The Bear Recap: 10 Things To Remember Before Season 3 (2024)

The Bear season 3 will drop on June 27, 2024, and there are a couple of things to remember before reuniting with Carmy (Jeremy Allen White), Sydney (Ayo Edebiri), and the rest of the team. Created by Christopher Storer, The Bear took the audience by surprise in 2022 with its mix of drama and comedy and a main setting not seen often in TV shows: the kitchen of a restaurant. The Bear was a critical success and its first season won various awards, leading to its renewal for a second, third, and fourth season.

The Bear season 2 focused on Carmy, Sydney, and the rest of the team’s efforts to open the new restaurant after closing The Beef at the end of season 1. As expected, Carmy and company faced a variety of challenges and obstacles as they rushed to open the restaurant in just three months, this as part of a deal with Jimmy Cicero (Oliver Platt). The Bear season 2 ended with good and bad things for the characters, and before season 3 arrives, there are some key things to remember as they will be addressed one way or another in the upcoming episodes.

10 Donna Learned Sugar Is Pregnant

Sugar Was Keeping Her Pregnancy Secret From Her Mother

The Berzatto family is about to expand with a new member. The Bear season 2 revealed that Natalie a.k.a. Sugar (Abby Elliott) is pregnant, and even though she did her best to keep it secret for as long as she could, Carmy and the rest of the restaurant’s crew ended up learning about it. However, there was one member of the Berzatto family who didn’t know about Sugar’s pregnancy and didn’t learn it from her: Donna (Jamie Lee Curtis), Sugar and Carmy’s mother. The Bear’s most chaotic episode, “Fishes”, introduced Donna and showed the toxic relationship she has with her children.

Donna has substance use disorder, which has further affected her relationship with Carmy and Sugar. Donna was invited to family and friends night at the restaurant but decided not to go in, but Sugar’s husband, Pete (Chris Witaske), saw her and came out to talk to her. Pete mentioned Sugar’s pregnancy, with Donna shocked to learn about it as Sugar hadn’t told her. Donna could return in The Bear season 3 when Sugar gives birth, which can either be their chance to heal their relationship or make it worse.

9 Marcus Subtly Let Out His Feelings For Sydney

Marcus & Sydney’s Connection Is Undeniable

Throughout The Bear season 2, Marcus (Lionel Boyce) and Sydney got closer and their friendship got stronger, but it became clear with each episode that Marcus has feelings for Sydney that go beyond a friendship. Marcus found support and comfort in Sydney as everyone dealt with the chaos of the restaurant, but Marcus was also dealing with some personal problems. Marcus’ mom is terminally ill, so he splits his time between the restaurant and spending time with his mom. Outside his family, Marcus kept studying and learning to become the restaurant’s patissier.

Marcus was sent to Copenhagen to learn from Luca (Will Poulter), a skilled pastry chef and once rival of Carmy. Marcus had video calls with Sydney, making him feel less alone in a strange city for him. Marcus subtly asked Sydney out towards the end of The Bear season 2, but Sydney declined under the excuse of being busy, while also questioning if Marcus was asking her out on a date. While this left a weird vibe between them, The Bear season 3 could see their relationship blossom.

8 Marcus Is About To Face A Family Tragedy

Season 2 Revealed Marcus’ Mother Was Terminally Ill

Speaking of Marcus, The Bear season 2’s finale pointed to Marcus being about to face a major family tragedy. As mentioned above, Marcus’ mom is terminally ill, and while he’s at work, a nurse looks after him. However, family and friends night at the restaurant required the full attention, time, and effort of the entire crew, and he had no time to check his phone. When the night was over, Marcus received a package with a gift from Luca, but this heartwarming moment was quickly changed by the camera showing Marcus’ phone.

Marcus had various missed calls from his mom’s nurse, and they point to a very tragic outcome: the death of Marcus’ mom. If so, Marcus will most likely not be able to fully focus on his role as the restaurant’s patissier, potentially creating problems and tension with the rest of the crew, especially Carmy. However, this could also bring Marcus and Sydney closer, as Sydney’s mother passed away when she was little, so she can empathize with him.

7 Richie Had A Life-Changing Experience At Ever

Richie Had The Best Character Development In Season 2

The character who has gone through the most and best character development so far in The Bear is Richie (Ebon Moss-Bacnhrach). As part of the crew’s training, Richie was sent by Carmy to Ever, an upscale fine dining restaurant, for a week to learn how these restaurants work. Richie was initially annoyed by having to wake up too early, meticulously clean forks, and he thought Carmy had sent him there to humiliate him and get rid of him.

However, after seeing the dedication of the restaurant’s staff, Richie opened his mind and heart to the experience and learned a lot, not just about how the restaurant works but about himself, as well. Richie found his calling in attending to the customers, making sure they get their dishes on time and in perfect condition, and creating unforgettable experiences for them. Richie came out of his training at Ever as a new and improved man, and carried that new attitude and knowledge to the restaurant – however, this could also make him feel unappreciated if Carmy doesn’t change his ways in season 3.

6 Sydney Has Questioned How Much She Can Trust Carmy As A Business Partner

Sydney Struggled With Trusting Carmy In Season 2

Sydney and Carmy discovered they are a powerful team and became partners when they decided to open the restaurant. At the beginning of The Bear season 2, Carmy and Sydney decided to visit different restaurants around the city for inspiration for the restaurant’s menu, but Carmy bailed on her to go with Claire (Molly Gordon). Sydney still visited various restaurants and got advice from old friends of hers in the business, and one of them gave her a valuable piece of advice that resonated with her for the rest of the season.

