#but Syd and Carmy I don't understand!

[undead-moth]

So The Bear ends season 2 with Carmy fucking up his pretty serious relationship with Claire. They spent an entire season developing this relationship between Carmy and Claire, and now it's over, and not just over, but abruptly and painfully over. Throughout this same season, they continue to develop Carmy and Syd's relationship, incorporating undeniable nods toward an eventual romance.

Then in season 3, they have Carmy dealing with the fallout of his painful fuckup, that ended a relationship that was, as I said, pretty serious, and was developed over the course of an entire season. They do this while continuing to develop Carmy and Syd's relationship, and while their interactions are mostly tense this season, they continue to incorporate blatant nods toward an eventual romance.

This is happening at the same time they have opened a restaurant, and Carmy is under enormous pressure, pressure that has been made worse by his breakup. Pressure to make the place a success, to live up to his potential, but also to make sure that Tina has an income, that he gives Marcus's mom what she wanted for Marcus, that Ebra, elderly and at the point where he really needs to be retiring, continues to have a job, that he doesn't endlessly waste his uncle's money, and crucially, so that the restaurant can earn that star Sydney is dreaming of, and that Carmy didn't even want.

And yet there are people genuinely criticizing The Bear for not canonizing SydCarmy this season, when...?

The man just went through a devastating breakup -

At the same time he opened a goddamn restaurant -

And is clearly going through the crisis of a lifetime -

And on top of that, he's just quit smoking.

Do you think, in real life, that it's realistic someone in that situation would immediately turn around and start seeing someone else? Do you think the writers would have spent a whole season developing Carmy's relationship with Claire, just for Carmy to shrug it off like it was nothing when it ends?

I'm even more baffled by the idea that SydCarmy not becoming canon this season is because the writers this whole time, have just been, what? Fucking with you? Straight-baiting you? Or do you think that just because they didn't canonize SydCarmy this season that this is indicative that they didn't intentionally allude to a future romance between Syd and Carmy?

I will tell you right now that The Bear is one of the most purposefully written shows I've ever seen. And while I will say that this season might be the weakest so far and wasn't what I was hoping for either - Nothing on that show is an accident. Nothing means nothing.

The writers of The Bear are too good to have accidentally implied SydCarmy was a thing. They are also far too dedicated to their vision for The Bear for them to be throwing things in just to fuck with you.

Have some patience maybe? When was the last time you watched a show that didn't hand you something the moment it was hinted at? Aren't you tired of watching shows that skip to the good part? Which is, as a result, not as good as it would have been?

[cowboy-sparkles]

Only 4 Sydney/Marcus fics... 2 (Half !) of which are also Sydney/Carmy 12 dead 37 injured

[buggybambi]

nurse cupid | carmen berzatto

claire and carmen used to date. you work under claire, and are now dating carmen. what a fucked up triangle ─ 1.33k cw: fem!reader, she/her pronouns used

Ever since you were young, you knew you wanted to be a nurse. Every career day at school, your answer was the same: "I want to be a nurse and help people!" usually written in yellow crayon.

So, managing to score a job in an ER in Chicago was a dream come true. You loved Chicago and your charge nurse, Claire, was one of your closest friends. Emphasis on was. That was before you and Carmy met.

Carmen Berzatto. The boy you met through Syd, one of your oldest friends. After weeks of back and forth flirting, you and him finally asked for each other's numbers and set up a date, much to Syd's apprecation since all he talked about outside of work was you and if you were stopping in.

Claire only found out about your relationship with Carmy after he insisted taking you to work one particularly snowy morning, leaving you with a goodbye kiss.

That day, she gave you more work then usual. More charts, more patients to watch over and check on, and that was on top of your usual work load. Plus, everytime you asked her a question she gave an exhausted sounding sigh and explained it to you like you were a child, with a condescending tone in her voice.

