#platonic and messy

[chefkids]

The Bear is A Midsummer Night's Dream and Marcus is making the violet love potion for Syd and Carmy

There have been Shakespeare references in The Bear from the very beginning. In the very first episode Marcus finds Carmy’s James Beard award for Fairest Creatures, which is a Shakespearean sonnet about life being short and how everything will end and die even if they're beautiful, but the only thing that survives are children, and not having children deprives the world of beauty. Nat's conversation with Jimmy about raising children was parallel with Carmy's conversation with Terry about starting a restaurant. Then of course there was Richie singing Love Story which is about Romeo & Juliet.

Violet and purple flowers are a reoccurring thing we see and learn about in Season 3 of The Bear. According to Roman mythology, the wild pansy, a type of violet flower, was originally white, then turned into the purple Love-in-idleness when Cupid accidentally shot one of his arrows at it, working as a love potion with Cupid's powers. The first time we see purple flowers is in Tomorrow when Carmy tweezing purple flowers next to Luca at Ever, this is the same wagyu dish they ate at the Ever funeral with Sydney. We see more flowers in montages, like Carmy eating them at Noma, bouquets in hotels, and at Marcus' mom's funeral and more.

A Midsummer Night's Dream TL;DR: The play starts with Theseus preparing for his wedding to Hippolyta, he declares that young people should have fun and celebration, not sadness like at a funeral. Hermia, Lysander, Helena, and Demetrius are in a love square and run away to the woods. Puck aka Robin Goodfellow, a fairy that enjoys mischief, manipulates them with the juice of a violet flower, love-in-idleness, that makes people fall in love with the next creature they see. Things get messed up, the wrong people fall in love with each other, and they all fight with each other. Puck reverses the magic, then the couples reconcile and get married at Theseus and Hippolyta's wedding. There is also group of 6 stupid men called the Mechanicals that put on a play, Pyramus and Thisbe (which is also the inspiration behind Romeo & Juliet) for the wedding. In the end, Puck breaks the fourth wall and apologizes to the audience for any offense the play might have caused. The Bear Season 3 started and ended with a funeral and an attempt at a celebration, and we know there will be a wedding in Season 4.

Marcus and his magic purple flowers are always tying back to Syd and Carmy. In Doors the purple flowers at the funeral cut to Sydney and Carmy's "cause you write in the margins" wholesome moment between them.

In Children, Marcus sees a white violet then it cuts to Sydney reading the partnership agreement that Carmy sent while wearing a purple flower scarf.

He then tells Nat about it, she mentions it's the state flower of illinois and he decides to make a white violet flower dessert.

In Violet, Marcus is working on some purple liquid and holds a violet petal, then it cuts to Syd and Carmy.

Even back in Season 1 Marcus was interested in the color purple and flowers, roommate Chester brought pantone color swatches. In Legacy Marcus and Carmy talk about creating magic to push his violet dish further, then Sydney appears.

In that same episode after the conversation about legerdemain and magic, Richie's notebook makes its own sleight of hand. It's a bit hard to read his terrible handwriting but on one page it says Lover for Syd on top and below:

Carmy -> Syd Luca -> Carm

And in another page he wrote:

Syd -> pansy Luca -> Carmen

Richie is Puck/Robin and he wants to see what would happen if Luca and Carmy start fighting for Syd. Richie and the Fak's have been fucking with the dream weave and Carmy’s love story for a while by pushing him to be with Claire.

The Faks are the Mechanicals, a group of incompetent manual laborers. We see Carmy tweezing herbs next to some pansy flowers, then Fak brings out the donkey piñatas. In A Midsummer Night's Dream, one of the mechanicals, Bottom, gets turned into a donkey then the rest of the mechanicals say they are being haunted. And we all know how much the Fak's love to talk about being haunted. Can't get more on the nose than that for them.

