The critically acclaimed FX series The Bear took home multiple Emmys for its anxiety-inducing first season last year. The messy yet heartwarming show about a young chef, Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), who takes over his family’s Chicago sandwich shop after a tragedy will return for a third season this June.
FX Networks chairman John Landgraf recently confirmed during the Television Critics Association’s winter 2023 press tour that all episodes of Season 3 will once again be released at the same time on Hulu, rather than on a weekly basis. This goes against what Landgraf has acknowledged about the inherently “anxiety-inducing” nature of the show.
Will A Binge Model Ruin The Magic of The Bear?
Many fans have expressed disappointment over the decision to stick with a binge-watching model for Season 3. Releasing episodes one at a time each week allows the tension to build naturally and gives viewers time to digest each chaotic episode.
All episodes of ‘THE BEAR’ Season 3 will likely drop at once, says FX exec John Landgraf. pic.twitter.com/CQJNPf931n
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) February 9, 2024
According to Deadline, as Landgraf noted about Season 1, “It wasn’t lost on me or anyone else who worked on the show that it’s a little anxiety inducing to watch that show and anxiety inducing are not the adjectives typically associated with hit television shows and Emmy awards.”
Rather than milking the show for profits by switching to a weekly format now that it’s a “hit,” FX has chosen to remain consistent for fans. But with the show’s intrinsically stressful vibe, binging through all 10 episodes heightens the anxiety tenfold. Here is how fans reacted to this news:
I don’t like that. What’s wrong with a weekly release?
— RJ (@ResonantJustice) February 9, 2024
Oh, this is one of the only shows I really wanted to drop weekly 😵💫
— Craig (@CS11__) February 9, 2024
Season 3 and they still don’t see the value in a weekly rollout?
— Old Atlanna (@ATLboneNbred) February 9, 2024
nah we gon need a week to process the episodes
— Michael Kentrell Brown 💚ﾒ𝟶 (@breezybetter07) February 9, 2024
Spreading out the mayhem over 10 weeks seems easier on the heart than cramming it all into one exhausting weekend. The Bear’s potent emotional payoffs also land harder when given time to marinate each week.
Should The Bear Change Its Structure In Season 3?
While FX’s decision is understandable from an integrity standpoint, perhaps the show could employ a hybrid model going forward. With each season featuring an overall arc, The Bear lends itself well to a split-release strategy.
FX could drop the first 5 episodes together to appease binge-watchers, then release the remaining 5 episodes weekly to let viewers properly digest all the chaos. This middle-ground approach would also drum up anticipation for the season’s second half. Several shows like Ozark, Stranger Things and Better Call Saul have found success using this model.
Starring Jeremy Allen White, The Bear is the kind of show best parsed out in small doses, despite its binge suitability on paper. Letting the stress pile on every week only intensifies the satisfying catharsis delivered in each season finale. At just 30 minutes per episode, watching live weekly is also not a huge time commitment.
Releasing all 10 episodes of the uniquely anxiety-fueled series at once may ultimately do The Bear a disservice. But FX is clearly wary of changing horses midstream after establishing an expectation of binge-ability. Perhaps if Season 3 experiments with a hybrid split release, the show can have its chaos cake and eat it too.