"Claire." You walk over to her, setting the charts (filled out) down on the desk. "What the hell is your issue with me today? You've been giving me your patients and frankly, your attitude towards me is passive aggressive. If there's something I did, tell me what it is and I can fix it." You request.

Her pager beeps as she hums. "The chief wants to see you." She says, beginning to walk off, and you follow her.

──

As soon as you stepped foot into the chief’s office, you knew what was happening. One of the ladies from HR you’d met once before, the chief, and Claire. Sat around a coffee table.

“Hi Y/n. Glad you could join us.” You know that’s HR talk for “glad we summoned you, let’s tell you what you did wrong.”

You sit down, noticing the look Claire gives you. It’s almost a glare.

“Mm. Can I ask what this is about?” You question.

“Well, Claire here has a feeling that you’re trying to shove a personal relationship in her face. I understand you are dating her ex and she just feels that-”

“That you’re basically trying to remind me of what Carmen and I went through. What we once had.” Claire cuts Aileen (the woman from HR) off, tilting her head at you as she waits on a response.

You stare at her, actually letting out a mix of a scoff and a laugh. “I’m sorry? Claire, Carm and you broke up nearly a year ago. Why are you still hooked on him?”

“This isn’t about me. You knew damn well I’d be at work this morning when he dropped you off.” “It was freezing cold! He didn’t want me walking or taking a cold train, so he offered to drive me since it’s on his way to work. He gave me a kiss and I never even brought it up to you.”

“Ladies!” The chief cuts you both off. “Aileen has agreed to investigate this further. Y/n, refraining from engaging with your boyfriend for respect of Claire’s feelings would be best.” He encourages.

You actually have tears in your eyes from the frusturation, your hands shaking from where you sit. "I'm sorry, can you excuse me for a moment?" You ask softly, standing up before they answer and practically running out of the room.

You barely make it out before you hear the office door shut, not by you but by Claire. "Y/n-"

"What the hell did I do to you, huh? Is this because Carmen and you broke up, or maybe because I didn't come running to you asking for your permission before I began dating him? What is it?" You question, throwing your hands in the air before slapping your hands against your side.

"Don't blame me for this. You're the one who had to go and act like a.. like a school girl bitch and put your relationship with him near me." She scolds. The tears you had been fighting back actually start falling at that, as you wipe them quickly. You shake your head, as you push past her and the flood of doctors.

──

Cold air be damned, you cross your arms over your chest as you lean against the brick wall outside. Ambulances soar past toward the ER exit, but you don't pay them any attention. It isn't until a familiar car pulls up in front of you that you actually look up.

"Hey, pretty girl. You okay?" Carmen's comforting voice asks, getting out of his car with his coat in hands, putting it over your shoulders. His heart breaks at the sight of your tears, nose red from probably the cold and crying, a frown matching yours.

You bury your face in his neck, only moving it to speak. "Claire saw you drop me off this morning and reported me to human resources. Then called me a school-girl bitch for 'putting our relationship near her'." You answer, your voice soft.

He nods slowly, trying to keep himself calm near you. "Why don't you go get in the car, huh? I'll go grab your stuff from inside." He asks, taking your hands in his. You smile. "Thanks, Carmy. Just behave yourself, please." You request, before climbing into the passenger seat of the car.

He watches to make sure you're safe in the car before he goes inside, fists clenched at his side. Behaving himself was something Carmen had never enjoyed doing, so why would he?

He spots Claire almost immediately, walking over. "Carmen-" She begins.

"Claire. What the fuck is your problem?" He cuts her off, staring at her. "Y/n has done nothing to you. If you're pissed about how we left things, that's fine. But you have zero right to harass my girlfriend over how I’ve moved on. I suggest you do the same.”

He doesn’t wait for a reply, instead making his way up to the chief’s office. Knocking on the door and waiting for the faint "come in", Carmen steps into the office and clears his throat as his jacket hangs off one arm.

