Jeremy Allen White’s a busy man. After finding fame as Phillip “Lip” Gallagher in the Showtime drama ShamelessWhite has been no stranger to being a star on the screen. He’s been booked for Calvin Klein commercials and even a Bruce Springsteen biopic set to release this fall. Still, it’s undeniable that White became a household name through playing Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto in FX’s original series The Bear.Warning: spoilers for season 4 of The Bear ahead.
The Bear follows Carmy as he takes over — and, eventually, revitalizes — his late brother Mikey’s Chicago eatery The Beef. Throughout the series, Carmy struggles with grief and acceptance, all while trying to keep the restaurant afloat and pay back his brother’s loans. Carmy rebrands The Beef from a sandwich shop into a fine dining restaurant called The Bear, managing to create elegance out of chaos, but is haunted at every turn by his perfectionist nature that often gets the better of him.
What happens with Carmy in season 4 of The Bear?
The season 4 finale of The Bear sees Carmy and The Bear chefs Sydney and Richie meet behind the restaurant, where Carmy reveals his plans to leave The Bear and the restaurant industry altogether. He’s already filled out the paperwork to give equal shares of The Bear to Syd and his sister Natalie “Sugar” Berzatto, in addition to Uncle Jimmy as the majority shareholder with 50% of shares, but Syd requests to divide her and Sugar’s shares so that Richie can become part owner as well. Carmy taking a step back from the culinary world has viewers wondering: Will Jeremy Allen White return to the series for a fifth — and potentially final — season?
Is Jeremy Allen White leaving The Bear?
It seems odd to think about The Bear without Carmy. Even as the new owners take on new responsibilities, Carmy’s been there for the restaurant at its worst and its best. Plus, it’s hard to imagine a series without its lead actor, especially one as decorated as White. Having won multiple Golden Globes, a Primetime Emmy, a People’s Choice award, and more for his portrayal, it’s hard to understand why White or FX would want Carmy’s story to end, especially on such a bittersweet note.
Have shows cut their leads before? Absolutely. Just look at Mitchel Musso from Pair of Kings. Co-starring with Doc Shaw as the two title characters, Musso was fired from the show following a DUI arrest and was subsequently replaced by Adam Hicks. But, as far as fans of The Bear know, Jeremy Allen White hasn’t been caught up in any legal trouble that would make showrunners want to write off his character, and White hasn’t commented on a potential departure. So far, neither he nor FX has released any statements about his return.
Will there be a season 5 of The Bear?
The Bear hasn’t been renewed for a fifth season yet, with a representative from FX revealing that not even the network is sure whether creator Christopher Storer wants to keep the series going. But with season 4 having only been released yesterday, and with a historical one-year gap between seasons, it’s hard to determine if The Bear is shelved for good or if the next season is just slow-cooking. Either way, there’s no doubt that The Bear is in good hands — even if those hands aren’t Carmy’s anymore.
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