It's been a long wait, but The Bear Season 3 is almost here.
Sure, we're a little disappointed that Hulu is once again dropping every episode at once, as such a nuanced series deserves the sort of months-long discourse that can only take place when most fans are at the same point in their viewing journey.
But we digress!
Our dismay at Hulu's programming decision is more than superseded by our excitement at the prospect of stepping back into the kitchen with Sydney, Fak, and the suspiciously non-Italian-looking members of the gloriously dysfunctional Berzatto family.
And "dysfunctional" seems to be the operative word this season.
In the trailer below, Sydney uses the adjective to describe the chaotic kitchen at the fine dining establishment that she and Carmy opened at the end of The Bear Season 2.
The Bear Season 3 Trailer Finds Carmy Back in the Kitchen
"Show me a functional one," Carmy and Richie reply in unison.
Replace the word "kitchen" with "family," and that exchange pretty well sums up the gist of this show!
Tolstoy said that "every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way," and the Berzattos are miserable in an amusing manner that makes us hungry for pasta served with exotic sauces we'd never previously heard of.
Anyway, the big question now is, what's in store for this season?
The Bear's second season finale struck a very different tone from the conclusion of its freshman outing.
Season 1 ended with a triumphant Carmy discovering the wads of cash that his late older brother had secreted away in cans of tomato sauce.
(How all that loot went undiscovered in an Italian-themed sandwich shop is a question that's best left unexplored.)
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Season 2 saw the neurotic chef struggling with a different type of family legacy -- the hair-trigger temper and emotional dysregulation that seem to plague every Berzatto (with the possible exception of Abby Elliott's Sugar).
Locked in his own walk-in cooler and raging at his fate, Carmy reached his nadir in the S2 finale.
Now, he's more reliant than ever on his friends, family, and business partners -- an uncomfortable position for the fiercely self-reliant kitchen savant.
“Carmy pushes himself harder than ever and demands excellence from his crew, who do their best to match his intensity," reads a press release from Hulu and FX.
"Their quest for culinary excellence will propel the crew to new levels and stress the bonds that hold the restaurant together.
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"As the team grows in size, each member will strive to reach a greater level of service within their role," the statement continues.
"In the restaurant industry, you’re never on solid ground, and with that ever-changing landscape comes new challenges and opportunities.
"Our chefs have learned that every second counts, but this season we’ll find out if they have what it takes to make it to tomorrow.”
Yes, it sounds like The Bear will be serving up plenty of drama when it returns on June 27.
And we're sure the show will continue to occasionally cleanse our palate with some much-needed humor.
The series has already been renewed for a fourth season, which reportedly filmed at the same time as Season 3.
So the tradition of Carmy looming over your summer like a human storm cloud will continue for at least one more year.
Hey, at least he can cook you up some delicious gnocchi after he ruins your mood.
What do you think, TV fanatics? Are you excited for another '90s alt-rock fueled trip to Chicago? Hit the comments section below to share your thoughts!