“Hi, sir. My name is Carmen Berzatto, I’m-”

“I know who you are, son.” Ed, the chief, says with a nod. “And I know why you’re here. And I’d like to only say this once, so I’d appreciate your listening. Y/n is a fantastic employee as I'm sure she's a fantastic partner. I hate to see that girl crying. So, allow this to be a warning.." Ed stands, circling the desk and sitting on the edge, arms crossed right in front of Carmen.

".. If you hurt her, and I find she comes into work again crying because of you, I will end you. Are we clear?" Ed asks, and Carmen immediately asks. "Yes, sir, thank you." He says.

Carmen made his way back to the car, finding you in the frontseat, staring at the radio. He sets your bag in the backseat, climbing into the passenger's seat. "Your radio is all weird." You mumble.

He laughs, placing a kiss on your head. "I'm sorry about Claire. I should have told you.. I promise I am gonna spend the rest of the day making it up to you." He says.

You smile at him. "As long as I've got you, I don't care, Carmy. It isn't your fault."

He grins. "Well, you've got me for as long as you'll have me."

──

It doesn't shock anyone when you're moved to a different unit a week later, this time one where your boyfriend didn't date the charge nurse that would harass you. At least if they did, Carmy would be there to comfort you.

Like he always is.

˙ ✩°˖🌸 ⋆｡˚꩜

shine on, shine on, my loves!

thank you for reading! please feel free to engage with this post by reblogging, commenting or sliding into my inbox to leave feedback! i appreciate all of you! check out my carmen berzatto masterlist here for more fanfics!

- mae

[ambeauty]

a few thoughts on the different types of romantic love in the bear

One facet of the show that I feel like is incredibly poignant is the emotional realism. I think I read another post or podcast about "emotional realism" in the bear so I will be borrowing that to talk about emotional realism when it comes to romantic partnerships in the show.

I feel like a lot of people wanted Sydney and Carmy to be this magical soulmate pairing that faced no opposition, trials, or tribulations on their journey to love and let me be the one to tell you right now. That's just not realistic. So in order to showcase how the show portrays different versions of romantic love, I wanted to focus on some couples that are not so triggering when it comes to the idea of romantic partnership within the context of the show.

Natalie x Pete: Natalie and Pete are the epitome and pinnacle of romantic love in the show. BUT, and STRONG BUT, they are not without their challenges. Natalie's family for the most part do not like Pete. They tolerate him, now, but for the longest time and to this day, they talk shit about him, because he's not like them. He's an outsider who has a different way of loving, and they don't understand it. Should Pete have left Natalie because her family didn't accept him?

Natalie's traumatic childhood still makes her feel insecure about her relationship. Plus she has a lot of generational trauma that she is working through to not pass down these things to her daughter. Should Pete leave her because she's insecure and traumatized?

You would answer no.

Richie x Tiff:

Richie and Tiff are divorced but they are still deeply interconnected because of Eva. You know that there is still a deep love between them because of the conversation on the bench. Tiffany wants Richie at her wedding because that's her family. Not to embarrass him or make him feel bad, but because she still has a deep love for him as a person. I get the sense that they didn't work out because it took him well into his adult life to figure out what he really wanted to do. Sometimes love isn't enough, especially when a child is involved. Tiffany and Eva deserve stability and at the time Richie wasn't able to provide it for YEARS. So I don't blame Tiff for leaving, but if Richie was in a better place, I know she would've stayed.

Just because you aren't with someone anymore doesn't mean that their importance to your life and the love you have for them just goes away.

Tina x Mr. Marrero

We don't get to spend a lot of time with them but we get to see such a beautiful dynamic between Tina and her husband. Now that they've been given it to me I need more. Tina and her husband are doing their very best to take care of their son and live a content life. They aren't rich but they've created a warm and comforting environment that is built on the foundation of their love. When Tina loses her job, it shakes up everything. Mr. Marrero is focused on his duty to take care of the household on his modest income. And Tina is so independent and knows that they need her income in order to survive. Her husband supports her through this transition even if it's stress on him and her. They work as team to get through this life change. Should he have left Tina the moment she became frustrated with finding employment? Should Tina have left him because his income alone wasn't enough to sustain them?

