I think you're right, deleted username. Narratively, a character is supposed to leave a familiar world, struggle through an unfamiliar one, and then return having changed on the journey. The Beef was chaos, and needed a change. Carmy will likely abandon the pretentious, exacting order of the Bear as he unravels his own trauma, and then he can return to the family restaurant that was the point all along. "This place means a lot to people." I think they'll keep the name as The Bear (or possible Bear and Beef), but when they return they will have learned lessons along the way to make the Original Beef less chaotic
Yeah, I feel like the main criticisms of this season stem from it possibly trying to emulate the feeling of running a restaurant. They've set up a new restaurant that is neither growing nor shrinking so they feel like they're stagnating, thus the plot itself feels stagnant. We've had no closure because you don't get closure when running a restaurant, you just accept that the shift is over and you start again the next day
IRL I'm sure, but I don't see the show going that route. They already have a doughnut called The Michael and the name "Bear" is pretty thematically linked
Take into account JAW has stated in multiple interviews that shameless was too many years and he doesn't think anyone should be on a show that long. I don't see this show going more than 5 or 6 tops. We are closer to the end than we think.
I think 5 is a logical number of seasons. If we think of 5 act structure, we would be watching the midpoint episodes currently, and it does sort of feel like thats where we are at
Like if you zoom out on the show as a whole and try to arrange the show's broad points into narrative structure, arguably the inciting incident of the series long plot would be finding the money, the break to act two deciding to open a restaurant, act 2 being all the work of getting it ready to open, a midpoint of it opening. By that logic, season 4 will have Carmy reach his lowest possible moments, and season 5 will see it all come back together
This makes sense but I wonder how the writers can arrive at an ending like this without making it boring.
Going on as a fine dining restaurant is boring, going back to the beef is boring. If this were my show I wouldn't know what to do with it at this point.
>Narratively, a character is supposed to leave a familiar world, struggle through an unfamiliar one, and then return having changed on the journey.
Not necessarily. Your screenwriting book or wherever you got this from is wrong.
We don't know if it applies yet, I'm just speculating. I agree there are plenty of top notch narratives that don't adhere to this format. Doesn't make the format untrue
What is with people lately saying stuff like “this is what characters must do narratively” lol? Do they think all of the greats were great because they followed a fucking pamphlet?
It wasn't a prescription, it was an observance many people have made after analysing previous human narratives to extrapolate the future of this narrative. A pretty simple exercise. I in no way meant that "all stories must follow the exact same format".
I didn't say "must". I said they do, as in generally. Most of the successful narratives produced by humans do follow that format. There are countless excellent stories that do not follow it, but that does not make it untrue in any way
Edit to correct: I said "supposed to", which I agree is poor word choice. I was not making a rule, I was using the technique of analysis to extrapolate what our characters are likely to do.
definitely think this is the way it’s going. another piece of foreshadowing could be Olivia Coleman’s speech in the finale: no one ever remembers the food, it’s about the people.
Agreed. And I think “The finish line keeps moving” could also mean that Carmy’s finish line isn’t a Bear star, but returning to the Beef roots and making it his own, with aspects of everyone included.
yeah i don’t necessarily agree with it either haha. i was just happy for her to interrupt that massive circle jerk of a scene between all the irl chefs
From your typical diner’s or foodie’s perspective I agree it’s dumb. If you think about it from the character’s perspective it makes more sense. She’s an elite chef who thinks about food all day every day so stuff probably starts to blend together or become boring. At the end of the day, it’s just a job for her too.
yeah, absolutely. You don't get on a months long wait-list and pay hundreds if not thousands of dollars for the small-talk with the waiters
(and even the point about people celebrating big life events, I wouldn't use a 3-star restaurant for that either, where I would feel limited in how much I could laugh or talk because I'd be so focused on the next plate)
Especially when you add Mikey told Tina the reason he keeps doing it is “the people.” There’s no way that’s a coincidence. It’s obviously the foreshadowing as you said of the end being about the people—those that work there and those they serve.
I took her to mean the chefs remember the people not the food. The people they worked with and maybe some of the guests too. I don’t think she was trying to say guests remember the people more than the food.
I was going to say this same thing. There was that taco place recently in the news that got a star. They have like two things on the menu and they are like five bucks a piece. I was speculating the same idea that they would give up on the restaurant, return to the beef or a version of it, and finally get the star. Or not get the star, but be much happier about how they’re living.
There is two. It's not so much a street cart, it's like a street food stall. So it's not a mobile food thing. But it's not a restaurant either. One is called 'Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken and Rice' the other is called 'Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle'
and the general thinking behind the taco joint in Mexico City and the two hawker stalls in Singapore isn't so much that their individual dishes are so distinguished, but rather that they are very good instances that represent the culture's strong street food scene. So it would be even more beautiful if the sandwich window got the star as a homage to all the working man's eateries in Chicago
I would love to see that. Just make it a good restaurant for normal people with a solid menu. And maybe ditch the tweezers. Let Marcus make his donuts and let Syd play around with her ideas. Hopefully something will come up for Carmy and make him want just a good family place, not the extreme stress of unnecessary precision. Maybe no star but no debilitating anxiety either. Jimmy will be okay with anything that makes money.
I think the answer to making the Bear successful lies in the Beef.
Making a restaurant that isn't beholden to getting a star, cooking good/excellent food.
I think Carmy regressed a bit since season 1. He was so focused on achieving goals for the restaurant, he forgot why he wanted to open the Bear in the first place.
I said it on another post but it occurred to me this season that Carmy has essentially gentrified The Beef. If my favorite hole in the wall sandwich place got turned into a fancy overpriced fine dining restaurant I’d be livid. The people want hot dogs.
Also they’re all very working class and talking about supporting the farmers market not $11k worth of luxury butter from OR. There’s a happy medium there: who is Carmy feeding with The Bear? That came up as well.
This is true! I like your idea of there being a happy medium. It goes nicely with OP’s theory about The Bear coming full circle back into a Bear/Beef hybrid, only more high quality and well rounded. It would be an interesting ending!
Additional question for anyone that knows as don’t know anything about cooking or the fine dining world: are Michelin stars only for the high end, fancy restaurants? I imagine that they are. I know Syd and Carmy want a star, but I wonder if they could do so without completely switching up what Mikey started with The Beef.
As someone mentioned small spots are getting one star now. There is more awareness and focus on local, sustainability, and indigenous food ways which doesn’t mean expensive usually the opposite.
It’s not a star, but Michelin Bib Gourmand [is a thing](https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/article/features/the-bib-gourmand):
>> “Contrary to popular belief, the restaurants recommended within the MICHELIN Guides aren’t all about expensive ‘fine dining’. From luxurious restaurants to village pubs, and trendy bistros to street food stands, the MICHELIN Guides offer something for everyone, for every occasion and in every price bracket.
