Some television viewers may respond to the return of The Bear , which recently released its final season , with a dismissive groan. Not me. Despite my past misgivings about the FX restaurant drama/comedy, I excitedly binged its last eight episodes within a few days. By no means is it perfect storytelling. The series still sometimes flails, as my colleague Belen Edwards astutely pointed out , and I'll return to those challenges later. What I watched, however, was a rare feat of television: a years-long exploration of human redemption that ends, improbably, with optimism for the future. In an entertainment landscape dominated by apocalyptic fare, serial killer mysteries, whodunit tick-tocks, and paint-by-number procedurals, The Bear offered viewers something radically different. SEE ALSO: 'The Bear' Season 5 gives Carmy one hell of a career pivot Take characters with undeniable flaws, rough edges, and mental he...