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Sydney x Carmy - Mirroring

A non-exhaustive journey of some serious soulmatism through gifs. Its not just what they're doing but the shots themselves. These are all intentional writing, editing and directing choices because these two and their connection are absolutely intentional.

Shoutout to @livelovecaliforniadreams, @thoughtfulchaos773, @gingergofastboatsmojito, @brokenwinebox, @currymanganese and anyone else I've missed who have done similar posts on the mirroring in this show before.

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Confronting fears in the alley behind The Beef/The Bear.

1x08 Braciole / 4x?? (from the Disney season 4 teaser, GIF by @emziess)

Contemplating hard truths by Lake Michigan.

1x03 Brigade (GIF by @thoughtfulchaos773) / 3x09 Apologies

Recovering from a panic attack at home.

1x08 Braciole / 3x10 Forever

Looking at Carmy's bleeding heart paupiette of hamachi.

3x01 Tomorrow / 3x01 Tomorrow

Scrubbing kitchen floors by hand.

1x02 Hands / 2x08 Bolognese

Having a panic attack at work.

2x09 Omelette / 3x03 Doors (GIF by @livelovecaliforniadreams)

Journalling.

1x05 Sheridan / 3x01 Tomorrow

Confronting a shit boss.

1x07 The Review / 3x10 Forever (GIFS by @thoughtfulchaos773)

Threatening Richie with violence.

1x07 The Review / 3x03 Doors

You know...soulmate shit lol.

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Punch Blanch Freeze Fry

I think punch, blanch, freeze and fry are the underlying themes of season 1-4 and the beef (the meat/the substance/the real connection) will be the underlying theme of a possible season 5.

For context in this scene in 1x01 Ebra, who represents an older version of Carmy, keeps asking Carmy for the beef before he can do anything else. Carmy either ignores him or tries to divert him to do other tasks first. Carmy tells/asks Ebra if he can punch 'em, blanch 'em, freeze 'em and fry 'em before the beef.

Seeing as 3 of these words are specifically talking about preparing food, I googled extensively what punch means in terms of cooking and found nothing and you wouldn't literally punch a raw potato or onion, if anything that would come after the blanching. So it's not referring to a food preparation method like the other 3 so it can only mean literal or metaphorical punching.

S1 - Punch

Coincidentally Carmy was literally punched in 1x01

There were multiple metaphorical gut punches in S1 too. In the first few episodes, most of the season really, he was taking metaphorical/verbal punches from everybody at The Beef. Meeting Syd was a less negative, shock to his system kind of gut punch. We saw him being psychologically beaten down by Chef David in 1x02, being mistaken for Micheal in 1x04, the review & Syd leaving in 1x07, finding out Mikey left him a letter in 1x08, then reading the letter and Syd coming back. Tbh there are gut punches for Carmy every season but early S1 was heavy on the theme of him basically being everyone's punching bag.

S2 - Blanch

Carmy was in "hot water" with Syd, their chemistry was heating up and things were getting "steamy" between them at the start of S2

He was plunged into cold, icy water when he ran into Claire, hence all the heavily blue filtered scenes since then. But the cooling process in blanching isn't meant to last for an extended period of time, it's only supposed to be seconds, much quicker than the cooking process itself.

Carmy entertained/endured Claire (the ice cold water) for awhile in the supermarket, then he tried to get out of the ice water almost immediately by giving her a fake number but she (and Neil Fak) kept him submerged. There's also the blue scenes of S2 that got gradually darker the more time Carmy spent with Claire and the implication/imagery of him drowning and being suffocated by her at the end of their very dark blue sex scene.

Also the fire suppression was in S2! "Fire suppression" is basically what the process of blanching is; cooling down/regulating heat. But the cooling isn't instant, there's still residual heat and "steam" as the cooling process is happening:

And even after the "successful" fire suppression in 2x08 the heat was still there:

Blanching isn't supposed to make food frozen or even cold necessarily, it's just meant to cool it enough to stop the cooking process so there should still be some warmth left.

But Carmy spent way too long in the ice water with Claire and ended up too cold or frozen by the end of S2.

S3 - Freeze

Self explanatory. The theme of S3 was Carmy still being stuck in the freezer, frozen and unable to get himself out of the ice. He can't escape the ice cold water (his relationship with Claire) even in his thoughts, he's submerged and trapped in it. There was barely any heat left between Sydcarmy even though Carmy tried to keep the fire going. Carmy was cold and rigid (like ice) for most of S3.

3 out of 4 line up almost perfectly with the themes of each season and if this theory is correct then the theme of S4 will be frying, which means heat, which means the fire between Carmy and Syd is going to ramp up/become evident again somehow. Probably through frustration with each other as they continue to not communicate properly. Mostly I think Carmy's just gonna be getting cooked. By Claire, by Syd, by Richie, maybe even Nat too.

