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unlikelyjapan · 8 months

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"There's a lot being done subconsciously to push the audience in different emotional directions."

-Andrew Wehde -Cinematographer, The Bear

The creators of the show are so thoughtful and precise! Since I wrote about colors and lighting in The Bear. I want (from a cinephile perspective) to observe the lighting and camera choices for 2x08 Bolognese and 2x09 Omelette.

After writing my meta, I listened to this podcast that focuses on The Bear's cinematography; I did this to see if I needed to be more analytical instead of a hardcore shipper. I've pondered on the similar blue lighting of Sydney's tattoo reveal and the love scene; observing this, it's worth noting since there's another set of Syd & Claire scenes where you can compare the lighting and camera choices.

I interpret the two scenes as high-key lighting. The choice of a well-lit scene sets the mood for more openness and optimism. High-key lighting focuses on the script and what the actors say in the scene. This lighting choice is in romance, comedy genres, and weddings as it can focus on the romantic feelings between two characters. We can catch everything when it comes to high-key lighting, every expression, movement, and every prop in the scene. The lighting and sunlight give the audience a sense of peace, romance, and a dream-like state. The two scenes suggest the warmth the main character feels for the other character on screen.

Notice the scenes where Carmy stares at Sydney? It's primarily high-key lighting. The scenes ask the audience to take notice of Carmy's perspective as he takes in Sydney.

Oh, and remember this quote from Molly (Claire):

The well-lit moment for Claire and Carmy-The lighting and camera movement at the beginning of the scene suggest the morning after, In 2x08, we get this far-away shot where we can see the window as Claire enters the kitchen.

.But suddenly, we're zoomed in on Carmy and Claire's faces- this closeness feels overwhelming. It tells the hidden dread in their relationship. The dreadfulness is prominent when Carmy gets lost, staring at Claire as he talks about the test.

This reminds me of @currymanganese reblog on the subject of color:

The pink hues overlaid on Claire's scenes(2x09 omelette) in Carmy's panic attack can also represent him trying to look at her with rose-colored glasses/rosy retrospection, and ultimately failing to do so because of the way she reminds him of his family

The exchange of looks is so interesting. Notice Carmy's worry, and Claire's smile drops for a second. The camera's movements tell the audience that Carmy looks at Claire differently. As an artist, he catches every detail of the person. The focus on Claire, what used to bring him peace, disappeared when his family ruined his inspiration and sense of joy.

Now, the table scene:

The sunlight is more prominent through the windows and lingers around Syd and Carmy. It's the brightest the audience has seen from this season; as the camera moves closer to Carmy and Syd, the table disappears from view and focuses on the characters. It's a smoother transition, and we barely notice that the table disappears from view as we're closer to the characters.

Like the scene with Claire, Carmy gets lost in staring at Sydney, but there's no sense of dread. Instead, there's almost a dazed look in his eyes as he takes her in.

Well-lit scenes focus on the dialogue, and we can compare the discussion 2x08 and 2x09- both are about sharing their worries and fears. The difference is that the light remains on Carmy and Sydney, and Carmy is completely focused on Sydney rather than what's happening in his head. The scene gives the audience this soft direction to only focus on Sydney and Carmy's few moments together. The lighting asks us to view Sydney like Carmy sees her- bright, warm, and peaceful. I consider this a positive outlook on what's to come for Syd and Carmy.

Sidebar: Another thing to make note of with cinematography- Andrew Wehde said they make notes of the lighting they want to reappear in episodes- so I'm not too far off in this meta.

Watch more:

The Bear Cinematography

#damn op this is incredible #the bear meta #the bear #sydney adamu #carmy berzatto #the bear fx

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unlikelyjapan · 8 months

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Moments on Film: Sydney is the New Voice in Carmy’s Head

In The Bear, by the time we get to 1x3, Carmen has been going through it. He’s struggling to move The Beef forward with the crew, he’s been having horrible PTSD nightmares about past trauma, and grappling with his loss and grief the best he can, and on top of that—it’s Michael’s birthday.

In a rare effort to self soothe, Carmy takes himself to Oak Street Beach to look out at Lake Michigan, think, and remember. Mikey’s precious words to him play over this scene, “Let it rip, buddy.” We know later, from the Al-Anon share scene in 1x8, that these are words that Mikey used to tell Carmy when he was scared or didn’t want to do something. He says his brother could “make you feel confident about yourself.” He’s remembering these word now to fortify himself against what he’s currently going through, and to strengthen himself against his fears. These words of affirmation are the voice in his head and make him feel less alone. Mikey’s belief in him gives him the confidence to go on. They are so powerful that they are the last words Mikey ever “says” to Carmy. He holds them in his heart, to guide him, to help him, to calm him, to comfort him.

“Let it rip, buddy.”

-Mikey to Camry

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In 2x9, Carmy is at a breaking point. He goes into the alley behind The Bear and endures the worst panic attack we have ever watched him experience. I detailed this moment in my Vital Signs piece, why it’s happening, and the damage it does to him physically. His anxiety and tension is so bad in this moment, he needs immediate relief. He crouches down and rides out the horrible burning and body tremors that accompany thoughts of his family, and Claire. He then shifts his focus to words of affirmation spoken to him. Only this time, the words in his head to guide, help, calm and comfort him are not from Mikey. The words in his head are words said to him by Sydney, when they first met. She told him, “I know who you are…you were the most excellent CDC at the most excellent restaurant in the United States of America.”

In this moment, Carmy has a breakthrough in how he self soothes and calms himself down. He has shifted to focusing on words of affirmation said to him not by Mikey, but by Sydney for the support he needs. It is now her belief in him that is his greatest source of strength and comfort. If the alley is the beach, Carmy is a thrashing wave, stilled and calmed as it crashes against the lighthouse, Carmy’s light in his darkest moments, Sydney. In this moment, she’s the one person who can bring him safely home.

She might not have been actually speaking to him in this moment, but Sydney’s words have imprinted on Carmy’s heart in a way that will always be “heard.”

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unlikelyjapan · 8 months

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Here’s the hidden tattoo (posted by The Bear’s make-up artist) in all its glory, same placement as Syd’s but not revealed - I forgot the added “submit” near the head of the snake. Messy, right?

It’s partially an ode to Bourdain (he had the same Seneca quote tattooed on him) but submit and placement was a narrative choice - the parts of each other they haven’t revealed/keep hidden.

Enlighten me on how you’d explain away the need for the shows writers/producers to make the decision to have Sydney undressing during Carmy’s make out sess - only to expose her ‘three swords tattoo’

This is one of the most explicitly suggestive editing decisions, if you say it’s about their business partner you’re being wilfully ignorant or intellectually dishonest.

Three Swords to the heart + a make out session = romantic heartbreak

The interpretation of the tattoo can mean many things but contextually its more definitive no? I’ve read the alternative arguments about it being ‘Claire affecting in between their business relationship’ but couldn’t the tattoo be on her wrist or something, why interject this visual with the tattoo in a place that we only see as Syd undresses during Claire and Carmy’s intimate scene.

I guess being delulu is the selulu for everyone 😏

#sydcarmy #the bear discourse #I love mess #the bear fx #carmen x sydney #the bear

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unlikelyjapan · 8 months

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Not to mention that Carmy had a tattoo placed on the same spot on his shoulder that got cut/wasn’t visible in his scenes with Claire. It read C.O.N as shorthand for Seneca’s “Certain of Nothing” - heartbreak and uncertainty during intimacy juxtaposed in the same 2 minutes was a little too on-the-nose for editors I guess?

