‘The Bear’: 5 questions we need answered in season 3

According to the official synopsis for the new season, Carmy (White), Sydney (Edebiri), and cousin Richie (Moss-Bachrach) will try to “do what it takes to elevate The Bear, their beef stand turned fine dining establishment, to the highest level, all while doing their best just to stay in business.” The description also teases that “the team grows in size,” meaning we might see some new faces in the kitchen, although no new cast members or cameos have been confirmed yet for season three.

Although we don’t exactly know what’s on the menu for the next installment of “The Bear,” we do know that Edebiri will step behind the camera to direct episode six, titled “Napkins,” her first time in the director’s chair. Edebiri explained on “Late Night with Seth Meyers” that she had a “mini-director’s school” on set courtesy of co-star Robert Townsend, a noted director in his own right who plays Sydney’s dad on the show and helped Edebiri make the transition to directing.

Before spending the weekend binge-watching “The Bear,” we have a few questions for Carmy, Sydney, and the rest of the gang ahead of the new season that we hope the show answers.

Season two’s explosive finale left White’s Carmy in quite the predicament, spiraling out of control as he alienates friends and family while trapped helplessly inside the restaurant’s walk-in freezer on friends and family night. One of the biggest blows for Carmy comes when his love interest, Claire (Molly Gordon), overhears his rant blaming his budding romance for his lack of focus at work and calling the relationship a waste of time. Carmy later listens to a voicemail left earlier by Claire where she declares her love for him, leaving the chef in shambles with his head in his hands.

“What happened with Claire?” Oliver Platt’s Uncle Jimmy asks Carmy in the season three trailer, who replies by explaining that he “basically said” he couldn’t waste his time on her, earning a big “yikes” from the family friend and investor. The trailer also shows flashes of Claire, likely teasing her return in some form this season.

The biggest question heading into the next chapter of the show is whether this couple can pick up the pieces and get back together. But with the official synopsis saying that “Carmy pushes himself harder than ever” in season three, a happy reunion might not be on the menu.

As Carmy lost control in the season two finale, Sydney and Richie were there to pick up the pieces and lead the team to a successful opening night.

One of the more inspiring moments from the season two finale came when Richie took charge of the kitchen, eventually bringing the team out from under the mountain of orders. Showing leadership and an eye for fine dining that he picked up during his training in “Forks,” the highly-acclaimed seventh episode of season two, Richie emerges as someone who can take on a bigger role at The Bear, especially as Carmy falters.

Sydney also rose to the occasion not just in the finale, but all throughout season two, with her fearless leadership helping to inspire co-workers like Marcus and Tina to level up their skillsets in the kitchen. The season three trailer shows Sydney getting a partnership agreement offer from Carmy so that they can “push” each other, but as the official synopsis makes clear, this “quest for culinary excellence will propel the crew to new levels and stress the bonds that hold the restaurant together.”

As Carmy and his sometimes toxic attitude push buttons and test his team’s patience, it may be time for Sydney and Richie to run the ship.

The future of the restaurant will all come down to whether the team can turn a profit, and it sounds like that’s going to be a problem (again) this season. With Uncle Jimmy looking for a return on his investment, asking “So where’s the money?” in the season three trailer when Natalie protests that the restaurant is “totally packed.” The official synopsis all teases that, while the chefs have learned valuable lessons over the years, “this season we’ll find out if they have what it takes to make it to tomorrow.”

Time will be ticking, as the terms of the deal between Uncle Jimmy and The Bear team requires that they pay off their debt within the first year and a half, or else he’ll get the property. Uncle Jimmy has proven to be a bit of a softy in past episodes though, especially in the finale, when Richie had his childhood favorite treat, a chocolate-dipped banana, brought to his table in a kind gesture. Will it be enough to influence Uncle Jimmy to not take over the property and shut down The Bear if money’s tight? Only time will tell.

Another heartbreaking moment from the finale occurred when Donna, Carmy, and Natalie’s mom played by Jamie Lee Curtis, showed up outside the restaurant, hesitant to enter. Natalie’s affable husband Pete (Chris Witaske) walks into Donna and tries to convince her to come in, but she refuses. Pete also lets the cat out of the bag about Natalie’s pregnancy to a shocked Donna, who tearfully leaves and asks her son-in-law not to tell her family about her visiting the restaurant, which he obliges.

As seen in “Fishes,” the season two episode six flashback episode featuring a past Christmas gathering, Donna is a bit of a loose cannon whose mental health and alcohol issues strain her relationship with Carmy and the others. Now that Donna knows about Natalie’s pregnancy, one big question for season three is if Curtis’s character will return in time for a family reunion before the baby comes.

At the end of season two, Marcus was in a pretty good spot, inspired to pursue his dessert dreams after training with Will Poulter’s Luca, a dessert chef, in Copenhagen. In the finale, Marcus even receives a gift from Luca, a sign that read “every second counts,” which he hangs in The Bear kitchen.

But as he admired the gift, the season two finale showed that Marcus had missed repeated calls from his sick mother’s nurse, appearing urgent. Fans are likely fearing the worst for Marcus and his mom, with her fate being a huge question mark heading into the new season, as well as how her health will impact her son.

“The Bear” season 3 premieres on Hulu June 26 at 9 p.m.

Matt Juul can be reached at [email protected].