FX

What To Know

Season 4 of The Bear ended with Carmy announcing his decision to step away from the restaurant.
The restaurant, despite its popularity, was facing financial difficulties.
There was also a potential plan to franchise The Beef’s original sandwich shop.

The Bear‘s fifth and final season is nearly here, and as with every passing year, it’s always good to brush up on where the story left viewers in Season 4.

Slated to arrive on FX and Hulu beginning Thursday, June 25, The Bear‘s final season will see the titular restaurant on the brink of closure as the remaining team members attempt to earn that long-coveted Michelin star. Will they be successful? As fans may recall, the Season 4 finale made way for a shocking decision on Carmy Berzatto’s (Jeremy Allen White) behalf as he informed Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) and Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) that he’d be stepping away from the restaurant for good.

The head chef who helped raise his brother’s sandwich shop, The Beef, into a top-tier fine-dining establishment, helping to train staff, including Marcus (Lionel Boyce), Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas), and Fak (Matty Matheson), apparently decided that it was for the best that he step away from the enterprise, shocking both the characters and viewers alike.

But is Carmy really done for good? He tasked Richie and Sydney with picking up the reins alongside his sister Natalie (Abby Elliott), hopeful that they might be able to turn the business around. As fans may remember, The Bear‘s fate was running on borrowed time as Jimmy (Oliver Platt) helped keep the place afloat, because despite being a technical success with customers, the restaurant was hemorrhaging cash with expensive ingredients, limited seating, and an ever-rotating menu.

It was unclear where things stood regarding Carmy’s departure and Sydney and Richie taking over with Natalie, but Season 5 is sure to make way for some type of answer to that cliffhanger. Additionally, viewers should keep in mind that there was a possibility of franchising The Beef as Ebraheim (Edwin Lee Gibson) was propositioned to expand the restaurant’s casual back-window dining option that involves selling the original shop’s sandwiches.

Will ‘The Bear’ Return? 11 Questions We Need Answered in Season 5

Stay tuned to find out how the dominoes fall when The Bear returns for its final run this summer, and let us know what you hope to see before the show closes up shop in the comments section below.

The Bear, Season 5 Premiere, Thursday, June 25, 9/8c, FX and Hulu