whenmemorydies - Tumblr blog

whenmemorydies · 3 days ago

Text

I was thinking about the partnership agreement being a literal deal with the devil (while Carmy is possessed anyway) because Syd does not want to be locked into a workplace where she has no creative freedom, has to tell her boss that she's not his babysitter and runs interference protecting her staff...while getting zero public credit for her work in keeping The Bear from falling apart).

S3 as a horror story and psychological thriller from the perspective of Sydney's descent into emotional turmoil. I wouldn't blame Syd for turning "cold" in S4. That said, Syd has also shown herself to be psychologically more resilient than most on this show and she's got protective factors like Emmanuel and the relationships she's fostered at The Beef/The Bear to keep her grounded. Carmy does not have these in the same way, because as we've discussed, he's not done the work/doesn't know how to consistently do the work in nurturing those relationships...not yet anyway.

Exorcism

I was rewatching 3x07 Legacy and noticed the below photos of dishes at The Bear taped to the wall in Natalie's office:

Given how authoritarian Carmy was about The Bear's dishes in season 3, this post is working on the assumption that the dishes in the pics above were created by Carmy.

Its telling to me that Carmy's halibut dish at The Bear (above left) looks a lot like Chef David's bastardisation of Carmy's zucchini, blood orange and hamachi dish from Empire (below left) and Carmy's hiramasa dish at The Bear (above right) looks like Carmy's blood orange and hamachi dish from Empire (below right) - representative of his heart, his love, his inspiration - if it had soured:

Recreating Chef David's dish using a bottom-feeder like halibut that devours anything it can and is served with a "dusty" foam (the tartare espuma) which we know from ep 3x05 is dated (recall Syd's sarcastic observation: "its cool...its like 2014 or something") would have been poetic for Carmy. But is giving his abuser that much oxygen, so much so that David is taking up menu space while Carmy sidelines his true collaborator - Sydney - worth it?

Hiramasa and hamachi are both from the yellowtail/amberjack family so Carmy's hiramasa dish uses a very similar fish to what was in The Best Meal That Sydney Ever Had™. Both dishes also use a citrus as the base of their sauce: lime in the leche de tigre of the hiramasa dish and blood orange in the hamachi dish. The hiramasa dish also features charred fennel which, in the context of this show, almost feels like a nod to Chef David and his scorched earth approach to leadership. Visually, The Bear's hiramasa dish features green in its garnish and sauce which is a stark contrast to the crimson in the garnish and sauce of the Empire hamachi dish. Its this colouring and the nod to Chef David that make me feel like Carmy's hiramasa dish at The Bear represents what has happened to his heart and his relationships over the course of season 3: a souring, or poisoning.

Note: the colour green has historically been associated with poison ever since the use of toxic green pigments in the 1700s such as Scheele's green and Paris green.

The hiramasa dish also features two beetroots (labelled "reet beets" in the above picture). Beetroot has long been associated with love due to its red colour and its shape which is similar in size to a heart. In Carmy's hiramasa dish, the beetroots have been cut in half and are sitting in that sour, "poisoned" sauce. If this isn't a visual metaphor for the state of the two hearts associated with the blood orange hamachi dish (Carmy’s as the dish’s creator and Sydney’s as its only consumer), I don't know what is.

3x07 was titled "Legacy" but does Carmy really want his legacy to be an authoritarian kitchen that produces diss tracks and odes to heartbreak for meals? Does he want his legacy to be one that features collaboration, but with his abuser Chef David, who appeared to be living rent free in Carmy's head throughout season 3?

Season 3 featured heavy references to the horror film genre (see, for example, fantastic meta on this here: @espumado's meta on The Night of the Hunter; @thoughtfulchaos773's meta and the reblogs on the horror genre in season 3; @thoughtfulchaos773's meta on the influence of The Exorcist's director, William Friedkin (whom Richie and Natalie talk about in 3x05 Children)). And while Mikey clearly haunts The Bear's narrative, so too does Chef David (as well as Carmy's mother, Donna). If The Bear season 3 is a horror film, Chef David is the demon squatting in Carmy's soul.

