The Bear’s Final Season Debuts with a Perfect Score

A kitchen drama ending on a flawless note? It’s happening. The fifth and final season of The Bear opened this week to rave reviews, and Rotten Tomatoes currently lists a 100% critics score based on 20 reviews.

That number reads like a headline. But it’s not set in stone. Critics are still filing their reviews, so the Rotten Tomatoes rating can — and likely will — shift as the week unfolds.

Early responses emphasize a through-line many viewers have hoped for: a finale that earns its quiet moments. ScreenRant’s write-up captures the feeling well, arguing that The Bear blossoms in these closing episodes by taking its time to deepen characters until they become something more than the sum of their chaos and talent. In short: it’s patient. It’s precise. It lands.

For context, the show’s Rotten Tomatoes arc has been uneven but impressive. Season one also opened at 100% (audience score 92%), season two landed at 99% (audience 92%), season three dipped to 89% (audience 54%), and season four clocked in at 84% (audience 68%). The audience score for season five hasn’t appeared yet; with the full season dropping this week, expect that number to populate rapidly.

What do the final episodes tackle? The last chapters pick up after season four’s shift, focusing on how Sydney, Richie and the rest of the crew prepare to move forward without Carmy — who has chosen to step away from the restaurant life. The show has always been about pressure, family and survival; now it’s about what remains when the pressure lets up.

The cast driving this finale includes Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri as Sydney, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Richie, Abby Elliott as Natalie, Lionel Boyce as Marcus, Liza Colón-Zayas as Tina, Edwin Lee Gibson as Abraham, and Matty Matheson as Neil Fak.

Season five premieres Friday, June 26, on FX and Hulu. Critics have spoken. Will the wider audience echo that applause? Watch the season and decide for yourself — the kitchen is open one last time.