"The Bear."
Thoughts on watching half a season (after, uh, last season).
This is a spoiler-free assessment of the first five episodes of “The Bear.”
When “The Bear” recently started its fourth season I didn’t race to watch. For an additionally damning sentiment, I hadn’t even bothered to note when its arrival was coming. This is what happens when a series loses its way.
That said, I really love much of what “The Bear” has been and can be. I even loved a couple of particular episodes from its worst season, which was — not like many viewers would need a reminder — last season.
So pumping the breaks isn’t punitive. I want the show to succeed. I wasn’t giving up on “The Bear.” It was getting from me what it earned with S3 — less relevance, less urgency, less love.
The only question left was that question that all really good series face after a slump: Do you still have it?
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