What’s happening to Carmy, Sydney

SPOILER WARNING: This story contains spoilers for season 3 of “The Bear,” now available to stream on Hulu.

Season 3 of “The Bear” begins and ends with a funeral. But in the finale, it is a restaurant that is mourned.

The episode opens with a peaceful flashback to Carmy’s (Jeremy Allen White) first day on the job at the French Laundry. He is preparing whole chickens when Thomas Keller, the real chef and owner of the Decorated California restaurant, comes up to him and shows him an easy way to remove the wishbone.

It’s a tender moment that contrasts with Carmy’s memories of New York’s Empire, where he was berated by an abusive boss (Joel McHale) who has haunted his subconscious since Season 1. Here, Keller patiently explains why chefs call the back of the kitchen the chicken “the Pope’s nose” and Carmy gives a sweet speech about using food to cherish and leave a legacy in the kitchen.

Back in the present, Carmy reunites with Chef Luca (Will Poulter) at the funeral dinner for Ever, a household name in Chicago’s gastronomic scene. (Don’t worry: In real life, the restaurant isn’t closing.) Chef Andrea Terry (Olivia Colman), who mentored Carmy, Luca, and countless others, has chosen to close the restaurant and retire, leaving an impressive number of celebrities have been brought together. chefs and Chicago culinary legends for a final celebratory supper.

Back in the kitchen, Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) reunites with the Ever staffers who trained him in the memorable Season 2 episode “Forks,” while Carmy and Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) share funny and embarrassing restaurant stories with other chefs cooks. The consensus: Restaurants are brutal, but cooking for others is beautiful, and none of these chefs would trade their careers for anything.

While the chefs are talking, Carmy peers over to another table and looks at his former boss (McHale). Suddenly, Carmy has flashbacks of being told he’s not good enough and to quit, interspersed with nightmarish visions of negative headlines: “The bear is worse than its bite” and “New restaurant The Bear closes after just three months.” (Earlier in the season, The Bear crew realizes that a critic from The Chicago Tribune has already stopped by the restaurant, meaning a potentially life-changing review could arrive at any moment.)

Then Chef Terry suddenly clinks her glass and gives a speech: “People often talk about restaurants in terms of: What’s its history? What is the impact it makes? Who has worked there before? What awards have they won? What about their, quote, chef? I think what I’ve learned over the years, in all the places I’ve worked, is that people don’t remember the food. Sorry! It’s the people who remember them.” (This will be important later.)

While everyone enjoys the food, Carmy is still fixated on his ex-boss and eventually follows him into the restroom to confront him. It’s an awkward encounter: Carmy tells him, “Fuck you,” and, “I think about you too much,” and, “You gave me ulcers, panic attacks, and nightmares.” The chef is not impressed. Instead, he gets credit for transforming Carmy from an “OR chief” to an “excellent one,” giving him confidence and leadership. He leaves Carmy still visibly shaken and in tears.

Elsewhere, Ever’s chef Adam Shapiro takes Sydney aside for a temperature check. Earlier this season, he offered Sydney the position of chef at a new restaurant he wants to open. As Carmy has exerted increasing control over The Bear, Sydney has delayed signing her acquisition agreement for the restaurant. She’s stuck – torn between a smarter career move and her chosen family. Sydney tells Adam she’s still thinking about it and plans to talk to Carmy soon, but it’s clear he wants to act quickly.

After dinner, Chef Terry finds Carmy outside getting some fresh air. Carmy tells her how much he learned from her while working at Ever, and asks for advice on his new venture. “You have no idea what you’re doing and that’s why you’re invincible,” says Terry.

Back in the kitchen, Sydney, Richie, Luca and the Ever staff stare silently at Chef Terry’s “Every Second Counts” sign, a mantra that transcends the walls of her kitchen and has helped define “The Bear.” Adam takes the sign away and gives it to Terry, who says, “Let’s get out of here!”

They do that too. Everyone except Carmy goes back to an impromptu party at Sydney’s apartment to party, where they are joined by the Bear crew. They sing, dance and elevate frozen waffles with caviar. Taped to Sydney’s refrigerator is a newspaper review of The Beef, the Italian sandwich shop she helped Carmy transform into a fine dining restaurant. She mentally scans images of Marcus (Lionel Boyce), Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas), Natalie (Abby Elliott), Fak (Matty Matheson), Carmy and the rest of the Bear family. Chef Terry’s words undoubtedly ring in her ears: “It’s the people who remember them.” Sydney steps outside and has a panic attack, hyperventilating about the decision she has to make.

Meanwhile, Carmy is walking alone when his phone rings with four missed calls from Uncle Jimmy (Oliver Platt), who is financing the Bear but has been advised to cut his losses and stop the bleeding. In a previous episode, he couldn’t bring himself to tell Carmy how bad the restaurant’s finances had gotten. More importantly, there’s a Google alert from The Chicago Tribune. The review is in.

Carmy frantically scans his phone, focusing on words like “excellent,” “confusing,” “innovative,” “sloppy,” “brilliant,” “incredible,” “disappointing.” It’s mixed.

So where does that leave our favorite restaurant staff? Not much is resolved at the end of season 3. Sydney still must choose whether to stay with the Bear and fight for a Michelin star alongside Carmy, whose personal trauma has made him a toxic leader, or jump ship and lead a rival. kitchen with Adam. Will Carmy be able to overcome what he’s been through and become a true partner to Sydney, or will he continue to let the cycle of abuse infect him, pushing his confidante away?

Carmy went the entire season without contacting Claire (Molly Gordon) after breaking off their romantic relationship in the season 2 finale. And Jimmy may decide to close his wallet and sell or even close the Bear, because it restaurant is too expensive to justify and has faced significant speed bumps. A mixed revision will only exacerbate these problems. To echo Carmy in the final moment of the season: “Motherfucker!”