The Faks/Mechanicals are mechanics but they think they can make a movie/play. Theodore Fak thinks he makes art films, Sammy Fak argues with him over SD cards and tells him he makes films for children's parties. Even Francie Fak is a reference to one of the mechanics, Francis Flute, who is the only one forced to play the female role in the play they are putting on for the wedding. Also, In A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1999) Michelle Pfeiffer played Tatiana, the Queen of the Fairies, who Storer originally had in mind to play Donna. 

When Richie arrived to Ever he took off a fishing hook from a purple flower, then right after Luca appears and greets Carmy. Carmy's flower tattoo in his hand is a violet, and it was right in front of his face the whole dinner when he was next Sydney and Luca and they started vibing with each other. Next season will have a wedding and Marcus' white violet dessert will be tasted. Richie already told us plan he has for Syd, the pansy and it goes from Luca to Carmy.

At the end of the play Puck has an epilogue and breaks the fourth wall to apologize to the audience if they have offended them. Richie and Tiff broke fourth wall to address the "kids" aka us the audience in Apologies. In conclusion, The Bear is a Shakespearean comedy, but it is also first and foremost, a messy love story. 💜

[ambeauty]

The most obvious and consistent issue with Sydney and Carmy is their inability to communicate honestly about what they are feeling when they feel it. Instead of telling Sydney that he needs her and that he doesn’t ever want to lose her or for her to leave him.. he drafts up a marriage contract partnership agreement. And to apologize for dumping the entire opening of their restaurant on her and to let her know that she’s all he ever thinks about… he gifts her a custom made designer chef coat🤣😩😭

This man is so fucking stupid! I CAN NOT!

[dernier-baiser]

🔥 Hot take 🔥

Richie has grown far more than Carmy has in four seasons, and is a better suitor for Sydney 🤷🏾‍♀️.

[thethumbnumb]

If I speak, you'll say I'm wicked.

[loudlightobservation]

What moment made you a SydCarmy shipper?

Or at what moment did you realize they were heading in that direction?

For me, it was S1 ep5 when the episode opens and ends with Syd and Carmy prepping in the kitchen together. And then when she asks him to help her strain the broth and they play that song in the background that says something like "This is how I show you I love you" or something. That's when I realized that the show might be heading in that direction.

When I became a full blown SydCarmy TRUTHER though was the frickin panic attack scene. It's like everything came together for me. All those longing looks, all the tension and passion. It makes sense. Honorable mention goes to when Carmy introduces Claire to Syd. Poetic cinema.

What about you all?

[thoughtfulchaos773]

Syd & Carmy- Romantic Beats

Preface:

Studying this I see the second season uses steps 3-7 since we had our chemical equation and met cute the 1st season. You'll see gif examples 3-7 that show the beats of the season two.

Billy Mernit defines the “seven basic romantic comedy beats” in his book  Writing the Romantic Comedy. I'm observing that writing a romcom for a TV series is like a rollercoaster for beats, taking curves and dips that keep the series at a pace where the viewer is guessing. So beats repeat themselves and set themselves up for the next season.

The romantic beats are described as--

1. The Chemical Equation - The setup, there's something wrong in the protagonist's life. There's a missing piece in the main character's story. This is where we identify the protagonist's external and/or internal conflict.

2. The meet cute or catalyst - The incident that brings them together - and this should relate to the theme of the story. This meeting sets the tone for their relationship.

When the secondary lead is introduced- there should be some hints that this romantic interest is the missing piece of the Protagonist's chemical equation.

The Bear: I'd also add that with romantic comedies, the meet-cute should have some humor in it. (What’s UPS, is that in Chicago, or?) . As we talk on this platform- the meet cute was the proper example of a romcom.

3. The Sexy Complication -This is the first proper clash between the heroine and the hero. Higher stakes define the main character's goals. Typically, the external problem keeps them apart, or you can use internal conflict that keeps them apart. Traditionally occurring at the end of Act 1, a new development that raises story stakes and clearly defines the protagonist’s goal.

Season One episode Three: Syd is officially the sous chef and has a hard time with the staff. She comes in with the intention of changing The Beef for the better, however, Carmy is stuck in his old ways and past toxic experiences in the kitchen.

