The Bear season five is hailed a 'phenomenon' as critics praise the 'brilliantly chaotic' final series for being one of TV's 'finest workplace dramas there has ever been'

The Bear season five lives up to its opening run, according to critics - with a string of top reviews. 

The show follows kitchen savant 'Carmy' Berzatto () and his efforts to save his dead brother's beef sandwich restaurant.

It landed on the box in 2022 and was an immediate sensation, having won 21 Primetime Awards and five Awards.

The latest 10-episode series ended in June 2025 and was soon renewed for a fifth and final outing.

And the all-star cast of Jeremy, Lionel Boyce, Ayo Edebiri and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, to name just a few, are back for more heat in the kitchen.

Critics previewing season five have almost unanimously praised the final outing.

Benji Wilson from The Telegraph gives the show five stars, gushing that it is a 'brilliantly chaotic final season'.

He writes: 'No monologues or bottle episodes or dialogue-free mood-board vignettes; no celebrity chefs popping up because they can… just a classic recipe done very, very well.'

Radio Times Jack Seale agrees with another five-star write-up, as he declares that the 'series is a workplace drama, perhaps the finest there has ever been: a band of imperfectly matched people complete a difficult task together, pouring themselves into it to achieve something that most likely means little to anyone outside the team.'

Louis Chilton for The Independent says 'when it comes to performance, writing, and tone-setting, Christopher Storer's show remains one of the best things on TV'.

Digital Spy's David Opie writes that 'season five acts as a wonderful epilogue to The Bear that's worth seeing in its own right, giving this era-defining show the thoughtful, if chaotic, send-off it deserves'.

Ben Travers of IndieWire says 'The Bear did the work to stay in our lives consistently for five years, and it pays off in the final season.'

Alison Herman of Variety writes 'The Bear can't fully shake off two full seasons of subpar storytelling, but at least it can improve while it's still around.'

Rachel Aroesti for The Guardian is also one of the few to not award five stars, instead giving it four.

She said that 'at times, it's genuinely anguished,' but added 'when The Bear is overly serious, it can be a slog'.

'Luckily, there's also a generous garnish of gallows humour here,' she added.

Victoria Luxford for NME knocks one star off but says 'It might not reach the boiling temperatures of the show at its peak, but it's a satisfying final course'. 

The fifth and final season of The Bear premieres June 25 at 9:00p ET / 6:00p PT on FX and Hulu.