This is one of the most explicitly suggestive editing decisions, if you say it’s about their business partner you’re being wilfully ignorant or intellectually dishonest.

Three Swords to the heart + a make out session = romantic heartbreak

I guess being delulu is the selulu for everyone 😏

#sydcarmy #the bear discourse #the bear spoilers #the bear fx #the bear #I’m on vacation and swore I wouldn’t post but this show is nutty

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unlikelyjapan · 8 months

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My husband watched S1 (2nd week after its release) and wondered aloud about whether The Bear would inevitably attract Incel-esque types as the show gained more mainstream recognition and Carmy hype pieces (“Impossible!” I croaked) - I’m so sad to see his premonition slowly coming true 😵‍💫

Ladies and gentlemen, The Bear Wiki on Carmen and Sydney's relationship:

#the bear #the bear fx #the bear hulu #sydney adamu #carmen berzatto #sydcarmy #This is now purely a Syd Stan account #for the soul of the nation

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unlikelyjapan · 9 months

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Sydney is the reason for Carmy’s sudden interest in ‘fun and amusement’

The person that Carmy describes himself as being after losing touch with Michael doesn’t seem like someone who has ever sought out fun or amusement, in fact it seems like he’s never experienced pure unadulterated fun in his entire life. Within his family dynamic he’s the youngest of three with an abusive mother and an absent father. He adores Mikey, truly looks up to him and respects him, Mikey of course does love Carmy, but Mikey loves him in sprite of all his quirks and eccentricities. Heartbreakingly Carmy has had too dumb down what would have bought him amusement and enjoyment to fit into the dysfunctional family and not seem ‘gay’, it’s the crux of his existence. With that in mind, consider that his brother had very recently passed away, most people with that history would just plummet into a deep depression.

What changes during this time for him is Sydney’s presence. She walks into his life like a tornado and shakes thing up in such a way that he yearns for life and adventure not just passive survival. Sydney lives in her truth; food is fun, taking care of people brings her enjoyment. She’s nerdy about it unabashedly, she does her COGs and ‘randomly adds graphics’ and she wears her heart on her sleeve but lightly covers it to protect herself.

After his failed attempt to ask her out he returns to his barren apartment to google ‘fun’, so the next time he’s prepared. Carmen experiences amusement and enjoyment through Sydney hence he conceives an opportunity for him to have ‘fun’ under the guise of the menu creation. His relationship with food though daunting; is a safe space that both him and Sydney can share at this current awkward phrase in their ‘platonic but messy business relationship’. Sydney excites him and makes him feel alive!

Peep Carmy making sure Nat was gone gone before he started his fumbled locker room attempt, don’t worry we’ll get there one day. He’s keeping his private ‘amusement and enjoyment’ to himself for now but this developing love is so loud that they can’t control how it spills out at inopportune moments.

#sydcarmy #the bear #carmen berzatto #sydney adamu #the bear meta #carmen x sydney #the bear fx #platonic but messy

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unlikelyjapan · 9 months

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s2e9 rewatch notes (part 1)

Omelette - I'm hoping I can pull through and finish this rewatch in its entirety before I leave on vacation. While the analysis is fun, the actual act of watching the show feels very masochistic vs. last season, which I must have watched a dozen times.

The-not-sexy-sex-scene: It's interesting that the credits start to roll on a black backdrop before we even get the blue-hued (read: frozen) sex scene, and its set to a song that was written about a death/funeral (The Day the World Went Away by NIN).

As a bit of context, Trent Reznor's grandmother (who raised him after his parents flaked out) died right before the release of The Fragile, and this song was thought to be written as a reflection of her funeral. I know they didn't include any lyrics in the scene (that would be too on-the-nose for a director that delights in subterfuge), but in no world is this a happy or lustful track - it's frail, wistful, and entirely about something (someone) that has been lost.

There's some laughter in there, if you squint, but it's mostly intense and needy glances replete with swinging chain for the feral audiences sake. The stark/open "little death" eyes at the end (as Claire is presumably sleeping ) punctuate the scene UNTIL....

.....Sydney is buttoning up her coat (i.e. getting frigging dressed) in the very next beat, frustration in her voice as she notices the stains on her whites (God, is this a sheets parallel?) .

This is hot on the trail of her getting undressed (revealing her 3 of swords tattoo) at the end of s2e7 as Carmy and Claire make out in the split montage, which is the only reason I'm thankful this was released as a binge series this year.

There's not much more to elaborate on here that hasn't been discussed in this brilliant analysis by @belassima- the classic "getting dressed after a sexual encounter" trope turned on its head. We don't see Claire again until friends & family, and this is wholly on purpose. I'm suing Christopher Storer for damages after the series finale.

Syd and her Dad have such an enviable synergy - but you can tell she's over leaning on him as her "person". He's checking in on her stomach (foreshadowing the dumpster scene) and acts as her lone hype man. "I don't know how you do what you do, but I am excited".

Emmanuel - "I never want you to feel like you have to make everything the thing."

a.k.a - "You know, there are other fish in the sea."

Sydney - "Why can't we put everything we have into everything that we can"

a.k.a - "I want to funnel everything into catching this one - this is a borrowed quote from my soulmate business partner."

Emmanuel - "Baby, if that's true, then why put so much pressure on this one?"

a.k.a - "What is the reason/what is so particularly special about this fresh hell you've been subjecting yourself to?"

Sydney - "Because.....I don't know if I could do another one"

Ok - more nuance is required here. According to Syd hivemind, the answers range from "Syd's been burned in a relationship/partnership before", "Syd also has Lupus", or purely "Syd has failed too many times and is scared". We still don't know enough about her past, but I tend to look at this through a strictly fearful/nihilistic prism - she feels like she can't take any more heartache (along with the physical and financial ramifications) from another crash-and-burn endeavor.

But Emmanuel's worried eyes tell a bigger story after she delivers this line, so.....I dunno! I hope S3 covers this understanding gap in a big way.

Strange Currencies playing overhead of the city, taking us to the ally where Carmy is having THE panic attack. I transcribed every image he cycles through while the song plays backwards:

*Sex scene of Carmy staring down expressionless at Claire in bed, Claire leaning down to kiss Carmy.

*An old picture of Claire staring straight ahead, a Sweet 16 birthday picture of her sticking out her tongue in a tiara, one of Carmy's drawing of her with glasses from class. Cut to a flash of Claires face with a wry smile in sepia lighting, followed by another one that is similar but almost taunting. These sepia images get creepier as the panic attack escalates, but also more focused.

*Another drawing of Claire smiling with glasses with Mikey's voice echoing in the background "the motherfucking glasses came off!"

*Another old picture of Claire smiling without glasses, followed by another.

*Mikey and Richie and another "the motherfucking glasses came off!" soundbite.

*Drawing of Claire in glasses again for a brief flash, followed by Carmy and Claires first kiss at The Bear.

*"Carm, this is a good thing" with Stevie, as Carmy crumples to the ground in the ally.

*Claire up-close in sepia sort of half-wistful/half-scruitinizing Carmy

*Donna screaming "fuck you" and Mikey braying at the dinner table, Lee reacting, a dish smashing.

*Sepia Claire turning and smiling to the camera.

