The Bear's Final Season: A Beautiful Peace, According to Abby Elliott
The Emmy-winning kitchen dramedy "The Bear" has come to an end, leaving fans and cast members alike with a bittersweet feeling. Abby Elliott, who plays Natalie in the show, reflects on the final season and her character's journey.
In an interview, Elliott shares her thoughts on the show's conclusion, saying, "I mean, if it were up to me, it would not end, ever. I think these characters, we've watched them evolve in a way that is just so beautiful and true to life, and human, and subtle."
The fifth season, which takes place in one night, sees the staff all pitch in when the restaurant gets crushed by a massive influx of diners. Even Natalie had to put on an apron in the kitchen, and Elliott admits that shooting the final season was a very emotional ride.
"One thing I was really grateful for is that we got to spend a lot of time together. There's a lot of teamwork this season, and I think that helps, because we were together all the time," she says.
Natalie's journey in the final season involves facing her fears by handing over her baby daughter Sophie to her erratic mother Donna to babysit while she goes to work. Elliott points out that it's unrealistic to say that Natalie and Donna have completely mended fences, but it is this catharsis, right? It is this moment of, 'I know she's not going to do this. Why am I like this? I know she's not going to do anything weird. Why is this voice in my head?'"
Elliott could relate to Natalie's struggles as a mother herself, noting that she has two children with her husband Bill Kennedy. "I get that as a new mom, going back to work, and not wanting to leave your kid with a sitter, wanting to leave them with a grandparent or someone that loves them," she says. "That's such a real feeling, even though they're not perfect, and I think that's something that Natalie is going to have to deal with her whole life. But in that moment, there was beautiful peace."
The cast of "The Bear" felt like a family on and off-camera, and Elliott admits that saying goodbye to them was intense. "Just saying goodbye to everybody was intense," she says. "The whole time, we were milking dinners out. You know, 'This is one last dinner before this person wraps, and we got to do another one before this person wraps,' and so on. There's a tour of Chicago restaurants that we did... I mean, we're gonna hopefully be in each other's lives forever."
When asked about her favorite episodes, Elliott highlights the birthing episode, "Ice Chips," which she says was a gift to work with Jamie Lee Curtis. She also loves the dinner scene in "Fishes," where everyone is together, and it sticks out as a special moment.
"I think these characters, we've watched them evolve in a way that is just so beautiful and true to life, and human, and subtle," Elliott concludes. "And I'm still conjuring up new scenes for Natalie in my head. I text Jamie Lee Curtis, and I'm like, 'Natalie and Donna are making chicken picatta tonight. They are together, hanging out, listening to the Ronettes with Sophie in the kitchen, and dancing.' So in my head, they're still there. They're real."