But in 3x10, Carmy confronts that devil and makes it clear to his abuser, to us and to himself, the harms he was subjected to while working at Empire.

In doing so, it appears that Carmy purges himself of that poison. He even utters the words "get out" after David leaves, willing his body to rid itself of that demon.

And the next time we see him, Carmy looks infinitely lighter and at peace, talking to Chef Terry. He even incorporates Sydney's gentle advice in 3x05 Children to take stock and reflect on how special his time at Ever was.

Keen to see what exorcised Carmy dishes up in season 4. Hopefully, it will be sweeter, juicier and more (ful)filling meals that he's created in partnership with his family, led by his other half, his (heart)beet, Sydney.

#the bear meta #Sydcarmy #the bear is a ghost story #the bear is a haunted house #the bear hulu #the bear fx #the bear #sydney adamu #carmen berzatto

40 notes · View notes

whenmemorydies · 3 days ago

Text

The restaurant’s bear logo that appears by the front door…has a barbed wire halo? Does this mean the restaurant’s dead in S4? 👀

the sorry sign!!!!! the knife through the heart tattoo being a combo of syd's three of swords one and carmy's knife through the hand one!!!!!

somehow this means the sorry sign is coming back for season 4 and carmy's gonna see syd's tattoo and and—

#oooo I hope these portend some juicy stuff for S4 #so happy to see the I’m sorry sign again

68 notes · View notes

whenmemorydies · 4 days ago

Text

Bless this man because I would have broken with this amount of second guessing of my abilities and ignoring of my person:

Of course he imprinted on Sydney the first time he meets her: the one person who has never questioned his culinary skill, who saw him right away.

And of course he overreacts when she rightly challenges him on the choices he's making for the restaurant.

And of course, Syd is confounded.

S4 Carmy better sit Syd down and tell her why she means so much to him because he loves her, but also to help her (and us) understand his behaviour in S3.

#sydcarmy #the bear #the bear fx #the bear hulu #the bear meta #sydney adamu #carmen berzatto

92 notes · View notes

whenmemorydies · 4 days ago

Text

A reminder that along with getting 16 eps next season, it looks like Ayo directed the fourth season premiere.

not me just realizing that ayo also directed the first episode of season 4

wonder if we’re going to get the fight between carmy and c in that episode which will hopefully put an end to those two and an official start to sydcarmy (🙏🏽)

#please let it be Sydney-centric #ayo edebiri #the bear #the bear fx #sydcarmy #the bear hulu #the bear meta #sydney adamu

65 notes · View notes

whenmemorydies · 4 days ago

Text

This is a touching idea if he was, but I reckon Carmy already owned a necklace similar to what Mikey is wearing in 2x06 Fishes. It shows up in 1x06 Ceres:

I've also seen it in other flashbacks including this one at noma:

I can imagine Carmy being gifted that necklace by Mikey or even buying it himself to emulate his older bro.

Note: Mikey is also wearing a completely different necklace in 1x06 Ceres to what he's wearing in 2x06 Fishes. It looks silver and its links are smaller:

I like the idea of Mikey being into jewellery enough that he owns at least two different necklaces. The Berzatto boys - incluidng alpha male Mikey - loving fashion in their own way.

IS CARMY WEARING MIKEY'S NECKLACE??? 😭

#the bear #the bear fx #the bear hulu #carmen berzatto #mikey berzatto #michael berzatto

75 notes · View notes

whenmemorydies · 5 days ago

Text

Season 4 is gonna say fuck a Michelin star

Its also going to say yes to sustainable food practices as has been foreshadowed throughout the show. At least I hope it does. The two books featured in this pic would indicate that's the case.

"Trout" by Ernest Schweibert is a two-volume series about fly-fishing in America. Schweibert was a Chicago-native (surprise lol) architect by trade, turned fly fisherman, who also championed the conservation and care of inland freshwater systems that are home to trout and salmon, founding Trout Unlimited.

