Tomorrow (The Bear)

The Bear
Company type	Television series
Industry	Entertainment
Founded	2022; 4 years ago
Parent	Hulu
Website	www.hulu.com/series/the-bear

Tomorrow serves as the opening installment of the third season of the American comedy-drama series The Bear, marking the 19th episode in total. The episode, penned by series creator Christopher Storer alongside cast member Matty Matheson and directed by Storer himself, premiered on Hulu on June 26, 2024, coinciding with the release of the entire season.

The narrative focuses on Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto, a celebrated chef who returns to Chicago to take over his late brother Michael’s struggling Italian beef sandwich shop. His goal is to transform it into an upscale dining venue called "The Bear". This episode delves into Carmy’s introspections about his culinary journey while he pushes forward with the restaurant’s evolution.

Critics offered a divided response to the season three premiere, placing it among both the most praised and criticized episodes within the series.

Plot

Utilizing nonlinear flashbacks, the story tracks Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) as he navigates the morning following The Bear’s soft launch.

Flashbacks

Carmy’s professional path includes prestigious kitchens: beginning with a stage at The French Laundry, progressing to CDC under Chef Terry (Olivia Colman) at Ever in Chicago, where he works alongside Luca (Will Poulter). Impressed by Carmy’s skills, Chef Terry sends him to Copenhagen to train under René Redzepi at Noma—an experience Carmy holds in high regard.

During a tense Christmas visit home, after a difficult family dinner, Carmy agrees to his cousin Michelle’s invitation to relocate to New York City. There, he stays with Michelle and her partner Stevie (John Mulaney). At O’Hare Airport, Sugar (Abby Elliott) says goodbye and discreetly slips $1,000 into his jacket despite his refusal.

In New York, Carmy works under Daniel Boulud at Daniel and later under David Fields at Empire. Fields is critical but imparts the "subtract" philosophy—emphasizing simplicity in ingredients. Carmy creates a hamachi dish featuring blood orange sauce; however, Fields swaps the blood orange for fennel to assert authority. Secretly, Carmy serves one plate with blood orange to Sydney (Ayo Edebiri), who later recalls this dish as a highlight in her culinary experiences.

While employed at Empire, Carmy learns from Natalie that Mikey (Jon Bernthal) died by suicide. At Mikey’s funeral, Carmy avoids entering the church and confronts Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) regarding Mikey’s decision to leave ownership of The Beef to Carmy.

Present day

After being released from the walk-in refrigerator, Carmy apologizes to Sydney for leaving her during the soft opening and later leaves a voicemail apologizing to Richie for his outburst while trapped. Marcus (Lionel Boyce) mourns his mother’s passing, with Sydney offering her sympathies.

Arriving early at an empty Bear, Carmy tidies up discarded items, rearranges tables, refreshes floral displays, and reorganizes the dining area. Drawing upon his past expertise, he crafts a new menu and establishes a set of "non-negotiables" aimed at maintaining optimal restaurant standards.

Development

In May 2024, Hulu announced that the season's opening episode titled "Tomorrow" was written by series creator Christopher Storer, based on a story co-developed with cast member Matty Matheson, and directed by Storer. This episode marks Storer's eighth writing credit and 13th directing effort for the series, as well as Matheson’s debut as a credited writer.

Writing

Jeremy Allen White characterized the episode's narrative format as innovative and invigorating, preserving the series' essential tone while incorporating novel stylistic features.

Reflecting on a pivotal dialogue between Carmy and Sugar, White observed Sugar’s persistent attempts to connect emotionally, contrasted with Carmy’s feeling of emptiness in that environment.

Casting

Esteemed culinary figures appear as themselves, providing guidance to Carmy: Daniel Boulud instructs him in crafting one of his hallmark dishes, while Rene Redzepi acknowledges Carmy from across the room.

Filming

During late May 2024, Jeremy Allen White shot scenes at the French Laundry in Yountville, California, and at Noma in Copenhagen. The production featured sequences in the kitchen gardens of both establishments, where Carmy collects ingredients such as flowers, spring onions, and pea pods.

White also worked alongside chef Daniel Boulud to master the preparation of Boulud’s signature crispy sea bass paupiettes. Boulud commended White’s genuine and focused portrayal, noting the filming was completed "au naturel" without retakes. These scenes highlight Boulud’s restaurant kitchen and prominently display French-made Mauviel copper cookware.

Cinematographer Andrew Wehde described the shooting style for the episode "Tomorrow" as intimate and visually driven, employing a minimal crew to capture natural lighting and the distinctive ambiance of locations like The French Laundry. The episode utilized three lenses (28mm, 35mm, 55mm) without filters to preserve organic softness and clarity, underscoring Carmy’s solitude through a wide-open, large-format aesthetic distinct from other episodes.

