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By the time the last one unfolds, you'll cry more than you might have at the death that put the story into motion.

Sure, there are laughs throughout the episodes, but the tearful moments are so plentiful you’ll feel like a long-long relative. Only a wedding edition comes close to the chaos of the second season’s holiday show (the one that so spectacularly introduced Jamie Lee Curtis as the family matriarch). It has those quirky moments that bring smiles but it, too, has reasons for Kleenex.

So, what makes this such a heart-tugging season? For starters, there’s a ticking clock that says The Bear doesn’t have years to make it as a fine dining restaurant in Chicago. Resources are running out and a review from the Chicago Tribune doesn’t exactly get reservations flowing.

Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), the wunderkind with the big idea, feels the pressure and doesn’t want to disappoint those counting on him – particularly his partner, Sydney Adamu (Ayo Edebiri), who has great ideas, too, and a wall of resistance every time she tries to institute them.

Now, however, there’s a resigned quality to much of what Carmy does. Because he doesn’t have unlimited funds, he must recalculate. That means listening to the staff and finding ways to encourage them the way they supported him.

An outside offer could pull Syd out of the picture, but she feels the pull others do. “The Bear” isn’t just one chef, it’s all of them. As they struggle to rid the restaurant of its opening chaos, they realize how important time is.

In season four, creator Christopher Storer digs back to relationships that existed before Carmy showed up and reveals how that life might fuel this one.

There’s a side hustle that holds great promise and a different benchmark that could turn a good idea into a great one. Personal issues – for each of the regulars – complicate the pursuit but little seems able to rock the bond they share.

As the story builds to the wedding of Richie’s ex, it’s easy to see why the staff wants Carmy’s dream to come true. When that clock ticks down, the story comes to a boil and season four ends with a confrontation between Carmy and Syd, then Carmy and Richie (Ebon Moss-Bacharach). It’s a heart-stopping half-hour that reignites the first season’s spark and gives “The Bear” a reason for season five.

All the regulars get award-worthy moments; in the right categories, they’d win the prizes, too.

For that hour-long wedding episode, plenty of extended family members show up. Curtis returns and secrets about others start to spill out.

Clearly, the latest season is meant to devour. Start watching and you’ll want to find out how the staff will cut time, draw patrons, lower expenses and set themselves up for a future that’s as hopeful as the one they wanted.

Go into "The Bear" with the right mindset and you'll discover it's the best drama on television.

“The Bear” begins its fourth season Thursday on FX.