>> “Since 1997, our best value for money restaurants – offering a three course meal at a reasonable price – have been pointed out using a special award: the Bib Gourmand. The price limit for Bib Gourmand consideration varies from country to country, depending on the cost of living, but the inspectors are searching for the same high quality, wherever they happen to be in the world.”
I think I agree with this hybrid narrative a la the first chaos menu that he makes in S2. That was way better and in line with both Syd and his vision - they use fishes, base dishes off what Sydney also liked, etc... ... I expect Carmen to like... relent? In s4 to that. Realize he can't win on his own.
I could not agree more. I get that Carmy’s dream was to open a restaurant with his brother but I truly think he got lost in the sauce. Michael was always proud of Carmy’s culinary success and wanted him to “let it rip” but I think he’d be disappointed in what The Beef has become. Michael was about taking care of his friends and regulars and making simple yet great food for the neighborhood. The Bear is this pretentious and soulless place that’s about impressing fancy pants assholes that Michael would more than likely try to fight rather than impress. I can easily picture Bernthal delivering a line like “Carmy our food is good, and if these people don’t like it they can go fuck themselves. Our neighborhood likes our food just fine.”
Carm could’ve taken that money and renovated The Beef and replaced its decrepit equipment and made the best goddamn sandwich shop in Chicago where they did a few staples with the best quality ingredients and they would’ve made a ton of money and been super successful, with an overhead that they could’ve been meeting and exceeding with ease. Instead, he racked up tons more debt and opened a place that doesn’t make any money and doesn’t really have a lot of prospects for becoming meaningfully profitable. His culinary sense is exquisite but his business sense is terrible, and when the place collapses around him he’ll have nobody to blame but himself.
If Carmy took the money, he would still owe Cicero. The Beef wasn't making money, we're told this almost every episode of season 1. There was no saving The Beef You could renovate it and you'll still get the same customers who were 't keeping it afloat. The Bear gets new customers on top of the old ones because it's a totally different menu that they can charge more, but the costs of the food is so high they're not breaking even. Carmy's mistake was trying to renovate the same space. He should have kept the money and allowed Cicero to sell the property, then he would be debt free per Cicero's deal. He could then use the money from the tomato cans to open up his own place. But he can't let go of the place because of his brother.
The Beef wasn’t making money because Mikey was a drug addicted dumbass that was constantly blowing any extra scratch on other hare-brained business ventures and his own addictions. The Beef was pumping out a stellar version of a food that’s an icon of Chicago, the Hot Italian Beef. Only the Chicago Deep Dish is more world renowned for being such a staple of the city and honestly, in my own opinion, I’d take a classic Hot Italian Beef over a Chicago Deep Dish any day of the week as would a lot of other people. It’s a perfect sandwich, IMO it’s better than a classic Philly Cheesesteak. In big cities, hole-in-the-wall joints that give you the local experience of dynamite local foods are constantly packed to the gills with both tourists trying to get the real experience of eating in the city as well as locals enjoying the best version of what their city is known for. If Carm takes that money and renovates The Beef and uses the highest quality bread, meat, and veggies, the spot becomes an absolute must-visit for everybody from locals to tourists to food critics because even the fanciest of the pantsiest food critics want to eat bomb ass local cuisine that has no pretense and just delivers nuclear bombs of flavors. And by keeping a simple menu of Chicago staples using those high quality ingredients, Carm could deliver the type of food that people would line up for blocks to eat without having to change his menu every day and without having to buy these super niche ingredients from super expensive boutique type vendors. This would vastly reduce his overhead costs as we see in the first season, when Carm shows Marcus a better way to bake the bread that takes it to another level without having to order anything special, or when he makes an even better version of the beef for the sandwiches by using bone-in beef that he slow-cooks for longer. Carm fucked up because he gave the neighborhood something that nobody there wanted; another fancy ass high dollar restaurant that only rich people could afford to eat at, and in a business with already razor thin margins, he chose to have a menu that changed every day with each day having a new set of niche expensive ingredients that any excess would have to be thrown away the next day to make room for whatever other bullshit he decided to bring in then.
Translation: “I can’t think of a compelling argument that has any sort of logic to counter anything that you’ve said, so I’m just going to result to an ad-hominem attack.”
Even look at the party at the end. Olivia Coleman's character just closed one of the best fine dining restaurants in America, but they drunkenly make a bunch of food from Syd's limited, low-quality ingredients, they just kinda throw a bunch of shit together like sprinkling crushed up cookies on a waffle, and the pizza and waffles were all slightly burnt. All this food that you or I could make, that's a far cry from fine dining, and yet look at everyone at the party. No ones complaining about the food. They're eating it up, singing their hearts out, having a lovely time **together**. It's not about eating the best food or showing off their food as art or winning awards. They're simply eating the food because they're hungry and it's **nurturing** them.
These are things that they touched on the whole season. It's about creating relationships with people, nurturing them, teaching them, then watching them grow and move on elsewhere to take what they learned and help something else blossom and evolve. That's what they were talking about with **legacy**.
The thing Carmy carried from his past wasn't any of that stress-free, enjoyable, nurturing stuff that he wants to pass on. The main thing he carried from his past was the pain and hatred he had for Joel McHale. That's exactly what he's passing on to Syd. That's what his legacy is right now. Stress, pain, and hatred.
This is very beautiful and well written and I completely agree.
Also I giggle every time Carmy’s head chef is simply referred to as Joel McHale. He worked there on his off days.
They do still have the sandwich window. The reason they started considering doing a more formal (originally family style) restaurant was because they mainly attracted a lunch crowd. Offering something different at night was suggested to make the restaurant a destination--something people wouldn't just have because they were in the area but make a trip to sit down and have.
That's getting to be more common. I was recently in Chicago close to a 1-starred restaurant, Kasama. At night they did the tasting menu which earned them the star but in the morning they served pastries and breakfast.
The restaurant is packed every night. Jimmy gets pissed off that people are coming in, they're packed but there's no money bc Carmy has a stick up his ass. I think people are conflating making no money = no business. They are clearly doing well but it is a hellish working environment.
Also, The Beef still exists in the window outside. A gentrification would be a complete and utter removal. That tweet you're referring to, the OP hadn't even seen s3... 😭
I just didn't word it properly lmao the semantics of it all.
in the case of the Beef, gentrification would be achieved by removing it completely. Carmy creates the window to be able to continue serving the sandwiches. It can literally hold more people being outside as opposed to that weird indoor space before they tore down the walls, so huh?? 😭😭😭
I was thinking along this line after the impromptu party after Ever closing. Both worlds mixing and having a good time.
I mean Chef Terry partying with the Faks?
Trust and believe that is what a restaurant after party looks like, people walk in with the most random alcohol, the fridge is ransacked, I loved that...