Season two episode three: The first clash starts 2x03 Sundae, after their technical meet cute- 2x02 pasta showing new closeness for season 2, however After 2x03 Sundae we see repeats of the sexy complication- since Syd and Carmy's relationship is the plot of the show- the stakes rise as the pressure to open The Bear is approaching and Claire comes into the picture- causing a bigger complication between Syd & Carmy.

4. The Hook. The midpoint scene sticks the two characters together. There's no way out, and this should reflect the theme of the movie.

This hints at the outcome of the relationship and gives hints of the potential between the two characters. There can be sexual tension involved or a detailed moment that shows the two characters are becoming closer.

Season one episodes Three and Five: Syd and Carmy reach an understanding and episodes three and five show vulnerability as Carmy reveals his brother was an addict and Syd shares the failure of Sheridan Road catering.

Season Two Episode Nine: After complications, Syd and Carmy reach a moment of understanding. This is the most romantically suggestive scene with prominent sexual tension.

5. The swivel - This is the moment after the hero and heroine have become closer, when their conflict comes back again, in a different form.  a turning point that makes the stakes higher and hurts the main character's goal, or vice versa, leading to a changed goal. The main character is forced to choose between love and the goal.

Season one and two: in both seasons Carmy loses his cool with Sydney. The first season she walks away and the season two Syd calms Carmy down.

What's interesting is that the song Spiders (kidsmoke) by Wilco plays in both scenes giving us hints of parallels.

6. Dark Moment – This is the consequence of the swivel. The characters have to reveal private motivations, and it seems that either the love or the goal is lost forever. The main character is at their most vulnerable point.

Season One Episode 8: The revealing of private motivation occurs in 1x08 When Carmy is in al-anon. He reveals that his trying to fix the restaurant was him trying to fix the relationship with Mikey. At this point, love (Sydney) and the goal (fixing my relationship with Mikey) are lost forever. The vulnerable point is Carmy facing the chaos in his internal world.

Season Two Episode 10: I'm a fսckin'... I'm a fսckn' psycho. That's why. That's why I'm good at what I do. That's how I operate. I am the best because I didn't have any of this fսck¡n' bullshit, right?

Wherein the consequences of the swivel decision yield disaster; generally, the humiliating scene where private motivations are revealed, and either the relationship and/or the protagonist’s goal is seemingly lost forever.

7. Joyful Defeat – reconciliation between the characters that remind the audience how important the relationship is to them, usually (but not always) with a happy ending that implies marriage – but usually at the cost of something the main character has had to sacrifice.

Season One Episode 8: Two tops? Booths?

Nuff said.

Season two: We're left with a cliffhanger for the Joyful defeat. Will the reconciliation happen in season three? Will we have a happy ending and what will Carmy sacrifice? Will he choose love or the goal? Will Syd choose love or the goal of getting the star?

Oh the slow burn is real! Storer, what are you doing here? This is a romcom!

[falllpoutboy]

they show sydney's face reacting to claire for a reason. they show sydney reacting to claire and carmy for a reason.

[mod-doodles]

Carmy’s fumble vs Marcus’ fumble 

Adding to my reasons I think Sydney is in love/strong like with Carmy.

Firstly as it has been addressed on here, the parallel between how they film Carmy and Syd vs Carmy/Syd and Claire/Marcus. We get lotsssss of cuts when its CarmClaire or SydMarcus; it's like the camera is doing the job of turning your head, side to side with really close shots of their faces, its kind of jarring. Alternatively when its Syd and Carmy; we enter their own little universe and there’s little effort to feel peace and calm, the music slows and the external noise quiets. They are almost exclusively in the same frame when its just them, it was more pronounced in s02 than s01. It reads as they are other and we are the same.

Sydney’s reaction to Carmy

When he asked her what she was going to do since there was nothing left for them to do at the restaurant she says she doesn’t know and uno reverses the question to Carmy. She’s open to suggestion, he could have recommended the dumbest thing and she’d have been down for whatever…the pregnant pauseeeee come on.

