The Bear
Season 5
Promotional poster
Showrunner Christopher Storer
Starring
  • Jeremy Allen White
  • Ebon Moss-Bachrach
  • Ayo Edebiri
  • Lionel Boyce
  • Liza Colón-Zayas
  • Abby Elliott
  • Matty Matheson
  • Edwin Lee Gibson
No. of episodes 8
Release
Original network FX on Hulu
Original release June 25, 2026 (2026-06-25)
Season chronology
← Previous
Season 4
List of episodes

The fifth and final season of the American comedy-drama television series The Bear premiered with all eight episodes on June 25, 2026, on FX on Hulu. Series creator Christopher Storer returns as showrunner for the season, and directs all but one episode. Jeremy Allen White reprises his role as Carmy Berzatto, an award-winning New York City chef de cuisine, who returns to his hometown of Chicago to run his late brother Michael's failing sandwich shop.

The majority of the season takes place over a single day, picking up the morning after the previous season's finale, in which Sydney, Richie and Natalie learn that Carmy has quit the food industry and left the restaurant to them. With no money, the threat of a sale and a torrential storm in their way, the new partners must band together with the rest of the team to achieve one last service, hoping to finally earn a Michelin star. The season features an original score composed by Christian Lundberg for Bleeding Fingers Music and produced by Hans Zimmer, eschewing the series' previous trend of using popular music for its soundtrack.

The season was met with critical acclaim, with reviewers praising it as a return to form for the series after the third and fourth seasons.

Cast

Main

  • Jeremy Allen White as Carmy Berzatto
  • Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Richie Jerimovich
  • Ayo Edebiri as Sydney Adamu
  • Lionel Boyce as Marcus Brooks
  • Liza Colón-Zayas as Tina Marrero
  • Abby Elliott as Natalie Berzatto
  • Matty Matheson as Neil Fak
  • Edwin Lee Gibson as Ebraheim

Recurring

  • Oliver Platt as Jimmy "Cicero" Kalinowski
  • Jose Cervantes as Angel
  • Richard Esteras as Manny
  • Jamie Lee Curtis as Donna Berzatto
  • Brian Koppelman as Uncle Computer
  • Will Poulter as Luca
  • Sarah Ramos as Jessica
  • Ricky Staffieri as Theodore Fak
  • Elsie Fisher as Terry "Cheese" Cheddario[1]
  • Rene Gube as Rene
  • Corey Hendrix as Gary "Sweeps" Woods
  • Paulie James as Chuckie
  • Andrew Lopez as Garrett
  • Christopher Zucchero as Chi-Chi
  • Chris Witaske as Pete Katinsky

Guest

  • David Zayas as David
  • Carmen Christopher as Chester
  • Deirdre O'Connell as Mary Heyman[1]
  • Peter Grosz as Mr. Dearborn[2]
  • Harry Lennix as Mr. Brooks[3]
  • Brad Morris as Allan Mitchell[4]
  • Tom Skilling as himself
  • Molly Gordon as Claire Dunlap
  • Josh Hartnett as Frank
  • Bonnie Hunt as Sue[5]
  • Gillian Jacobs as Tiffany "Tiff" Jerimovich
  • Gary Janetti as Mr. Clark
  • Mitra Jouhari as Kelly
  • John Mulaney as Stevie
  • Bob Odenkirk as "Uncle" Lee Lane
  • Annabelle Toomey as Eva Jerimovich
  • Robert Townsend as Emmanuel Adamu