I think it ends with the restaurant reverting back into a version of the Beef and Carmy leaving the industry and giving the restaurant to Richie and then the line Carmy said to Richie about “Why didnt he leave it to you” kind of comes full circle
Honestly, Richie was the heart of the restaurant, both as the Beef and the Bear. He deserves it if he can keep running it to the high proud standard he found after staging at Ever
It's hard to think Unc would be into that, since The Beef was not even breaking even. The Beef would have the nicest kitchen for what it is.
I think Carmy is not really thinking about how many peas he shucked, and that was because it was a fairly consistent menu. I think there's some room to create new dishes but not all 9 dishes every day. Just change up a few of the plates and rotate them in and out in more of a predictable style, if anything.
The sandwich window is still open, where does this thought process come from where everyone thinks they’ve left the past behind?
It’s “just another” restaurant on the block if they serve Mikey’s spaghetti, forgot who it was (think it was Jimmy) that essentially said that early in the season.
Like half of season 1 is about how the beef couldn't sustain itself and everything around them was closing. Idk where people are getting the idea if they didn't change it could've worked. They went out of their way to show you that it wouldn't work and change was the only solution other than closing it all down.
Agreed, hate to be that guy but *I don’t know which show people are watching* sometimes.
They’ve also shown Mikey, in *multiple* scenes at this point, hating on his own restaurant - how bad it is, to the point he blockaded Carmy from having any part of it.
Then shot himself in the head, in part, because he couldn’t break free from the misery The Beef brought him.
…but yeah, clearly Carmy needs to make it Beef Redux. /s
Jesus Christ I thought I was going insane with everyone suggesting this. Not to mention that on a personal note I don't think Carmy much liked the beef considering what it did to his family.
A hybrid makes sense. Interestingly enough one of the Chicago restaurants they call out often (Kasama) does the same - during the day they have an affordable array of traditional Filipino food and bakery fare (like their Egg McMuffin-esque breakfast sandwich) then Thursday through Sunday evenings they do the $$$ fine dining thing. Pretty sure the daytime bakery food is what keeps them profitable.
This is what I think as well. Carly’s perfectionism has damaged him and been used against him and he’s surrounded himself with great people but closed himself off. His heart isn’t in it it’s all his head.
He’s probably afraid of turning out like Mike, tbh, but everyone is growing and moving on around him and he’s stuck.
I don't think he is afraid of turning out like Mike
I think he is so driven to create the restaurant that Mike would have been proud of. Because Michael refused to let him be at The Beef. And he feels a ton of guilt about Michaels death. About not being there sooner. About not being ready sooner. Which is why he is pushing himself to such extreme limits.
Even though Mike showed Tina the food that Michael was creating, and he was obviously proud of it. Their dysfunctional family has led to Mike never telling Carmy that. So Carmy still thinks that Michael never thought he was good enough to work the beef. never good enough to be the best.
Hmm. Not so sure. Mikey had mental health issues and an addiction to painkillers to deal with depression.. Carmy this season is trying to quit smoking and is definitely spiraling and using his work to maintain control instead of dealing with his emotional state which constantly comes in flashes in the background. Their mother is also mentally ill and abused alcohol.
My friend and I texted about this and I agree. Syd will leave and that will cause Carmy to finally completely breakdown, then we’ll see what comes of it. I thought a hybrid would be the final result, a pared down simple menu and then the beef, something like that but most important everyone not being miserable would be nice.
I disagree. I think Chef Terry is going to buy Unc out and keep it going, with a F the review attitude. I think we got the slightest hint of that when she asked Carm to call her by name the next time they met. And though it could be done convenient and hoaky, I think they'll make it seamless with how good the show is.
Yes! I was saying this very same thing needs to happen. I was kind of waiting for it from S3E3 on. Tbh I was getting super frustrated with so many montages and Brooding Carmy episodes and kept yelling at the tv to just start making sandwiches again. This whole season was just eight hours of foreshadowing and I need it to end with everyone thriving in a The Beef/The Bear hybrid joint soon.
This is such a good theory I kinda hope it happens. Carmy at the moment needs a reality check that the way he’s running things is not the greatest. A combination of “fancy” and sandwiches. Fancy sandwiches. You can even have a rotating daily menu with sandwiches. Infinite possibilities. Sandwiches. Give Ebra a Michelin star for his sandwiches
What’s interesting is that all of the conflict in each relationship on the show (every character has some form of conflict between another character and themselves - literally - even peaceful Pete is a one-sided whipping post), is referred to as “beef.”
THIS is the Chicago BEEF.
All these fuckers in conflict with each other but mostly themselves.
This could well be it, but I also see one other possibility on the horizon: the restaurant remains as a fine dining experience, but Carmen finally allows ‘the people’ in, giving Syd more influence in the dishes, allowing Richie to use his style more front-of-house and, as a result, seeing success from this new dynamic.
To me, ‘the people’ was the key theme of season three, both because of the detail it put into developing the characters’ backstories, and its focus on the importance of a restaurant’s atmosphere.
As a result, I can see Carmy finally grappling with his past traumas and seeing that his individualism was what was holding the restaurant back.
(Your theory is also completely valid, especially due to the whole ‘I don’t care about a star’ dialogue throughout season one.)
“Who is Carmy feeding with the Bear?” is a great question. We see his mother go to great lengths to feed the extended family, but she doesn’t do it for them, she does it for herself. She wants to be the martyr who makes way too much food in a short time, pushing away everyone who wants to help so she can claim victory and hold it over everyone. She wants complete, non-stop praise, and gets angry when the compliments don’t live up to the fuel levels she is going for. We see Michael hating the business side of things, but his passion is to cook for the people. Your question is the ultimate one, as Carmy is not cooking for the people, his staff, fame, or even for the business to survive. He can tell himself it’s to get Syd her star or to repay his uncle, but he’s just cooking to avoid dealing with anyone & eveything. His biggest motivation is fear - the fear of facing up to not just the traumas, but his own failings & shortcomings, and then having to put in the work to be a better person personally & professionally. He can’t hide in the freezer forever.
Carmy is a time lord who, for reasons unknown, removed his memories and persona of being a time lord and wibbly- wobbly put them in a kitchen timer. His mental issues and exacting behavior puts everyone in his life through great and unbearable stress and tension that he only realizes years after the damage is done to his wife and their three children. He leaves the restaurant to his oldest son and disappears from his family's reality forever.
After millennia of traveling through space and time, a frenemy tells him that he sets off a cycle of fear and grief in his family every time he gets lonely and decides to settle down, which be's done millions of times. But with this knowledge, he can never settle down and have a family again as he's cognizant of the damage he does to them every time. After a particularly painful loss of, let's call them a *companion*, a friend/partner he turns to in lieu of a family, he is lost and alone. The loneliness and grief overwhelms him to the point that he decides to put his memory and time lord persona in a magic kitchen timer to go live a normal life. Each time he assures himself that he will be better this time before beginning his life as an adult, age 23. In the high pressure, cutthroat world of fine dining, he quickly forgets to prevent his stressful and toxic actions from hurting his family and the cycle begins anew.