Again the answer is no.

The emotional realism of the bear shows that relationships of any kind are never perfect and never without challenges. Familial, platonic, or romantic. Sydney and Carmen are no different. While I support whatever decision Sydney makes, I do believe that what they are going through is their biggest trial yet. Syd and Carmy have failed to communicate in a healthy way for 3 seasons. And once these miscommunications finally bubble over it's going to be catastrophic. In one way or another. Who knows? At the end of the day what's important is that they do learn how to communicate because whether they stay business partners or become more or less, there will be obstacles that they will need to work through and grow from together.

"What grows together goes together."

thank you @thoughtfulchaos773 for encouraging me to expand on this

[thoughtfulchaos773]

Syd and Carmy communication 2

You know how I wrote endlessly about the table scene. Well, its the same thing with this scene in 3x09.

I recall some critiques about the table scene. It was that we couldn't see Carmy and Sydney's faces clearly. However, the camera work was meticulous, with a very smooth close-up shot as we got closer to Sydney and Camy without realizing it. Perfection!

But for this scene when Carmy and Syd have a chance to talk- they take on showing Carmy and Sydney closely. So we the audience could pay attention. In episode 3 of season 3, Marcus mentions unspoken communication during his mother's eulogy. The camera pointedly shows Carmy and Syd, and throughout the season, we see them subtly noticing each other. Sydney notices that Carmy writes in the margin, and Carmy notices that Sydney has a Coca-Cola every shift. Carmy also notices that Sydney is tired. There are cues that they see each other but are not saying what needs to be said.

But I love the scene from 3x09 because it portrays unspoken communication and shows how frustrating it can be. Carmy has been contemplating what he wants to say for some time. He avoids eye contact as he gathers his thoughts, with a hint of sadness present.

We're anticipating a real talk.

He slows down, and Syd is holding on, just like us, as he grows silent. The close ups! Sydney furrowing her brows and confused as ever.

Carmy was so fucking depressing this season.

Anyway he looks like what he wants to say is so heavy.

He settles on "I don't want it to be so hard to keep up with me", instead of revealing his thoughts with Sydney. Ugh!

The most hurtful part of this interaction is seeing Sydney looking so open and hopeful, expecting to have a conversation about their relationship. It's as if all the issues of the past month and the job offer from Chef Shapiro would disappear if Carmy just talks to her and they work on their relationship.

Carmy becomes quiet, withdraws, and looks up at Sydney. He gives a tiny nod as if telling her, "That's all I can do for now. You understand, right? Let's save it for later." It's like he's asking for understanding. (Sidebar: I'm not saying I'm agreeing or feeling for him, but that's what it seems like for now.)

It's why Syd says, "Got it. Great," because they do pay attention to each other. There's an unspoken connection, and although we didn't see it much this season, it was there.

When she looks down, she feels Carmy still staring.

Can't believe I'm feeling for this man! He just looks so sad that he can't talk about all that he wants to tell her right now. Then he looks away and withdraws completely.

But I'm also really frustrated for Sydney! Say what you need to say, Carmy. To be fair, she pushes her own talk to Carmy for later. This scene was so frustrating, but I loved the acting and cinematography - the close shots that make us pay attention to their expressions. But it's a different close-up from the ones with Claire. This is subtle and is more about focusing on Sydney and Carmy.

She gives it one more try before she leaves she turns to him- still hoping- still waiting.

But they settle for saying goodnight, and Carmy mentally disappears and gets fixated on his work.

Carmy misses his chance, and he's running out of time with Sydney.

I hope it's not too late.

[yannaryartside]

Why Sydney should leave to open her own place

I am gonna list my reasons from the least to the most significant, but they are all pretty brutal.

