Groundhogs

After season 3, I really wanted this first episode to hook me in, and I think it suceeded in capturing my interest and I wanted to see where it goes from here, which I think is a good thing!

The episode starts off strong with a great scene between Carmen and Micheal! We don't get many scenes to understand the relationship between these two, and this one also gives us carmens core passion and reason for opening a restaurant!

The clock was an excellent way to add a goal and purpose to the overall story! A sense of urgency which I think was lacking in season 3! Season 2 had the opening of the restaurant.. now we got if they get too keep the restaurant!

The cinematography is still excellent! Shot and directed very well!

So yeah.. I am excited for this season!

Many viewers felt that the show began to lose momentum in its third season, retreating into familiar plot points. However, "The Bear" has consistently impressed me with its emotional storytelling and its profound exploration of the struggle for perfection, even as it often depicts its characters failing in this pursuit. With this season, the show returns with renewed energy. From the opening frames of the Season 4 premiere, it is evident that the series has reignited its creative spark. The episode pulses with urgency, warmth, and emotional intensity, setting the stage for a season that feels both like a course correction and a natural progression.

Gone is the aimless, drifting energy that characterized parts of Season 3, leaving in its wake a sharp countdown, a scathing review from the Chicago Tribune, and Carmy's awakening to "Groundhog Day"-a clever metaphor that serves as more than just a film reference. It acts as the show's clearest indication that it is fully aware of its past and poised to break free from its previous cycles. What follows is a sophisticated interplay between chaos and clarity. The restaurant-and the people involved-are at a precipice. The tension that defined Season 1 returns, but it is no longer solely culinary; emotional stakes now simmer beneath the surface. "Groundhogs" is rife with apologies that resonate deeply-not mere words, but actions, changed behaviors, and lingering glances. The writing is sharp, the editing precise, and the performances once again astonishing. Jeremy Allen White brings Carmy's burnout and guilt to the forefront, balancing restraint with intensity, while Ayo Edebiri's Sydney remains the show's moral center-wounded, yet steadfast. What makes "Groundhogs" particularly striking is its humility. It is an episode that acknowledges the show's previous missteps and, with quiet confidence, redirects its course. It is funny without resorting to absurdity, emotional without manipulation, and stylish without sacrificing its grit. In less capable hands, this might have felt like a forced reset. However, "The Bear" doesn't require reinvention-it simply needed realignment. If "Groundhogs" is any indication, Season 4 promises to be its most compelling chapter yet, a journey too undeniably captivating to ignore.

"Groundhogs" successfully steers the series back on course, re-establishing a sense of momentum that was lacking in the previous season. The chemistry between characters remains as dynamic as ever, and the energy of the show is brimming with vitality, reaffirming that this is a series still deserving of attention.

The show's writers LITERALLY introduced a ticking clock. A bit dramatic but I'm okay with it. After a filler season last year I'm coming in feeling like the critics of the bear itself.. a little underwhelmed. So I'm hoping the second half they filmed when they shot these seasons back to back is a little better. Beyond that, great seeing the fam again, even if some of the troupe and character dynamics and traits are a little bit too familiar at this point.

Uncle Jimmy isn't taking anymore 💩 and is really laying down the law. I kinda love it because for a guy who apparently is also a criminal, he can be a big softie sometimes. Let's dive into ep 2. Now.. I'm hopeful and excited.

The analogy between this series and Groundhog Day was perfection. That's where the perfection ended. I wrote, in my 3 season review, herein elsewhere, that Season 3 was awful, and if Season 4 continued in that vein, I was out.

Well, Season 4 did, in fact, pick right up where Season 3 left off without missing a dropped truffle.

So, true to my previous review, I'm canceling my reservation.

Soufflés to some fine performances from Jeremy Allen White, Ebon Moss-Bacharach and Oliver Platt!

Raspberries to Ayo Edebiri and her constantly-annoying character: Sydney.

But, in the end, it was one-too many arguments about the exact same issues for two too many seasons.

This restaurant is closed!

This show is really spinning its wheels. This episode starts with a flashback of Mikey and Carm talking about the restaurant and we've already seen a scene just like this before. Where Carm talks about opening a restaurant and why they can do it. It's been covered don't need to see it again. It's like seeing the Batman origin for the third time. We're in Season 4 now, we all know the why. It's a snoozy start that portends things to come.