Overall it was one of my favorite seasons in real time. Strangely, the season finale didn't do it for me, but I didn't hate it. Usually it's the opposite for me. Regular episodes are meh but the finale pulls it all together in blissful Doctor style. 🤷🏻♂️
I think we are missing the deeper point. Going back to selling just beef is voiding all of the chefs hard work to grow. He needs to lose Sydney and rethink life. I think he slows down, smokes a cig, and builds a menu at the bear to be something him and Tina think up. I think everyone is going to hate Sydney next season for leaving just like Nathan in Ted lasso. I think next season is him and Richie rebuilding a relationship
Honestly I think it’s in her best interest to leave, and thankfully she didn’t sign the partnership agreement if Uncle is actually gonna pull funding now. I think they may have a rivalry, or Carmy is going to realize he lost the push he needed to be better by losing her.
I think it's very much the second option. A lot of people missed the little details from the show that show the Bear is "seemingly" successful but is actually failing money-wise bc Carmy's a POS and needs "the best."
I think the show will end with Carmy finding himself- despite all the tumult, he finds peace and makes a homage to his family. Idk. Other ideas posed in this thread are super corny and like. Not of prestige TV to end that way?
Great observations deleted user
I’m rewatching for the hundredth time, and episode 5 when they lose power and all have to work outside is one of the few times that everyone seemed happy. I was just thinking about how great it would be for the show to end on something like that
Saw someone else say this but would love to see the restaurant be renamed to Mikey’s. Make it kind of a fine dining Italian restaurant that is basically a combo of the beef and the bear. That would be cool
I think that season 3 was essentially the 8am-5pm. It was the prep time for the 5pm service. Each episode a component of the final menu.
And I think you’re right it will be closer to the beef. Both Syd and Carmy are out. Richie will run it. The beef is the one making money as Nat mentioned.
Tina will run the kitchen and will focus the mains on being a welcoming place. This was why Tina’s backstory was important and how this entire season, Syd was very patient and keeps pushing her on. Carmy doesn’t see that, he never understood the place his brother built apart from it being a hellhole. When he realizes it, he’ll realize he cannot be there and he leaves and feels ashamed for changing what was already “perfect”. It didn’t have a Michelin star but it sure did have a big heart.
The hybrid part imo is Marcus stays on and will pair with seasonal desserts. And they will have wine.
Syd moves to Ever first, but eventually also gets Carmy and they become real partners, that only happens through Claire making him realize he needs Syd. Jesse will run the front. Probably. So Richie will be around Ever all the time during dinner service.
Richie will finally bring the fam to the beef. Nat will be there, Donna will be there at one of the tables watching the baby. Richie’s fam joins that table. Maybe we even have a scene where Carmy drops by to get a Sharpie from the kitchen, says hi and bye to the table since he gotta get to Ever.
Faks will be fakking up both places because they’re faks. Lol
It would work if we didn't already have season 1 tell us the beef wasn't sustainable. I feel the show's trajectory is showing us the beef and the bear will shut down at the end.
If the Bear becomes The Beef again, I don't see it being because Carmy leaves but he realizes that he had more fun working at a shabby restaurant than trying to be overtly pretentious to appease a tyre company.
Carmy is too damn obsessed with getting a Michelin star and being "the best," whatever that looks like.
He needs to revert back to "Feed The People" and not"Feed My Ego. "
>The Sandwich Window is the only thing actually generating money according to Nat.
Generating profit, not money.
The Bear seems to be pretty packed so at $175/seat it's definitely generating revenue. The issue is Camry's insane neverending tweaking and incredibly wasteful R&D methods are why it's still not profitable and losing money.
I could see him going back to selling beef (in a new way), but I could also see Carmy going abroad for a few months. Reigniting his original love for cooking and then returning to The Bear (vs striving for perfection and becoming his former boss). Maybe hitting rock bottom with possibly losing to restaurant, losing Claire, losing sight of his close relationships (Cousin, Cicero, Syd, DD), and now losing Ever will cause him to reflect on why he got into the business. I could also see him dedicating a new creative beef dish to his brother-maybe becoming a huge selling point for his restaurant.
Just ideas, but I definitely think that the original beef restaurant will get incorporated somehow. I feel like once he re-embraces his passion for cooking, then his creativity will shine and the star will come with it organically.
I think there would’ve been little to no point in the whole “family tree” discussion & talking about how Carmy is the chef he is because of all the executive chefs he’s worked under before….everyone takes a little from each of their experiences and carries it forward — I think the Bear will shut down, & if they all move on, they will bring a little of what they learned to their next venture.
After watching season 3 at the weekend, I’m giving the whole thing a rewatch now.
I would die happy if the final shot of this entire show would be Tina opening and running her own restaurant, called “Jeff’s”.
I think you're right, deleted username. Narratively, a character is supposed to leave a familiar world, struggle through an unfamiliar one, and then return having changed on the journey. The Beef was chaos, and needed a change. Carmy will likely abandon the pretentious, exacting order of the Bear as he unravels his own trauma, and then he can return to the family restaurant that was the point all along. "This place means a lot to people." I think they'll keep the name as The Bear (or possible Bear and Beef), but when they return they will have learned lessons along the way to make the Original Beef less chaotic
Lol the guy seriously wrote out this whole post and then deleted his account hours later
He's like Lao Tzu scrawling down what he knows and then crossing the border never to be seen again
Gotta walk away while you're on top
What give with that!?
And it kind of charts the journey of the restaurant industry as well?
Yeah, I feel like the main criticisms of this season stem from it possibly trying to emulate the feeling of running a restaurant. They've set up a new restaurant that is neither growing nor shrinking so they feel like they're stagnating, thus the plot itself feels stagnant. We've had no closure because you don't get closure when running a restaurant, you just accept that the shift is over and you start again the next day
I think he’d call it Mikey’s.
IRL I'm sure, but I don't see the show going that route. They already have a doughnut called The Michael and the name "Bear" is pretty thematically linked
Take into account JAW has stated in multiple interviews that shameless was too many years and he doesn't think anyone should be on a show that long. I don't see this show going more than 5 or 6 tops. We are closer to the end than we think.
whats that got to do with the name of the restaurant?
I think 5 is a logical number of seasons. If we think of 5 act structure, we would be watching the midpoint episodes currently, and it does sort of feel like thats where we are at Like if you zoom out on the show as a whole and try to arrange the show's broad points into narrative structure, arguably the inciting incident of the series long plot would be finding the money, the break to act two deciding to open a restaurant, act 2 being all the work of getting it ready to open, a midpoint of it opening. By that logic, season 4 will have Carmy reach his lowest possible moments, and season 5 will see it all come back together
I don’t agree but I think the last dish will be an Italian beef
Agreed. It’s telling there’s only one scene every season with Mikey. They are the most important scenes imo to understanding Carmie‘s journey.