Sydney was told about the importance of having a business partner she could trust, and though she does trust Carmy, he was too distracted throughout the entire season, making her question their partnership. Although by the end of season 2 they were on good terms again and Sydney seemed to be fully trusting of Carmy again, this piece of advice could still follow her as the restaurant gains more and more attention.

5 Jimmy Is Now The Restaurant’s Key Investor (But They Still Have To Pay Him)

Jimmy Saved The Restaurant But Can Also Destroy It

At the end of The Bear season 1, a note left by Michael (John Bernthal) led Carmy to discover Michael had hidden all the money he owed Jimmy in cans of tomatoes – however, he wasn’t planning on paying Jimmy. Carmy decided to use that money to close The Beef and turn it into the restaurant he and Michael had dreamed of, but that amount of money wasn’t enough. Carmy, Sydney, and Sugar asked Jimmy for more funds, specifically an additional $500,000 loan, offering him a spot as an investor.

Jimmy agreed but under the condition that they have to pay the loan in 18 months, and if they don’t, he will take ownership of the property, estimated to be worth $2 million. Jimmy was revealed to have been interested in buying The Beef but Michael refused, so if the restaurant doesn’t work as planned and they can’t pay him back, Jimmy’s plan might finally come true… unless they make a new deal.

4 Everyone Has An Assigned Role At The Restaurant

The Restaurant Needs Organization To Work

The concept of a brigade in the kitchen worked well at The Beef in The Bear season 1, and it continued at the restaurant in season 2 but with major changes. Carmy is now the owner and executive chief, Sydney is the chef de cuisine, Richie is the general manager and a chef de partie, Tina became the sous chef, Marcus is the patissier after showing skill and passion for bakery and desserts, and Ebra and Sweeps are chefs de parties.

In addition to them, Sydney hired more chefs, but they had to fire one of them as he disappeared during family and friends night (when they needed him the most) and Marcus found him smoking crack behind the restaurant. This hierarchy is likely to continue working well for Carmy and the crew, but it’s to be seen if season 3 will see changes and additions to it.

3 Various Restaurants In The City Are Struggling Post-Pandemic

It’s A Tough Time To Open A Restaurant In Chicago

At the beginning of The Bear season 2, Carmy and Sydney realized a hard reality in the city: many restaurants had been struggling during and after the pandemic, with many of them forced to close permanently. While this helped them see what their competition was like, it also shows some of the risks the restaurant will be facing by opening in the post-pandemic economy. This risk was highlighted near the end of season 2 when Sydney found out that her friend’s restaurant (the same friend who gave her advice on having a partner she could trust) had closed.

Sugar and Carmy were concerned about the lack of reservations at the restaurant, and though the trailer for The Bear season 3 shows that the restaurant is still up and running, it’s still possible that the tough post-pandemic economy could bring some issues, mainly the restaurant struggling to make a profit and thus making it harder to pay Jimmy on time.

2 Claire Broke Up With Carmy

Claire & Carmy’s Relationship Didn’t Last For Long

Claire wasn’t a fan-favorite character in The Bear season 2, and though she got along well with Carmy, she ended up being a distraction for him. Claire is a childhood friend of the Berzattos and a long-time crush of Carmy, and after giving her the wrong number on purpose, Claire got the right one from Fak and she and Carmy started spending more time together. However, Carmy was constantly distracted by his relationship with Claire, forgetting and neglecting key activities and tasks at the restaurant.

Carmy ended up apologizing to Sydney for his lack of focus, but after getting stuck inside the fridge during family and friends night, Carmy saw his relationship with Claire under a different light. Spiraling into self-loathing, Carmy went on a rant about his relationship with Claire and how it ruined his focus, and unbeknownst to him, Claire was on the other side of the door, listening. Claire broke up with Carmy on the spot, and it’s to be seen if they will get back together in season 3 and, if they do, if Carmy will continue to lose his focus when he’s with her.

1 The Bear Is Now Open

After Many Obstacles, The Bear Finally Opened

After the most chaotic three months, The Bear – the restaurant – finally opened at the end of season 2. Carmy, Sydney, Sugar, Richie, and the rest of the team faced a variety of obstacles while preparing the restaurant – from a mold problem to denied permits and the broken handle of the fridge’s door – but it was all worth it in the end. Despite the chaos in the kitchen, one chef being fired for doing drugs outside the restaurant, Carmy getting trapped in the fridge and more, The Bear’s soft opening was a success, and they already had two weeks fully booked.

Carmy and the team will be facing new challenges in The Bear season 3, mainly that they need to increase reservations to stay profitable, and surely, more issues and opportunities will arise in the new episodes. The Bear season 3 will go back to the show’s roots and focus on the kitchen, which will make it more intimate but also chaotic and entertaining.

The Bear

Set in a Chicago sandwich shop, The Bear follows Carmy Berzatto, a young professionally trained chef who returns to take over his family business after the unexpected death of his brother. At odds with many of the shop's employees due to his culinary training, Carmy struggles to maintain order and keep the shop from failing entirely. Jeremy Allen White stars as Carmy alongside Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Ayo Edebiri.

Cast

Jeremy Allen White , Ebon Moss-Bachrach , Ayo Edebiri , Lionel Boyce , Liza Colón-Zayas , Abby Elliott , Oliver Platt

Release Date

June 23, 2022

Network

FX

Streaming Service(s)

Hulu , Disney+

Showrunner

Christopher Storer