At the Los Angeles premiere of The Bear, creator Chris Storer said this season is about legacy (see: episode seven, “Legacy“), but it’s also about “finding the right people when you’re supposed to find them.” And watching “Apologies,” I’m not sure if this little Bear group we considered a family is one anymore. I think it’s important that Syd met Carmy when she did, that she had his fish dish in New York, and that he helped her find the confidence she lost when her catering business failed. I think it’s important Richie met the team at Ever, who let him know he could be more than a hollering fuck-up. And I think it’s important that Marcus found his passion for pastry and Carmy’s friend Luca in a restaurant in Copenhagen.
But did Carmy need any of this? Or if he did need these people and their help, is he actually doing anything with them, or is he just burning all these hard-fought connections? Some of his relationships have gotten stronger, like those he has with Natalie and Uncle Cicero, for instance. And he seems to genuinely like and look over Marcus. However, if he took technique from Daniel Boulud, a love for technique from Chef Terry, a love of ingredients (?) from the French Laundry, and a love of beautiful plates from Rene Redzepi at Nomi, then, unfortunately, he took anger and contempt from Chef Joel McHale.
That seems to be what’s going on in the montage of Carmy running expo. Everyone seems to be scared to death of him, or at least scared of upsetting his precariously balanced apple cart. To the staff of The Bear, the restaurant’s success or failure rests on Carmy’s shoulders, but I would venture to say that if Carmy went — if he took a personal month, year, or even a day — that the restaurant would run just as well, if not even better. Richie is great in the house, but he was great at the expo, too. Syd can run that kitchen. Natalie’s got management. What exactly is Carmy bringing to this restaurant at this point, other than stress? He might tell Syd that he’s sorry he’s “hard to keep up with sometimes,” but it’s not like he’s doing shit about it.
He’s certainly not bringing the magic Marcus is seeking, which we get a glimpse at in the episode’s slightly odd montage, which mashes up Ricky Jay, Martin Scorsese, Hitchcock, and a trick with some coins and a coffee can (and a guy I think is Desi Arnaz but I can’t find a clip online). It seems clear that that’s where he’s going with his white violet dish, which — bold statement — could be the thing that really turns the restaurant around. And while you might ask if people even go to an expensive fine dining restaurant just to eat some magic dessert, I think so? Just look at Alinea’s table-plated dessert, which has for years capped off an already pretty excellent dinner. An incredible pastry dish can make a huge difference for a restaurant, and I know Marcus can do it.
Syd can do it, too, but maybe not at The Bear. I’m worried about her relationship with Carmy and the place being too far gone, especially in the wake of all the “visionary chef Carmine Berzatto” puff pieces she’s reading in her apartment. She’ll never get her chance to shine alone at The Bear, no matter how much she tries or how much of a partner she is. As far as anyone knows, it’s his restaurant, his vision, and his win. He could have dispelled that in the interviews, but I doubt he did. (Also, there’s no way Carmy’s doing interviews, the restaurant has a publicist, or someone came in to do a photoshoot with Carmy, and we didn’t know about it.) She’s a baby bird and needs to leave the nest and take the opportunity offered to her.
Based on what Pete said about the contract, Shapiro’s offer seems better than what the Berzattos offer Syd anyway, so perhaps she’d be a fool not to take it. It seems downright impossible, especially with Natalie out with the world’s cutest baby whose name we still don’t know, but it has to be done. If not, there’s a chance that Shapiro will do it for her at the funeral, where she’ll conveniently be in attendance with Carmy.
And speaking of tough breaks, as the chef’s “best friends,” the Fak brothers take it upon themselves to intervene in whatever Carmy and Claire have going on, infiltrating her hospital to tell her that they don’t think Carmy knows how to apologize. That he’s stuck, that he loves her, and that he’s all in. Their best line: “He likes you more than he likes himself,” which is both a compliment and a neg because, in fact, he doesn’t seem to like himself very much at all. But they’re right that no one takes care of Carmy, and while I don’t think that should be a girlfriend or wife’s job, necessarily, I suppose it could work if he could take care of her right back, with his food and his strong arms and shoulders. (“He could hug you a lot more,” the simple, simple Faks say.)
To her credit, Claire at least seems to take it in … even if she thinks it’s ridiculous. She knows the brothers are coming from a good place but also that it’s not her move to make. She can’t accept his apology before he makes it — what kind of precedent does that set? And is love enough to sustain their relationship, even if she is “the peace”?
It doesn’t seem like Cicero’s $850,000 loan is enough to sustain The Bear since The Computer tells him that he must recall it or go broke altogether. I don’t entirely understand why — something about shorts and the market ripping — but what will happen to The Bear if there’s no more money? It seems like, at this point, they could probably find other investors, but who knows if they’d be as hands-off as Cicero, who’s already taken a pretty big wash on the money Mikey stole from him in the first place. He tells Carm he’ll have to walk if they don’t get a good review, but Computer seems to think it has to happen no matter what the review says.
When the episode ends, Carm’s dressed up sharp and heading out, leaving us a glimpse of the prayer card he either picked up at Marcus’ mom’s funeral or pulled out of The Bear since he didn’t make it inside Mikey’s. He’s going to a funeral for a restaurant, but will it be a funeral for The Bear as well? Thank god we’ve only got the finale left, because I’ve really got to know how this all turns out.
Small Bites
• I’m very into the chef’s locker room decor, which consists of a Paul Rudd cutout in a Beef shirt, a Say Anything poster, and a Vienna Beef poster I’ve admired for years.
• Tiff and Frank live on the Gold Coast. Well la-di-dah!
• Review headlines Carmy sees in his fugue state:
• I understand why Tiffany wants Richie to go to her wedding, if not for her, then for Evie … but man, that’s still really rough.
• Does Tina’s cauliflower dish somehow involve blending raw Brussels sprouts in a Vitamix? I’m not saying it would be bad, but for some reason, I would just never think it would be raw.
• Based on Cicero’s speech, what if Carmy’s legacy isn’t The Bear but rather how he nurtures peoples’ goals and dreams “no matter how batshit they sound.” Would he be a better teacher, maybe, than a restaurateur? Assuming, that is, that he didn’t chew out his students every single time they overcooked some Wagyu.
