The Bear season 3 will continue a season 2 trend that became one of the biggest complaints of the critically acclaimed series. The Bear is slated to return with its highly anticipated season 3 on Thursday, June 27, 2024. Since premiering on Hulu & FX in June 2022, The Bear has rapidly become one of the most celebrated drama series on television, earning lead actor Jeremy Allen White (Shameless, The Iron Claw) an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in A Comedy Series in 2023.

Among the several major wishes for The Bear season 3 is the expansion of the Berzatto family tree since some of the greatest characters and episodes of The Bear have centered on the backstory of Carmy’s relatives. One recurring cameo that is already confirmed for The Bear season 3 is Will Poulter’s Chef Luca, who appeared in the fan-favored Marcus-centric episode “Hondeydew” in season 2. The Bear season 3 looks to add to its impressive Emmy total of 10 and will try to repeat its 2023 award for Outstanding Comedy Series.

The Bear Season 3 Is Releasing All Episodes At Once (Despite Calls For A Weekly Release After Season 2)

The Bear’s 10 Emmy wins have certainly earned an extended spotlight

All episodes of The Bear season 3 will be released at the same time on June 27, 2024. This essentially repeats the rollouts of The Bear seasons 1 and 2, which were similarly dropped on the same day sometime in June. The Bear season 3 might have benefited from switching to a more elongated release schedule that is commonly seen on premium channels such as HBO. This would have allowed The Bear to become an extended viewing event throughout the summer rather than consolidating the release to a single day.

Shows such as The White Lotus, The Last of Us, and Succession were all enhanced by their weekly release schedules, which naturally generate suspense, anticipation, and fan theories from audiences. The Bear has little left to prove in terms of its outstanding writing, acting, and overall quality, but has become big enough after its 10 Emmy wins to earn an extended spotlight. The recent FX/Hulu series Shōgun, which received a near-perfect critic score of 99% on Rotten Tomatoes, was released on a weekly schedule, raising questions as to why The Bear season 3 won’t follow suit.

Why Hulu Is Making A Mistake With The Bear Season 3’s Release Strategy

The Bear season 3 could have had much longer legs and relevancy over the summer

Like its previous two seasons, The Bear season 3 is poised to be one of the greatest television shows of the year. It could have had much longer legs and relevancy over the summer had it been a weekly release, which is something that Hulu/FX missed out on last year. There’s a slate of competition from other highly anticipated June releases, such as Disney’s The Acolyte, Apple’s Presumed Innocent, and Prime Video’s The Boys season 4, which makes binge-watching The Bear season 3 more challenging. Regardless of its release schedule, The Bear season 3 should continue its impressive quality, although it feels like a missed opportunity.