Spoiler alert! This story contains spoilers for all five seasons of The Bear, which can be streamed now with a Hulu subscription.
The Bear has served its final meal by way of an eight-episode fifth season that takes place almost entirely on one stressful, rainy day. I couldn’t help but binge through Season 5 as soon as it hit the 2026 TV schedule — especially after watching the standalone episode “Gary,” which is not required viewing but should be, because it’s great — and I was not ready for the emotions that hit me with all of the great callbacks to previous seasons.
The Bear Season 5 was hailed by critics as a return to form, forgoing tons of guest stars and drama outside of the restaurant to watch how the staff came together under seemingly impossible conditions for what might be one last night of service. As an eight-episode meal, I was fully satisfied, and it was the tasteful sprinkling of nods to its past that really put it over the top. Here were some of my favorites:
The ‘Original Berf’ Shirts Made A Big Comeback
The printing error that caused The Original Beef of Chicagoland T-shirts to actually read “Original Berf” may have been just another thing to go wrong for Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) back in Season 2. Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), however, knew all along that those were collector’s items, and they sure came in handy when a burst pipe sullied all of the chefs’ white coats in Season 5. As he said in his rousing pre-service speech:
If we’re going to invite people into our home, we’re gonna look like a fucking family.
I was so tickled to see those shirts on everyone for the rest of that night’s service.
Carmy Jokes About Getting Locked In The Freezer
A pivotal moment in Season 2 came when Carmy got locked in the walk-in freezer because he hadn’t gotten the handle fixed. He unwittingly ended things with Claire (Molly Gordon) and then got into a horrible shouting match with Richie. Thank goodness there was a locked door between them.
Season 5 showed just how far the “cousins” had come, as Carmy finds Richie in the freezer having a panic attack. He talks him through it, and as he turns to leave and give Richie some privacy, he pretends he can’t open the door, momentarily freaking Richie out even more. I was certainly fooled, and it leads to such a joyful moment between the two.
Sydney's Coca-Cola Short Ribs Saved The Day
The Coca-Cola-braised short ribs made their appearance in Season 1 as a dish that reminded Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) of her late mother. She worked with Carmy to perfect the balance on the dish, and it was lovely to see Season 5 open with her pulling out the ribs and Coke bottles to make the dish for the final family meal we’d see.
However, the ribs got an even bigger day in the sun when Carmy dropped the lamb dish that was supposed to go to the man they thought was responsible for deciding whether or not they’d get a Michelin star. Carm tells Sydney to serve the short ribs instead, saying they’re better than anything he’s ever made.
Sydney Finally Tells Carmy He Made The Beat Meal She’d Ever Eaten
Carmy’s praise of Sydney’s short ribs was really just returning the favor, because earlier in the service, he had prepared a serving of the lamb tonnato for her to try as a menu option. Without fanfare (but with very meaningful glances), they had this exchange:
- Sydney: Second-best bite I’ve had in a long time.
- Carmy: Yeah?
- Sydney: Yeah.
- Carmy: What was the first best?
- Sydney: I had this grapefruit scallop dish at Empire a few years ago.
We’d previously heard Sydney tell Marcus that’s how she ended up at The Original Beef, staging under Carmy, and we saw Carmy agonizing over that dish with Chef David Fields (Joel McHale) literally over his shoulder. However, this was the first time that it all clicked for Carmy.
Sugar’s Husband Craves Sydney’s Bolognese
If The Bear fans weren't convinced that Sydney earned her spot taking over for Carmy, Season 5 did everything it could to remind us how good she is. When the chef asks Sugar’s husband Pete (Chris Witaske) to help with the trash in exchange for her cooking him any meal he wants, Pete is quick to say, “Bolognese!”
It’s a super subtle reference, but think back to Season 3, when Sydney brought Sugar (Abby Elliott) and Pete a care package after Sugar had her baby. Amongst the items she brought them was bolognese, and clearly that left an impression on Pete!
You Can’t Keep A Carmy-Sydney Shipper Down
From the beginning there have been questions and very strong opinions about Carmy and Sydney and whether they would (or should) get together. There was so much tension between them that “Yes, chef!” became, like, the hottest thing ever. Ayo Edebiri consistently shut down that possibility, but how could Carmy’s mom Donna (Jamie Lee Curtis) possibly know that? In a Season 5 wink to fans, Donna asks Pete, “Are they dating?” and Pete stammers a bit before landing on:
Um, I don’t think so, but there are a lot of, there’s some theories.
Say what you will, but I think that hug during Sydney and Carmy’s big emotional moment in the series finale was more intimate than any kiss. For me, their chemistry as colleagues goes deeper than romance.
Richie Calls Marcus ‘Cousin’
One of the more confusing aspects of The Bear’s first few episodes in Season 1 was that Richie and Carmy referred to each other as “Cousin,” only to reveal they’re not actually related. Richie was best friends with Carmy’s brother Mikey, and when Mikey died, it really was like they both lost a brother. They continued to call each other “Cousin” in good times and bad as a term of endearment, and in the end, Richie passes the nickname on to Marcus (Lionel Boyce).
Sydney and Richie may have been the ones put in charge of the restaurant when Carmy chose to step away, but the final episodes gave a strong indication that Marcus was the one Carmy was passing the torch to. In addition to inheriting the familial nickname, Marcus was also the beneficiary of Carmy’s journals, where he sketched dishes and worked out new creative recipes. It was a beautiful ending for one of The Bear’s best characters.
There were plenty of other moments that stuck out, and I can safely say that all of the anxiety and shouting and fretting and talking over each other was well worth it to see how The Bear served its last meal by bringing back so many of the dishes we loved the first time around.