We kind of saw Carmy take a metaphorical step out of the freezer in 3x10 after confronting Chef David and speaking to Chef Terry (I think it started in 3x09 when he asked Syd to go to Ever tbh, he definitely let himself feel some heat for a second there). So in 4x01/4x02 he's probably going to be dropped straight into the frying pan having to deal with the fallout of his actions towards everyone during S3.

If you think about what happens to frozen food when you put it straight into very hot oil; the pretty volatile reaction when the ice hits the hot oil, the splaterring and spitting oil that will burn if you're too close, the loud noises, the steam that gets released as the temperature drastically changes, the hardening of the outer layer etc (which I hope means Carmy grows a thicker skin and is able to finally tell Claire and the Faks no), I'm guessing that process is along the lines of how things will play out in S4. Similar to how the blanching process played out in S2.

If there's a season 5 I think the theme will be beef/substance/real connection, if not it will be at the end of S4 but I definitely think it's coming. At some point we're going back to the beef/the substance/ the real connections that the show was built on in S1.

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THE BEAR 1.01 System

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That’s something.

My only season 4 prediction for The Bear (atm) is that:

If season 4 truly is the last season of the show, the series finale is going to end with Pearl Jam’s “State of Love and Trust” playing over the final, end credits.

Aside from the song’s title being every Sydcarmy truther’s hope for our two fav Jeffs, I reckon we’ll hear the following significant lyrics at the end of the show:

And the barrel shakes aimed directly at my head

Oh, help me, help me from myself

And I listen from both sides of a friend

Nothin', I'll do this one myself

Myself, myself

Hey, hey

Hey, na-na-na-na, hey, that's something

Hey, na-na-na-na, hey, that's something

Hey, na-na-na-na, hey, that's something

Author’s note: “State of Love and Trust” was originally included on the soundtrack for Cameron Crowe’s Seattle-based grunge romantic comedy, Singles. That movie featured cameos by a number of iconic grunge acts including Soundgarden, Alice in Chains and, hilariously, members of Pearl Jam as Matt Dillon’s band, Citizen Dick. Crowe also wrote and directed Say Anything, the movie poster of which is seen hanging near the chef’s coats in episode 3x09 Apologies of The Bear.

While I highly recommend folks listen to the original “State of Love and Trust” (and indeed the entire Singles soundtrack which was amazing), feel free to enjoy this short vid of me screaming along off key to it at the 16 Nov 2024 PJ show in Naarm (Melbourne) this past weekend.

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The Bear - Season 4 First Teaser

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You know, now that you say it, I think it makes sense that Tiffany invited Donna.

Because at first my thought process was, well Donna is not Richie’s or Eva’s family, they only spent time together because Richie was friends with the Berzattos. And now that Tiffany and Richie are divorced, Tiffany has no family ties to Donna.

But then I remembered that in Fishes, Tiffany actually seems to have a decent friendship with Donna. Donna lets her wear her robe and chill in her bed and there’s no negativity in their interactions. Tiffany is not traumatized by Donna like Sugar is.

So then that explains why she’d like Donna enough to invite her to the wedding.

Yeah I agree, I think Fishes establishes that Tiff is treated like part of the Berzatto family, like Richie to an extent. In that episode, she appears to have good relationships with Donna, Cicero, Mikey and Nat. We also see her at Mikey's funeral and she looks pretty upset there too.

There appears to be a circle of families who may not be biologically related to them but who form part of the Berzatto's close social circle. This includes Richie, Tiff and Eva, Cicero and his wife, Uncle Lee and the Faks. Given their closeness, even if they're not related by blood, it doesn't seem like a big stretch to me that Tiff would invite Donna and others in that same social circle to her wedding to Frank. We also hear Tiff telling Richie that she doesn't have much family left - which gives her even more reason to keep her chosen family close.

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Out of all your Netflix projects which is your favorite/ the one you find the most scary?

Midnight Mass is my favorite, by quite a large margin.

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Hana-Rawhiti Kareariki Maipi-Clarke, the youngest MP in Aotearoa, starts a haka to protest the first vote on a bill reinterpreting the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi

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Every time only child Syd gets enmeshed deeper into Carmy's endless clan of dramatic white people an angel gets its wings. Scientific studies have found that this is, in fact, the only acceptable reason to introduce a new Fak.

And I am just...so loving her story this season, her desire to be self-reliant conflicting with the season's theme about how no one can thrive alone, clashing in turn with the fact that her working partner is someone who can't be relied upon.

No wonder she's dithering about that partnership contract - it's like a marriage, except that restaurant baby's already been delivered. How are its parents going to raise it? How will it grow?

