We are starving for The Bear season 3. Yes, we only just finished the FX on Hulu series quite recently (one of us binge-watched The Bear season 2 and has regrets about that approach), but it left on such an emotional note, we can't wait for Carmy, Syd, Richie, Sugar, Tina, Marcus and the rest of the gang to return. Except for Josh. Josh is 86'd, chef.
And how could we not be excited for another serving? The Bear season 2 is one of the best TV shows of the year, jumping into the upper echelons of our personal rankings. This past season followed the behind-the-scenes drama as the crew transformed The Original Beef of Chicagoland into a high-end establishment that's far from the greasy-spoon institution where we first met its cast.
So, what should you expect from The Bear season 3? We've got all the details below, including when we expect one of the best Hulu shows to come back.
Is The Bear season 3 confirmed?
FX and Hulu have yet to announce The Bear season 3, but its renewal seems all but guaranteed. The network and service boasted that viewership numbers for the second season were up 70% over season 1, and that the series was FX's most-watched Hulu premiere yet. That makes us pretty confident we're going to see The Bear's third course, chef.
The gap between The Bear's first season release and its renewal announcement was about three weeks, and so we're expecting something similar or shorter this time around, given the aforementioned success of the recent season. Right now, though, the WGA Writers Strike is currently slowing Hollywood significantly, which could explain why we haven't heard anything official from FX and Hulu following season 2's June 22 release.
The Bear season 3 release date speculation
We would have expected The Bear season 3's release to hit this time next summer. After all, seasons 1 and 2 each came out in June of subsequent years.
That said, the writers' strike seems like it will throw a wrench into things, so we're not betting on a summer 2024 drop. Fall or winter 2024, or possibly later, seem more likely. It's just a matter of when the strike ends.
The Bear season 3 cast
We expect all of the main staff of The Bear itself, plus many of their friends and family back when The Bear season 3 returns. A lot of the potential returns depend on which characters that only had one-episode cameos return, so we're dividing this menu into two halves.
First, we've got the folks we expect to see back next season, starting with the folks responsible for the restaurant and their loved ones:
- Jeremy Allen White as Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto
- Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Richard "Richie" Jerimovich
- Ayo Edebiri as Sydney Adamu
- Lionel Boyce as Marcus Brooks
- Liza Colón-Zayas as Tina Marrero
- Abby Elliott as Natalie "Sugar" Berzatto
- Matty Matheson as Neil Fak
- Oliver Platt as Jimmy "Cicero" Kalinowski, uncle of Carmy and Sugar
- Edwin Lee Gibson as Ebraheim
- Corey Hendrix as Gary "Sweeps" Woods
- Chris Witaske as Pete
- Jon Bernthal as Michael "Mikey" Berzatto
- Jamie Lee Curtis as Donna Berzatto
- Robert Townsend as Emmanuel Adamu
Then, there's the folks whose returns don't feel like givens:
- Molly Gordon as Claire
- Joel McHale as Carmy's old executive chef
- Will Poulter as Luca
- Bob Odenkirk as "Uncle" Lee Lane
- Sarah Paulson as Michelle Berzatto
- John Mulaney as Steven
- Gillian Jacobs as Tiffany Jerimovich
- Ricky Staffieri as Theodore Fak
- Olivia Colman as Chef Terry
The Bear season 3 plot: What's going to happen next?
You wouldn't be making a huge leap to think that The Bear season 3 would begin with the restaurant open to the public. The Bear just concluded its second season with "friends-and-family night," essentially a preview of the restaurant to faces that could or would forgive mistakes. You know, the mistakes that would come when Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) is stuck in the walk-in freezer.
That night saw Claire (Molly Gordon) leave Carmy after hearing a speech that wasn't meant for her. Stuck in the freezer, Carmy thought he was talking to Tina when explaining how he's been distracted and doesn't believe he deserves to be in a relationship.
As for what else is going on, Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) is dealing with the immense stress created by her own expectations, and likely wants to move out on her own and stop living with her father (Robert Townsend).
Sugar (Abby Elliott) seems on the verge of giving birth, though she and Pete (Chris Witaske) haven't mentioned a due date yet. For her sake, we hope to see more of Donna (Jamie Lee Curtis), Sugar and Carmy's mother who is emotionally incapable of seeing her children at this moment.
The newly-suited Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) will continue adapting to his new responsibilities and love of service. His wanted to rekindle things with his ex-wife Tiffany (Gillian Jacobs), but she's getting married to Frank.
Sadly, though, Marcus appears to have bad news to handle, as his mother's caretaker was desperately trying to reach him, as evidenced by the notifications on his phone.
Overall, though, the success of the newly opened The Bear will likely be the biggest story for The Bear season 3. Especially since they owe Cicero (Oliver Platt) for those loans.
