What are you looking for in a television show? The question is deeply personal and probably deeply impacts whether a series works for your or not. It can also govern your relationship to a series going forward; even a series that you once loved.

It seems in this day all successful series follow the same arc. They debut, are beloved, and build a following. The return, and some of those that praised them aren’t as wowed. Soon, for nearly all successful series, the longer you’re on the air the more it seems to turn into a sport to dunk on the latest season online. Such is the case with The Bear. When it dropped its first, eight-episode season, in June 2022, no one really knew what to expect.

In fact, it’s possible even FX didn’t really know what to expect. I remember binging that first season in a day, in part because I was home sick. In part because it was tremendous. For each June since, we’re gotten another full season dropped in a binge. And while the quality has remained high, and there have been fans, seasons have been met with more criticism.

That was certainly true of Season 3, dropped in June 2024, which seemed to divide fans. Some seemed deeply unsatisfied about the series’ direction. Others, like me, were blow away by the quality of the production, the storytelling, and the depth of emotion. That remains true of this fourth season, which dropped in full on Wednesday, June 25.

This 10-episode season is a quick watch. Aside from the standout seventh episode, each hews close to the half hour mark, which has been the series’ sweet spot. It picks up after the events of season three and provides some forward momentum and closure, ending with a stirring half hour, “Goodbye,” that is a showcase for stars Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach.

Is it the end? It’s hard to know at this point. The series hasn’t yet been renewed for a fifth season, and with these stars reaching new heights in their career, it’s possible this is the end. If it is, I will have no regrets and no questions. This fourth season, like the three before it, are masterful in their storytelling. They feature pitch-perfect music drops, beautiful performances, and a rich, emotional text that I think has always been the point of the show.

What Christopher Storer and his team have accomplished is beautiful. I’m grateful for it, and I will deeply appreciate it, always. Did it always wrap things up in the perfect way I’d hoped? No, because that’s not the reality of television. But it always felt real, passionate, and gripping.

This fourth season is a beautiful watch with great emotional depth. Standouts for me, aside from the finale, include the third episode, “Scallops,” which showcases some of the beauty and wonder the show is capable of creating. I also loved the seventh episode, “Bears,” which is the longest at 69 minutes. It’s packed full of guest stars and cameos, but also has some of the most beautiful, emotional beats of the series.

I loved this fourth season. It’s both in keeping with and unique from all that’s come before it. If you’re a fan of the show, or just a fan of beautiful storytelling, it’s worth checking out.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.