The Bear, Season 4 has less high flame sizzle and more soul.

Let’s get one thing out of the way.

The Bear Season 4 is not the show that once made us sweat like line cooks in a 110-degree kitchen with no AC. It’s something else. Softer. Sadder. Sometimes sublime. Sometimes undercooked.

We open the season with The Bear fighting for its culinary life after a scathing review. Carmy is still obsessed, Sydney is naturally overwhelmed and Richie is surprisingly Zen.

A countdown clock is looming, starting at 1,200 hours until the restaurant either stops burning through money or is in the black. We are meant to feel the tension.

But here is the twist. The season doesn’t sprint, it simmers.

Ayo Edebiri turns in another stunning performance as Sydney, who’s now co-captain of the ship. She’s unsure if she wants to keep running The Bear. Honestly? Make a decision already,

Jeremy Allen White gives us a Carmy who finally stopped shouting and started thinking. Problem is, he is  thinking so much he vanishes into his own emotional soufflé.

Richie continues his full on commitment to hospitality, personal growth and the occasional deadpan zinger. He is weirdly wholesome and level-headed. The man who once threw forks at people is now your emotional support maître d’.

There’s a tenderness to this season that’s hard to ignore. The entire cast is outstanding with a layer cake of celebrity guest appearances.

The Bear is not solely about building a restaurant. It is about building people. Friends become family. Family becomes tolerable.

The wedding episode is up there with my favorite all-time episodes. What is going on under a table is way more appetizing than what is happening on the dance floor.

Some may crave more fire.

The Bear Season 4 trades chaos for contemplation. It is not trying to be the loudest voice in the room anymore.

Is this the final season? Maybe. Episode 10 is unexpected.

Make sure you devour this satiating season.