Episodes

No.
overall		 No. in
season		 Title Directed by Written by Original release date Prod.
code
40 1 "Soda" Christopher Storer Christopher Storer June 25, 2026 (2026-06-25) XCBV5001
The morning after Carmy tells Sydney, Richie and Natalie about his retirement from the food industry, a major storm hits Chicago. The Bear staff attempts to prepare for service despite nearly empty shelves, failing supplies, and faulty plumbing. Richie gets into a car accident while driving to work. Carmy arrives and asks Sydney to keep his resignation secret until he can tell the rest of the staff, and places her in charge of the kitchen. Cicero reveals he has lost most of his money and is selling the building; Richie promises he will help save the restaurant. Ebraheim notes that the restaurant's credit cards have stopped working. Sugar informs Sydney that expenses must be cut. Luca announces he is returning to Copenhagen. As the staff struggles with worsening plumbing problems, a pipe suddenly bursts and floods the restaurant.
41 2 "Lamb" Christopher Storer Rene Gube & Karen Joseph Adcock June 25, 2026 (2026-06-25) XCBV5002
The burst pipe causes the restaurant to flood; the staff cleans up and continues preparing for service, as they cannot afford to close for even one day. Sydney organizes the crew while Sugar negotiates with vendors, Marcus arranges for his father to attend service, and Carmy's attempt to clear the drain worsens the flooding. Richie proposes a tax credit program to reduce expenses, but Cicero's inspection reveals extensive structural damage; he also admits cancelling the restaurant's wagyu order to save money. After learning the building may be unsellable due to its condition, Sugar confides her fears that her sacrifices have come at the expense of time with her daughter, and Tina reassures her. When an argument breaks out before service, Sydney restores order by outlining a plan, and the reservation system comes back online.
42 3 "Mint" Christopher Storer Karen Joseph Adcock June 25, 2026 (2026-06-25) XCBV5003
Five hours before service, Sugar proposes shortening the menu and simplifying dishes to compensate for missing ingredients. The reservation system mistakenly books three full rounds of customers, dividing the staff over whether to honor every reservation. During a tense moment with Carmy, Sydney unintentionally reveals his resignation to the entire team. Carmy admits he no longer believes he should lead the restaurant, apologizes to the staff, and says he loves them. Neil informs Cicero, who berates Carmy over his decision. Carmy later encourages Sydney to stop seeking his approval and take control of the kitchen. After Sydney reorganizes the service plan and rallies the staff, Ted accidentally falls through the ceiling while attempting to repair the roof.
43 4 "Ribs" Christopher Storer Catherine Schetina June 25, 2026 (2026-06-25) XCBV5004
44 5 "Raspberries" Duccio Fabbri Rachel Wiggins June 25, 2026 (2026-06-25) XCBV5005
45 6 "Focaccia" Christopher Storer Rene Gube June 25, 2026 (2026-06-25) XCBV5006
46 7 "Caramel" Christopher Storer Christopher Storer & Nicole Kohut June 25, 2026 (2026-06-25) XCBV5007
47 8 "The Original Beef of Chicagoland" Christopher Storer Christopher Storer June 25, 2026 (2026-06-25) XCBV5008

Production

Development

In July 2025, the series was renewed for a fifth season.[6] In May 2026, it was confirmed to be the final season.[7]

Writing

Credited writers for season 5 include Christopher Storer, Rene Gube, Karen Joseph Adcock, Catherine Schetina, Rachel Wiggins, and Nicole Kohut.[8]

Filming

Principal photography was set to begin on January 5, 2026.[9] Filming locations reportedly included Ukrainian Village,[10] and the Green Door Tavern adjacent to Mr. Beef.[11] Filming wrapped by March 28.[12]

Cinematographer Andrew Wehde, who has filmed every episode except the original pilot, told Gold Derby about shooting seasons 1 through 4, "I always feel like if its color looks the same and it's being lensed the same way with the same camera, I can kind of do anything I want outside of that. Season 5 changes a little bit from there. So we do things differently, and that's our first big change."[13]

During an interview about "Gary", Ebon Moss-Bachrach told USA Today, "I found making season 5 to be a really glorious experience. It felt like a real kind of magnum opus for the whole show...Hopefully [I'm] not tempting fate, I'm really, really proud of it. It's not easy to end something, and I think we went about it in a bold, bold way."[14]