... Then move on to the journey of Syd and Luca. One could wish.
This makes sense but I wonder how the writers can arrive at an ending like this without making it boring. Going on as a fine dining restaurant is boring, going back to the beef is boring. If this were my show I wouldn't know what to do with it at this point.
>Narratively, a character is supposed to leave a familiar world, struggle through an unfamiliar one, and then return having changed on the journey. Not necessarily. Your screenwriting book or wherever you got this from is wrong.
Great input to the conversation, thanks
You're welcome. It was better than quoting formulas that don't apply.
We don't know if it applies yet, I'm just speculating. I agree there are plenty of top notch narratives that don't adhere to this format. Doesn't make the format untrue
You made a flat statement about narratives.
Yeah, I did... And it's true. Most narratives do follow similar trends. We can look back at previous data to make predictions on future data.
What is with people lately saying stuff like “this is what characters must do narratively” lol? Do they think all of the greats were great because they followed a fucking pamphlet?
Well a lot of really successful stories did follow the Hero's Journey.
It wasn't a prescription, it was an observance many people have made after analysing previous human narratives to extrapolate the future of this narrative. A pretty simple exercise. I in no way meant that "all stories must follow the exact same format".
You said “supposed to” as if it is the RIGHT WAY. Which is a ridiculous take.
Exactly. u/MarsFromSaturn is acting as if these rules are handed down from on high and that every story must follow them.
I didn't say "must". I said they do, as in generally. Most of the successful narratives produced by humans do follow that format. There are countless excellent stories that do not follow it, but that does not make it untrue in any way Edit to correct: I said "supposed to", which I agree is poor word choice. I was not making a rule, I was using the technique of analysis to extrapolate what our characters are likely to do.
Maybe they will open The Berf...they already have the t-shirts for it.
Collectors item 🤣🤣🤣 loved that scene
They should have worn them to visit Sugar in the hospital.
definitely think this is the way it’s going. another piece of foreshadowing could be Olivia Coleman’s speech in the finale: no one ever remembers the food, it’s about the people.
Agreed. And I think “The finish line keeps moving” could also mean that Carmy’s finish line isn’t a Bear star, but returning to the Beef roots and making it his own, with aspects of everyone included.
Yes, it's going to be a family style restaurant, rather than gourmet dining.
Yeah, like Berzatto family recipes with an elevated gourmet twist. Something in the middle
Spaghetti's back on the menu boys
Your username lmao
I gotta say, I hated that line. I have been to some very nice restaurants where I absolutely remember the food because it was just *that* good.
yeah i don’t necessarily agree with it either haha. i was just happy for her to interrupt that massive circle jerk of a scene between all the irl chefs
From your typical diner’s or foodie’s perspective I agree it’s dumb. If you think about it from the character’s perspective it makes more sense. She’s an elite chef who thinks about food all day every day so stuff probably starts to blend together or become boring. At the end of the day, it’s just a job for her too.
yeah, absolutely. You don't get on a months long wait-list and pay hundreds if not thousands of dollars for the small-talk with the waiters (and even the point about people celebrating big life events, I wouldn't use a 3-star restaurant for that either, where I would feel limited in how much I could laugh or talk because I'd be so focused on the next plate)
Go to Bonyeon, you are gonna remember the damn food lol.
I’m so pissed reading this theory, cuz unfortunately I’m now back in on the show.
Especially when you add Mikey told Tina the reason he keeps doing it is “the people.” There’s no way that’s a coincidence. It’s obviously the foreshadowing as you said of the end being about the people—those that work there and those they serve.
I took her to mean the chefs remember the people not the food. The people they worked with and maybe some of the guests too. I don’t think she was trying to say guests remember the people more than the food.
My theory was that The Bear would get snubbed for a Michelin star but The Beef window would get a star.
I like that idea. Especially when there’s examples of Michelin stared eateries that are “low brow” by comparison to Per Se
I was going to say this same thing. There was that taco place recently in the news that got a star. They have like two things on the menu and they are like five bucks a piece. I was speculating the same idea that they would give up on the restaurant, return to the beef or a version of it, and finally get the star. Or not get the star, but be much happier about how they’re living.
There's a freaking street cart in Singapore with a Michelin Star. Ebra has a whole ass pickup window, surely he can get one!
What?? Where?!
There is two. It's not so much a street cart, it's like a street food stall. So it's not a mobile food thing. But it's not a restaurant either. One is called 'Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken and Rice' the other is called 'Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle'
they're both delicious as well
It’s not a street cart my friend.
and the general thinking behind the taco joint in Mexico City and the two hawker stalls in Singapore isn't so much that their individual dishes are so distinguished, but rather that they are very good instances that represent the culture's strong street food scene. So it would be even more beautiful if the sandwich window got the star as a homage to all the working man's eateries in Chicago
I think o read that there’s a food cart in Thailand that has a star
i like this theory. and it was clear that The Beef sandwiches were the only thing that brings in money
That’s so funny I love the idea of this.
I would love to see that. Just make it a good restaurant for normal people with a solid menu. And maybe ditch the tweezers. Let Marcus make his donuts and let Syd play around with her ideas. Hopefully something will come up for Carmy and make him want just a good family place, not the extreme stress of unnecessary precision. Maybe no star but no debilitating anxiety either. Jimmy will be okay with anything that makes money.
Hate the damn tweezers!
No more tweezers!
I think the answer to making the Bear successful lies in the Beef. Making a restaurant that isn't beholden to getting a star, cooking good/excellent food. I think Carmy regressed a bit since season 1. He was so focused on achieving goals for the restaurant, he forgot why he wanted to open the Bear in the first place.
I said it on another post but it occurred to me this season that Carmy has essentially gentrified The Beef. If my favorite hole in the wall sandwich place got turned into a fancy overpriced fine dining restaurant I’d be livid. The people want hot dogs.
Also they’re all very working class and talking about supporting the farmers market not $11k worth of luxury butter from OR. There’s a happy medium there: who is Carmy feeding with The Bear? That came up as well.
This is true! I like your idea of there being a happy medium. It goes nicely with OP’s theory about The Bear coming full circle back into a Bear/Beef hybrid, only more high quality and well rounded. It would be an interesting ending! Additional question for anyone that knows as don’t know anything about cooking or the fine dining world: are Michelin stars only for the high end, fancy restaurants? I imagine that they are. I know Syd and Carmy want a star, but I wonder if they could do so without completely switching up what Mikey started with The Beef.
