I Chased The Bear’s Series Finale With Voicemails For Isabelle. It Was Accidentally A Great Call

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Spoilers ahead for The Bear’s final season.

For years now, those with a Hulu subscription have been watching the Emmy-winning FX series The Bear. That acclaimed dramedy recently released its fifth and final season, and fans are still recovering from its emotional ending. I watched all of Season 5 in one day, and followed it up with the new Netflix romantic comedy Voicemails for Isabelle. And I was shocked at what a great chaser that movie was, and how connected these two very different projects ultimately were.

The Bear‘s final season was an emotionally satisfying conclusion, with the titular restaurant overcoming a shift from hell and getting two Michelin stars. Seeing Carmy leave the business and the rest of the characters coming to the other side of their grief was thrilling, and funny enough, Voicemails for Isabelle (streaming with a Netflix subscription) ended up tackling very similar subject matter… despite being a rom-com. Let’s talk about that shocking synergy.

Voicemails for Isabelle Kept The Bear Alive With Similar Themes

Throughout The Bear‘s time on the air, audiences were shown Carmy’s history in fine dining, including the abusive relationship he had with one of his former bosses (played by Joel McHale). This, combined with his anxiety issues and grief over his late brother Mikey, results in him lowkey hating his career as a chef.

After seeing the characters of The Bear get their happy ending, I ended up streaming Voicemails for Isabelle over on Netflix. And I couldn’t believe just how much connective tissue these very different titles ultimately had.

Voicemails for Isabelle has folks getting emotional, mostly because of the way Zoey Deutch’s protagonist Jill is shown in the throes of grief. Her sick sister and best friend passes away early on in the movie, which she spends sending her voicemails updating Isabelle about what’s been going on in her life. Are you seeing the similarities yet?

Obviously, Carmy and Jill have something in common, as the tragedy of losing a sibling is something that only those who have gone through it understand. But funny enough, that’s not the only similarity. Because Deutch’s character in Voicemails for Isabelle is also in the culinary arts. Baking is her passion, although she’s stuck as a prep cook and spends all of her workdays cutting up kumquats for her nightmare boss Chef Bastien (Nick Offerman).

I couldn’t help but think about Carmy’s time under his own horrible Chef on The Bear, and loved seeing the way both he and Jill were able to escape that toxic environment. For Jill, it was quitting and opening a food truck, and for Carmine, it was leaving the industry altogether. The connection between their grief and their culinary careers made these two titles feel extremely connected, and Voicemails for Isabelle was exactly what I needed to watch after devouring the FX show’s final episodes.

The Bear is streaming in its entirety on Hulu now, while Voicemails for Isabelle is on Netflix as part of the 2026 movie release list. Now give me a crossover, you cowards!