Release

The season was preceded by the special episode "Gary", which was released without an advance marketing campaign on May 5, 2026.[15] The following day, FX and Hulu jointly announced that the final season would premiere with all eight episodes on June 25, 2026, on Hulu, as well as internationally on Disney+. A weekly broadcast on FX would also begin on the same day with two episodes, followed by one episode weekly thereafter.[16] The season also marks the first returning FX on Hulu series to receive a simultaneous release on both Hulu and the linear FX channel following a change in the latter's programming release strategy.[17]

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, 98% of 49 critics gave the fifth season a positive review, with an average of rated reviews of 8.30/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "The Bear closes out its final season with the character-driven finesse that it started with, ensuring its story and fans are served the finest of televisual meals without diminished returns."[18] Metacritic assigned it a weighted average score of 81 out of 100 based on 26 reviews, signifying "universal acclaim" reviews.[19]

References

  1. ^ a b Worthington, Clint (June 25, 2026). ""The Bear" Closes Its Doors With a Triumphant Final Service in Season 5". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
  2. ^ Travers, Ben (June 26, 2026). "The Bear Finale Is All About the Memories". IndieWire. Retrieved June 28, 2026.
  3. ^ "The Bear Season 5: Every Guest Star And Where We've Seen Them Before". Bored Panda. June 26, 2026. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  4. ^ Hill-Paul, By Lucas (June 26, 2026). "Every celebrity cameo in The Bear Season 5". The Mirror. Retrieved June 29, 2026.
  5. ^ Shanfeld, Ethan (June 26, 2026). "The Bear Ends: Where Does Carmy Go and What Happens to the Restaurant?". Variety. Retrieved June 27, 2026.
  6. ^ Davis, Clayton (July 1, 2025). "'The Bear' Renewed for Season 5 by FX". Variety. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
  7. ^ White, Peter (March 4, 2026). "The Bear Is Ending With Season 5 at FX". Deadline. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
  8. ^ "The Bear - WGA Directory". Writers Guild of America West. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  9. ^ Malkin, Marc (November 25, 2025). "Jeremy Allen White Reveals When The Bear Season 5 Starts Shooting, Being Hesitant to Join The Social Network Sequel and Why He Didn't Use Prosthetics to Play Springsteen". Variety. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
  10. ^ Colón, Ambar (February 12, 2026). "The Bear has begun filming again in Chicago—here's what we know so far". WBEZ. Retrieved April 23, 2026.
  11. ^ Yassine, Leen (February 20, 2026). "The Bear Cast Spotted Filming Season 5 Around Chicago as Star Hints At Show's End". Block Club Chicago. Retrieved April 23, 2026.
  12. ^ Rosky, Nicole. "Character Breakdown: The Cast of Proof Unpacks Their Roles". Broadway World. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
  13. ^ Warner, Kara (May 13, 2026). "The Bear cinematographer Andrew Wehde on 'tense' Season 4 and on-the-road episode 'Gary'". Gold Derby. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
  14. ^ Jensen, Erin (May 8, 2026). "Jon Bernthal, Ebon Moss-Bachrach on 'Gary' and 'bold' Bear sendoff". USA Today. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
  15. ^ Rosenberg, Josh (May 5, 2026). "The Bear Just Dropped a Surprise Episode". Esquire. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
  16. ^ "Final Season of FX's The Bear Premieres June 25 on FX and Hulu" (Press release). The Walt Disney Company. May 6, 2026. Retrieved June 27, 2026.
  17. ^ Maas, Jennifer (June 15, 2026). "Why All FX Series Are Now Simultaneously Premiering on Linear Network and Streaming on Hulu – Just in Time for Emmys Noms (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on June 15, 2026. Retrieved June 27, 2026.
  18. ^ "The Bear: Season 5". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved June 27, 2026.
  19. ^ "The Bear: Season 5". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved June 27, 2026.