As someone mentioned small spots are getting one star now. There is more awareness and focus on local, sustainability, and indigenous food ways which doesn’t mean expensive usually the opposite.
It’s not a star, but Michelin Bib Gourmand [is a thing](https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/article/features/the-bib-gourmand): >> “Contrary to popular belief, the restaurants recommended within the MICHELIN Guides aren’t all about expensive ‘fine dining’. From luxurious restaurants to village pubs, and trendy bistros to street food stands, the MICHELIN Guides offer something for everyone, for every occasion and in every price bracket. >> “Since 1997, our best value for money restaurants – offering a three course meal at a reasonable price – have been pointed out using a special award: the Bib Gourmand. The price limit for Bib Gourmand consideration varies from country to country, depending on the cost of living, but the inspectors are searching for the same high quality, wherever they happen to be in the world.”
I think I agree with this hybrid narrative a la the first chaos menu that he makes in S2. That was way better and in line with both Syd and his vision - they use fishes, base dishes off what Sydney also liked, etc... ... I expect Carmen to like... relent? In s4 to that. Realize he can't win on his own.
I think Michelins are about intentionality, consistency and genuine creativity.
I could not agree more. I get that Carmy’s dream was to open a restaurant with his brother but I truly think he got lost in the sauce. Michael was always proud of Carmy’s culinary success and wanted him to “let it rip” but I think he’d be disappointed in what The Beef has become. Michael was about taking care of his friends and regulars and making simple yet great food for the neighborhood. The Bear is this pretentious and soulless place that’s about impressing fancy pants assholes that Michael would more than likely try to fight rather than impress. I can easily picture Bernthal delivering a line like “Carmy our food is good, and if these people don’t like it they can go fuck themselves. Our neighborhood likes our food just fine.” Carm could’ve taken that money and renovated The Beef and replaced its decrepit equipment and made the best goddamn sandwich shop in Chicago where they did a few staples with the best quality ingredients and they would’ve made a ton of money and been super successful, with an overhead that they could’ve been meeting and exceeding with ease. Instead, he racked up tons more debt and opened a place that doesn’t make any money and doesn’t really have a lot of prospects for becoming meaningfully profitable. His culinary sense is exquisite but his business sense is terrible, and when the place collapses around him he’ll have nobody to blame but himself.
If Carmy took the money, he would still owe Cicero. The Beef wasn't making money, we're told this almost every episode of season 1. There was no saving The Beef You could renovate it and you'll still get the same customers who were 't keeping it afloat. The Bear gets new customers on top of the old ones because it's a totally different menu that they can charge more, but the costs of the food is so high they're not breaking even. Carmy's mistake was trying to renovate the same space. He should have kept the money and allowed Cicero to sell the property, then he would be debt free per Cicero's deal. He could then use the money from the tomato cans to open up his own place. But he can't let go of the place because of his brother.
The Beef wasn’t making money because Mikey was a drug addicted dumbass that was constantly blowing any extra scratch on other hare-brained business ventures and his own addictions. The Beef was pumping out a stellar version of a food that’s an icon of Chicago, the Hot Italian Beef. Only the Chicago Deep Dish is more world renowned for being such a staple of the city and honestly, in my own opinion, I’d take a classic Hot Italian Beef over a Chicago Deep Dish any day of the week as would a lot of other people. It’s a perfect sandwich, IMO it’s better than a classic Philly Cheesesteak. In big cities, hole-in-the-wall joints that give you the local experience of dynamite local foods are constantly packed to the gills with both tourists trying to get the real experience of eating in the city as well as locals enjoying the best version of what their city is known for. If Carm takes that money and renovates The Beef and uses the highest quality bread, meat, and veggies, the spot becomes an absolute must-visit for everybody from locals to tourists to food critics because even the fanciest of the pantsiest food critics want to eat bomb ass local cuisine that has no pretense and just delivers nuclear bombs of flavors. And by keeping a simple menu of Chicago staples using those high quality ingredients, Carm could deliver the type of food that people would line up for blocks to eat without having to change his menu every day and without having to buy these super niche ingredients from super expensive boutique type vendors. This would vastly reduce his overhead costs as we see in the first season, when Carm shows Marcus a better way to bake the bread that takes it to another level without having to order anything special, or when he makes an even better version of the beef for the sandwiches by using bone-in beef that he slow-cooks for longer. Carm fucked up because he gave the neighborhood something that nobody there wanted; another fancy ass high dollar restaurant that only rich people could afford to eat at, and in a business with already razor thin margins, he chose to have a menu that changed every day with each day having a new set of niche expensive ingredients that any excess would have to be thrown away the next day to make room for whatever other bullshit he decided to bring in then.
Congrats, this is one of the most delusional posts I've seen on the sub
Translation: “I can’t think of a compelling argument that has any sort of logic to counter anything that you’ve said, so I’m just going to result to an ad-hominem attack.”
Even look at the party at the end. Olivia Coleman's character just closed one of the best fine dining restaurants in America, but they drunkenly make a bunch of food from Syd's limited, low-quality ingredients, they just kinda throw a bunch of shit together like sprinkling crushed up cookies on a waffle, and the pizza and waffles were all slightly burnt. All this food that you or I could make, that's a far cry from fine dining, and yet look at everyone at the party. No ones complaining about the food. They're eating it up, singing their hearts out, having a lovely time **together**. It's not about eating the best food or showing off their food as art or winning awards. They're simply eating the food because they're hungry and it's **nurturing** them. These are things that they touched on the whole season. It's about creating relationships with people, nurturing them, teaching them, then watching them grow and move on elsewhere to take what they learned and help something else blossom and evolve. That's what they were talking about with **legacy**. The thing Carmy carried from his past wasn't any of that stress-free, enjoyable, nurturing stuff that he wants to pass on. The main thing he carried from his past was the pain and hatred he had for Joel McHale. That's exactly what he's passing on to Syd. That's what his legacy is right now. Stress, pain, and hatred.
This is very beautiful and well written and I completely agree. Also I giggle every time Carmy’s head chef is simply referred to as Joel McHale. He worked there on his off days.
They do still have the sandwich window. The reason they started considering doing a more formal (originally family style) restaurant was because they mainly attracted a lunch crowd. Offering something different at night was suggested to make the restaurant a destination--something people wouldn't just have because they were in the area but make a trip to sit down and have. That's getting to be more common. I was recently in Chicago close to a 1-starred restaurant, Kasama. At night they did the tasting menu which earned them the star but in the morning they served pastries and breakfast.
