The Bear Season 3 Finale Features A Photo That Raises All Sorts Of Questions

When it comes to celebrity cameos on TV, things can get confusing real fast. For example, Larry David on "Curb Your Enthusiasm" will have whole storylines with actual celebrities playing themselves, but sometimes he'll meet fictional characters played by well-known celebrities. So, what does TV Larry think when he sees someone like Bill Hader or Stephen Colbert on TV? Do these celebrities exist in Larry's universe? And if they do, has Larry noticed their similar appearances to the people he's met? "Curb" has wisely avoided such questions, because to confront them head-on would expose a head-scratching paradox.

"The Bear" has also avoided this issue in its first two seasons, give or take a few Jamie Lee Curtis appearances that had us wondering what the Berzatto family thinks of all those "Halloween" movies. But season 3 had a finale that was filled with actual famous real-life chefs, interacting with the show's cast as if they were fellow characters in this world. This itself isn't that mindblowing, as shows like "The Simpsons" do stuff like this all the time. What's truly weird about the season 3 finale is that we briefly see a photo of Bradley Cooper in the 2015 movie "Burnt," in which Cooper plays a chef.

So, what's the deal? Is Chef Terry (Olivia Colman), who put the collage of photos together to celebrate the closing of Ever, just a really big fan of "Burnt" ... or does this mean the events of "Burnt" also took place in the "Bear" universe? Given that "Burnt" is not a particularly well-liked film, the latter explanation seems more likely — and certainly more intriguing. If Terry were to put a fictional chef on the wall full of real ones, surely she'd put someone like Remy from "Ratatouille" up first. 

Cooper's character from "Burnt," Adam Jones, is a chef at a high-class French restaurant. Or rather, he was a chef at a French restaurant, before his drug/temper problems killed his career. He goes off to New Orleans for a bit, then spends most of the film in London. Meanwhile, we know Carmy spent some time in Europe, most notably in Copenhagen. The details beyond this are sort of fuzzy. 

Given that Carmy started his culinary career at least 8-9 years before the start of the series in 2022, it's technically possible that Carmy and Adam crossed paths at some point. Both characters have worked Michelin-rated restaurants and have a clear interest in dining at new, impressive places. They may not have been coworkers, but it wouldn't be a huge shocker if Carmy ever dined at Adam's restaurant. Cooper appearing on "The Bear" as Adam would be unlikely, but it's not impossible. Season 3 had cameos from Josh Hartnett and John Cena, so Cooper certainly wouldn't be out of reach as a guest star.

The real significance of the "Burnt" reference, however, has nothing to with whether Adam and Carmy might know each other. Rather, Adam might've been given a shoutout in "The Bear" simply because he's a troubled, self-centered chef with a tendency to drive his friends away. Sound familiar? Perhaps Cooper/Adam's brief shoutout here is a subtle indication of the sort of toxic person Carmy will become if he doesn't change his ways: a warning to Carmy to stop dwelling on the past and start building a better future. 

This may not sound as exciting as a legit Bradley Cooper cameo in "The Bear" season 4, but honestly, when it comes to the surprise celebrity appearances, "The Bear" already has more than enough.