THE PERFORMER | Jeremy Allen White
THE SHOW | “The Bear”
THE EPISODE | “The Original Beef of Chicagoland” (June 25, 2026)
THE PERFORMANCE | The final season of Hulu’s acclaimed kitchen dramedy revolved around one wildly chaotic but ultimately triumphant night of service at the restaurant, and the intense flurry of activity didn’t leave much time for introspection. In the series finale, though, the staff of The Bear got a chance to breathe and appreciate all they’d accomplished, and that allowed the actors a chance to shine — especially Jeremy Allen White, who pushed troubled chef Carmy towards a newfound inner peace as he embarked on a new career path… and realized how far he’s come.
The finale picked up the day after that wild night of service, and Carmy seemed ready to move forward and mend fences, with White adopting a gentle, thoughtful tone as Carmy reconciled with his Uncle Jimmy and gave his blessing to Ebraheim’s franchise idea. He was also beautifully tender with Richie, talking the guy down as he panicked about getting on a plane for the first time, and White and co-star Ebon Moss-Bachrach reminded us how much genuine affection Carmy and Richie have for one another — even though they still bickered and wrestled, too.
Then Carmy got a call from a reviewer from the Michelin Guide, and White made us feel the overwhelming rush of emotions surging through Carmy’s veins, his voice choking up as he told Sydney they didn’t get a star: “You got two.” (Notice how he said “you,” giving all the credit to Sydney.) The two of them tried to play it cool, but then Sydney ran into Carmy’s arms for a big hug, and it was a moment we’d been waiting five seasons to see, White’s face beaming with pride.
Where would Carmy go from here, though? We found out when he put on a suit and tie and interviewed for an internship at an architectural firm, which gave White a chance to launch into a long monologue about why he became a chef in the first place. It was a big speech (reminiscent of his soul-baring confession to the Al-Anon support group in Season 1), halting and even rambling at times. But White made every second feel essential, bravely probing into Carmy’s biggest fears and reinforcing how much his time at The Bear meant to him. (Of that chaotic night, he smiled as he said: “Even though it sucked, it was like the most fun I ever had.”) We don’t know if Carmy got the internship, but we know that White ended his time on “The Bear” by giving us one last delicious morsel to chew on. — Dave Nemetz
Scroll down to see who got an Honorable Mention shout-out this week…