She may be the next Andrea Terry in her way to manage a kitchen, and the culinary world needs that. I want to see Syd doing that; she deserves a reputation and success outside that bear’s kitchen, no more struggle love rewards, I am sorry.

In the real world, only one black woman has ever won a michelling star, her name is Mariya Moore-Russell, and she is from Chicago, so the series could do something really special if Sydney gets a star.

The bear may collapse due to the reckless expenses they had and Cicero's money situation, and it is better if she is not legally tied to that shit.

Sydney deserves to give her father a better living/heathcare situation and this may be the only way to do it for a while.

Syd needs to find and respect her own vision outside Carmys standards. She keeps thinking that he is more talented than her, and he may be, but she will never surpass her limits if everything that needs to be approved or defined by him. I particularly like the idea of Carmy eating the best meal of his life at Sydney’s restaurant. I cannot emphasize this enough, but women’s ambitions are always secondary to men’s in most narratives; her name in the culinary industry deserves to be engraved on her own merits, not on Carmy’s tail. She will only believe how great she is on her own if she sees it with her own eyes.

This is a personal preference, thinking of their possible future together. Syd needs to know that she can leave. I have no doubt she has feelings for Carmen, she needs to understand she can go, so if they ever get involved romantically, she will know that loving him has his limts. Think of Bones when Temperance kicked Booth out of the house because of his addiction. She said, “I love you, but until you figure out your shit, I don't wanna be with you.”

But more than anything, because Carmy said he won't be doing cooking without her, and I want to see how far that is true, even if he heals from his abuse (from his former ec) even if he gets his family and even Claire back, I want to see how he will react to that missing piece that he has been relaying on the whole show. It may the last straw to him recognizing how fucked up he is mentally. There is a reason the show started when they met.

Of course, she will still be part of the main narrative and always be in Carny’s mind. I want to see glimpses of this new life, her new team, and maybe be involved with Luca. Her new recipes, a tribute to her origins.

It doesn't have to be a permanent thing either, give Carmy a year of therapy and we can talk terms and conditions.

I may be wrong of course, let me know what you think.

[l4long-winded]

HIII! IM NOT SURE IF THIS IS WHAT U WERE ASKING FOR IN UR LIP OR CARMY PROMPTS BUT

I had this dream where they were dating but the team didn’t know and then during a service in the new restaurant and she burned herself once or twice really bad and Carmy was helping and doting on her and evb was just like “ uhm. What?” And then they started to notice other things Carmy did for her and they started to put two and two together

If this isn’t what ur looking for or meant sorry😭 if you don’t want to it’s totes okay I understand!

Remember to drink water!

i don't see carmen as being very big on pda. esp not in the beginning of your relationship.

however,

he's attentive. his looks towards you are longer than necessary, lingering stares over the side of your face when you pick up a dish, a hint of a smile on his lips seeing you approach from halfway across the kitchen. no one notices until he's irate one day, being an asshole to everyone because carmen's emotions get the better of him as the stress rises and the pressure increases.

naturally, attempting to keep up with the environment's demands, you burn yourself. the muttered curse flying from your lips quickly gains carmen's attention. he's with you at the sink in an instant. his tone of voice changes, no longer the hissing or billowing octave. he speaks to you softly, asks what happened, if the burn is deep, if you need anything, muttering apologies for ramping shit up like he's the one who burned you himself. he does all this with his hand on your lower back. protective. soothing. sympathetic.

loving.

tina catches it. she's asking ebra about it, who is absolutely oblivious on the matter, but when she rolls her eyes and asks sydney, syd is quick to point out how she saw carmen fetch you a cup of ice water the other day during a break. it's a small gesture, but reminiscing allows them to piece together other small gestures that don't seem so small after all.

like, as richie notes despite his irritation, how carmen waits for you at the lockers. natalie is able to add how frequent your visits to the office are when he's there, gary bringing up a recent memory of carmen asking if you'd enjoy a certain wine, and marcus swears carmen's dessert leftovers he boxes at the end of the night aren't for him. what's he doing with two slices of princess cake?

these clues should be enough. carmen's sweet on you and it's so fucking obvious. everyone's whispering to each other when either of you will say anything because while carmen isn't in their work groupchat, you are. can't pass gossip about you and him with you in there.

manny, on the other hand, decides to withhold the fact that he saw you and carmen kissing in the alleyway two months ago.

