The Bear Season 4 opens at its worst Rotten Tomatoes rating ever

FX’s The Bear follows Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto, a chef dealing with the aftermath of his brother's suicide. He returns home to Chicago to take over his family's failing sandwich shop. The show explores important themes like grief and healing, along with kitchen culture versus fine dining discipline. However, season 4 has opened at its worst Rotten Tomatoes rating ever.

A poor 71% Tomatometer score following the previous season's 89% is a remarkable dip for The Bear. Read on to dive deep.

The Bear season 4 opens at 71% Tomatometer score, the worst rating ever

Carmy, the brilliant but emotionally wrecked chef, is trying to rebuild his family's sandwich shop, The Original Beef of Chicagoland. He is accompanied by Sydney Adamu, a gifted and young sous chef. Alongside these characters are Richie, his cousin, and Natalie, his sister, who helps him manage the restaurant.

Season 1 of The Bear premiered on June 23, 2022, with all eight episodes dropping simultaneously on FX on Hulu. Season 2 followed a year later on June 22, 2023, and season 3 in 2024, continuing the binge release format. Season 1 had a 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating, followed by 99% for season 2 and 89% for season. Therefore, after having a great start and maintaining the viewership and interest of the masses, the season 4 drop comes as a market shock.

A recent review in TheWrap calls Season 4 “slow and a bit repetitive,” slowing down its narrative without the elegance or emotional tone seen before. Variety and the San Francisco Chronicle echo similar concerns, praising the show’s emotional core but noting that this season lacks the momentum of its predecessors.

What does this fall in the score mean for The Bear season 4?

The sharp decline suggests that Season 4 may be struggling to meet audience expectations after raising the bar in earlier seasons. Some viewers are happy with the character-driven depth in season 4, but some feel that the season lacks forward drive and distinct purpose.

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The Bear comes with raw emotional depth along with spectacular and delicious cooking visuals. It portrays some authentic kitchen chaos shot like action thrillers and outstanding performances from brilliant actors like Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach.

Therefore, if one is a fan of the charismatic chaos of the restaurant setting and relates to Carmy's journey, it would be fun to continue watching the show. But if you're someone who likes fast-paced storytelling or high stakes, temper your expectations.

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