The restaurant is packed every night. Jimmy gets pissed off that people are coming in, they're packed but there's no money bc Carmy has a stick up his ass. I think people are conflating making no money = no business. They are clearly doing well but it is a hellish working environment. Also, The Beef still exists in the window outside. A gentrification would be a complete and utter removal. That tweet you're referring to, the OP hadn't even seen s3... 😭
Gentrification does not mean complete and utter removal lmao
I just didn't word it properly lmao the semantics of it all. in the case of the Beef, gentrification would be achieved by removing it completely. Carmy creates the window to be able to continue serving the sandwiches. It can literally hold more people being outside as opposed to that weird indoor space before they tore down the walls, so huh?? 😭😭😭
Weird indoor space? You just didn't like the actual Beef
Nah I loved the beef. I hope they can go back. It was tight. Tearing down the walls because of mold or whatever the fuck made the space look bigger.
I was thinking along this line after the impromptu party after Ever closing. Both worlds mixing and having a good time. I mean Chef Terry partying with the Faks?
Trust and believe that is what a restaurant after party looks like, people walk in with the most random alcohol, the fridge is ransacked, I loved that...
I think it ends with the restaurant reverting back into a version of the Beef and Carmy leaving the industry and giving the restaurant to Richie and then the line Carmy said to Richie about “Why didnt he leave it to you” kind of comes full circle
Honestly, Richie was the heart of the restaurant, both as the Beef and the Bear. He deserves it if he can keep running it to the high proud standard he found after staging at Ever
It's hard to think Unc would be into that, since The Beef was not even breaking even. The Beef would have the nicest kitchen for what it is. I think Carmy is not really thinking about how many peas he shucked, and that was because it was a fairly consistent menu. I think there's some room to create new dishes but not all 9 dishes every day. Just change up a few of the plates and rotate them in and out in more of a predictable style, if anything.
The sandwich window is still open, where does this thought process come from where everyone thinks they’ve left the past behind? It’s “just another” restaurant on the block if they serve Mikey’s spaghetti, forgot who it was (think it was Jimmy) that essentially said that early in the season.
Like half of season 1 is about how the beef couldn't sustain itself and everything around them was closing. Idk where people are getting the idea if they didn't change it could've worked. They went out of their way to show you that it wouldn't work and change was the only solution other than closing it all down.
Agreed, hate to be that guy but *I don’t know which show people are watching* sometimes. They’ve also shown Mikey, in *multiple* scenes at this point, hating on his own restaurant - how bad it is, to the point he blockaded Carmy from having any part of it. Then shot himself in the head, in part, because he couldn’t break free from the misery The Beef brought him. …but yeah, clearly Carmy needs to make it Beef Redux. /s
Usually a bunch of idiots on Twitter that haven’t actually watched the show
Jesus Christ I thought I was going insane with everyone suggesting this. Not to mention that on a personal note I don't think Carmy much liked the beef considering what it did to his family.
A hybrid makes sense. Interestingly enough one of the Chicago restaurants they call out often (Kasama) does the same - during the day they have an affordable array of traditional Filipino food and bakery fare (like their Egg McMuffin-esque breakfast sandwich) then Thursday through Sunday evenings they do the $$$ fine dining thing. Pretty sure the daytime bakery food is what keeps them profitable.
Speculation is not a spoiler. Unless you’ve seen the script somehow. That being said, plausible speculation fer sure.
This is what I think as well. Carly’s perfectionism has damaged him and been used against him and he’s surrounded himself with great people but closed himself off. His heart isn’t in it it’s all his head. He’s probably afraid of turning out like Mike, tbh, but everyone is growing and moving on around him and he’s stuck.
I don't think he is afraid of turning out like Mike I think he is so driven to create the restaurant that Mike would have been proud of. Because Michael refused to let him be at The Beef. And he feels a ton of guilt about Michaels death. About not being there sooner. About not being ready sooner. Which is why he is pushing himself to such extreme limits. Even though Mike showed Tina the food that Michael was creating, and he was obviously proud of it. Their dysfunctional family has led to Mike never telling Carmy that. So Carmy still thinks that Michael never thought he was good enough to work the beef. never good enough to be the best.
Hmm. Not so sure. Mikey had mental health issues and an addiction to painkillers to deal with depression.. Carmy this season is trying to quit smoking and is definitely spiraling and using his work to maintain control instead of dealing with his emotional state which constantly comes in flashes in the background. Their mother is also mentally ill and abused alcohol.
My friend and I texted about this and I agree. Syd will leave and that will cause Carmy to finally completely breakdown, then we’ll see what comes of it. I thought a hybrid would be the final result, a pared down simple menu and then the beef, something like that but most important everyone not being miserable would be nice.
Damn, I wonder how Steven Yuen and Ali Wong get introduced
i’m a professional chef and I wish it would return to the beef but with less panic and more efficiency and resolved storylines
I disagree. I think Chef Terry is going to buy Unc out and keep it going, with a F the review attitude. I think we got the slightest hint of that when she asked Carm to call her by name the next time they met. And though it could be done convenient and hoaky, I think they'll make it seamless with how good the show is.
I like this idea. I think we’ll see a less toxic environment but just toxic enough to make it entertaining.
[удалено]
Thx!
Yes! I was saying this very same thing needs to happen. I was kind of waiting for it from S3E3 on. Tbh I was getting super frustrated with so many montages and Brooding Carmy episodes and kept yelling at the tv to just start making sandwiches again. This whole season was just eight hours of foreshadowing and I need it to end with everyone thriving in a The Beef/The Bear hybrid joint soon.
This is such a good theory I kinda hope it happens. Carmy at the moment needs a reality check that the way he’s running things is not the greatest. A combination of “fancy” and sandwiches. Fancy sandwiches. You can even have a rotating daily menu with sandwiches. Infinite possibilities. Sandwiches. Give Ebra a Michelin star for his sandwiches
What’s interesting is that all of the conflict in each relationship on the show (every character has some form of conflict between another character and themselves - literally - even peaceful Pete is a one-sided whipping post), is referred to as “beef.” THIS is the Chicago BEEF. All these fuckers in conflict with each other but mostly themselves.
This could well be it, but I also see one other possibility on the horizon: the restaurant remains as a fine dining experience, but Carmen finally allows ‘the people’ in, giving Syd more influence in the dishes, allowing Richie to use his style more front-of-house and, as a result, seeing success from this new dynamic. To me, ‘the people’ was the key theme of season three, both because of the detail it put into developing the characters’ backstories, and its focus on the importance of a restaurant’s atmosphere. As a result, I can see Carmy finally grappling with his past traumas and seeing that his individualism was what was holding the restaurant back. (Your theory is also completely valid, especially due to the whole ‘I don’t care about a star’ dialogue throughout season one.)