[poorlittlegreenie13]

Deleted scene from 'Rules For (fake) Dating an Italian' to keep you busy while AO3 is down:

(Sydney & Carmy babysit for Richie, set in between chapters four & five — I wrote it & then decided to scrap it, I don't even know why lol it just wasn't working. & I didn't edit it, so it might have mistakes. But anyway, you guys can have it as a treat.)

Richie runs out the front door, pulling his jacket on. 

“Carmen,” he says, walking up to Carmy and, much to Sydney’s surprise, taking Carmy’s face in both hands and pressing a firm kiss to the top of Carmy’s head. “Thank you so much. I owe you, brother.”

“It’s fine,” Carmy mutters. 

“Sydney,” Richie says, pulling away from Carmy to look at her. 

“I don’t need a kiss,” Sydney says quickly, “just a verbal thank you is more than enough.”

“Wasn’t planning on it,” Richie says. “Carmy explained the situation, right?”

“I told her what you told me,” Carmy says. 

“Because I never miss a weekend with her,” Richie says, “I mean, I have literally never missed a single minute of a weekend with her before, but if I don’t go to the DMV today, it’s like six months till I can get another appointment, and I really need to get my license renewed.”

“It’s fine,” Sydney says, not dwelling too much on the thought of how much Richie has been driving her around with an expired license so far. “We’re happy to look after her.”

“I’ll be back in two hours,” Richie says. “She has her iPod, and all her Barbies. There are Uncrustables in the fridge, or you can cook with whatever’s in there, and she likes watching Unicorn Academy, she can put it on herself.”

“We’ll be fine, cousin. Don’t be late to your appointment,” Carmy says, with a somber expression that looks less like someone taking on babysitting duties, and more like a soldier awaiting command.

Carmy called Syd that morning, saying Richie was freaking out about needing a babysitter. Granted, Carmy was also freaking out about being a babysitter. 

"Nat’s busy, Tina’s busy, everyone’s fucking busy, can you please come with me? I’m not good with kids."

Sydney isn’t particularly good with kids either, but she didn’t tell him that.

She would’ve taken any excuse to see Carmy. Because she’s a masochist. And because the fact that he asked her to come not because it would help trick Richie, but because he wanted her help, made her feel kind of hot in the face. 

When he picked her up, she slid into his passenger’s seat with an almost-practiced ease, and he just sat there looking at her for a minute. 

“Your hair,” he said. 

“Oh,” she said, touching the end of one freshly-done braid, “yeah, microbraids, like I told you.”

“They look nice,” he said, and she blushed, despite the stiffness of the complement. 

He always seems to rehearse his words to her in his head before he says them; they come out practiced and overly formal, and it frustrates her, how measured they seem, though it shouldn’t. 

She’s pretty sure that’s just Carmy’s way. He’s careful with everything, not just compliments. She’s learning that about him. 

She’s been learning other things about him, too. 

Like the fact that he seems to go quiet in crowds, and gravitate toward walls. He flinches if anybody moves toward him too suddenly. Sometimes, not often, but enough to notice, he stutters when he speaks. 

She wants to know everything about him. She wishes his life story was a book she could read, so she could just catch up to where he is now, and understand everything about him. She wants to know the right things to say, to do, how to put him at ease. She wants to know what he’s thinking when he looks at her. 

