Spoilers for the Season 3 finale of The Bear are ahead. If you haven’t watched the show yet, you can stream it with a Hulu subscription.
When Season 3 of The Bear ended, my first thought was “That can’t be it.” Not only was I unsatisfied with the cliffhanger, but it also felt like we were right in the middle of all the action. We were getting to the climax of the season where Sydney revealed her job offer and Carmy read the review. However, neither of those things happened. So, I immediately started thinking that this might not be the last time we see new episodes of this show on the 2024 TV schedule. Now, Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s latest comments have added fuel to this ongoing theory I’ve been thinking about.
Quite some time ago, rumors came out (via Deadline) that Seasons 3 and 4 of The Bear were being filmed back-to-back. Considering the popularity and acclaim of the show plus the star power of its cast, that wouldn’t be surprising. However, the ensemble has been reluctant to talk about whether those extra episodes are really a fourth installment or not. Now, Moss-Bachrach’s comments about everything they filmed have me wondering if that “To Be Continued” card at the end of this season was telling us that we only got the first half of Season 3.
What Ebon Moss-Bachrach Said About The Next Episodes Of The Bear
While we still don’t really know how things will proceed following The Bear’s finale (which let me down), Ebon Moss-Bachrach did confirm that they filmed more than the ten episodes we saw. When he spoke with Mr. Porter, he explained that they ended up filming more than they initially planned:
We were going to make one season, but that season was getting bigger and bigger and at a certain point it seemed like maybe we should write more, not feel constrained and turn it into two seasons.
So, yes, he said “two seasons.” However, it feels like this is all one big cohesive chapter, and we stopped in the middle of it, not the end. Maybe, what we get next could be a Season 3B.
Moss-Bachrach continued to explain that they filmed 18 episodes this time around, and as you likely know, we've only seen ten of those. The actor said:
We shot about 18 episodes. But everything shifts. In the past, what was one episode on the page has been split into two. I just lose myself in the messiness and chaos of it. I like getting taken by a wave that’s bigger than you thought it was, tumbled around and spit out the other end.
Also, as the story notes, Moss-Bachrach “thinks” they shot Seasons 3 and 4 together, but they did not confirm that that’s the case, and that, my friend, is suspicious.
I Think They’ll Surprise Drop The Second Half Of Season 3
My theory about all this began when I attended The Bear’s press conference for CinemaBlend, and the cast was asked about the reports that they filmed Seasons 3 and 4 together. They wouldn’t give a straight answer about what’s to come, as you can see by the responses Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri and Abby Elliott gave to the question below:
Jeremy Allen White: We did something like that.
Ayo Edebiri: Yeah, a little version of it, sort of. But not exactly.
Jeremy Allen White: Not exactly.
Ayo Edebiri: Is that helpful for journalism?
Abby Elliott: You'll have to find out.
As I noted, the second I finished binge-ing The Bear, I didn’t feel like it was over. Yes, both seasons that came before have ended on cliffhangers, but they also ended a chapter definitively. Season 1 closed out with them deciding to open The Bear, Season 2 saw them open the restaurant, and Season 3 gave us the result of the review and their work…but not really…there's still so much to do.
So, it stands to reason that we could get a Part 2 to Season 3 so we can find some closure. It's filmed, the story lends itself to that format, and it would explain these confusing answers about what's coming next.
Of course, I could be completely wrong, and maybe that was the end of Season 3, and the next installment of one of Hulu’s best shows will be a totally new Season 4. However, as Moss-Bachrach said, they didn’t want to feel constrained, and so they decided to make more. That signifies to me that a Season 3B could be coming.
Plus, no other season has ended with a “To Be Continued.” Season 1 ended with “The Bear is coming” written on the door, but it wasn’t a cut-and-dry “more is coming” like the end of Season 3 was.
So, when you mix Ebon Moss-Bachrach's comments about filming 18 episodes with the ambiguous press conference comments, I can’t help but think that I might be onto something.
However, we won’t know until we get official word from The Bear itself.
To go back and watch the first three seasons of The Bear, and see if you agree with my theory that we might be getting a part two sooner than later, you can do so with a Hulu subscription.