*More braying and fuck-you's from Mikey and Lee

*Just Claire's eyes in Sepia-mode, staring across at him with a joker-esque smile as the braying and swearing and fighting continues.

*Donna screaming "are you motherfuckers okay!?"

*The drawings of The Bear in Mikey's hands, him looking up affectionately at Carmy.

*Donna slapping Carmy - Carmy looks up in the ally as if something has slapped him out of it.

Donna and Mikey summon Sydney after this - Mikey with the acknowledgment of his dream (The Bear) and an ounce of brutality from Donna (as in: how dare you care about me, Carmen). These two figures, engines of chaos and trauma, steer him towards Sydney's first words to him.

"Hi, Hello..."

*Strange currencies - "These words* You were the most excellent CDC at the most excellent restaurant in the entire United States of America. What are you doing here I guess?" *you will be mine. You will be mine all the time*

I....I don't understand how the panic attack is ambiguous for people off of this site. I don't understand why it's not noted in reviews and think pieces. I don't understand why otherwise smart people put forth simplistic narratives like "Carmen just needs to make peace with his family" or "he fumbled Claire, his shot at happiness." I just don't understand.

Sydney passing Verdana "Now fool might be my middle name" as she stares down at the sign saying they will be permanently closed May 1st - along with the instrumentals, a clock ticks in the background. A flash of Nilah's face is interspersed, smiling back at her. "But I'd be foolish not to say..."

If this is an ellipse to a "Carmy loves Syd, Syd is fully gay" moment in later seasons, I'll be pretty disappointed since that would be a too-easy way to shut things down.

On first viewing, I took it as "Syd sees herself in Nilah" - she aspires to be her, Nilah gave her forewarning about partnerships that aren't official, Nilah was empowered, optimistic, and in control....and Nilah has not succeeded, highlighting Sydney's anxieties about failure at the same time Carmy is cycling through his own debris.

But the song lyrics are ambiguous, and everything is on purpose, and god damn I hate what fan theories have done to my mind.

Anyone catch that on the F&F menu listed on the whiteboard (as Natalie enters to sit with Carmy) the course of Seven Fishes is followed by the Bolognese? The feast was followed by the meal he prepared for Claire being served at friends and family? Yeah, I did.

The mother father painting - I feel like everyone was riffing on this during the earlier part of the week. The absolution of the mother due to the absent father. Syd being the mother (present) and Carmy being the father (absent). Donna (alive) vs. Mikey (dead). The idea of family haunting the dining room. The idea that this painting in the restaurant supplants what is trying to be built (found family). I suppose the parallels are endless here.

It's also just a truly shitty painting, a gauche reminder of Carmy's absence/inattentiveness.

"What exactly is a ServSafe certificate"?

Carmy was most definitely deflecting, he's a well-venerated chef. There are moments of inconsistency in the show that I let slide (giardiniera a la minute? bitch please) but there had to be a reason for this - his fatigue, his guilt, his inattentiveness reaching a breaking point.

Once he says "I'm fine on mom" Natalie sees it all coming to a head.

Sydney stickering her little Coach K vision board as she arrives for her shift. I just realized she doesn't really start paying attention to the book (a dorky 'go get 'em' gift from her Dad) until Carmy ditches her at Kasama. Coach K exists in the leadership void left by Carmy - it seems so sad to watch her pre-game by bejeweling a picture of a middle-aged man, but that sad pseudo-prayer card is the closest thing she's got to a north star right now.

Also, she's been fixated on and extolling the virtues of Coach K to Carmy all season and is met with....complete incuriosity, I guess? He never prods further, even when he sees her making this dinky thing for her station. It's almost like he knows, on a subconscious level, that this guy is supplanting him as Syd's guide.

But it's also her finding her own voice through advanced mentorship, which is great.

Carmy pointing at those aforementioned stains, Syd undressing in front of him, Carmy making plans to dress her again, them mutually deciding to dress in matching clothes until service. I cannot guys, I cannot.

Carmy getting spit-roasted for his deflection from Nat & Syd ("I know you just missed him *eyeroll*" "Do you have a phone these days?") - I feel like he's so under fire/exposed that he doesn't even recognize of the gravitas of the "I need your focus like you need mine" comment at first.

"What's your relationship with your mom like?" This scene has been discussed to death on here, I don't really have any new insights as it relates to Carmy/Syd and their maternal links or timing. I think the part that hasn't been explored much is Carmy's frustration with Nat which is thinly veiled as concern.

We saw in Fishes that Mikey and Carmy (and Donna) blame Nat for provoking bad behavior with her concern and neediness. Carmy says "she's expecting a miracle" like she's the sole sibling that enabled their mother. By way of Donna's disease and (I presume) unwillingness to seek help, the Berzatto kids really only had two options - enable by pacifying, or GTFO.

Mikey could be as atrocious as Donna. Donna is atrocious. Carmy played soothe-sayer and then left at 18. Natalie tries to cultivate some sense of family - the same family Carmy pays homage to via his restaurant, his menu, his girlfriend, Richie, his endless self-flagellation - but is resented for her own wayward attempts, even though they're very explicit expressions of love (sometimes) and longing (always). There's some really gnarly projection happening there that I expect will rear its head more in S3 between the two of them.

Cue Carmy being a douche to New Noise (although I love that little moment where he cock-blocks Connor, the new chef, and Tina smiles to herself a little).

Tina's been working tirelessly alongside Sydney and asks "Carmen, do you even have a phone?" as Syd tells him the contractor for the shelving called him eleventy-thousand times. There is a lot of emasculation happening on his own restaurant floor (formerly The Beef, the temple of gross masculinity) between the trifecta of Syd/Nat/Tina this episode, and it's only ratcheting up the defensiveness - his excuses and deflections fall flat, but he's not listening or learning yet.

Marcus' dessert check, (with Syd and Carmen looking like a panel of matchy-matchy top chef judges on the other side of the table):

Sydney is looking at Carmy with affection as Marcus receives a package from Denmark (whereas Carmen doesn't even react) - it's the second time she's looked at him like that in the conversation (the first being "workshopping the name") but it's been a long while since she's projected admiration his way. She sees how much he's done for Marcus in cultivating the whole customized Copenhagen experience for him, she sees his service, she sees her values humbly and quietly executed by him.

The Michael 😭 followed by the silence and "You can throw down, huh?" - what a perfect moment of TV.

I'm pausing here for tonight before my grammar falls apart (if it hasn't already), I'll unpack the rest tomorrow.

#the bear fx #the bear season 2 #the bear spoilers #the bear #carmen berzatto #carmy x sydney #syd x carmy #marcus the bear #natalie berzatto #claire the bear #mikey berzatto #carmy berzatto

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unlikelyjapan · 9 months

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The Menu

This excellent post by @vacationship got me thinking about this today - I've still got e9 and e10 to rewatch, so please forgive any notable omissions:

Claire first encounters Carmy at the deep freeze while he's buying a re-up of veal stock for an R&D dish, stoked after spending the day brainstorming the "chaos menu....but thoughtful" with Sydney in his kitchen.

Ignoring the visual warning cues (blue hues, just faces vs. the whole picture/setting, fridges etc), she's interrupting the creative development process Sydney and Carmy initiated. He tries to extrapolate himself with the whole fake number thing (and initiates a "palate cleanse" in the next episode, which is a five-star euphemism - he's trying to get back to center after the encounter) only for it to permanently fly off the rails as Sydney heads over to Kasama ("palate cleanse" + Kasama meaning "together" - agghh!)