Now, she watches Carmy walk into Richie’s house, stooping to pet Zanzibar as the puppy runs excitedly up to them, letting out high-pitched barks and tapping his little claws against the tiles of Richie’s entrance foyer. 

In the doorframe of the kitchen across from them, a tiny girl with blonde hair and Richie’s facial features peeks out at them. 

“Hi,” Sydney says, giving her a little wave. 

“Uncle Carmy?” the girl asks. 

Carmy looks up at her, unmistakable anxiety crossing his face. 

“Uh, hi,” he says. “Richie’ll be back soon, don’t worry.”

“She doesn’t call her dad Richie, does she?” Sydney whispers. 

“She knows who I mean,” Carmy whispers back. 

Eva looks between the two of them.

“Dad said you would make me lunch,” she says. 

Sydney smiles. “We will,” she says, looking at Carmy expectantly. 

He nods seriously, walking ahead into the kitchen and beginning to look through Richie’s cabinets. Sydney follows Eva into the room, watching the little girl take a seat at one of the kitchen chairs, pulling her knees up into her chest and looking at  Sydney with huge eyes she hasn’t totally grown into yet. 

“Are you Uncle Carmy’s girlfriend?” she asks. 

“Yeah,” Sydney says, glancing over at Carm. 

He’s holding a box of Mac & Cheese, and holds it up for Eva to see, raising an eyebrow. 

“This good?” he asks. 

“That’s good,” Eva says, crossing her arms and deepening her voice slightly to mock Carmy as she says it. He cracks a smile, filling a pot with water and setting it on the stove. 

Michelin starred chef cooking boxed Mac & Cheese in a tee shirt three feet away from Sydney. Her life is a joke. 

“Why are you his girlfriend?” Eva asks. 

Sydney laughs softly, considering this. 

“Well, uh,” she says, with a little shake of her head. Carmy has his back to her, facing the stove, but he’s standing still, like he’s listening. “He’s great at cooking,” Sydney says. “And I really like spending time with him. He’s good company.”

“My dad said Carmy’s never looked this happy before,” Eva says. 

Carmy clears his throat. “I am happy,” he says, though there’s an ironic flatness to it. 

“Because of her?” Eva asks. 

Sydney bites the inside of her cheek. 

But Carmy turns around and looks at Sydney, brow furrowing slightly, eyes soft. 

“Yeah. Because of her,” he says. 

He says it like it’s true. 

Michelin star mac and cheese is about as good as it sounds. Carmy is leaning against Richie’s counter, watching Sydney and Eva eat. Eva’s iPod is set on the table in front of her, playing some Taylor Swift deepcut that Sydney doesn’t recognize. As Sydney swallows her third or fourth spoonful of food, she stands up, turning to Carmy. The heat of the stove has put a slight flush in the tops of his cheeks, and there’s a towel slung over one of his shoulders. 

“You’re not eating?” she asks him. 

The question seems to take him off guard. His eyes flicker to the pot of food, then back to her. 

“No, I made it for you two,” he says.

“There’s plenty, Carm,” Sydney says, grabbing a bowl from Richie’s cabinet and filling it for him from the pot still warming on the stove. When she hands it to him, he just looks at it for a second, before taking a small spoonful and putting it in his mouth, chewing like it’s his first time eating a meal. 

“It’s good, isn’t it?” Sydney asks him, picking her own bowl back up. 

“It’s alright,” he says, taking another, bigger spoonful. He does that sometimes; it’s one of the things she’s noticed. He eats like he’s starving, or he doesn’t eat at all. It gives her this weird urge to take care of him. To text him in the mornings, and at night, and ask him if he ate that day. To show up at his apartment unannounced with bags of groceries and make him sit down for twenty minutes while she meal preps for him. 

“It’s good, Carm, it’s better than alright,” she says again, tone light, even though she’s willing him to believe her as hard as she can. Trying to get him to take a compliment is like trying to throw a ball through a brick wall. 

