For fans of the acclaimed FX dramedy The Bear, the arrival of Season 4 on June 25th may have felt… unexpectedly quiet. Dropping all 10 episodes onto Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, the premiere lacked the ubiquitous fanfare that typically surrounds a hit series return, leading many to wonder why its rollout felt so low-key.
This perceived silence stands in stark contrast to the marketing blitz for the show’s initial season. Back then, you could barely walk through New York City without encountering ads for the then-unknown series starring Jeremy Allen White. While FX maintains that their Season 4 marketing campaign was “as robust as ever,” pointing to significant presence on platforms like TikTok, the anecdotal feeling for many was a noticeable reduction in traditional, physical advertising.
Behind the Scenes: Limited Press Access and Unavailable Stars
The quiet digital buzz was mirrored by a notably restricted approach to traditional press and media ahead of the Season 4 launch. A planned virtual press junket scheduled for early June, intended to serve both as promotion for the new season and an awards campaign push for Season 3, was abruptly canceled due to reported “scheduling issues” and never rescheduled.
Further compounding the limited access, the show’s key players – stars Jeremy Allen White (Carmy), Ayo Edebiri (Sydney), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Richie) – were largely unavailable for individual interviews, according to FX. While busy with other projects (White stars in an upcoming Bruce Springsteen biopic, Moss-Bachrach joins July’s Fantastic Four), their absence from the typical pre-premiere press circuit was unusual for a show of The Bear‘s caliber, especially during awards season. Series regular and executive producer Matty Matheson, along with showrunner Christopher Storer, were also reportedly unavailable.
Tight Screeners and an Unprecedented Embargo
Access to early screeners for critics was also tighter than usual. While FX did provide screeners to 219 critics and reporters across 108 publications, this was described as a more select group compared to prior seasons. Controlling screener access to prevent leaks is standard practice for high-profile series, but the approach for Season 4 felt particularly curated.
What proved even more unusual was the review embargo timing. Critics with screeners were not allowed to publish reviews until 11:15 p.m. PT on premiere night (June 25th) – precisely six hours and 15 minutes after the season dropped. As the original reporting noted, this exact timeframe matches the collective runtime of all 10 episodes. While FX stated the embargo was solely to prevent spoilers regarding guest stars and the season’s ending, the timing coincidentally allowed dedicated viewers to finish the entire season before reading any critical takes. This differed significantly from the common practice of lifting TV review embargoes at 12:01 a.m. on the premiere day.
This strict spoiler-prevention extended to other areas, with FX and Hulu reportedly withholding episode titles and descriptions until the day after the premiere and requesting “spoiler alerts” at the top of all detailed coverage. This level of protection, even for seemingly minor details (like Oliver Platt’s guest role in Season 1), suggests a deep commitment from the show’s creative leadership, likely showrunner Christopher Storer, to shield fans from any potential spoilers.
Why the Different Strategy?
FX is widely regarded as a press-friendly network known for its positive relationships with media. This makes The Bear‘s Season 4 approach feel like an outlier. According to an FX spokesperson, the network strives to balance fan-friendliness with media interaction, a task that isn’t always perfectly executed. However, the consensus among many is that the unusual publicity strategy for Season 4 stems primarily from Storer’s serious stance on protecting the viewer experience from spoilers.
The context of the show’s recent reception might also play a minor role, although the spoiler angle seems dominant. While The Bear Season 3 set viewership records for Hulu, it was also described by some as its “most divisive” season and reportedly failed to meet the critical acclaim of its first two runs.
Season 4’s Reception
Now that the dust has settled and the embargo has lifted, the reviews for Season 4 have come in. While generally positive, they do represent the show’s weakest critical reception to date. Critics like Angie Han at The Hollywood Reporter felt the season felt “worn-out” and “stalled,” arguing that it retreated into “familiar territory” and lacked the “spark” of earlier volumes, potentially signaling that the series might be “winding down.” Specific criticisms point to repetitive character arcs (Carmy, Sydney contemplating leaving for another restaurant, Richie, Tina) and an increased inward focus that distances the show from its earlier engagement with the external world of Chicago’s food scene.
Ultimately, by dropping all episodes at once and implementing a unique embargo timing, FX and the creative team made a deliberate choice that prioritized the viewing experience – potentially allowing fans to form their own opinions before critical consensus was widely available. The low-key premiere, while surprising for a show of its stature, reflects a distinctive approach to managing expectations and spoilers in the age of binge-watching. Whether viewers noticed the quiet arrival or not, The Bear Season 4 is now available to stream, inviting audiences to “trust the process” once more.