"The Art of Simple Food" is by Alice Waters, who founded Berkeley restaurant, Chez Panisse. Chez Panisse pioneered the farm-to-table movement, buying locally grown produce and cooking with in-season ingredients. Apparently Chez Panisse held one Michelin star from 2006 to 2009 but lost it in 2010. When the restaurant lost its star, Chez Panisse put out the below statement:

When Alice Waters opened Chez Panisse almost 40 years ago, she intended to create a place where people could come together with friends and family to eat a delicious, thoughtfully prepared meal in beautiful surroundings. To this day, that is the restaurant's highest priority. Although Ms. Waters respects the traditions upon which the Michelin Guide bases its awards, she acknowledges that they aren't the same traditions upon which Chez Panisse has built its reputation and success over the years."

Hopefully this pic is an indication of where Carmy and Syd are going to be at by the end of season 4, because honestly, fuck a Michelin star and fuck business practices that drive the world closer to environmental collapse. We do not have time for this shit, especially now as the west fends off the threat of fascism and the death throes of late stage capitalism.

#the bear #the bear fx #the bear hulu #sydcarmy #the bear meta #sydney adamu #carmen berzatto #the bear season 4

29 notes · View notes

whenmemorydies · 6 days ago

Text

Maybe it's just me as a Filipino who has lived through a murderous dictatorship and oligarchies in a queerphobic country controlled by the rich who brutalize grassroots pro worker movements all under the military abuse of US imperialism but...

You just gotta keep showing up. Support each other. Don't just fight for yourself. The work is hard, but you just gotta keep doing it. You'll always see results, even if they're not always the ones you want, or as big as you want them to be.

All your work always matters. Even if it doesn't feel like it at first. It always matters.

#keep going #antifascists keep going #maria ressa #Raquel Fortun #Raffy Lerma #Ezra Acayan #patricia evangelista #Leila de Lima

11K notes · View notes

whenmemorydies · 6 days ago

Text

#stop motion #food #fake food #mini food #needle felting #art

69K notes · View notes

whenmemorydies · 6 days ago

Text

Nida Manzoor, you absolute gift.

WE ARE LADY PARTS 1.05

#this show is what happens when you have a diverse writers room that reps the characters and stories being told #a writers room full of diverse Muslim women is gonna write a banger show about a diverse group of Muslim women #it’s not rocket science #we are lady parts #saira sherwani #amina hussain #bisma #ayesha alkaaf #mumtaz #nida manzoor

222 notes · View notes

whenmemorydies · 6 days ago

Text

16 EPISODES IN S4 LETS FUCKING GOOOO!!!!!!

#16 eps no filler please!#ooo this is going to be juicy #the bear #the bear fx #the bear hulu #sydcarmy

147 notes · View notes

whenmemorydies · 6 days ago

Text

Yes! We absolutely need to see the cola braised short rib make a return in some way...preferably with Syd leading The Bear's kitchen!

Exorcism

I was rewatching 3x07 Legacy and noticed the below photos of dishes at The Bear taped to the wall in Natalie's office:

Given how authoritarian Carmy was about The Bear's dishes in season 3, this post is working on the assumption that the dishes in the pics above were created by Carmy.

Note: the colour green has historically been associated with poison ever since the use of toxic green pigments in the 1700s such as Scheele's green and Paris green.

But in 3x10, Carmy confronts that devil and makes it clear to his abuser, to us and to himself, the harms he was subjected to while working at Empire.

In doing so, it appears that Carmy purges himself of that poison. He even utters the words "get out" after David leaves, willing his body to rid itself of that demon.

#sydcarmy #the bear season 4 #the bear meta #the bear #the bear fx #the bear hulu #sydney adamu #carmen berzatto

40 notes · View notes

whenmemorydies · 6 days ago

Text

@freedelusionshere love this reblog - thank you for also giving me more to chew on!

Before I forget, if you haven't already seen it, @thoughtfulchaos773 wrote a multi-part meta series on filmmaking in season 3: Part 1 (which features an analysis of Hitchcock), Part 2 (which features an analysis of Friedkin).

Particularly notable is that Friedkin is a Chicago-native and we know how much this show pays tribute to Chicago: its history and its significance as a cultural hotspot.