"Thoughtful" vanishes from the description, it's referred to only as the 'Chaos Menu' thereafter (I know Carmy tries to reinforce "thoughtful" one more time, but he mumbles it hesitantly). Carmy is stuck in the reactionary washing machine of his PTSD again - unless it was an idea that Sydney brought him directly prior to Claire entering his life, all of the oft-discussed and drawn dishes harken back to the feast of the seven fishes, Mikey and Donna, the prospect of Claire literally being delivered on a silver platter that night by the brothers Grimm.

I think back to Carmy later decrying "this is what you wanted!!" to Sydney as they're fighting over the menu drawings/Claire in E8. It really shows us where this all landed - Carmy launched himself into chaos with this new relationship, embracing the flight/fight/freeze/FAWN mode in order to deliver Syd the Chaos Menu he perceives they were creating (or she was just requesting, in his weird little mind...) in the beginning.

His experiences with Claire (with the subsequent guilt and discomfort they're bringing him in the quest for "amusement or enjoyment" so he can serve others) are what he views as the creative process in the development of his menu for Syd. He's doing a deep dive into the murky and traumatizing depths of his past/present to deliver this thing, and he doesn't understand why she's not more pleased about it.

He really doesn't realize that the "thoughtful" part of the menu was shorthand for Syd's collaboration. "Thoughtful" meant resolution and a sense of peace, a fresh start - chaos menu is just shorthand for the same cycles that have kept Carmy trapped for time immemorial, and that's what he got when he mentally leaned on Claire instead of Syd as his creative partner.

I guess I'll think about this more over the next few days....I kinda want to do a deep dive into the genesis of the dishes at some point, there's so much there.

#the bear fx #the bear season 2 #the bear spoilers #the bear #carmen berzatto #carmy x sydney #carmy berzatto #claire the bear #syd x carmy #sydney adamu

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unlikelyjapan · 9 months

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Moments on Film: Carmy and “Just Keep Going”

“Just keep going” is a recurring mantra in The Bear. The first time we hear it, it’s Marcus telling Sydney as he helps her clean up the spilled veal stock in S1. Cousin Michelle says it to Carmy during their poignant scene at the Christmas dinner. Carmy says it to himself by replaying Michelle’s words in his head as he awaits the results of the fire suppression test. The last time we hear it, Carmy says it to Sydney to help her focus and calm down as she’s recovering from Marcus’s outburst in the S2 finale.

I think “just keep going” has been Carmen’s personal mantra his entire life. It has had to be. And while it may have served him well in years prior, I believe it has now, finally all caught up with him.

Because of Carmy’s traumatic and abusive upbringing, he has trained himself to never properly reflect on what just happened. How could he possibly? From what we have been shown so far, his mother is extremely abusive, controlling, manipulative, and threatening. In their brief scenes together, she called him by his brother’s name, threatened him to the point that I believe she physically abuses him, and in fact slapped his face while he was very sweetly comforting her and trying to calm her down. The look on his face after being slapped is gut wrenching, mainly because, as always, there’s so much in his expression—a world of hurt and emotions, and you know he will never tell anyone about what she just did. All he can do is repress his feelings, suppress the urge to react in any way, and literally just keep going. He has to. It’s how he has survived. And it’s killing him.

Gif source: @sarcasmcloud

We still don’t know what Carmy’s relationship with his dad was like. He says he didn’t “know him well enough to miss him.” Is this true? Or did Carmy also have to survive physical and emotional abuse, in addition to neglect from him, starting at a very young age? Either way, he’s had to keep moving forward and not look back, likely afraid of what will happen if he stops and actually does. This is another reason why he’s always scanning people’s faces, body language and tone to see if they’re mad at him, and waiting for the other shoe to drop. He has been surrounded by erratic, unpredictable behavior. He has had to think ahead, plan his next move, anticipate people’s behavior, reactions and responses so he can be prepared. He has had to live a life of propulsion, never looking back. Staying still, reflecting on the abuse he has had to survive as well as the recent trauma of his brother’s suicide could potentially cause a complete and total nervous breakdown, so he pushes on.

In the flashback scene in New York, we get another, heartbreaking example of how “just keep going” is killing Carmy. His boss is an emotionally abusive tyrant, but for Carmy to call it out, first he would have to acknowledge it. To do that, he might also have to think about and acknowledge the abuse he’s suffered, likely from his dad, certainly his mom, possibly his “uncle” Lee, even his brother. He is not ready to reckon with any of the abusive behavior in those relationships, so he keeps his head down, and does anything he can to get through the day, even if that means vomiting his unspoken feelings out of his sick and exhausted body before every single shift.

Even before New York, which—ironically and devastatingly, was supposed to be a time where he could “decompress” and escape the trauma at home, he was doing anything and everything to stay ahead of slowing down and facing what he’s been through. For years he’s been putting one foot in front of the other, scared to look down, lest he fall off the tightrope.

Presumably since after high school, he’s been traveling around, and in constant motion. Numerous restaurants in California, Copenhagen, then New York. Carmy has so much unprocessed trauma from multiple sources that has never really dealt with, he’s literally been on the run. He has been distracting himself and filling the void by throwing himself into work, and in the words of cousin Michelle at Christmas dinner, he has, in fact, been, “running around like crazy.” He might change his location, but his unprocessed trauma follows him everywhere he goes, causing him paranoia, anger, shame, guilt, self loathing, dread and fear. It’s also made him sick.

The only way to escape is to never be idle for a second, which is why he’s in constant motion. Carmy as a character is rarely completely still. His hands are constantly moving, in S1 in particular he is perpetually running his hands through his hair, feeling his forehead, smoking, and fiddling with his spoon. He hands tremor and tremble when there’s nothing to occupy them. None of this is an issue when he’s scrubbing floors or furiously chopping vegetables. He can be so unsettled and it all stems from the need to stay in motion to distract himself.

Life in a kitchen can easily swallow someone’s entire life. There’s always so much to do—from the prep to the cooking, the tasting, managing staff, actual service, cleaning, ordering supplies, and doing it all over again to keep the place running. Orders come in that have to be filled. It’s relentless, and at the highest level, requires complete and utter focus to be completed successfully. Natalie correctly points out the toll the restaurant takes on Carmy in her first scene with him. “It’s eating you alive”, she tells him. And it is. In S1, Carmy talks about how much time they would spend cleaning at The French Laundry. It’s hard to let your mind wander when you’re in motion and just keep going, so that’s exactly what Carmen does.

The rare moments where Carmy does pause and rest, he has life threatening night terrors, crippling nightmares, and horrible anxiety. In a prior post I analyzed Carmy’s visibly elevated vital signs in S1 and S2. He is so repressed and stressed out it impacts his entire body. With no outlet, his trauma manifests inwardly and makes him ill. His dangerously heightened pulse and heartbeat are often visible onscreen. He has trouble breathing. He’s constantly chewing tums or chugging Pepto Bismol to calm his stomach. One of the few items in his apartment visible to Sydney as she enters is a giant bottle of ibuprofen. As I mentioned before, he often looks sick. There’s so much tension coursing through his body sometimes he actually looks like he’s burning up with fever. He’s not taking care of himself. He’s not eating well, and he barely sleeps. His coat is too thin for the freezing Chicago weather, and that’s when he actually wears it to go outside. He blinks his eyes hard in stressful moments, which is a trauma response. The way his body reacts during his panic attacks is frightening. There have been several moments where he looked like he was going to collapse and have a heart attack.