Sydney’s reaction to Marcus

She immediately shuts him down, anxiety flares up, stumbling over her words. Why would it be weird Sydney lmao? I’m sorry she just does not want that man. This also perfectly depicts how easy it is for Syd with Carmy, there’s like three cringy moments with Sydney and Marcus; him walking in in first episode, the FaceTime call and the ask out. I don’t know what it is but there’s always his awkward energy. 

Why are they so awkward…….ahhhhh, you feed a man one time and they fall in love.

[gingerylangylang1979]

Possessiveness

One thing people don't really speak about is the possessiveness growing between Carmy and Sydney. It's not at the forefront of their dynamics but it's there and I imagine it will grow in intensity.

They chose each other. Carmy chose Syd. She is the only person that he selected on the staff. Syd chose Carmy. She could have found a job at much better establishment than The Beef, but she didn't choose the restaurant, she chose him. By episode 1x2 Richie establishes Carmy as Syd's best friend. By episode three they are saying we. By episode 1x7 Tina establishes that Syd is Carmy's friend. Nobody else in the kitchen is acknowledged as a unit by the others. That same episode Carmy loses his shit when she leaves. He feels like she belongs there, with him. He feels betrayed. He thought they were a unit.

In season two we see them side by side, in sync, in unison, dressed alike, early on. Throughout the season we see Carmy interject when Marcus or Connor has her attention. We see Syd's obvious jealousy of Claire. But the two most intriguing things are Syd asking for his undivided attention and him demanding her presence. She doesn't want to share it, she doesn't want to share him. And when Carmy gets stuck in the fridge he cries out for her. They each feel entitled to have the other, when they want, in some capacity.

It's subtle but I think the possessiveness brewing is so delicious and hot and insane. I don't know where it's gonna go but I know it's going to manifest in big ways and I'm going to love it.

"You will be mine, all the time."

[angelica4equity]

Sorry if someone mentioned this already but um...... The Bear IG just captioned a clip of Carmy showing Mikey his drawing of his vision for the Bear and then the bottom clip was Sydney outside of the entrance with the caption "Not a Dream Anymore".

So they're showing the realization of Carmy's dream by using a clip wherein Carmy is nowhere to be found and it's just Sydney by herself. Hmmmmm.... almost like Sydney is part of the embodiment of that dream? Someone who makes him better at this? Ugh.

All this to say if by some miracle they do NOT have SydCarmy endgame in the cards they sure love to tease smh

[spywhitney]

🫱🏻‍🫲🏿Carmy is going to massage Sydney's hand(s) ❤️‍🩹

Unsurprisingly, I noticed something that caught my attention while watching a reaction to s2 ep8 (because I still haven't watched the show myself, I don't want to pay for it and the friend of a friend disney plus subscription I was going to use is paused rn, jesus christ let that not be so-) which was the episode starting with Sydney, a shot of her hands running across a table, then it cut to Carmy's hands. Which kind of inspired this:

Now imagine this: an entire episode with just Sydney and Carmy. I have the image of an episode with little music or very chill, low-key intimate music playing in the background. It's them cooking. Either the tension from season 2 or a more recent friction hangs in the air at the beginning, and it starts off with cold colours.

(Darn, I've browsed so many sydcarmy fics I'm not sure which it was, but there was one I read where they do a catering event for Uncle Jimmy together. If I find it I'll share it in the comments.) Because that's a wonderful, realistic idea that totally fits in the show and what the episode will be focused on.

Episode 3, 5, 6 or 9 would be a good place for it to happen (in Season 3, fingers crossed) and it reiterates just how in sync they naturally are: finishing each others sentences, moving around the kitchen wordlessly, handing each other ingredients before the other has to ask etc. Let a big chunk of the episode just be the shots of them being together, talking kept to a minimum even, so when they do it's more poignant.

Right before they'd be done with a good chunk of the prep, Sydney is chopping onions but stops to cradle her right hand and Carmy immediately asks her what's wrong (could even be a moment before this point he asks what's wrong with her hand but she waves him off).