THIS:

I’m thinking about how Richie literally invokes Donna while Carmy is trapped in the walk-in as the moment Carmy flips. Richie, again, is in the role of the director (Friedkin “Freud kin” LOL) foreshadowing what will happen in S3. The famous opening scene of The Exorcist has a demon that was trapped in a chamber being freed when a seal is broken.

...is simply brilliant meta! The horror story of season 3 began during 2x10. Richie absolutely broke the seal on Carmy's vault of demons by calling him Donna! Once that happens, S3 Carmy is a man possessed by one of his demons (David). I don't think he'll be possessed by Donna in S4 in the same way...the truth is, he's already haunted by her in the way that all children carry their upbringing with them throughout life. Donna permeates Carmy's existence while Chef David's influence would be more limited.

Also love the other parallels with The Exorcist that you point out, like the broken home leaving Regan vulnerable to possession. This is a direct metaphor for the theory that childhood trauma can predispose people to future traumatic experiences (like Carmy's familial trauma may have made him more vulnerable to Chef David's abuse...it definitely goes to his putting up with that abuse for as long as he did) or just that childhood trauma haunts children long after it ends. I've said it before on here but I'll say it again: I appreciate the physical honesty of the horror genre. Because if we're being frank, A LOT of the human condition is horrific but it gets sanitised and made palatable in so much of our storytelling media. You don't have to make horror palatable - in fact if you did, its arguable that you'd just be making a drama. And so with horror, you have the freedom to depict terror and fear as they genuinely feel. You also have the freedom to make trauma visible, in a world that so often insists on hiding it (this is particularly the case for domestic abuse and family violence - like that which Mikey, Carm and Nat would have experienced as children - which is so insidious precisely because it occurs behind closed doors). Or the trauma that is perpetuated in the restaurant industry but is hidden behind pretty plates that get sent out for consumption.

The green demonic vomit in The Exorcist and the green hiramasa dish at The Bear! Jesus. Also as we've discussed in chat, the hiramasa looks like a sashimi so would be cold (like the walk-in, like everything that gets associated with Claire, like death - remember Carmy calling the seven fishes plate "dead" when it goes cold during Friends and Family in 2x10?) while its earlier iteration before Carmy's possession - the hamachi - is cooked so would be warm. And that version of Carmy's heart goes to Sydney who is almost always associated with warmth: warm lighting, warm communication, pepper (which bring heat to a dish and which Chef David famously hates!) etc.

Ugh this show is WILD.

Exorcism

I was rewatching 3x07 Legacy and noticed the below photos of dishes at The Bear taped to the wall in Natalie's office:

Given how authoritarian Carmy was about The Bear's dishes in season 3, this post is working on the assumption that the dishes in the pics above were created by Carmy.

Note: the colour green has historically been associated with poison ever since the use of toxic green pigments in the 1700s such as Scheele's green and Paris green.

But in 3x10, Carmy confronts that devil and makes it clear to his abuser, to us and to himself, the harms he was subjected to while working at Empire.

In doing so, it appears that Carmy purges himself of that poison. He even utters the words "get out" after David leaves, willing his body to rid itself of that demon.

#the Bear meta #the bear fx #the bear hulu #the bear #sydcarmy #carmen berzatto #sydney adamu #chef david fields #the exorcist #the bear is a ghost story #the bear is a haunted house #william friedkin

40 notes · View notes

whenmemorydies · 6 days ago

Text

Richie's journey is not over

I've done my fair share of hating on Richie, but @caiusmarciuscoriolanus 's and @post-woke 's meta on him has gotten to me. As a companion piece to this post about Carmy's future in the culinary world here, here's why I think Richie may be the one to actually leave the industry someday, or at least that he may find a fulfilling secondary vocation by the end of the series.

