- A digital clock ticks down from 1,339 hours, 59 minutes, and 59 seconds, with Uncle James “Cicero” Kalinowski warning that when the time reaches zero, they’ll have run out of money and the restaurant will “need to cease operations.” Translation? Unless an angel investor emerges or something else leads to a turnaround, the Bear has a little more than 59 days before it lands on the shutter report. In TV time, that’s 10 episodes.
- Speaking of an investor, it appears some sort of tasting is going on with the staff serving a meal to a pair of gentlemen that they badly need to impress.
- A few of the workers from the fictionalized version of Ever, which closed in Season 3, return. Jessica (Sarah Ramos) and Garrett (Andrew Lopez) appear to have found new jobs at the Bear.
- Carmy Berzatto reaches for the handle to the walk-in, bringing fans back to the end of Season 2, where he was trapped in his cavalcade of emotions. His sister, Natalie Berzatto, tells him, “I don’t want you to hide from things.”
- The trailer focuses on chaos as a theme with Carmy battling his demons with Sydney telling him: “I get it — chaos and turmoil — but it’s a problem when you let it fuel you and fuel the food.” Perhaps Chaos Cooking isn’t so cool anymore? Carmy seemingly takes Sydney’s words to heart: “I don’t want this place to be chaos. You know that, right?”
- Characters take turns reading a restaurant review (presumably the Chicago Tribune’s, teased in Season 3), and it doesn’t sound positive as “consistency seems to be the weak link.” Brutal. Maybe Carmy will take the Thomas Keller (who appears in Season 3) approach to dining critics. Instead of bong soup, Malört could play a role! Talk about cultural appropriation, chef.
- The review complains that the menu is always changing. Sounds a little like how Michelin reacted to Next before giving and awarding Grant Achatz’s restaurant a star in 2020.
- A glimpse of a menu shows nine courses, including two desserts (so-hot-right-now princess cake and chocolate velouté). Beef tenderloin comes with cherry jus, perhaps a nod to the Italian beef. Or just a coincidence.
- We get a shot of Natalie and Pete’s baby in bed.
- There’s a wedding. We don’t know whose wedding. Mama Berzotto (Jamie Lee Curtis) shows up, too! Will she ruin the celebration? And though there’s still no official word that Season 4 will be the finale, weddings are often used as TV bookends.
- The trailer is free of cameos, including celebrity chefs or Chicago restaurants. The CTA gets plenty of love, which is ironic because locals are fed up with the transit system’s woes.
- There’s zero mention of Chicago’s very own Pope Leo XIV. Perhaps there’s an opportunity for reshoots.
- And what of Chicago’s own Steve Urkel?
I guess we’ll all find out in June.