They both sit on these step stools after Carmy tells Sydney to rest for a minute, then he gestures to her and Carmy starts massaging her hand with his. They need to get the food ready, but Carmy is meticulous: putting firm pressure between her knuckles, rubbing the ache from her fingers, moving in circles over her palm.

And initially Sydney closed her eyes from the discomfort, but once it starts to feel good she keeps them closed (because of course she does). Carmy begins staring at her (because of course he does) and is enamoured by her expression, so decides to start running his hands up her arm.

But then, two things happen: Carmy has a thought kind of like this "I wonder how much she'd let me feel her until she opens her eyes?" And Sydney lets out a sigh/maybe shudders a bit when a certain touch tickles or something.

Lots of emotions simmer below the surface. They both stop. Sydney opens her eyes, Carmy lets go like she's on fire. The tension is broken like the under the table scene. It's a subtle (or maybe not so subtle) wtf was I just doing moment for them both.

Energy. It feels a little more charged between them, but they finish the job, albeit with a cautious distance. The lighting in the episode was slowly growing warmer, maybe it reaches its peak by the end, or it's turned to a slightly cooler tone. It would be cool if the episode ended with no music.

Ty to everyone who has read this ramble to the end (if anyone does).

[chefkids]

i can fix them

[ambeauty]

Ok let’s discuss partnership agreements for a quick second. I own a business and I have a partner. It’s common and it’s necessary to have a partnership agreements. It’s going to list the official profit share, how much time each partner is going to commit, what skill each partner brings to the business, and what factors are in place in case one partner wants to leave or dissolve the business. This is a very basic overview of a partnership agreement. Sydney needs this. It will legitimize her position as partner in the Bear. So Carmen extending this agreement to her is significant. He can’t necessarily force her not to leave but they have to have a protocol in place in case she wants to. It could get sticky but not if they follow the agreement. Unless she doesn’t sign it…

What’s strange to me is him saying “So I can push you and you can push me.” This makes me think he knows that he’s going to get toxic and he doesn’t want her to just walk out like she did in review. It’s like saying “for better or worse.” And also tell me when I’m fucking up because I don’t want you to leave. I have it in writing how much you mean to me and this business. So neither one of us can just fuck off when the going gets tough. Signing this agreement would make her (both of them) contractually committed to working things out with him even when it (he) gets difficult. That’s still a spiritual marriage. A business is a marriage and a (legal) marriage is a business.

[dernier-baiser]

Brooooo

Code-switching Sydney is such a vibe fr

Just black girl tings ✨

[loudlightobservation]

I'm trying to sleep, but instead, I'm thinking about how at the end of both seasons, we got a scene where Carmy and Syd are staring at each other while light illuminates them (in S1, it's more Syd but still), music is playing in the background, and even though there is chaos, in these scenes it is like Syd and Carmy are the only people in the world.

Also, both scenes include Carmy renewing his commitment to her after messing up.

Are we gonna get one of these at the end of each season? If so, bring it on. I am not at all ready.

[thoughtfulchaos773]

I'll never stop talking about the table scene.

But Carmy and Sydney were fully aware of how intimate the conversation was getting. Specfically, when Carmy says, "I wouldn't even want to do without you"

Sydney stopped 'fixing' the table, and she shyly looked up at him as Carmy stared at the floor.

Oh, and Carmy's own reaction to what he said to Sydney.

Then he hit her with, "You know you... you make me better at this, " and it was so honest and soft, and his brows furrowed as if he's slowly realizing what he's feeling.

Gif @fruityzari

Oh, and Sydney the way she looked down and shrugged the hidden glances. She knew it, too. Because she says it back, and he gives a small nod of understanding, a "So, you feel it too?" Moment between them.

Gif by @fruityzari

I love this little exchange because of their body language. I think this is the moment their dynamic, chemistry, whatever was happening between them was coming to the surface, and they were going deeper than they've ever gone before.

I'll also say that Carmy went there first.