1. Along with Marcus, but to a greater extent, Richie is Carmy's narrative foil, if Carmy stays in the restaurant world, as Carmy's foil, Richie may want to leave someday:

Before the start of the series and in season one, he was the dutiful "son/brother"-figure that stayed in Chicago and stuck it out with Mikey (since Mikey pushed Carmy away) while Carmy globe-trotted and became a master at his craft. He resents Carmy for not coming to Mikey's funeral and for being MIA after his death, and perhaps also for being absent from pitching into the family business even prior to Mikey's death and the business' decline. He also resented the changes Carmy, and by extension, Sydney, made to the restaurant during season one, and by the beginning of season two expresses insecurities about his place in the restaurant, and by extension, his place in Carmy and the Berzattos' life. Hence, in season two Richie goes out of his way to have Carmy's reassurance that he would not be "dropped" and he also apologized to Natalie for some unspecified long-standing slight or slights, and enjoyed a much improved relationship with the surviving Berzatto siblings until his argument with Carmy in "The Bear".

During this war of words, after Richie called Carmy, Donna, Carmy retaliated by claiming that he should've cut Richie off, that Richie wouldn't be able to make a living or support his child without him, and accused him of being a leech with an obsession with the Berzatto family. Regardless of whether Carmy truly believes these things about Richie or not, and regardless of whether they are true or not, the venom behind this outburst may have left Richie questioning his security at The Bear, and the sincerity of Carmy's earlier promise to not abandon him, which has silently been one of Richie's greatest fears since season one, with his admission to Carmy in Braciole that,

"You're all I have left."

Also, keep in mind, season two already began with Richie questioning his purpose and place at The Bear, while Carmy ended the season questioning his vocation and his place at the restaurant,

"Maybe I'm just not cut out for this."

Similarly, their love interests / the women from their pasts are associated with one another, Carmy's (now ex) girlfriend , Claire, and Richie's ex-wife, Tiffany:

"Tiff used to babysit Claire!"

Since both Richie and Carmy reached a turning point professionally and experienced upheavals in their relationship(s) in season two (with each other and with their love interests a la Claire breaking up with Carmy, and Tiff informing Richie that she's moving on and getting married), we'll have to wait until the dust settles in season 3 or beyond to see whether the words Carmy spoke in anger to Richie may push him away, even if only temporarily, to the point that Richie may be moved to "abandon Carmy / The Berzattos / the restaurant before they abandon me", or even to see if he has truly found the answer to his question of what his purpose and vocation is in life, and whether that lies in customer service and working the expo or overseeing the front of house at The Bear, or elsewhere.

It's also interesting to me that the book Richie is shown reading in Season 2, 'Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect', by Will Guidara, apparently stresses the value of imparting a sense of excellence and care for one's customers and peers / working relationships no matter the industry, and highlights that the lessons the author learned in the restaurant/hospitality industry can also be applicable to other fields.

Which leads me to my next point;

2. I believe that Richie serves as an author avatar for Christopher Storer himself on some level, and Storer ultimately left the food service industry to become a writer/ director and work in the film industry, hence it's another reason that it would not come as a surprise to me if Richie ends up leaving The Bear, even if it's only temporarily:

C Storer has expressed before in podcast interviews that Richie's character is based on his older male cousins growing up, with whom he enjoyed spending time with in his teens as an escape from his own dysfunctional home life as a child of divorced parents that lived with a mother struggling with addiction. This explains the "Cousin" moniker and surrogate brother role Richie occupies in Carmy's life clearly enough. However, I also think that Richie and Mikey to some degree, (as Storer also struggled with substance abuse in the past) may be partially based on Storer's own life before he found his vocation and settled into a relationship with his long term partner, Gillian Jacobs, who, interestingly, stars as Richie's ex-wife Tiffany in the show.

This is just speculation on my part, but there is something in Richie's dynamic with The Berzattos that may be a reflection of, or at least partially inspired by C Storer and his younger sister, Courtney's, real life surrogate family, the Zuccheros; which is the family that owns Mr. Beef, the Italian sandwich shop that show and The Original Beef of Chicagoland is based on.

