The Bear season 4 receives the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score among all seasons

The Bear season 4 premiered on June 25, 2025, with all ten episodes releasing simultaneously on Hulu and Disney+. Back with a character-driven slate, the season was expected to deliver the same emotional mayhem and storytelling that made its previous seasons such a cultural and critical sensation.

With Ayo Edebiri, Jeremy Allen White, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach in the cast—and having taken home 21 Emmys and several Golden Globes—expectations were naturally high. But this time, the show has hit an uncommon critical bump.

The Bear season 4, though still commanding robust viewership and fan discussion, has logged the franchise's lowest Rotten Tomatoes score to date. The series still holds a Certified Fresh rating with an 82% critic score, but given the almost perfect 100% in season 1 and 99% in season 2, it's a relative drop. Even season 3, which saw a tonal change, did slightly better at 89%.

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Details on The Bear season 4's low ratings explored

One of the principal criticisms of The Bear season 4 is its narrative pacing, or more accurately, the lack of it. Another widely discussed point is that the show spent much more time tracking individual characters on loosely related side storylines, which gave the season an episodic quality that lacked the momentum and sense of urgency found in earlier episodes.

Though some viewers enjoyed the series evolving into a more contemplative and comfortable beat, others lamented the loss of tightly coiled tension and intensity that first made the show distinctive.

The 82% Rotten Tomatoes score is hardly a failure, but it does indicate a widening gap between the show's creative direction and fan expectations. For many, the emotional weight and performances—especially from Edebiri and guest star Jamie Lee Curtis—remain the high points.

Here are some of the reviews on Rotten Tomatoes:

"You can only put so many close-up crying scenes in one season until they feel meaningless. Everyone is crying but nothing feels resolved. I don't understand how they could ship S3 and S4 in these states." one viewer commented. "Great show..losing its mojo going into recent seasons but great watch overall" another person shared. "This season was good till the last episode, the last episode felt like the most pointless bs ive ever seen i could have written that garbage of a episode, terrible ending," one individual said.

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What happened in The Bear season 4?

The Bear season 4 picks up where the suspenseful conclusion of season 3 left off, with the fate of the restaurant hanging by a thread. The show continues to explore the economic and emotional toll of working in a high-pressure kitchen, but it expands its focus beyond just Carmy's leadership or the fate of The Bear itself.

One episode takes Sydney on a solo adventure, while others similarly focus on Richie, Tina, and Sugar making personal choices outside the kitchen. Even so, character-driven narrative has been a longstanding criticism. The season is structured around an important fiscal deadline, but the tension is frequently dampened by quieter scenes and pauses in the narrative.

Creator Christopher Storer, also the show's primary director and writer, seems more concerned here with mood, tone, and character psychology than with high-tension plotting.

However, Carmy's storyline takes an unexpected twist. Instead of doubling down on being a chef, he starts to wonder if he even wants to be in the kitchen anymore. This all leads up to a season finale reveal that he's going to leave the restaurant completely.

It's a choice that surprises both his co-stars and audience members and paves the way for potentially massive change in The Bear season 5, if it gets ordered.

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Interested viewers can watch The Bear season 4 on Hulu.

Edited by Shubham Soni