At the very end of The Bear’s season three finale, “Forever,” the verdict is in and the review has been published. Of course, it wouldn’t be a television show if it didn’t leave viewers in suspense. It turns out that the review in the paper was less than stellar, as we see in the season four premiere, “Groundhogs.” There were bright spots, looking at Ebraheim’s sandwich window (that’s the money in terms of the restaurant). But the constant changing of the menu and the overall chaotic atmosphere of The Bear itself were going to bite Carmy and co.
Well, they are running out of time. Not only is everybody feeling the brunt of the mixed review, but the dynamic team of Cicero and Computer has informed the collective that time is running out. Two months and The Bear is no more. Can Carmy thrive in a life of order and consistency needed to turn The Bear around? There are some aspects to running a restaurant that are, by and large, turbulent. You can’t control how much clientele you receive week-to-week. As the second season of the show pointed out, many of these establishments close. Carmy was brought up in a dysfunctional environment at home and has experienced controlled chaos in the various places he has worked. Those two ideals have fused in the Bill Murray “Groundhog Day” atmosphere he exists within. Can he exist outside of that? Sydney questions him and states he “should work on being less miserable.” Easier said than done.
“The Bear” — “Groundhogs”— Season 4 Episode 1 (Streams Thursday, June 26th) Pictured: Matty Matheson as Neil Fak, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Richard “Richie” Jerimovich. CR: FX.
That’s where the flashback is, where Carmy is discussing the concept of opening a restaurant with Mikey, which is a great jumping-off point to this premiere. When the thing that you love is ahead of you, you’ll go through hell and high water to get there. The optimism of a dream being fresh (at that point) outweighs any of the drawbacks. When Carmy is talking about the concept of what The Bear can be to Mikey, there’s an undeniable spark present. It’s precisely why he asks him if he loved the failing rental car business. What’s the point of doing something if you don’t have an affinity for it? Mikey, at that point, seems to be drifting through life like a paper bag in the wind. But you can tell he loves cooking just in the way the instructions about garlic and Carmy’s tomato sauce. It’s THE THING, but Mikey can’t find a way to get to it.
He views restaurants as a means of bringing people together, through both good and bad times. The institution also marks a symbol of the best times the Berzattos have had as a family. In a way, creating The Bear with Mikey is a way to rewrite the family history and shed a different light on the faint memories of their father. Flash forward to the present day, and the kid-like wonder of getting to the business is all but gone in Carmy. He’s lost Mikey and texting his number, hoping to talk to him. There’s still no Claire, and the review has shaken him to his core. He’s not on particularly good terms with Richile. Carmy can’t throw it away if he wanted to.
“The Bear” — “Groundhogs”— Season 4 Episode 1 (Streams Thursday, June 26th) Pictured: Jeremy Allen White as Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto. CR: FX.
There’s not only volatility in this highly condensed timeline that would call somebody to abandon all structure. Hell, Carmy and Richie can’t even agree on who is taking the blame. In three seasons, we’ve reached Carmy’s dream, and his structure has not changed. If anything, the stress and the trauma he’s experienced throughout his life have gotten worse. Now, you’ve started a brand new restaurant with a slight chance of survival on top of that. Why would any person take this on? It goes back to the ethos of “Groundhogs.” But now it’s time to change. If Carmy doesn’t, he risks losing Sydney to Shapiro and his startup, along with everything he has built.
Good on Richie for calling in Jessica and some of the staff from Ever to create a new system of orders as a last-ditch effort to save the restaurant. In particular, you have to feel for Tina. In one of the best episodes of an uneven season three, “Napkins” chronicled her sincerity in showing her worth in an ageist world. Tina feels that pain again in the aspect of how slow the food came out, and is eager to prove herself. Christopher Storer creates an easy re-entry point with “Groundhogs,” in which he still places Carmy as the centerpiece. He has to adjust whether he chooses to do it or others do it for him. This time, it may be a hair too late for Carmy to do so.