According to Joanna Calo in this podcast, see around the 48 minute mark, Chris and Courtney Storer worked at Mr. Beef when they were younger, before Chris left the food industry to become a writer/director and moved to LA. However, Chris Storer has maintained a friendship with the current owner of Mr. Beef, Christopher Zucchero, since kindergarten, and the pilot of The Bear was filmed on location in Mr. Beef, the rest of season one was filmed in a set that was a faithful recreation of Mr. Beef's premises, and Chris Zucchero also had a cameo appearance as ChiChi, Carmy's meat connect that haggled with him in the season one pilot.

As if all this wasn't enough of powerful testament to the bond that the Storers have with the Zuccheros, Chris Zucchero has stated in interviews that Chris Storer used to direct him and their friends to do recreations of movie scenes when they played together as children, and that there was never a doubt in his mind that Storer would've become a film director someday, a level of faith which mirrors Carmy's faith in Richie's people skills and his aptitude for a new role front of house. Chris Storer also promised Chris Zucchero to make a show about Mr. Beef years ago, and The Bear is a fulfillment of that promise.

The former proprietor of Mr. Beef, Chris Zucchero's father, Joseph Zucchero, also seems to have had a fatherly relationship with the Storers (Chris Storer has disclosed that he and his siblings did not have a close relationship with their own father after their parents' divorce), and particularly with Courtney Storer. Chris Zucchero has even joked in interviews that his father loved Courtney more than his own children, and that Zucchero Sr. served as a surrogate father to many in his community.

In my opinion, even if Richie shares no other connection to Chris Storer's life and personality, beyond Richie being an amalgamation of the cousins Chris Storer grew up with; the tight-knit bond of devotion and affection between Richie and Mikey and The Berzattos certainly appears to be somewhat reminiscent of Christopher Storer's own loyalty to his longtime friend, Chris Zucchero's family.

As such, this may be completely off-base, but hear me out;

3. What if Richie's character journey eventually mirrors Christopher Storer's personal career trajectory and takes him on the path of becoming a writer, perhaps even to the point of publishing a heartfelt article about, or story inspired by: his life, his job, Mikey, The Berzattos, The Original Beef and The Bear?

Since we are unfamiliar with much of Richie's backstory and skillset beyond his time in the restaurant, I'm basing this possible career shift on one aspect of Richie's personal interests we are privy to; Richie appears to be surprisingly well-read, and it is generally assumed that excellent authors tend to be avid readers, just as renowned filmmakers tend to be cinephiles themselves.

In the pilot episode - when the creators took time to create character establishing moments for Carmy, and most of the regular cast, despite Richie's initial abrasive interactions with Carmy, Richie is shown to also be affable and well liked, or at least respected, by the staff and prompts them to have an informal icebreaker over Syd's family meal by asking them to express what they are thankful for.

This moment establishes Tina's (at the time hidden) sentimental heart of gold when she answers, "I'm thankful for all y'all mfs! 😜", and Marcus and Ebra's sense of humour and easy rapport with Richie /their irreverence and lack of fear of him when Marcus makes a joke at Richie's expense and Ebra chimes in to mock his body odour. However, when Richie's turn to express what he's thankful for, out of all the possible people or things the writers could've used to telegraph what is important to Richie, and who he is as a person, in this moment Richie says he's thankful for the classic sci-fi author, Philip K. Dick; who famously wrote the dystopian novel 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?'' which ultimately served as the inspiration for many sci-fi works, including the Blade Runner films. Even if he intended for his answer to be light-hearted or flippant, it may be a case of "the truth being hidden in jest" that he expressed gratitude, not for his daughter, not for any other relationship or personal possession, but for Mr. Philip K. Dick.

In season one Richie makes another offhand/indirect reference to this sci fi author and his story, by addressing the crew as, "replicants" (a term for lifelike artificial humans from Blade Runner, i.e. robots) when he shows up late to the staff meeting wherein Carmy is about to initiate the brigade system by delegating Syd to lead the crew. Since these are two sci-fi story references that Richie makes within the first 3 episodes of the show, after season one would be forgiven for just thinking that Richie may be a fan of classic sci-fi books or films and nothing else, however, season 2 shifted this understanding of Richie's characterization for me when, again, he references yet another renowned writer/novel in the season 2 pilot.

