After three seasons of watching Carmy Berzatto build, break, and rebuild himself and his restaurant, Season 4 of The Bear was supposed to be about the ascent. Would they get the Michelin star? Could they finally become profitable? The season delivered on the constant, simmering anxiety we’ve come to expect, focusing on the brutal grind of keeping the doors open. But the season finale, titled “Goodbye,” didn’t just answer the questions of the season — it blew up the entire foundation of the show.
The 33-minute episode, which takes place almost entirely in the back alley behind the restaurant, pivots from the restaurant’s survival to the survival of its chefs. And in a move that changes everything, the restaurant’s head chef has decided he’s out. Let’s break down the shocking final moments and what they mean for a potential fifth season.
Carmy is Leaving The Bear
You read that right. In a heated, raw confrontation with Sydney, Carmy confesses that he’s quitting. And not just The Bear, but the entire industry. His epiphany, as he explains it to a shell-shocked Syd, is that he doesn’t love cooking anymore. In fact, he might never have. “I did this so I didn’t have to do other things,” he admits, finally internalizing the chaos he’s been accused of creating.
For Carmy, the kitchen has always been an escape from his trauma, his family, and himself. Now that he’s taking tentative steps toward healing — talking to Claire, facing his mother — he no longer needs the punishing refuge of the restaurant. He tells Syd he’s leaving, but only after he helps them pay off their debts to Uncle Jimmy.
The reveal is prompted by Syd confronting him about the partnership agreement. Just as she’d finally decided to turn down a lucrative offer from rival restaurateur Adam Shapiro and commit to The Bear, she learned from Pete that Carmy had quietly written himself out of the contract. His plan was to leave all along.
The Cousins Finally Clear the Air
As Syd and Carmy’s argument escalates, Richie emerges to the commotion. When he learns Carmy is leaving, his first instinct is disbelief, then anger. But as Richie tries to walk away, Carmy drops a second, even more personal bomb: he was at his brother Mikey’s funeral.
This revelation stops Richie in his tracks and forces out years of buried resentment between the two. Carmy confesses he was always jealous of Richie’s close relationship with Mikey and the rest of his family. Richie, in turn, admits his envy of Carmy’s genius and the respect he commanded. The tension that has defined their relationship, which spiked after the freezer incident in Season 2, finally dissipates in a moment of shared grief and understanding. Carmy tells Richie there’s no reason to be jealous, admitting, “Outside of the kitchen, I don’t know what I’m like.”
A New Partnership is Forged
With Carmy’s decision set in stone, the power dynamic shifts irrevocably. Syd, realizing the restaurant’s future now rests on her, agrees to stay and take over as head chef. But she has one condition: Richie must be made a partner, too.
Carmy agrees. The new partnership of The Bear will officially consist of Sydney, Richie, and Sugar, with Uncle Jimmy remaining their investor. When Sugar joins them in the alley and hears the news, her reaction is the opposite of Syd and Richie’s. She doesn’t yell; she cries and hugs her little brother, proud that he’s finally choosing himself over his career, recalling a conversation where she gave him permission to let go if he no longer loved it.
What Happens Now? All The Unanswered Questions
While the finale provides a clear path for the restaurant’s new leadership, it leaves a slew of unresolved plot points hanging, setting the stage for a dramatic Season 5.
Is Jeremy Allen White leaving the show?
The biggest question is whether Carmy’s departure from the restaurant means a departure from the series for its star. Will a potential fifth season follow him on his journey of self-discovery, or will the show pivot entirely to Syd and Richie’s restaurant?
Are Carmy and Claire back together?
While Carmy has apologized and finally told Claire he loves her, they aren’t officially back together. With Carmy stepping away from the kitchen to work on himself, the door seems open, but their future is far from certain.
What about the rest of the kitchen?
Chef Luca was in town as a stage, but will he stay on to help the new regime? And Ebraheim has apparently cracked the code on expanding The Beef’s sandwich window into a profitable side venture, but he has yet to present his plan.
Is The Bear actually safe?
The season’s final shot is of Uncle Jimmy’s countdown clock hitting zero. While the implication is that they hit their numbers and are profitable, it’s never explicitly stated that they’re out of the woods. Time is up, but the fight for The Bear is clearly just beginning.