He has been running around, over working himself, repressing his emotions and feelings, neglecting his own needs, health and happiness and in constant motion for probably the past decade. As I detailed in a prior post, Camry is lost at the present because he’s never allowed himself to slow down and find out who he really is and what actually makes him happy. He’s been in complete and total survival mode.

There is no way he can keep up at the level he has been operating and not completely collapse at some point. I think that’s a huge reason, subconsciously, that he slipped into the relationship with Claire. Among other reasons, he is exhausted and it was a way out and seemingly a soft place to land. She is also probably the first person to physically touch him, maybe in years. Of course he wanted to lean into the potential comfort and care that he thought she might be able to provide. He needs touch and tenderness so desperately that he invited her to the restaurant, his sacred space, mere seconds after she stroked his face, a turning point in their “relationship.”

Claire initially allowed him just enough relief that he wasn’t about to explode. However, in the end, it proved to be such a distraction that it pulled him even further from reality, his duties, and people who he actually should have been spending time with, namely, Sydney. The lack of healthy balance caused him increased anxiety and much more harm than good. His panic attacks actually increased and got worse during his time with Claire. She also only served to unhealthily unearth the past he’s been running away from by bringing painful memories he’s tried to suppress screaming to the surface.

I am very worried about where a potential next season(s) will take Carmy, emotionally and physically. He is headed for a serious crash and burn if he thinks he can just ignore his numerous health problems and keep running from his past. He is only human. They will all catch up with him and I believe they already have.

I’m also worried because we know the writers like to do call backs and tie threads together. Plot points, relationships and lines are never wasted. I’ve said in my posts prior to S2 how badly I think Carmen needs to see a Doctor. The fact that Claire is one, but it never factored into S2 is so odd to me.

Carmy physically exhibits crippling distress, and noticeably elevated vital signs, in the form of shallow breathing, rapid pulse, pounding heartbeat and a face that often looks flushed with fever. He actually had a “gnarly” panic attack while he was with Claire. He needs medical attention, but we were never shown her acknowledge this or make a recommendation about the help he needs, or give him tips to calm down, apart from essentially “just ignore your problems and they’ll go away.” This is all so strange to me because Carmy is not well, Claire’s an ER Doctor in residency, and she experienced him during a horrible panic attack. What is the first thing they do at the Emergency Room? Check your vital signs. Can’t she see he’s sick? Wouldn’t she want to help him, personally, not to mention professionally, to get treatment and ease his suffering? It doesn’t make any sense to me.

He has, however, found a new way to self soothe in his most painful moments to calm down his nervous system—with visions of the one thing that helps him stabilize and breathe, visions of Sydney.

I really hope that the next time Carmy and Claire see each other isn’t because he’s being brought to the Emergency Room where she’s a Doctor because of something terrible, like an illness, accident, or major health emergency. That said, I think he is on the brink of a crisis. A major health issue might be the only way for him to stop and actually slow down enough to rethink his life and how he’s been spending it these past years.

Season 2 ends with Carmy believing he needs to double down on his mantra and “just keep going”like he always has, push himself to the max, and sacrifice his entire existence to run the restaurant, but that is not sustainable. It is not service, it is servitude. I believe he is exhausted, burnt out and headed for disaster from living this way for the past decade. He’s a master at masking that he’s barely hanging on by a thread. This is a huge reason why Sydney is his lifeline. Unlike Claire, who’s supposedly “known” Carmy for years, within days Sydney accurately diagnosed Carmy’s problem (S1E2) “you need help”, she told him. She saw through what he was trying to hide, to what he needs most. She caught him before he fell and she’s been holding him this whole time. I honestly believe that by walking in the doors of The Beef, Sydney saved Carmen’s life, but neither one of them truly realizes it yet.

I really hope for the sake of Carmy’s physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health he will see that slowing down, coming to terms with the abuse and trauma he’s survived, taking care of himself, resting, and getting professional help is a life and death situation for him.

Carmen needs to realize that he hasn’t and isn’t living a full life with the mantra “just keep going.” It has worked so far as a survival tactic but he deserves and needs to live a life where he can be healthy, fulfilled and happy. A life where he’s not just going but growing. I hope he realizes this before it’s too late. For the sake of his health the stakes are extremely high and he has no time to lose. Every second counts, indeed.

©️moments-on-film 2023

#fantastic breakdown op #especially that he actually has been “seen” by a doctor and no real intervention happened #That was a narrative choice #the bear fx #carmen berzatto #carmy berzatto

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unlikelyjapan · 9 months

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s2e8 rewatch notes

I've been living under a rock this week, but I did do a dive into Bolognese.

I've noticed there's only sunlight in the dining room when Syd and Carmy are together - otherwise it's always cast in a pale blue or artificial hue during the daytime. There's so much uncertainty in the opening scene, with Syd surveying the in-progress landscape by herself, like she knows it might be all for not.

Cut to Carmy stimmying alone in the kitchen. Claire's "you alright?" and Carmy's blank expression "Yeah, I'm alright" followed by Claire whispering "everything's fine" - others have touched eloquently on the infantalization, but so much of their relationship is dependent on her telling him how to feel. She asks him about the NICET level-2 exam, and he trails off mid-way because he really doesn't want to be discussing this with her - it punctures the love bubble.

Claire can feel the hesitation marks - re: with him sharing about his work, about his relationship/situationship with her, and that's what spawns the abrupt "never, ever apologize" - she's effectively telling him "you don't need to say anything" so she can continue being in control of their narrative. She's emotionally intuitive enough to see he's mentally in anguish, and she's trying to protect the connection at all costs by denying him any opportunity to experience/feel that anguish.

I don't think her actions are nefarious, it's just that when someone really REALLY wants someone else, they're bound to manipulate their emotions. We see it in her helping flip the narratives about the cannoli too - it's very much a "change the angles/change the lighting" move on something that is actually big . fucking. deal - it's projected like she's simply invested in Carmy's improvement, but it's also incredibly self-serving.

UGH the whispering. On second viewing, I can view it more as intentional discomfort, but it's still like being spit-roasted in CW Network hell.

"Lay my Love" John Cale and Brian Eno playing - "I am the crow of desperation, I need no fact or validation" - the whole song is about the relentlessness (and shadiness) of getting someone to love you back. Carmy suppresses who he is (and what he's feeling) to be with Claire, Claire aids in suppressing Carmy's feelings and completely sublimates her own need for everything (other than Carmy) to get him to want to be with her.

Tina & Ebra - yay, I love witnessing platonic friendships/working partnerships! /s

Someone please cross-stitch me an "Old bitches like their bitch ways" pendant to hang in my kitchen. Beyond that, there's not much to analyze in this scene - Ebra seems to feel more shame than resentment in his need to stay fixed. This is such a great interlude for the episode - showing that failure is tolerated within the found family, there's a place for everyone etc.

The fire suppression test is the shoe that doesn't drop for Carmy (so it emboldens him - the world didn't end, he's safe, so he immediately jumps into a defined relationship 2 weeks from open at the end of the episode) while Syd understands that the test just means they have permission to begin the first leg of their journey.

