“The Bear”: remember what happened in season 2

“The Bear” is back. The third season of the series with the most screams on TV premieres in the United States this Wednesday night (26), on the American streaming platform Hulu.

Although In Brazil, the new episodes will only arrive on July 17th on Disney+ — where the first two seasons are available after the merger with Star+ —, we are already sure that the series will continue to be as stressful and appetizing as ever.

The last time we saw Carmy and the rest of the gang, a year ago, it was a night for friends and family at the opening of The Bear, the new restaurant built in the ashes of the diner Carmy inherited from her late brother.

But things never stay calm for long in this kitchen: in the last 10 minutes of the season two finale, Carmy got into a screaming match with her “cousin” Richie, accidentally broke up with her childhood crush Claire, and got trapped inside the refrigerator. .

How is Marcus’s sick mother? And Sydney’s dream of winning a Michelin star? Will The Bear survive in the cutthroat world of fine dining?

Before watching the third season of Emmy-winning “comedy”, Check out what our favorite Chicago chefs were like at the end of season two.

The Bear almost open

After weeks of failing fire inspections, tearing down walls and fighting over every detail of the restaurant, the team at what was formerly The Beef is finally ready to open The Bear, the new dining destination in Chicago’s River North neighborhood. .

Sydney wants a Michelin star. Carmy wants to prove to himself, his callous ex-boss, and his late brother Mikey that he can run the restaurant of his dreams.

And Uncle Jimmy Cicero wants them to make enough money to pay off the $800,000 they owe him.

At least The Bear looks good, and the team is in fine form on opening night for family and friends in the season finale. Sydney is head chef in the kitchen under executive chef Carmy, Tina is her sous chef, and the rest of the team, from Ebra and Marcus to Richie and Fak, are once again confident in their talents.

The first night’s menu includes a gorgeous “seven fishes” dish (a nod to the season’s horrific Christmas episode), perfectly al dente bucatini, and Marcus’s donut, which Carm angrily destroyed last season.

There are a few hurdles – they run out of forks and fire one of the chefs after finding him using meth in the alley – but other than that, everything seems pretty functional for this rage-prone crew. Until…

Carmy gets stuck in the fridge

A night out with family and friends at The Bear should be exciting for Carmen Berzatto, but he never allows himself to feel anything other than crippling anxiety and anger.

Throughout the second season, Carmy left planning The Bear to Sydney while he pursued a relationship with Claire, the young doctor he has had a crush on since they were children.

But his happiness is short-lived: Carm quickly feels he is the most poorly prepared chef in the kitchen. If The Bear fails, he thinks, it will be his fault.

And then he goes to get something from the fridge and gets locked in there – and that’s his fault too, because he never fixed the broken doorknob.

Carm goes into a dramatic spiral while locked inside, venting about how he is a “psychopath” and “doesn’t need to feel any fun or pleasure.”

He also, in the midst of his anxiety spiral, refers to his relationship with Claire as “all this bullshit.” And she’s on the other side of the door listening to everything.

“I’m sorry you feel this way,” she says, and leaves crying. Richie and Carm then take turns shouting unforgivable things at each other through the door.

Let’s leave Carmy in the freezer while he thinks about his actions.

Richie picks up the pace

In a standout episode near the end of the season, Richie trains at a Michelin-starred restaurant headed by Carmy’s former mentor (played by Oscar winner Olivia Colman). And although he resists the work at first, assuming Carmy just wants to get away from him for the week, Richie eventually finds the work revitalizing.

He polishes his fork tips with gusto, learns to be a dispatcher (the meticulously organized kitchen worker who keeps everyone on time and under control), and even runs to his favorite Chicago restaurant to buy a slice of pizza for a customer who says I didn’t want to leave town without eating it.

The experience did wonders for Richie, culminating in a cathartic moment that was soundtracked by one of Taylor Swift’s early hits, “Love Story.” This was especially important because earlier in the season, Richie asked his daughter if they could listen to someone other than Swift.

He returns to The Bear with new security and an all-black suit, and is confident enough to handle customer service and expediting behind the scenes.

Sydney savors success

Chef Syd has dedicated the entire season to dreaming and planning a new menu that she hopes will be worthy of a Michelin star. But Carmy proves to be an unreliable partner, who continues to ignore her to spend more time with his new girlfriend.

Luckily, she can rely on the rest of the kitchen, especially Tina, to keep things running — except maybe Marcus, who kind of asked her out.

Syd awkwardly rejected him, and things ended up getting a little tense between them in the end.

She nervously vomits behind the restaurant at night in front of family and friends, but then returns to work. It’s enough to prove to her father, who was so scared of Sydney’s failure earlier in the season, that this is “the thing” she should do.

Sydney may not have needed validation to pursue her culinary ambitions, but it still means a lot that she finally gets it from her father.

Marcus’ mother may be unwell

The season’s final episode focuses too long on pastry chef Marcus’ phone, which is full of missed calls from his mother’s nurse.

Marcus’s mother became seriously ill during season two, so it was a big deal when, at the beginning of the season, Carmy sent our donut-loving chef to Copenhagen, Denmark, to learn more about desserts. He was very hesitant to leave his mother, but the experience was creatively rewarding and inspiring for sweet Marcus.

Couldn’t the series let him continue this happiness? Multiple messages from his mother’s nurse are definitely not a good sign for The Bear’s most laid-back employee.

Carmy’s mother is definitely not well

Things are not very good between the children and the mother of the Berzatto family, played by Jamie Lee Curtis.

Last season’s Christmas flashback episode introduced us to Donna Berzatto, the alcoholic, emotional vampire and deeply depressed mother who freaked out while cooking the traditional Italian “Feast of the Seven Fishes” and drove her car through the wall of her own house. A merry Christmas indeed.

When we see Donna in the present, she is hiding outside the restaurant. She can’t get in because she doesn’t want to ruin a good thing her children did together.

Maybe she’ll change her mind and check out her kids’ kitchen at The Bear this season.

What’s on the menu for season 3?

The interpersonal dynamics inside The Bear’s kitchen are perhaps more fragile than the electrical wiring Mikey damaged to set the restaurant on fire.

Will Sydney and Carmy find a professional arrangement that works for them? Will Carmy win Claire back, or will she even try? What will happen to Marcus’ mother, and how will this affect him in the kitchen? Will The Bear earn the Michelin star and stay on the Chicago restaurant scene?

Will Jamie Lee Curtis, Olivia Colman, John Mulaney, Bob Odenkirk and Sarah Paulson return as guest stars, or will a new crop of celebrities make cameo appearances? And which Taylor Swift song will Richie sing this season?

All of this will be revealed (we hope) when “The Bear” returns.