Thanks to fans on The Bear's subreddit - it appears that the writing he referenced this time was Haruki Murakami's 'Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Year's of Pilgrimage' as he paraphrases the story, including the main character being deserted by friends because of a lack of a 'life /interest' besides "trains". Richie uses the book to effectively articulate his own feelings of aimlessness, and fear of abandonment to Carmy. This conversation with Carmy where Richie uses the book as a tool to communicate his own anxiety/ need for reassurance to Carmy also ultimately served as a catalyst for Richie being sent on the opportunity to stage at the 3 Michelin star restaurant in season 2 episode seven.

It is during this episode that Richie undergoes some much needed character development, and is shown studiously reading Unreasonable Hospitality in a montage as he undergoes his metamorphosis into the earnest, professional, and essential FOH/BOH team member with renewed confidence that we see him as in episodes 8-10; apologising to Nat, helping her to vet the new FOH potential hires, even taking over the expo on the soft opening night and helping Sydney to avert disaster as she takes over functioning in Carmy's stead in the season finale. When addressing the new FOH staff prior to the soft open he again quotes a novel by a renowned author with existentialist themes, 'Siddhartha' by Herman Hesse as he urges the new staff to, "listen better".

Whether Richie eventually leaves the industry or The Bear or not remains to be seen, but I'm looking forward to seeing where his character development will take him, and I'm looking forward to Season 3 and beyond.

It is now clear to me, underneath all Richie's machismo bluster and bravado lies a surprising level of perceptiveness, a philosophic/existential curiosity and sensitivity that, in addition to his love for reading and gift for gab, may potentially lend itself to him developing a compelling written voice should he ever have the desire to write stories of his own.

Perhaps he may be steered to do so if he seeks out counselling for himself, whether via Al-anon or otherwise; as journalling / writing and tapping into a creative pursuit is often recommended as a coping mechanism for processing trauma/grief?

I also think that, much in the same way that Carmy confessed to seeing his cooking as an art and a means of communication in his Al-anon monologue in Braciole in Season 1; it is telling that Richie repeatedly uses what he has read as a means to express himself and communicate with others in some of the moments that he is most happy, uninhibited, sincere, and/or vulnerable.

P.S. @thoughtfulchaos773 Thanks for the nudge - I dug this out of my drafts because of you - stay wonderful 😊❤️

If you've read this, thanks for reading and feel free to chime in!

#richie as chris storer's director avatar #rereading currymanganese' meta #genius that OP is!#s4 or s5 prediction: Richie leaves the restaurant industry to fulfil his true purpose #the bear #the bear meta #the bear fx #the bear hulu #richie jerimovich #christopher storer

113 notes · View notes

whenmemorydies · 6 days ago

Text

and like Richie and Tiff (the director's literal and figurative wife) says in 3x09: they know their demographic! (i.e. us, unrepentant shippers)

This Is What You Wanted, Right?" – SydCarmy & Subtext

Every time Carmy says “This is what you wanted, right?” to Sydney, it feels like Storer and Calo are straight-up taunting us. Like, "Yeah, you wanted this dynamic? This push-and-pull? This agonizingly slow burn? Well, buckle up." They know exactly what they’re doing.

LET ME EXPLAIN

Season 1, Episode 3: "Brigade"

This is the first time Carmy drops the phrase, and it sets the tone for their entire relationship. He’s trying to implement the brigade system, but Sydney’s not on board with how rigid and intense it is. Their exchange goes:

Carmy: "You told me that's what you wanted."

Sydney:"No. I-I said I wanted more to do. I didn't say I wanna run a Russian gymnastics program."

Right away, it’s clear—Sydney asked for something, and Carmy, in typical Carmy fashion, took it and ran with it to an extreme. But the way he phrases it? It’s not just about the brigade system. It’s a challenge. You wanted to be here, didn’t you? You wanted to work with me? And that’s something we see again and again: Sydney choosing to be in Carmy’s orbit, even when it’s a lot.

This is a great starting point for their relationship because it shows that in order for them to be on the same page they have to jump through a few hurdles or misunderstanding and miscommunication first. They will have many obstacles to face before really hearing each other, and for things (between them) to work "the way I think we both want it to work."

