Understatement of the year: Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) has had a tough journey throughout The Bear. He spent years working in various restaurants across the world, expanding his knowledge, and earned a James Beard award. After the sudden death of his brother, Mikey (Jon Bernthal), Carmy took over Mikey’s restaurant, The Original Beef of Chicagoland, but struggled trying to maintain his brother’s legacy while modernizing the food establishment. But when he stumbled on Mikey’s stash of cash he kept hidden, Carmy and the rest of The Beef workers decided to turn The Beef into The Bear, a high-end restaurant that initially started serving different meals every day (which was absolutely wild).
Carmy’s mental health has taken a massive toll over the seasons and affected the way he treats his coworkers, friends, lovers, and family. By the Season 4 finale, Carmy reveals his decision to step away from The Bear because of the strain it’s taken on him. In a surprising and heartfelt moment, Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) tells Carmy she’ll only accept him leaving if the partnership agreement between them and Sugar (Abby Elliot) is updated to replace Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) in Carmy’s position. After a heated, but much-needed discussion between Carmy and Richie, Carmy agrees, knowing that the restaurant is left in good hands. With The Bear staff looking a little different now, I believe the same should apply to The Bear as a series.
Carmy’s Story Is Wrapped Up in ‘The Bear’ Season 4
Fans speculated that The Bear Season 4 could’ve been the final season of the show, but in actuality, The Bear Season 4, aptly titled “Goodbye,” acts as a send-off to Carmy. The character has come a long way since The Bear Season 1. One of Carmy’s big faults throughout The Bear is his failure to communicate his emotions properly. I can understand that running a restaurant is difficult and stressful, but that doesn’t justify Carmy’s behavior and the verbal abuse he projects towards the people who love and look up to him. It doesn’t help that the extended Berzatto family communicates that way on a regular basis, even during special occasions like Christmas and weddings.
The Bear Season 2 emphasized that Carmy had a lot of growing up to do through his interactions with his then-girlfriend, Claire Dunlap (Molly Gordon), and mother, Donna Berzatto (Jamie Lee Curtis). After unknowingly complaining to Claire that he should’ve prioritized the restaurant over her in The Bear Season 2 finale, Carmy had a lot to make up for. When Carmy and Claire reunite in Season 4, it’s good that Claire challenges Carmy and helps him reflect on the way he acts. She seemingly accepts his apology, but it’s for the best that Carmy and Claire don’t continue a romantic relationship together. At the very least, not until after Carmy goes on his journey to find his purpose in life outside of cooking.
A bigger moment comes when Carmy and Donna have a heart-to-heart talk in The Bear Season 4, Episode 9 “Tonnato.” It’s one of the best episodes of the season, all thanks to the emotionally-charged performances by White and Curtis. Donna wasn’t the best matriarch of the Berzatto family, which resulted in her kids trying to separate themselves from her. While Mike and Nat were able to reach an understanding with their mother, Carmy still held resentment towards her. But in The Bear Season 4, Episode 9, she tearfully takes accountability for her actions and her mistakes. It’s delivered poetically by Curtis and causes Carmy to break down his walls and let his emotions out. As Carmy and Donna reconnect, it’s also the first time in a while that he cooks a meal for someone out of love, instead of trying to prove himself as a renowned chef, which leads to his decision to leave the restaurant business in The Bear Season 4 finale.
Syd and Richie Deserve More Screen Time in ‘The Bear’
The last people Carmy had to make amends with were Syd and Richie. The majority of The Bear Season 4, Episode 10, takes place in the alley behind the restaurant in real-time as Carmy, Syd, and Richie work through all their unresolved feelings towards one another as friends and family. With Carmy seemingly retiring from cooking altogether, it’s time for White to step down from a leading role in The Bear Season 5 and let Syd and Richie get the spotlight. Some of the best episodes of the entire series are heavily focused on Syd and Richie, whether they’re clashing with one another or embarking on meaningful character arcs on their own. Richie was initially introduced as a loudmouthed man-child who wouldn’t change his ways. But Season 2, especially Episode 7, “Forks”, gave Richie the biggest character development seen on the show thus far. Richie began to respect the process of working at a restaurant and worked hard to bring a sense of joy to its patrons as a maître d’. Even though he never asked for it or even dreamed of it, Syd proposing that Richie get an equal share of The Bear in Season 4 showed how far he’s come as a person and how far they’ve come from enemies to close friends.
Season 4 emphasized that Syd is meant to lead the series. She chose to work at The Beef to study under Carmy, but she has exceeded him as a chef with only a small percentage of his cooking experience. In The Bear Season 4, Episode 2, when Carmy reassures Tina Marrero (Liza Colón-Zayas) that he couldn’t prepare a pasta dish in under three minutes, Syd is able to do it in 2 minutes and 39 seconds — foreshadowing Carmy’s decision to leave the restaurant in Syd’s hands. Syd also takes more of a lead role as we get to see more of her family in Season 4, Episode 4 “Worms”, written by Edebiri and co-star Lionel Boyce. It’s good to see who Syd is outside the restaurant because it further establishes that she’s more than just a chef. While Carmy’s family drama is a lot to process, Season 4 shows that Syd’s relationship with her family is a lot healthier and takes the utmost priority.
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‘The Bear’ Features a Beloved Ensemble Cast
With more characters, like Luca (Will Poulter) and Jessica (Sarah Ramos), joining The Bear, it’s time to let them shine as well. The Bear Season 4 also showed Ebraheim (Edwin Lee Gibson) getting more involved with the restaurant and creating opportunities for himself. If White were to step away from the show, it would allow stories like his to get more focus. The Bear has demonstrated that these characters are more complex than we think, and they can be explored further in the next season.
As much as The Bear is also known for heated arguments, Carmy’s absence from the show could lead to more healing moments for the characters, which will be a new and interesting dynamic for the series as a whole. And for a show so well known for its surprising guest stars, Carmy wouldn’t have to stay away. He could come in to offer guidance and check in when the characters need it. There’s room for Carmy to still be involved from time to time without overtaking the show from its other characters.