Costuming

In the flashback where Sydney is served Carmy’s hamachi blood orange dish, she is dressed in a "printed midi dress from Dries Van Noten’s fall/winter 2018 collection."

Set decoration and props

While revising the Friends & Family menu to offer simpler or more polished dishes for Sydney on Monday, Carmy utilizes kitchen implements including a Benriner-brand mandoline slicer and a Vitamix blender.

Carmy’s food journaling appears in flashbacks using Leuchtturm1917 notebooks from a manufacturer near Hamburg, Germany. Associated with Sharpies since "Review," he records his non-negotiables list with a .07-mm-tipped Pilot G2 pen. California restaurateur Greg Ryan notes these pens are preferred by kitchen expediters for their fine tip, smudge resistance, and smooth writing on receipt paper.

Additionally, a framed Patrick Nagel poster is displayed behind Richie in the hallway as he attempts to coax someone (likely Mikey) out from behind a locked door.

Sound recording

Scott D. Smith, head of The Bear's sound department since the pilot episode, praises the real Ever restaurant—used for several flashbacks in "Tomorrow"—for its exceptional acoustic treatment. In a 2025 industry feature, he stated that the restaurant’s sound baffling ranks among the best he has encountered in front-of-house dining spaces, significantly enhancing the auditory dining experience.

Film editing

Editor Joanna Naugle described this episode as deliberately contemplative and repetitive, mirroring memories for both characters and viewers. She explained that episode 301 employs repetition to delve into Carmy’s psychological state following season two’s conclusion, offering a reflective perspective on his creative evolution influenced by both supporters and critics.

Music

The soundtrack features an uninterrupted score titled "Together," composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross from their Nine Inch Nails album Ghosts V: Together.

Food: Carmy's blood orange hamachi

In "Tomorrow," Carmy crafts a hamachi paupiette accompanied by blood orange sauce—likely Sydney’s best dining experience referenced in prior episodes. Paupiette is a traditional French method involving thinly sliced fish that is stuffed, rolled, and poached in stock. Hamachi, or young Japanese amberjack prized for sushi and sashimi due to its silky texture, commands premium pricing.

Blood oranges—cultivated mainly in California and Mediterranean regions—offer sweet-tart juice with a deep red hue. Carmy’s original version included dill but was rejected under a "never repeat ingredients" policy reflecting Thomas Keller’s kitchen philosophy of daily menu variation without ingredient repetition except for select luxury items.

The New York dish served to Sydney was specially created due to an alleged fennel soubise allergy; however, Sydney has previously worked with fennel multiple times, suggesting no true intolerance.

Jeremy Allen White emphasized how food preparation creates profound interpersonal connections, highlighting how shared meals forge enduring relationships.

Food: Carmy's menu revisions

One dish Carmy prepares upon Sydney's return is raviolo al uovo, consisting of an egg yolk enveloped within a thin pasta sheet and gently boiled to maintain a slightly runny center.

Critical reviews

Alan Sepinwall of Rolling Stone characterized the premiere "Tomorrow" as a tone poem deeply exploring Carmy Berzatto's history while laying groundwork for the season. Marah Eakin from Vulture awarded it 4 out of 5 stars, noting Carmy's relentless self-imposed pressure despite uncontrollable circumstances. Matt Singer of Screen Crush described the episode as a preparatory "tasting menu," assembling elements before escalating intensity.

A.J. Daulerio of Decider highlighted moments allowing characters and audience alike to pause amid tension. Josh Rosenberg from Esquire reflected on the series’ examination of artistic satisfaction versus fame pursuit with Carmy's journey remaining unresolved.

Offering a more critical perspective, Jenna Scherer of The A.V. Club assigned a "B–" grade, describing it as an uneven mix occasionally feeling like filler rather than a robust season opener.

Retrospective reviews

In 2024, The Hollywood Reporter named "Tomorrow" the finest among 28 episodes produced so far, calling it "the single greatest episode of The Bear," though acknowledging it is less accessible than episodes like "Dogs" or "Review." They compared those episodes to an Italian beef sandwich, whereas "Tomorrow" exemplifies televised fine dining at its peak. ScreenRant ranked it 8th among 28 episodes through season three, lauding it as "one of season three's most skillfully executed creative experiments."

In 2025, Vulture placed "Tomorrow" last (38th) among all episodes, noting that despite its beauty and sensuality it falls short narratively. Conversely, Esquire ranked it 10th in their top ten episodes across the first three seasons, praising its avoidance of conventional origin story tropes and emphasizing how Carmy's fragmented memories unfold more through emotional resonance than chronology.

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