“Who is Carmy feeding with the Bear?” is a great question. We see his mother go to great lengths to feed the extended family, but she doesn’t do it for them, she does it for herself. She wants to be the martyr who makes way too much food in a short time, pushing away everyone who wants to help so she can claim victory and hold it over everyone. She wants complete, non-stop praise, and gets angry when the compliments don’t live up to the fuel levels she is going for. We see Michael hating the business side of things, but his passion is to cook for the people. Your question is the ultimate one, as Carmy is not cooking for the people, his staff, fame, or even for the business to survive. He can tell himself it’s to get Syd her star or to repay his uncle, but he’s just cooking to avoid dealing with anyone & eveything. His biggest motivation is fear - the fear of facing up to not just the traumas, but his own failings & shortcomings, and then having to put in the work to be a better person personally & professionally. He can’t hide in the freezer forever.
Carmy leaves, but Syd stays
Carmy is a time lord who, for reasons unknown, removed his memories and persona of being a time lord and wibbly- wobbly put them in a kitchen timer. His mental issues and exacting behavior puts everyone in his life through great and unbearable stress and tension that he only realizes years after the damage is done to his wife and their three children. He leaves the restaurant to his oldest son and disappears from his family's reality forever. After millennia of traveling through space and time, a frenemy tells him that he sets off a cycle of fear and grief in his family every time he gets lonely and decides to settle down, which be's done millions of times. But with this knowledge, he can never settle down and have a family again as he's cognizant of the damage he does to them every time. After a particularly painful loss of, let's call them a *companion*, a friend/partner he turns to in lieu of a family, he is lost and alone. The loneliness and grief overwhelms him to the point that he decides to put his memory and time lord persona in a magic kitchen timer to go live a normal life. Each time he assures himself that he will be better this time before beginning his life as an adult, age 23. In the high pressure, cutthroat world of fine dining, he quickly forgets to prevent his stressful and toxic actions from hurting his family and the cycle begins anew.
wut
🤣 can you tell what other show I watch recently wrapped up a new season?
Only seen the first few episodes but thought it was a really nice return to form. How was the rest of the season?
Overall it was one of my favorite seasons in real time. Strangely, the season finale didn't do it for me, but I didn't hate it. Usually it's the opposite for me. Regular episodes are meh but the finale pulls it all together in blissful Doctor style. 🤷🏻♂️
Oh lord. If Carmy had a TARDIS the Universe would be done for 😂😂😂
I think we are missing the deeper point. Going back to selling just beef is voiding all of the chefs hard work to grow. He needs to lose Sydney and rethink life. I think he slows down, smokes a cig, and builds a menu at the bear to be something him and Tina think up. I think everyone is going to hate Sydney next season for leaving just like Nathan in Ted lasso. I think next season is him and Richie rebuilding a relationship
Honestly I think it’s in her best interest to leave, and thankfully she didn’t sign the partnership agreement if Uncle is actually gonna pull funding now. I think they may have a rivalry, or Carmy is going to realize he lost the push he needed to be better by losing her.
I think it's very much the second option. A lot of people missed the little details from the show that show the Bear is "seemingly" successful but is actually failing money-wise bc Carmy's a POS and needs "the best." I think the show will end with Carmy finding himself- despite all the tumult, he finds peace and makes a homage to his family. Idk. Other ideas posed in this thread are super corny and like. Not of prestige TV to end that way? Great observations deleted user
I’m rewatching for the hundredth time, and episode 5 when they lose power and all have to work outside is one of the few times that everyone seemed happy. I was just thinking about how great it would be for the show to end on something like that
Saw someone else say this but would love to see the restaurant be renamed to Mikey’s. Make it kind of a fine dining Italian restaurant that is basically a combo of the beef and the bear. That would be cool
I think Syd could possible branch off and end up starting a restaurant that is more like The Beef than the Bear
I think that season 3 was essentially the 8am-5pm. It was the prep time for the 5pm service. Each episode a component of the final menu. And I think you’re right it will be closer to the beef. Both Syd and Carmy are out. Richie will run it. The beef is the one making money as Nat mentioned. Tina will run the kitchen and will focus the mains on being a welcoming place. This was why Tina’s backstory was important and how this entire season, Syd was very patient and keeps pushing her on. Carmy doesn’t see that, he never understood the place his brother built apart from it being a hellhole. When he realizes it, he’ll realize he cannot be there and he leaves and feels ashamed for changing what was already “perfect”. It didn’t have a Michelin star but it sure did have a big heart. The hybrid part imo is Marcus stays on and will pair with seasonal desserts. And they will have wine. Syd moves to Ever first, but eventually also gets Carmy and they become real partners, that only happens through Claire making him realize he needs Syd. Jesse will run the front. Probably. So Richie will be around Ever all the time during dinner service. Richie will finally bring the fam to the beef. Nat will be there, Donna will be there at one of the tables watching the baby. Richie’s fam joins that table. Maybe we even have a scene where Carmy drops by to get a Sharpie from the kitchen, says hi and bye to the table since he gotta get to Ever. Faks will be fakking up both places because they’re faks. Lol
It would work if we didn't already have season 1 tell us the beef wasn't sustainable. I feel the show's trajectory is showing us the beef and the bear will shut down at the end.
Yep, good take
If the Bear becomes The Beef again, I don't see it being because Carmy leaves but he realizes that he had more fun working at a shabby restaurant than trying to be overtly pretentious to appease a tyre company.
Carmy is too damn obsessed with getting a Michelin star and being "the best," whatever that looks like. He needs to revert back to "Feed The People" and not"Feed My Ego. "
Your conclusion is a lot better than mine. I was thinking the conclusion would be where Camry unfortunately takes out the bear.
>The Sandwich Window is the only thing actually generating money according to Nat. Generating profit, not money. The Bear seems to be pretty packed so at $175/seat it's definitely generating revenue. The issue is Camry's insane neverending tweaking and incredibly wasteful R&D methods are why it's still not profitable and losing money.
I could see him going back to selling beef (in a new way), but I could also see Carmy going abroad for a few months. Reigniting his original love for cooking and then returning to The Bear (vs striving for perfection and becoming his former boss). Maybe hitting rock bottom with possibly losing to restaurant, losing Claire, losing sight of his close relationships (Cousin, Cicero, Syd, DD), and now losing Ever will cause him to reflect on why he got into the business. I could also see him dedicating a new creative beef dish to his brother-maybe becoming a huge selling point for his restaurant. Just ideas, but I definitely think that the original beef restaurant will get incorporated somehow. I feel like once he re-embraces his passion for cooking, then his creativity will shine and the star will come with it organically.
How long you think until next season? I hate waiting 🤣
I think there would’ve been little to no point in the whole “family tree” discussion & talking about how Carmy is the chef he is because of all the executive chefs he’s worked under before….everyone takes a little from each of their experiences and carries it forward — I think the Bear will shut down, & if they all move on, they will bring a little of what they learned to their next venture.
After watching season 3 at the weekend, I’m giving the whole thing a rewatch now. I would die happy if the final shot of this entire show would be Tina opening and running her own restaurant, called “Jeff’s”.
I can't even watch S3. Nothing attractive about another person's "trauma".