Yes, Chef, <i><em>The Bear</em></i> Is Over

This story contains spoilers for The Bear season 5 finale.

If you’ve reached the end of The Bear season 5, I’m sad to report that you’ve seen the FX culinary drama’s final episode. The only way to watch culinary action on TV now is through cooking competition shows, even if it’s a very different experience. I’ve never heard a contestant on Chopped shout “cousin” once, let alone seen a Bake Off amateur curse like a sailor. But according to The Bear cast, this is officially the end.

“As a finale, it is this straight line, and I love that,” Matty Matheson, who plays Neil Fak on The Bear, told E! News after the final episode. “There’s no crumbs left, you know? It really is a thing, like we wrap it up. Here's your story. This is it.”

Season 5 follows The Bear crew the day after Carmy decides to leave the restaurant. Alongside Sydney (Ayo Edebiri), Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), Marcus (Lionel Boyce), Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas), and everyone who works in the restaurant, Carmen decides to help them through one final night of service. It’s the service from hell, of course, as torrential rain and money problems make the night feel impossible. But with a little Bear magic they’re able to pull through.

The Bear season 5 ends with Sydney in charge of the restaurant.

In the finale, Carmen receives a call from Michelin inspector Peter Clark, who visited the restaurant in season 4 when Richie created artificial snow for the patrons. Turns out, he had a wonderful time and decided to award The Bear with two Michelin stars. Meanwhile, Richie is invited to travel to Japan for a week to take part in an international hospitality seminar.

Still, Carmy remains resolute that his place is not in the kitchen. As the finale eventually reveals, he asks his cousin Stevie (John Mulaney) to help set him up for an interview with an architectural firm. He’s starting from scratch now and applying to become an intern, stating in his interview that his love for drawing is what led to food in the first place. It’s certainly not the ending fans expected for our chef, but ending such an award-winning series is a tall task.

The Bear wins two Michelin stars.

“The fourth season was going to be the last,” White revealed during an appearance on The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast in November. “Chris [Storer] called me on Christmas Eve last year and was like, ‘We’re gonna do some more.’”

“But if it was up to me?” White continued, “I just feel so lucky to read Chris’ words, and also to work with these actors who’ve become some of my best friends.”

So, even though Carmy is an architect now—or, at least, trying to be—The Bear remains open in Syd and Richie’s capable hands. The series ends on a family gathering for Richie’s daughter’s birthday, which is the the last moment we spend in the restaurant. After winning two Michelin stars, we would never be able to get a reservation now anyway.