In all this uncertainty, it's good to have one north star: Marcus will keep churning out two desserts a day in his serenity corner, or else Natalie will resort to homicide.

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Disney will give us a crumb and then there will be 5,832 Metas, 500 fanfics, and 3,000 reaction blogs from Sydcarmy fandom and I love it. :)

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On that season 4 teaser for The Bear…

It definitely looks like Syd and Donna are talking at a wedding reception and we know by the end of season 3 that Tiff and Frank have a wedding in the works.

I really don’t think Syd is Carmy’s date to that wedding.

I’m thinking she’d be Richie’s +1 to the wedding: as a friend/support person, given how hard the breakdown of his marriage to Tiff has been for him, how close Syd and he have gotten and how fucked his relationship with Carmy has become.

I want Sydcarmy to happen as much as everyone else but I just don’t see Carmy willingly bringing Sydney to an event where she might meet Donna, given he’s spent 5 years avoiding his mother.

UNLESS that scene is from later in the season and Carmy’s done the work to move through (at least some of) his pain with Donna.

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Funeral at the beginning of s3- Funeral (symbolic) at the end of s3. Wedding at the beginning of s4- Wedding (symbolic) at the end of s4?

Predictions based on nothing:

The Bear staff goes to the wedding to support Richie.

Carmy and Syd sit together, Carmy leaves her (again) to avoid Donna.

All the characters from 1x07 and 2x05 are at the wedding and it will be the most chaotic ep.

Sydney says "…the one" referring to The Bear, not a person.

Sydney talks to Donna at the wedding, Carmy talks to Emmanuel when Sydney is about to sign the partnership agreement (?).

Sydney signs the partnership agreement at the end of s4.

Anyway… the scarf that Sydney wears… they only showed scenes from one episode(?) I feel like they didn't show anything from 4x01.

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I think you’re right about this…Joanna Calo in this interview (around 22:00) also talks about how the show’s creators wanted to talk about recovery and how it’s not linear - how you might think you’re better then realise that maybe you aren’t.

Also, welcome back! We missed you! ❤️

Carmy: Regression

This might be the craziest/stupidest take for s3 of The Bear but whatever. I had talked about how s3 was about isolation and guilt before. What if it was also about regression (at least for Carmy’s character)?

Sydney is (re)meeting a award-winning chef of fine dining. Sydney thought about leaving the bear (officially) but still came back in s1/thought about leaving the bear which lead to the panic attack in s3.

Carmy and Richie are back to fighting like in s1 with Marcus and Sydney between them.

I need more time to think about this but I think the whole purpose was about life going full circle and s4 is (hopefully) about fully breaking the cycle.

I’m basically implying this season was a giant defense mechanism. Don’t take my word for it! I’m just getting back into writing metas after a hiatus.

Carmy was always used to the routine and being stressed in fine dining. He still talked about how that experience was “everything” even when he discussed having stomach problems. He also says that he lost track of time then mikey passed away.

In s3, I’m fairly certain Carmy says that he’s tired or sick of it. That could mean that he’s been trying to get back into that state/routine and it’s not working this time.

“an attempt to achieve something important.” Like getting a star for a restaurant perhaps? “a sense of security, reciprocated love, and trust.” hmm…

I have also discussed how Carmy and Claire are basically reminiscing on their “high school” days in their relationship. Couldn’t that fit for the “feeling of childhood innocence” that’s stated in the article?

I feel like I’m not making any sense but also think i’m beginning to crack the code at the same time so I’ll just leave this here for now.

Authors Note: I wrote this yesterday on Twitter before the promo that just recently came out. This is not a complete meta but I thought I’d put it here so I could see if anyone agrees or disagrees with these thoughts! I’m glad to be sort of back after a fairly long hiatus! @thoughtfulchaos773 made a video with Carl Jung coincidentally enough. I might be closer to the truth than I thought lol.

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Just saw the bear s4 teaser...

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On that season 4 teaser for The Bear…

It definitely looks like Syd and Donna are talking at a wedding reception and we know by the end of season 3 that Tiff and Frank have a wedding in the works.

I really don’t think Syd is Carmy’s date to that wedding.

I’m thinking she’d be Richie’s +1 to the wedding: as a friend/support person, given how hard the breakdown of his marriage to Tiff has been for him, how close Syd and he have gotten and how fucked his relationship with Carmy has become.

I want Sydcarmy to happen as much as everyone else but I just don’t see Carmy willingly bringing Sydney to an event where she might meet Donna, given he’s spent 5 years avoiding his mother.

UNLESS that scene is from later in the season and Carmy’s done the work to move through (at least some of) his pain with Donna.

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Season 4 spoiler

They're at the wedding. The tables behind Sydney. The dress. The earrings. Is Sydney Carmy's date?

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