Hulu: “The Bear,” Season 3

There’s nothing more disappointing than returning to a favorite restaurant and finding that something’s off. That perfectly describes my feeling after finishing Season 3 of “The Bear” (Hulu).

The show, which is about the transformation of a Chicago greasy spoon into a gourmet restaurant, used to delight me. This season, It gave me agita. The montage cuts, the in-your-face closeups, and the brittle David-Mamet-like dialogue has raised my stomach acid to a point where I may turn to Prilosec.

As for the cast, everyone seems mad at one another. The Fak brothers (Marty Mathewson and John Cena) become a tiresome act after a while. Cousin Richie (Ebon Moss-Bacharach) refuses to grow up even after being promoted to the front of the house.

Meanwhile, Chef de Cuisine Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) is just plain miserable. Obsessed with keeping the restaurant up and running, he blows the budget, practically ignores his sous-chef Sydney (Ayo Edibiri), and obsesses over the past. Is it because of his horrific breakup with gf “Claire Bear,” (Molly Gordon), or is it the fear of a bad review? Don’t look at me.

The micro-focus on the preparation of the tasting menu courses is especially agonizing. I began to think it was intended as satire. The final episode, in which the great chefs of the world pay tribute to the imaginary closing of Ever, a famous Chicago restaurant, played like a bad reality show. The dialogue was so smug and pretentious, I wondered if it were written by AI.

But good news: the show hasn’t entirely jumped the shark, as evidenced by two thumpingly good episodes. The first is Episode 6, “Napkins,” which stars Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas), one of the Bear’s line chefs. It’s a flashback to her struggle to find work.

Episode 8 “Ice Chips” features Carmy’s pregnant sister Natalie (Abby Elliott) undergoing labor pains. It is sensational and Emmy-worthy—both for Elliott and for Jamie-Lee Curtis who again raises the quality of the show significantly. JLC’s gritty, over-the-top performance as Donna Berzatto, the borderline psychotic mother, is searing and great. Her wizened, pain-streaked face is straight out of a Durer etching.

The reasons these two episodes stand out is that they are unfussy and focus on real-world, identifiable challenges. Who among us hasn’t faced age discrimination when trying to job-hunt? What woman hasn’t gone through some degree of agony when giving birth?

On a similar note, we must applaud the Bear chefs, as they have each other’s backs in a cacophonous work situation. Again, it seems real-world, and demonstrates the beauty of teamwork.

I’m interested to see how and if “The Bear” will get its act together for Season 4. C’mon, Chefs! In the meantime, I’m going back to my favorite restaurant in NoLita. If the food, wine, and service aren’t as good as I remember it, I’m ready for Papaya King.

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