Hence, her response to "Just thinking about the fire suppression test" is a broader "Controlling the zone, staying calm, creating space, trust" - "How do we do this?" Carmy defers to her for the emotional labor of running The Bear - again. He figures he's there to deliver her things that impress her and elevate her (his talented palate, the chaos menu, a chef's coat, her star via his cache) - so naturally he thinks it's mission accomplished as soon as they have clearance to open.

Talking about the potential of failing the suppression test, they say "We are fucked" - in unison. When Sydney echos Carmy, he cops another sneaky glance at her face (sorry, I'm graphically feeble so I didn't grab a shot) not unlike the scene where they're talking in the kitchen. Contrasting this with the mumbled anxiety conversation with Claire, this conversation gives him strength - when they have these synchronistic moments, Carmen feels incredibly seen and heard.

"The best offenses have the ability to reset and adapt on a dime."

"We can do that though."

"We have to."

Well, one of them achieved this. Sydney is the offense. Carmy is the defense. Sydney is adapting to all the travails set up in the process of opening the restaurant - including Carmy - attempting to score a win. Carmy is blocking her from that win, but he's a shitty defense because his whole schtick is impressing Syd ironically taking Coach K to heart in his personal life. I think back to the intro-interview I transcribed at the beginning of Forks (from Coach's interview):

The very first thing is that in order to get better you change limits. And when you change limits, you're going to look bad and you're going to fail. And at West Point I learned that failure was never a destination. In other words, when you are knocked back, you know, figure out why, then change.

Carmy changed the limits in so many things - in his boundaries in relationships (with both Syd and Claire), opening his own restaurant, and reaching for more of life in general. He's failing, as expected - but he's also failing to play defensively, to figure out the why- the wind is just sort of carrying him along.

They also reinforce in the same talk that "you're not going to get there alone" - he's simultaneously trying to do this with Syd (as a "team" as it exists in his mind) and FOR Syd (laying what she's asked for at her feet like a sad cat seeking praise when she really just wanted him to listen).

"Carmy said he was going to handle it" - ahaha, I get it. The fridge handle comes off - Carmy constantly says "I'll handle it." Someone in the writer's room earned a cracker.

By this point, you can tell everyone on the team is exasperated by his absentee B.S, even if half of them are enablers.

"I was going to surprise you" - oooh Marcus.

"I see you with the olive oil" - Syd calling back to the apartment kitchen scene in s1e8.

The smile dissipates from Marcus' face instantly after Syd tries the dessert and Carmen interjects with the dextrose. These man hoes are so messy - I don't care what the Hollywood Reporter cranks out, I write it as I see it.

Marcus resets and the smile comes back when Carmen looks at his dessert and says "very yes", but not with the same intensity.

Also, so much for the Coach K "don't make excuses" - when Syd accosts Carmy about the fridge door, he immediately discusses his 'gnarly panic attack' - from one angle, he's learning to open up on his trauma via his relationship with Claire, but he's also using subtle manipulation to evade responsibility for things.

"She's a girl who's a FRIEND??" - Syd

"She's a girlfriend? You think?" - Carmy

"Oooh." - Syd

"Ooooh. Okay. Uh. Next" - Marcus

If you follow this up later with Marcus saying "That's healthy" re: the cannoli with solemn eyes, one begins to intuit that he doesn't think much of Carmy beyond boss-guy by this point (I mean, neither do others right now, but he's been in Europe).

He attributes Copenhagen to Syd (which, fair enough, it was her idea, but it was a window into Carmy's life orchestrated by Carmy) and you can tell the writers are playing with the tension by this point. Carmy as buffer/barrier. He only breaks the tension when Carmen says "for real" after trying the Copenhagen sundae - Carmy's expertise still means something to Marcus.

Richie's apology to Natalie - for Everything. "For a long time I didn't know where I fit, and I would shove myself into, like, places and things where I definitely did not fit. And I think that that probably....definitely....made things worse. And I'm sorry if I took anything out on you and if I treated you like shit."

In summary - sorry for injecting myself into your family for years and riling everyone up and manipulating the whole family dynamic. Sorry for aiding in Mikey's downfall. Sorry for aiding in Carmy's downfall. Sorry for not protecting you amidst all that. Sorry for all my "Van Halen" shit at work trying to compensate for what I lost with your family, with my own family I tried to build.

"That's why you're wearing the suit?"

"Um....I'm wearing the suit because it makes me feel better about myself."

I like that Natalie appreciates the visual confirmation that Richie is trying to be better, to practice self-love - she knows that's the inverse of The Beef and the Berzattos. And hearing Richie say "I need this place to work" and Gary echoing "WE need this place to work" is Natalie's first confirmation she's probably heard that the team isn't just her and Syd. She becomes so much lighter after this scene.

Syd rolling her eyes after hearing Carmy say he "had to draw them because the heat was off" - she's a technical and practical person, and you can tell that it's mildly aggravating (in that lovingly jealous way) that creative pursuits come to Carmy so easily. She has to absorb inspiration and creativity through observation and study, whereas with him it's self-contained.

Carmy cuts the tape as he's getting fired up/enthusiastic with Syd - noticing the details again, getting into the zone, and smiling.

Originally, the golem in me was like "haha, he ignored the lame "level 2 baby!" text from Claire, but I now realize that he reads it and then immediately leaves that "zone" - he again pushes labor onto Sydney regarding his Iberico hook-up "uh yeah - I'll give you his number, and uh, you can go ahead and you can call him." He was stoked seconds ago, he finally seemed absorbed in his space and his work - this man is so conflicted.

"This looks kinda like a chaos menu"

"Well no, it's like, it's a thoughtful chaos menu."

"Oh."

"Look, Claire and I, we were talking about it last night, and she-she made me realize that maybe I'm clinging onto some things that....I don't know, maybe, I just, I don't care that much about anymore"

I just noticed that he looks directly into Syd's eyes as he says the last sentence - dagger to the heart of their partnership from her POV.

"And this is good, right? Because this is what you wanted."

*this is a 'your cat dropping a dead bird on your carpet' moment*

"Yo why are you being like that?

I feel like Syd's perspective on the fight has been amply analyzed on here, I have no notes.

I found it more interesting that Carmy starts ranting more hurt and emotional than he's ever sounded talking to her before. "I'm sorry, I like, fucking hated Cannoli's my whole life and now..."

*Cue ASL* "STOP. Stop."

He was about to spill his guts for her here. He can't understand why she's upset (I did this for you), he doesn't understand why she's mad about Claire (she was my sounding board for your ideas, she's not my girlfriend!), and he wants to share with her how he got here (Syd's menu, built for Syd - his pain converted into something healing).

Ugh - Syd's "you need to decide if this person is a girlfriend or girl that's a friend" demand for an answer being interpreted as an instruction. Again, it's been discussed to death, but now there are so many dead birds on the carpet to clean up.

The Crane Wife by The Decemberists plays as Carmen enters the fridge and asks Fak if Claire is his girlfriend. I feel like "I hate Fak's meddling ass" is going to be inscribed on my tombstone by loved ones at this point, but it doesn't need to be discussed - the whole thing is beautifully broken down with the meaning behind the song here. (Ugh, I've lost the link! Whoever has this post flagged come forward so I can link it/give credit? It was perfect.)

The interjection with Richie (doing Carmy's bidding) in having Sydney approve putting Mikey's dying note to Carmen on the line though? Jesus H. Christ - it's not even that they pan to a scene with Sydney after Carmen says "I love her a lot?" re: Claire, it's literally about Syd having the final say as to WHETHER HIS DEAD BROTHERS LOVE LETTER TO HIM IS OKAY TO BE ON THE LINE.

