WARNING! SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT!
There will never be enough glaze I can put on this show – from the way it deftly explores the difficulties of all people living under capitalism, to how it confronts the concept of rage, generational trauma and teamwork. The show has always worked on many levels, and it's what keeps me ordering course after course.
This season, taking place over the course of a single service, is Sydney's Graduation – one she was not prepared for, and, in small moments, is just about able to live up to. Carmy is at his most submissive and switched off, almost becoming a ghost haunting the narrative of the rest of the episodes. We're confronted with what it actually takes to handle crisis without conflict – something Sydney is adamant on – but that does not save her from the same fate all characters have confronted in The Bear - the universe does not want you to run another restaurant.
The thing is, when it comes to love, you can't help yourself. From Richie refusing to cancel any reservations, to Carmy having a hard time giving up leadership, and even Natalie inviting her mother to the Kitchen – a lot of people do things they know they shouldn't do, and somehow, through the power of teamwork and respect, in a show of growth, they get through it, together. Focaccia, more than ever, is an ode to the problem-solving of a real kitchen - a good team with good intentions can never truly lose.
This does not save them from the same fate.
The actual end of both the show and the in-universe restaurant is imminent, and though we haven't been given access to the Finale as Press yet, I don't doubt it will be more mournful than I'm ready for. We know what's coming, and it's not pretty, and it's not what anyone wanted. Assembly line, anyone?
A lot of loose ends find themselves tied up - the show's creators even hint to the theories around SydCarmy in literal dialogue, though this season provides the most evidence that the show's creators could not care less if you want them together because they’re not meant to be together. Syd and Carmy do their best to respect one another, but they are water and oil now - one person trying to escape, another trying to cling on.
The Bear was just about to overstay its welcome, I will not lie - we're running into the end of the rope now, and some shots feel more like sentimental goodbyes than usual, which is how you know they did it right. I can't wait for the finale, and with that, to say a good and earned farewell to one of the best shows of the last decade.