Hello. So much subtext in almost every line between these two it makes me CRAZY.

Season 1, Episode 7: "Review"

Now, things get even more intense. The kitchen is a disaster, tensions are at an all-time high, and Carmy—who is spiraling under the weight of it all—snaps at Sydney:

Carmy: "This is what you wanted, right?"

It’s not a genuine question. It’s a LOADED one. There’s frustration, maybe even resentment, but beneath that? There’s an understanding. Sydney wanted something—more responsibility, more control, a partnership with Carmy—and now she’s feeling the full weight of it.

He told her that her dish wasn't ready. — he wasn't ready for her. And because she put herself out there, and was enjoyed and appreciated by someone else it stings in a different way for him, hearing the review of her superb risotto dish. Hence his frustration towards the pre-order option being left open over night only being excelled due to this.

And this moment is key because it isn’t just about work and the frustrations there, but It’s about them. Their dynamic. Their push and pull.

Season 2, Episode 8: "Bolognese"

This one right here is such a quietly brutal moment. Sydney’s pissed because Carmy’s been running ideas by Claire—who, at this point, is basically in the periphery of everything going on with the restaurant—and it’s clear Sydney feels totally blindsided. So she says:

Sydney: "–So, I should I also send my revised COGS to your girlfriend?"

Carmy: "You don't need to send anything—she's not my girlfriend."

Sydney: "So she's not even your girlfriend."

Carmy: "Right."

Sydney: "And we're, like, arranging this menu—"

Carmy: "She's not arranging anything and she's not looking at the menu—this is what you wanted in the first place."

That line? Oof. He says it AGAIN. And it hits different this time. There’s this weird bitterness to it, like he’s using her own ambition against her to justify why he’s messing things up. It’s defensive, but it’s also exposing—because if it really was “what she wanted,” why does he sound so wounded? Why is she so hurt? It’s not just about logistics. It's not even about Claire, really. It’s about the rift between them.

It's about Carmy choosing to confide in someone else. It’s about Sydney realizing that the “partnership” she thought they were building isn’t quite what she thought it was. And again, choice comes back—choosing each other, or not.

It's straight up saying all these people want is a bit(or all) of each other. Sydney doesn't want to share his focus, just as Carmen wants all of hers.

This, (as far as I know/remember) is the last time he directly says this exact phrase to her. From season one to two it was a challenge to her. A challenge for their relationship. "This is what you wanted?" Almost always checking in with her, too.

It's like saying, hey, yeah, we know the pressure's a lot, and often you feel like throwing a brick in my face, but it's what you chose. It's what you want.

Storer Knows Exactly What He's Doing

The writers love their little winks at the audience, and this phrase? It’s definitely one of them. Every time Carmy says "This is what you wanted” to Sydney, it’s like the show is turning to us, the SydCarmy truthers, and saying:

"This is what you wanted, right?"

A relationship that’s layered, complicated, built on mutual ambition and unspoken tension? A connection that’s frustratingly slow, where every tiny shift feels monumental? The show is teasing us, making us earn whatever payoff is coming. (And it is.)

And the proof that this is all intentional? Fast-forward to Season 3, Episode 1, when Sydney asks why Carmy is changing everything, and he responds with:

"So I can push you, and you can push me."

It’s all connected. From "You wanted to work here, right?” to “This is what you wanted, right?” to “So I can push you, and you can push me.” It’s all part of the same conversation. A question of choice. Of whether they’ll keep choosing each other, through the chaos, through the pressure, through everything. Despite the obstacles, despite the slow realization, they keep coming back to each other. They're gonna keep coming back to each other.

Because we know that everything in this show is purposeful. It's meaningful. And these significant repeating lines are powerful tools to hint and push us towards what they're working for. It's a question of how long can they keep this up.

And we already know the answer.

So yeah, it’s going to be slow. It’s going to be maddening. But this is what we wanted, right?

#this is what we wanted /sob #sydcarmy #the bear #the bear meta #the bear fx #the bear hulu #sydney adamu #carment berzatto

99 notes · View notes