The Bear officially comes to a close in one final episode, season 5 episode 8, "The Original Beef of Chicagoland." It's been a long, wild ride, and I'm sad to say goodbye, but it is what is is, so let's get to it.
The series finale opens the morning after the events of episode 7 with Ebra practicing his pitch to Carmy to expand the Beef franchise. It's a good pitch, and he knows Carmy is going to say yes. Now, we just have to wait for it happen.
Richie gets invited to an international hospitality seminar in Japan
Sydney, Richie, and Natalie head in for work the morning after the massively successful night. Sydney walks the kitchen, which has been put back together.
Natalie breaks the news that they have enough money for ingredients and to make payroll thanks to the successful night. Unfortunately, they don't have enough to stash any money for savings, which is very much not good.
She also reveals that she woke up to a message from a couple who ate at The Bear the night before and they loved Richie. They work for Pellegrino, and they are going to pay for him to attend one of their international hospitality seminars in Japan.
He doesn't want to do it, but Natlie says that he should.
In the kitchen, Tina shows up from the farmer's marker with ingredients for tonight's shift.
Uncle Jimmy apologizes to Carmy for his attitude
Outside, Carmy eventually shows up after the big night, and he finds Uncle Jimmy waiting for him. Carmy starts to apologize for quitting, but Uncle Jimmy tells him that he's sorry for shouting at him, too. Uncle Jimmy is frustrated that Carmy lost all of his money, but he loves him so much.
Uncle Jimmy also tells Carmy that he likes Ebra's idea to franchise The Beef. This is the first Carmy is hearing of this, but he loves the idea, too.
Carmy tells him that, in order to break patterns, you have to break patterns, and that's what he is trying to do.
Carmy knows that The Bear or The Beef, whatever this is, is going to survive because of the team behind it.
Richie has a panic attack
Everyone else is taking in what happened last night and preparing for their shift. Luca and Marcus squashed their beef. Sweeps isn't panicking about his job prospects.
In the walk-in, though, Carmy finds Richie having a hard time. He's freaking out over the offer to go to Japan. He tells Carmy that he's never been on an airplane, and Carmy tells him airplanes suck, which doesn't help. Richie freaks out further, but Carmy tries to help by saying that flying is actually peaceful, but it's just airports that suck because of the people and anxiety and all that.
I don't think this is really about airplanes or airports, though, and neither does Carmy. He asks Richie if this panic attack is about something else. Carmy opens up about his anxiety, but he tells Carmy to think of himself as an international businessman.
They try to leave, and then the door won't open. They are locked in the walk-in again! But, then, Carmy opens the door, and it's all a big joke. He was kidding about everything.
Carmy approves Ebra's pitch to expand The Beef franchise
Sydney asks Carmy what he's going to do for, like, a job or work or something. He tells her that he has an idea, but he's super cagey about it. He doesn't really want to say, but Sydney asks him if he's ever considered writing a resume. He's never done that before, of course, and they laugh about what he could include on said resume.
Carmy, then, goes to meet with Ebra about his pitch. Ebra tries to start to give him the spiel, but Carmy already approves. He tells him it's a great idea to go for it, and he does.
Carmy tells Natalie that he's really leaving
Outside, Carmy takes out the trash, and Natalie meets him. She said someone named Peter Clark keeps calling. Carmy doesn't know the name, but he was the unknown number that kept calling Carmy yesterday.
She also asked if he'd called someone else, but again, it's a mystery who that is. He says he will do it tomorrow, but then, she asks him if he's really leaving.
He tells her that he can't stay, and she says that no one is asking him to. Carmy is officially ready to say goodbye to The Bear and everyone here.
Sydney and The Bear get two Michelin stars
Later, Carmy gets a call from Peter Clark, and this time, he answers. We don't really know what it's about, but Carmy is affected.
Inside, Richie is dealing with flowers, and he's good at it. He goes through the game plan with Chef Jess and learns someone, one of their guests for the evening, is planning to propose. In the romance of it all, they have another little moment where their hands touch. There's clearly something going on here.
Sydney finds him in the back, and Peter Clark is actually Star Man. He wasn't actually there last night. Instead, he was there a few months ago. Carmy tells Sydney all the good things Peter said about the food. She expects there's a but coming, but it doesn't.
Carmy tells her that she got two Michelin stars! They want to wait until after service to tell the team.
It's weird for a second, and they take the information in their own way. Finally, they share a big hug. They did it!
From here, the show moves past that one rainy day in Chicago. We have a bit of a time jump, but we don't know exactly how long has passed.
It has to be at least a little while, though, because Sydney celebrates her accomplishment with her father at a diner. There, he has a newspaper with an article about Sydney on the front.
Luca goes back to Copenhagen
On his way into work, Marcus drops Luca off at the airport. He's headed back to Copenhagen. Before he leaves, they say goodbye. Luca leaves him with some advice as the restaurant potentially comes to a close. He tells him that he's worked at the best restaurants in the world, but The Bear is better in so many ways because everyone there is family.
It leaves Marcus with something to think about.
Ebra moves forward with the Beef franchise
Elsewhere, Ebra is hard at work. He is looking at potential locations, and he's found one. He calls Albert, the investor played by Rob Reiner in season 4, and tells him the good news. He asks Albert if there's anything that he can do for him, and then when Albert says something, Ebra says, "As you wish."
That's a nod to the late Reiner for one of his most famous works. He directed The Princess Bride, which includes that famous line from Cary Elwes' character, Westley.
Carmy goes in for an interview
Stevie, played by John Mulaney, sets Carmy up with an interview with Sue at some kind of job in architecture. I didn't know you could just get into that field with no training, but here we are.
In the interview, everything comes back to cooking. She asks him what he wants to achieve or explore, and he tells her that he's basically been surviving every day of his life, in the kitchen and out of the kitchen, and he's tired of living like that. He tells a story of the day where everything went wrong, and for the first time, it felt like everyone was supporting each other. That's the feeling that he's looking for, getting to see everyone succeed.
It wasn't what she was looking for, but it's exactly what he needed to say.
The Bear lives on
Back in Chicago, Carmy leaves all of his notes and journals to Marcus for him to continue to push himself creatively.
Richie throws a surprise birthday party for his daughter at The Bear. All their family and friends and the whole team are there to celebrate with her. Clarie, played by Molly Gordon, is there. Bob Odenkirk's character, Lee, is there. Gillian Jacobs, who plays Tiff, is back, too.
As Richie prepares to go to Japan, Sydney gives him a bunch of drugs and pills and things to help him get through the flight. He's going to be gone for a week or so, and he wants to visit a ninja museum, but he won't do it if they can't handle it. Sydney tells him that they can handle it because of everything Richie has done to prepare them for him being gone.
As he gets ready for work, Carmy sends another text to Mikey and says he's "all good."
On the plane to Japan, Richie is a little nervous, but then Chef Jess takes his hand, for real this time, and it's clear they are really doing this. They're getting together.
And, that's how The Bear comes to an end.
I don't know if I'm emotionally ready for this story to be over, especially with how the last season was structured, but it's such a great story with a terrific ending. I'd give it a third Michelin star if I could.
CORNER!
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