a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score of 100%, and season 2 only further cemented it as one of the most compelling and acclaimed psychological comedy-dramas with a score of 99%.

Although The Bear season 3 met with relatively fewer unanimous reviews, it managed to earn an 89% critics' score on the reviewing website. Interestingly, however, season 3 had a significantly lower audience score of 51%, suggesting that many viewers were dissatisfied with how the show's third installment had unfolded. While audiences criticized many aspects of The Bear season 3, one common complaint revolved around its release format. The Bear season 4 could have addressed this issue, but, surprisingly, it treads the same path as its predecessors.

The Bear Season 4 Is Still Dropping All Episodes At Once

Season 4 Will Continue Its Predecessors' Release Trend

According to reports (via THR), The Bear season 4 is scheduled to be released on Hulu on June 25 at 8 p.m. ET. Similar to the show's previous seasons, The Bear season 4 will also not follow a weekly release schedule. Instead, all of its episodes will be available for streaming on the premiere date itself. This will allow viewers to watch the series at their own pace instead of waiting for an entire week for its new episodes to come out.

Also, audiences who wish to binge-watch The Bear season 4 in one go can also check it out on June 25 itself, instead of waiting for several weeks for the full season to unfold. However, as ideal as this release format may seem, it comes with its own set of pitfalls. While many viewers prefer the "all episodes at once" strategy adopted by many streaming services, others cannot help but see how The Bear would have been far more engaging if it had released one episode per week.

The Bear Season 3's Binge Drop Release Was Criticized By Audiences

Many Viewers Wished To Have Longer Conversations Surrounding The Show

Which release strategy works better will always be up for debate. While some viewers will always prefer streaming an entire season in one or two sittings, others would love to anticipate one episode each week while actively participating in discussions surrounding each new installment. When it comes to The Bear, though, many viewers have agreed that the show would be better off adopting the weekly release format instead of dropping all episodes at once.

As many complaints surrounding show like The Bear in one go. Although The Bear is often touted as a comedy, the show focuses on some serious themes surrounding trauma, mental health, familial relationships, and addiction.

...It makes sense that many viewers hated how they were peer-pressured into watching The Bear season 3 when they wanted to take their time with it.

Watching it in one sitting can understandably be a little too much for many viewers. The binge drop release allows audiences to be flexible, but no one likes being left behind, and all viewers wish to participate in discussions as long as they are still active after a show's release. Not to mention, there is also always the risk of getting exposed to spoilers if one delays watching a series after its release. Owing to this, it makes sense that many viewers hated how they were peer-pressured into watching The Bear season 3 when they wanted to take their time with it.

The Bear Is The Only Ongoing FX On Hulu Show With A Binge Drop Release Method

Even A Highly-Anticipated Show Is Adopting A Weekly Release Format

Almost all ongoing FX on Hulu shows, other than The Bear, follow a weekly release format. Even the highly anticipated sci-fi series, Alien: Earth, is scheduled to take the same route. For some reason, though, The Bear happens to be the only exception. Given how The Bear, on the surface, is about food and often entices viewers with scintillating visuals of savory dishes and meticulously crafted platings, it should have been served to the viewers as a full-course meal.

The Bear comes off more as a buffet, which ruins the metaphorical fine dining experience.

Every dish — or rather, episode — should have been presented with the intention of allowing the consumer to embrace each story bite. Unfortunately, with its one-drop strategy, The Bear comes off more as a buffet, which ruins the metaphorical fine dining experience. Instead of letting viewers enjoy one course at a time, the show pressurizes them to devour everything all at once, which leaves less room to appreciate some of the finer details in its story, character beats, and creative production choices.

The fact that The Bear is the only ongoing FX on Hulu show to take this approach makes its release strategy even more perplexing. However, even though The Bear would undoubtedly have benefitted from a more "measured" release schedule, there is seemingly a solid reason why the streaming service chooses to release it all at once. Some viewers may still argue that it should have been released weekly, but the binge drop format favors Hulu in more ways than one.

The Bear Season 3's Record-Breaking Premiere Explains Season 4's Release Strategy

The Bear's Release Strategy Worked Wonders For Season 3

According to reports (via Variety), The Bear season 3 achieved the monumental feat of reaching 5.4 million views in its first four days of streaming. With this, it not only became the best-performing FX premiere on Hulu but also rose in the ranks to become the most-watched season premiere for any scripted series on the streamer. Many may have complained about The Bear season 3's release strategy. However, the viewership numbers highlight how Hulu profited from the approach.

The Bear season 3's overall watch time after its premiere would have naturally been much lower if Hulu had dropped one or two episodes on the day of its release. With a weekly release schedule, the show's total viewership might still have been high. The Bear, however, would likely not have been as viral and record-breaking of a phenomenon as it is right now. It is still understandable why many viewers would prefer watching it weekly, but the benefits of releasing it in one go seem to outweigh the drawbacks — at least from a commercial standpoint.

Owing to this, Hulu is making the right call by releasing the entire season 4 of The Bear on June 25. Audiences who wish to consume it slowly can always watch it in multiple sittings. Meanwhile, those who cannot contain their anticipation for what The Bear season 4 has in store can binge it all at once. The binge-drop method seems to offer a lot more flexibility.