'The Bear' Ended When and How It Had To

 

Finished watching 'The Bear' season 5 last night, which wrapped things up perfectly and gave its characters both the ending they deserved and a future that we may never get to see on screen, but we can picture them being happy and fulfilled there. It's sad seeing the show go, but I'm glad it concluded on an undeniably optimistic note. Arguably, the restaurant was always a secondary protagonist, as most of the show's themes revolve around starting over, moving on, and the power of small human moments.

Much like in real life, there is a difference between things that one can change in themselves, and things that they will always carry with them, and I think the series did a fantastic job at highlighting both. It gave its characters opportunities to grow, learn, and change into better versions of themselves, but at the same time it didn't "fix" anyone's anxiety or depression, or magically erase anyone's dysfunctional family history or troubled past. It never sugarcoated or glamourised someone's low moments, and never ridiculed the characters for having them.

In the character dynamics there was a great balance between "you can be better than that" and "we accept you as you are" and the series showcased how both can co-exist when there's genuine care and affection between people. In fact, it was an excellent depiction of how believing in someone's potential and understanding their limits and boundaries are equal parts of loving them.

I think the reason the series landed with so many people is that it was one of the purest, realest depictions of the 'chosen family' trope we have had in media, in a long while. It tackled with heavy subjects without becoming exploitative, it had some hilarious moments, and some heartbreaking ones too, and managed to balance humour with darkness, which was one of its most authentic elements.

It's interesting looking back at how some of the characters started, especially characters like Richie and Carmy, and noticing the change that happened to them, and where they end up by the final episode, with their growth feeling both organic and realistic, and things coming full circle. Beyond the story of the restaurant, it's essentially the story of genuinely good people, most of them being at really low points in life, either practically or emotionally, who formed connections and grew and discovered themselves, and cared about each other while being messy and imperfect.

For me, 'The Bear' never had a weak season, but season 5 was definitely the show at its peak. It utilised the elements that worked the most, and despite the sad moments, it chose to give its protagonists a happy ending. This series is made from whatever material the opposite of misanthropy is, and I am happy that it now exists as a complete, wrapped-up story you can watch whenever you need something to shake you out of your cynicism and remind you that there is good in people.

Let it rip.