FX CEO John Landgraf addressed The Bear season 3’s mixed reception from critics and audiences, while also offering a tantalizing taste of season 4. The Bear Season 3 received positive reviews from many critics, who cited the series’ appealing characters and cinematography as key highlights. It was divisive for some critics and audiences who saw it slow down from Season 2’s faster pace. The third season currently holds a 51% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, with many citing it as too drawn out and not as compelling as previous installments.
Talking to Diskhowever, Landgraf explained how The Bear creator Chris Storer asked for seasons 3 and 4 to complete the storyline he had in mind. The CEO defended Season 3 as the version of the show its creator was aiming for, but admitted that the season’s theme of being trapped meant it wasn’t always as “fascinating” like previous installments. However, he teased that Season 4 would focus on “unstagnation“implying a faster pace for the show to move forward. Check out what Landgraf has to say below:
No, because [FX President of Original Programming] Nick Grad and I sat down with [creator] Chris [Storer] at lunch, and Josh Senior, his partner. We said, “Now you’re at the point where if you want more than one bounce-back season, we can do it. And that can help you, because now you have actors who are movie stars; they’ll want to do other things, and you can figure out when you’re going to do the shows and when to release them.” And they said, “No, we can’t work that way. We just want one season.” So we choose one.
And then they started doing that and they called us and said, “Yeah, we think we have two seasons here. Can you turn a one-season withdrawal into a two-season withdrawal?” I think the third season of the show, which you referenced as not so well received, is exactly the season of television that Chris Storer wanted to make. It’s a deeply personal show. That’s why it’s great. There are a lot of reasons why this is great, but one of them is the relationship between the creator and the author and the characters, and he got really caught up in certain points in his life and wanted to make a season about stagnation. I’ve been doing this for a long time. I was well aware that stagnation is not necessarily the most fascinating [thing to watch]. But I also think there are so many things to it. [season] which are just absolute masterpieces. And I will say, knowing what I know about the next season, for those who stuck with it, you will be very well rewarded. Because after stagnation comes unstagnation.
What Landgraf’s Season 3 Defense Means for Bear Season 4
The program has already established a faster pace
The Bear season 3 ended with Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) reading a review of the titular restaurant from Chicago Tribunehaving a negative reaction whatever their consensus was. This was by far the biggest event to happen in the season, with much of Season 3 focusing on the restaurant and its characters being in the same situation as the tension between some of them continued to rise. This reflects Landgraf’s interpretation of the episodes, indicating that the previous season may have been intended to evoke feelings of boredom because its characters felt stuck in the same place.
However, The Bear Season 4 will force them to break out of this monotony, as it’s clear that something at the restaurant needs to change for them to progress in a positive direction. Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) also faces her own crisis thanks to an offer from Adam (Adam Shapiro) that would put her in charge of her own restaurant. Since the third season didn’t focus on much progress around its main storylines, it only makes sense for TribuneThe review is what gives everything a big boost forwardresulting in the plot moving much faster.
Our Take on Landgraf Defending the Bear, Season 3
Every season feels like a new dish
Each season of The Bear had a different flavor, from season 1 being an appetizer of what the series would become, to season 2 being like the first main course. Season 3 captures the feeling of waiting a long time for a mealperhaps something on purpose, given the number of stories that are about to reach their climax at the end. This means that Season 4 could be refreshing, offering a dish that viewers can enjoy and be satisfied with.
Source: Disk