I feel like this scene was a win for the sydrichies too, and I earnestly I don't know what they were doing there - the compliments, the only-child dialogue. "It's nice that you have Syd and Nat" "Yeah, now you do too"

But she says "thanks for asking" to Richie - even though it was Carmy asking her if this massive thing was okay. There's a wall (the one just rebuilt) between Syd and Carmy after the kitchen conversation, things are moving through Richie as the conduit now. Richie is her partner while Carmy is MIA.

Cicero and Natalie in the car:

"Appraisal on the lot came back".....

"But here's where things, uh, get funky, right? .... skyrocketing interest rates"

Remember the Olivia Coleman scene where she was talking about the market crashing and her initial dream restaurant getting killed? More foreshadowing for S3 I guess.

"Hey, if you were to have kids all over again, what would you do?"

"Oh, honey, I wouldn't have them......" "You know, Nat, I'd um...what would I do? I would want them to be....not so fucking afraid of things, you know? I'd protect them less. Yeah. I'd want em to have more fun, make more mistakes. Get into more fuckin' trouble, you know? I don't know how to do it...but that, that's what I'd do."

Although Cicero smells blood in the water, he's The Bears daddy (and probably the closest thing to a father that Richie, Carmy and Natalie have now) - I think he wants to push them, he'll let them make mistakes, but he won't let them become "a story of complete and utter failure" I believe. And so does Natalie.

As the sign changes to "10 days to open"

Carmy "What are you guys doing?"

Natalie "Just staring at some stuff" as her and Syd go over the calendar. They're alone together in work again.

The inner narratives of each character during the fire suppression countdown are so revealing:

Syd - Restaurant closure signs, old boxes of Sheridan Road paperwork, her father grasping her shoulders in comfort as she looks away from him, seemingly insecure/dejected. (Fear of failure dominates)

Natalie - Bills and IRS statements piling up, her mother torturing her 5 years earlier, cuddling with Pete on the couch and looking peaceful. (Fear of moving backwards dominates)

Ebra - Being praised with "He's learning!" and putting on his Original Beef shirt with a smile. (Nostalgia dominates- fear of change)

Marcus - Smiling at the beef, tasting his own dessert, taking care of his mother in the hospital. (Comfort dominates - fear of loss)

Tina - "I'm grateful for all y'all motherfuckers" hugging Richie, laughing at family meal. (Love dominates)

Richie - Tiff saying "You're going to be such a cute dad", family snaps with a picture of Claire holding and smiling at Eva front-and-center (!!!), laughing at family meal. (Loss dominates - also living vicariously through Carmy with Claire or!? What a weird fucking montage, someone please explain)

Fak - The balloon popping repeatedly (Fear of immediate failure...)

Carmy - The stove burners, the burning frozen food at his apartment, the portrait of the bear he drew, Mikey's face when he received it, the flames licking the wall at the beef, the clock at 11:51, his eyes vacantly reflecting the flames, pictures of Natalie/Donna/Cicero/himself as a kid, Mikey smiling deranged, Michelle telling him "keep going", the flash of the red kitchen clock as the examiner says "3" (wow....this gets its own post in a bit, it's late)

Then it's just interspersed shots of Carmy nodding and Sydney's nostrils flaring as they count down the remaining numbers.

The aftermath/the hugs have been well-dissected, I'll leave it to others.

Song lyrics during restaurant cooking montage

I will come to you in the daytime

I will raise you from your sleep

I will kiss you in four places

As I go runnin' down your street

I will squeeze the life right out of you

You will make me laugh and make me cry

And though we try to forget it

You will make me call your name

As I shout it into the blue summer sky

And we may never meet again

So shed your skin and lets get started

And you will throw your arms around me

Song lyrics from "I gotta go call my girlfriend"

I have dreamed of you in the daytime (Claire working the ER)

And I have watched you in your sleep (Carmy grocery shopping)

I met you in high places (Carmy cooking while wearing his The Beef shirt - regression much?)

Touched your head and touched your feet (Syd scrubbing the floor)

And though I disappear from out of you (Claire leaving the ER)

And though I disappear from out of you (Sydney on transit watching the game - announcer says "they need a miracle")

And though I try to forget it (Carmy cooking/shredding cheese)

You will make me call your name (Sydney getting home)

As I shout it into the blue summer sky (Sydney getting undressed, revealing the 3 of Swords tattoo - Claire walking in and kissing Carmy)

"We may never meet again" (goes to black)

Apologies if someone already broke all of this down, but what in the heavy-handed fuck is this?

#the bear fx #the bear season 2 #the bear spoilers #the bear #carmen berzatto #carmy x sydney #syd x carmy

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unlikelyjapan · 9 months

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s2e7 rewatch notes

Forks. Here we go...

Enters with Syd doing menu R&D with Coach K's interview layered on.

I'm going to be honest and say I hate inspirational sports narratives - years ago my husband used to work for a huge sports conglomerate, and I'm still finding and disposing of "TEAMS GO HARD - THERE ARE NO APOLOGIES" motivational-type swag to this day.

That being said, the interview is highly relative to Syd, foreshadows Richie's arc apex, Carmy's choice/fall/probable redemption, the teams learning curves, the restaurant's impending ebb and flow, so I've transcribed it for posterity:

So as you've been coaching over the years, what would you say are the most important lessons of leadership that you've learned?

The other thing is that you're not going to get there alone. You know, be on a team. You know, surround yourself with good people and learn how to listen. You're not going to learn with you just talking. And when you do talk, converse - don't make excuses. Figure out the solution. And you don't have to figure it out yourself.

I always wanted to be part of a team and obviously I wanted to lead that team. You know, what an interesting life it is to be a leader.

"That's something" Syd murmurs. The whole talk is the glue that holds her to RIchie and co. without Carmy in e10.

I do appreciate how they portray (with the aid of spooky music) Richie's wake-up, the city of Chicago, and the modernist restaurant as bathed in grey/blue hues and basically haunted at the jump. Richie as a shell, an angry ghost, terrified of his perceived lack of agency, his irrelevance, and whatever future fate Carmy has in store for him.'

"Chef Terry is always watching" contrasted with the initial starkness of "Every Second Counts" without context - so much has already been reported on this episode re: ritual/purpose, but I just relish watching Richie be in jail the first portion of this episode.

And don't worry, I'm not going to make any "OMG a fork! Remember when...." observations, this isn't the Reddit sub.

I do like the use of David Byrne's "Glass, Concrete & Stone" as Richie tucks into day two and three of his stage.

"Now, I'm wakin' at the crack of dawn, to send a little money home, from here to the moon...."

I mean, his conscious mind is screaming "I have to do this so Carmy will pay me", but some part of his lizard brain has to be cluing in at this point that this whole exercise/path might lead to a more lucrative life - so he can support the family he doesn't possess anymore.

Carmy, Syd, Tina, Marcus and Natalie are thrown into a restaurant montage overlapping RIchie's scene while the song continues to play out - it doesn't play in this lyrical order, so you know every note is intentionally directed at one/all:

Lookin' at happiness

Keepin' my flavor fresh

Nobody knows I guess

How far I'll go, I know

So I'm leavin' at Six O' Clock

Meet in a parkin' lot

Harriet Hendershot

Sunglasses on, she waits by this

Glass and concrete and stone

It is just a house, not a home.

