<aside>
Faced with the reality of opening a new restaurant, the crew must come up with a plan, but the financial problems are bigger than expected, and Carmy has to make a risky decision.
</aside>
<aside>
I think this season focuses more on how each character decides to spend their time when they are out of routine. Sydney faced a lot of doubt with questions coming in from her past connections, and her dad, and seeks communication from Carmy. Richie now has to accept that the past is gone and finds himself in an awkward spot where he is questioning his own purpose and is afraid the crew would “drop his ass”. Tina and Ebraheim were sent to culinary school to refine their reps. Marcus bear is sent to Copenhagen to train under Luca. Although he enjoys the experience, he grapples with guilt for not being home to help. Fak… is still trying to help the restaurant I guess.
We also get an insight into why Carmy is the way he is, and how his mother Donna started inflicting generational trauma unto Carmy, Mickey and Sugar.
It’s about a group of damaged people coming together to create something beautiful, and in that process, they help repair their damage too.
</aside>
<aside>
EP 4 – Honeydew. Marcus helps an injured old man.
Finally a calm after the storm. This episode is probably the most chill one out of all previous episodes. This scene is said to be a “Metaphor for his mom, similarly going through pain, and how Marcus was there for them. A stranger was there to express gratitude to him in a way his mother physically could not.” by a reddit user in the episode thread. Agreed.
EP 6 – Fishes. Mickey and Carmy sharing HTHT. The only quiet moment amidst the chaotic scenes to show how these brothers genuinely love each other.
About EP 6 – Fishes… Chaotic and anxiety inducing Christmas dinner by Donna. And ends with Donna crashing into her house in her car.
Speaking about calm after the storm. This episode is absolutely stormy and chaotic. The mother is shown to have severe depression (possibly even bpd given her very crazy decision to drive a car into a house.) her constant pressure on the family to perform and appease her is what drives someone like Mikey to try and be successful. But he also suffers from depression and never learned healthy coping skills. He sees his mom working herself into a frenzy and crashing (mentally and literally). So he does the same. Carmy is in line to do the same. Hence we see him struggling to choose between work and people he cares about. We see how messed up people often come from messed up families.
EP 10 – The Bear. Richie telling Neil to not be afraid. "I'm scared" "Don't be scared”
Even when things went to hell, the person that stepped up was someone that felt like he had no purpose, but decided to change.
EP 10 – The Bear.
Donna has trapped herself outside because she thinks she doesn’t deserve to see how great the restaurant has come to be while Carmy is trapped inside the fridge thinking he doesn’t deserve to receive amusement or enjoyment. It has been passed down. While Pete breaks down because he has finally realised what his wife Natalie had went through with her mother.
EP 10 – The Bear. Richie remembering to serve choco banana to Cicero because he remembers Cicero’s childhood story he shared 5 years ago at the Christmas Dinner (EP 6 – Fishes).
Cicero told a story in Fishes about a chocolate banana stand that his father would take him to as a child. It’s a fond childhood memory of his. The chocolate banana represents that story - and the fact that Richie was genuinely listening to him. It’s also indicative of Richie’s growth as a character.
Richie was genuinely listening as Jimmy was genuinely telling Tiff how much he believes in Richie. That conversation was as meaningful to Richie as it was to Jimmy, and the chocolate banana signified to Jimmy in that instance how impactful it was for Richie to hear someone say they beilieved in him and thought highly of him - even from a short convo from 5 years prior.
It’s my favorite scene of the entire series to this point. That moment imprinted in Jimmy that he knows the restaurant will be run by people with serious attention to detail, even when Carmen falters, bonus for Jimmy is that he’s finally seen Richie mature right in front of him.
EP 10 – The Bear. The Bear can’t go without a chaotic back and forth. Except this time Richie has really outdone himself and ended the argument with “I fuckin love you” but Carmy was still too deep in his own head to register the reality of his life.
Perhaps Carmy’s character development would happen in the next season.
And some shit has gone down with Marcus’ mom.
</aside>
<aside>
The last season was too excruciating to watch but this one wasn’t too bad. This season was really all about growth and a star is born in this one – Mr. Richard Jerimovich. From a douchebag to a guy who steps up and decides to pursue his purpose in hospitality, he has grown so much. Would rewatch EP 7 Forks and EP 10 The Bear to see the best character development among all the characters.
</aside>