take a good chunk of Season 3's storyline.
Meanwhile, Carmy's new dynamic with Richie and Sydney is also expected to be pushed to the forefront in Season 3, especially after he screwed up everything in the previous finale.
Elsewhere, Season 3's side stories could tackle Marcus' journey to becoming a pastry chef and the potential loss of his mother, Natalie's relationship with her mother, and further explore Carmy's family history.
Where Can I Watch The Bear Season 3 When It Releases?
The first two seasons of The Bear were released directly onto Hulu, and as such, the same is expected to be true with Season 3 when it eventually comes to pass.
The eight-episode Season 1 and ten-episode Season 2 both debuted all their episodes on the same day, so Season 3 is likely to take on the same binge format.
While an episode count has yet to be announced for Season 3 as the show has yet to be renewed, it wouldn't be surprising to see it replicate the ten-episode run of Season 2 after its huge success.
Hulu is home to other incredible shows such as Only Murders in the Building, Fargo, and Reservation Dogs.
