'The Bear' review – Final season on the edge of triumph or disaster

Final seasons of beloved TV shows can go one of three ways: Fans who have been waiting for years to find out the ending to their story can be left starving, queasy or (hopefully) fully satisfied. And few shows will ever fit this metaphor as well as "The Bear," FX and Hulu's stressful series set in a restaurant kitchen.

The series, which started as a humble dramedy about a fancy chef taking over his family sandwich shop, has become one of the biggest word-of-mouth sensations of post-pandemic TV, garnering (so far) 21 Emmys and launching its mostly unknown cast into the Hollywood stratosphere. Now it has returned for one last season, with its endearing characters and title restaurant on the brink of collapse.

It's one of the most anticipated and and highly scrutinized finales of the past few years, and I wish I could tell you if it will satiate you after five seasons of boiling pots, sliced onions and original "berf."

But only seven of the eight episodes were made available to critics for review, so I can only say that "Bear" has set itself up for success, but only if that final installment doesn't completely crash and (literally) burn. Because based on the first seven episodes, "The Bear" (all episodes streaming June 25 at 9 ET/6 PT, ★★★½ out of four) still has the opportunity to go down as one of the greatest or worst finales of all time. It all comes down to one final service.

Set over the course of a single day, Season 5 picks up exactly where Season 4 left off, mere hours after head chef Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) tells his restaurant partners Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) and Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) that he plans to leave the restaurant, and his career as a chef entirely.

It's a dramatic confession that comes at the worst possible moment − the restaurant has basically run out of time and money.

Bankroller Uncle Jimmy (Oliver Platt) has lost personal wealth and pulls the plug on funds. The staff is terrified about their future, particularly chef Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas), traumatized by her last stint of unemployment. Carmy's sister Sugar (Abby Elliott) has a new baby she hates to leave to work 12-hour days. Richie completely enmeshes the success of the restaurant with his personal identity and happiness. Pastry chef Marcus (Lionel Boyce) finally finds success and a purpose, winning a prestigious award that might just help save The Bear from ruin.

There's one day left of food in the fridge, a flood in the basement, a hole in the ceiling and a group of people who are clinging to the last shreds of hope for the future.

Season 5 of "The Bear" delivers all the elements that have made the show a critical and fan phenomenon since its debut in 2021: scenes of frenetic kitchen chaos, expletive-laced arguments, deep human connection, philosophical conversation and shouts of "hands!" and "yes, chef!"

There are times, however, in which these instances feel shoe-horned in like a checklist of fan service. It's oh-so convenient that every single character has the opportunity to pause for emotional and personal growth amidst what is supposed to be the most chaotic night of the restaurant's business so far.

Thankfully more often the season feels like a natural cherry on top of four previous seasons of hard work to get the characters to these places. Setting your entire season over the course of a single day is immensely difficult (just ask HBO Max's "The Pitt"), so "The Bear" can be slightly forgiven for having everyone's revelatory moments happen all at once.

By the end of Episode 7 the question of the future of the restaurant and the characters is not resolved, so it's not possible to say if "The Bear" sticks the landing.

The first seven episodes are measured and considered, without some of the worst habits of the series in its lesser seasons and episodes (there are no quasi-dream-like states or self-congratulatory flourishes, thank goodness). The celebrity cameos are limited to Jamie Lee Curtis's return as Carmy and Sugar's mother. The story always comes back to the people and the kitchen, the very backbone of the series' success.

But where everyone and everything ends up is still a mystery to me, so I cannot tell you if you will be left wanting. I can only say that "The Bear" is ultimately a series about hope: hope in the face of insurmountable odds, of depression and anger and trauma and grief. So with one last episode to go, I cling onto the hope that Carmy, Sydney and Richie can serve up what I crave.

If so, I'll be more than happy to say "thank you, chef."