And my head is fifty feet high

Let my body and soul be my guide

There's too many dual meanings /applications for these lyrics to even sift through here. Bravo, Christopher Storer.

In my last recap of Fishes, I had said a bit about how all the men in the Berzatto orbit can be ground down to a pulp by men they perceive as an authority/threat.

Garrett represents a beta-persona to Richie, someone he could easily go off on (with a "G or R" comment casually thrown in) when he starts lecturing him in the alley about his commitment/work ethic, but Garrett is so assured of his work, and more importantly assured of his mother-fucking purpose.

The obvious layer of this is that Richie's seeking his purpose, so it's a crystalizing moment. The secondary layer is that it reveals the kryptonite of the Berzatto(ish) men - people who have and are assured by their purpose, and who lead with that instead of myths and bluster.

This explains Carmy's early "othering" by the family, for better and for worse - he's not assured of that purpose because of all his enmeshment and hang-ups, but they caught a whiff of what it could lead to, and it brews a curiosity, mocking and quiet disdain.

It also explains Richie's bonkers hatred of Syd in season 1 (reciprocated in kind), as Sydney comes rushing out of the gate with assurance and purpose. It also explains the immediate tune-up their relationship undergoes as soon as Richie wanders back to The Bear. Same goes for Richie and Natalie's repair/sudden appreciation for one another by e8.

Re: the teachers who had saved up for a fancy dinner at the pre-service meeting:

"I want to go above and beyond tonight. Every supplement and caviar, a tour of the kitchen, a champagne tour in the gallery as well. And, guys, we're not going to let these people spend a dollar. Do not drop a check. I wanna blow their fuckin' minds."

I will cop to shedding a happy tear the first time I saw this. I really hope it changed some mid-American perspectives on what service work and hospitality can mean (across the board, but especially in its upper echelons), by what metrics they assess it, how they value the people who work purposefully to take care of them. So good! I'm glad it hit Richie like a ton of bricks.

It looks like Tiff's been crying before she calls Richie in preparation. It's really sweet that Richie's first thought is obviously a worry about her health or something when she says she needs to tell him something, followed quickly by relief. I didn't question that there wasn't real love there, but it's nice to see it linger between the two of them in the aftermath....Ebon and GIllian both played this scene so sincerely.

As he re-enters the kitchen, Richie is watching the careful food prep and the FOH interactions with such a childlike intensity/wonder. I didn't realize that the "rebirth of Richie" happened in a day, not a week (which I felt was too fast already) but I actually find myself resenting it less at this clip. Basically all the things he held dear (being Van Halen, potential reconciliation with Tiff, the dishonesty of white collar life and dining/fraud Carmy) were obliterated in a single day, but a life that requires "someone who's good with people" has presented itself in tandem. (I...god....its a fork in the fucking road, ok? ugh.)

Just taking a beat to marvel over the Chicago cinematography in this episode. My God, the colors they were able to coax out of trains and the skyline at night, it's truly magnificent.

Some reddit gals were pointing out that Chef Jess' gold 'X' earrings are the exact same as Claire's, which indicated that she's marked as a love interest for Richie the same way Claire is marked for Carmy, everything being intentional and all that.

While I leave a slight amount of room to believe that a show about a group of kitchen rats doesn't have an overly-extensive jewelry collection to pull from in the wardrobe department, if it was intentional I think it says more about Richie's motivations than it does Carmy's.

Richie really wanted a Claire. Someone available, interested, someone he could regard as a "high-calibre woman" (I am not going to include any of the dialogue from Fishes, don't worry). I think the "X" could signify women who are emotionally open and available. What the men do with that is up to them - I don't think The Bear is going to fuck around with fatalistic narratives when it's actively trying to dispel them elsewhere.

I really love the sense of play as the staff gather around the perquod's pizza as the chef is preparing it - taking a minute to delight in it without it disrupting the urgency of the kitchen at rush. I can't wait until The Bear gains its sea legs and we see everyone BOH being afforded moments like this.

Deep dish is not "magic pizza" though. Far from it.

When Richie identifies the apple cider gastrique and Garrett cries "THATS MY FUCKING BOY RIGHT THERE!!" -

I mean, it's bro movie shit, and this would never happen in a week....but it is a truly charming context switch. The Taylor Swift bit was way too cloying for me, but I'm relieved to see Richie smile and Ebon really sells it all.

Shout out to the shot of Ceres.

It's been discussed, but Garrett's sobriety story re: acts of service for recovery/hospital-ity is a poignant add-on.

Every character featured on the show is tasked with providing service and taking care of people in either a hospital or hospitality setting, and it's the key to maintaining (or regaining) control of their lives.

Richie is a baby who's learning, we know this. This seems more like a direct shot across the bow at Carmy - even with the example of a girlfriend who's a doctor, he's negating taking care of people and providing acts of service for them to provide for himself (thinking it'll make him better at it). Carmy has dodged alcoholism through abstinence, but he's exhibiting addict behavior by abdicating his responsibilities to others in order to chase sensations. He dodges his AA meetings, neglects service to others, and ends up losing control of his life.

Aaannnd we're back to Berzatto patterns with Richie feeling like Carmy owns and controls him, once it's reinforced that Garrett/Chef Terry defer to Carmy re: Richie's working life. We all know Carmy would never deny him the opportunity to move on to another stellar job, which makes his call to him so annoying.

I like that the next morning Richie is shown to be 50% less self-destructive. He's bloodshot again and staring at Mikey's prayer card in the mirror, but he's also up in a flash, organizing Eva's crayons, cleaning the counters etc. instead of just fully dirt-bagging it out the door. He's not perfect, but he's changed.

Hmmm - Richie reveals to Chef Terry that he was a military brat.If he moved around a lot as the sole child (it's been established that his parents were shit), it definitely explains why he would gravitate towards Mikey's very rooted family to have an established sense of place, no matter how dysfunctional it is. He also seems to take it very personally that their dad was a deadbeat - I wonder if that was a secondary abandonment for him too.

Chef Terry - "I tried to open a place years ago. I had all these accolades, I was younger, I was on fire. I was arrogant and I tried to move too fast and I couldn't keep the place open, and the market crashed and I got killed.[......] the most public wipe-out.

Yikes. Followed by the story of her current place:

"That was on my 38th birthday. I was out walking all night, unemployed, angry, depressed - blaming everyone else for all the time I'd lost and all the money I'd lost, all of it. And it was raining - and I was walking through Lincoln Park - and my phone died. And so I stood under this awning waiting for the rain to stop - and I just stood there and stared - and then the sun came up, and it turns out I was right there.

And then I walked 'round to the front and I saw the sign. It was an actual sign. It was a restaurant for lease sign."

Richie - "Like a, uh, never too late...."

"Yeah. Never too late to start over."

Again, the meaning as it applies to Richie is pretty overt and obvious, but I wonder how they're going to tether this more to Syd or Carmy next season (or just rail them both equally with it, along with the fate of The Bear). There are also parallels of it being a family business, and the death of a family member that she didn't get the opportunity to know as well as she should have.

"He believes in you. He told me" - Aw, Carmy ❤️ I'll be mad at you again tomorrow.

This ended up being more enjoyable than I remembered. I think Pop and Fishes just did a number on me.

#the bear fx #the bear season 2 #the bear spoilers #the bear #carmen berzatto #carmy x sydney #richie jerimovich #syd x carmy #sydcarmy #carmy berzatto

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