He averts his eyes, nodding again. “A little flat, but I guess that’s what you get with boxed mix,” he says, pushing the noodles around with his spoon. 

“Ever make it from scratch?” Sydney asks. “Or is that too pedestrian for a fancy New York Chef?”

“I'm gonna pretend I know what pedestrian means in that context,” he says, meeting her eyes with an amused smile. “I made it from scratch one Thanksgiving, years ago. Had no idea what I was doing. My mother passed out at like 3:00pm, and we were all scrambling in the kitchen trying to get dinner together for her so she’d, you know, see it and be happy with us when she woke up. But Sugar burned the turkey, so Mikey had to spend hours trying to calm her down; she got these crazy panic attacks when she made mistakes. And I made mac and cheese.”

“How old were you?” Sydney asks. 

He seems surprised at the question, and shrugs. “Twelve, I think? Mikey would’ve been seventeen, Sugar would’ve just turned fourteen.”

“You’re the youngest?” 

He nods. 

“That figures,” Sydney says. 

He scoffs. “Why does that figure?”

“I don’t know, just does.”

His bowl is almost empty. Wordlessly, she takes it from his hands, refilling it. 

“So, did your mom like the mac and cheese?” she asks. 

Something in his face darkens. He gives a quick shake of his head. 

“No, she couldn’t get past Nat burning the turkey. We just, uh, took all the food into Mikey’s room and watched The Peanuts until she stopped yelling and fell asleep.”

“Uncle Carmy,” Eva interrupts, getting up from her chair and walking over to where Carmy is standing, looking up at him expectantly.“Daddy said you would play Barbies with me.”

“I will play Barbies with you,” Carmy says, and then, looking over at Sydney: “Syd, would you like to play Barbies?”

There’s a fond, almost relieved smile on his face, like another minute of talking about his family might’ve pushed him off some cliff’s edge that he wasn’t prepared to crawl back over. 

“Obviously I want to play Barbies,” Sydney says, letting Eva lead them into the other room. 

"You're such a liar," Sydney murmurs, as they walk behind Eva.

"I am?" Carmy asks lightly.

"Yeah," Sydney says, "you told me you weren't good with kids."

He smiles, shaking his head ruefully.

"I'm not," he says.

Sydney rolls her eyes.

And they play Barbies, for an hour. Carmy kneeling on carpet, listening attentively as Eva explains which Barbie is which (she has a Taylor Swift box set, it seems, and a Barbie dream home that looks like it cost more than Sydney’s last paycheck). Sydney sits cross legged across from them, watching Carmy delicately hold a Barbie doll in one tattooed hand as Eva brushes out its hair. 

Watching him be a good uncle shouldn't be as fucking attractive as it is. It shouldn't be conjuring up vivid images of Carmy holding sleeping babies and cooking family dinners.

God, Sydney is so fucked.

“Speak Now Taylor Barbie is marrying Jacob from Twilight Barbie,” Eva says. “‘Cept I forgot Jacob at Mommy’s house.”

“I see,” Carmy says. Sydney bites back a smile. 

“Are you ever gonna get married?” Eva asks, looking up at Carmy. 

Sydney’s smile quickly fades. 

Carmy’s eyebrows shoot up. 

“Me?” he says. 

“You and Sydney,” Eva says, looking over at Sydney expectantly. 

“Uh, maybe,” Carmy says. He’s looking at Sydney too; an expression she can’t read. “I don’t know. Depends on… lots of things.”

“Like what?” Eva asks. 

Carmy clears his throat. “Like… whether Sydney puts up with me for long enough for me to ask her?”

“Oh, shut up,” Sydney says, smiling exasperatedly, shaking her head at him. “He’s kidding, Eva.”

“So you are getting married?”

“No,” Sydney says, “no, not right now.”

“When?”

She looks at them with expectant, innocent eyes. Sydney can’t help but laugh.  

“Not for a long time,” Carmy says. 

"How long?"

Carmy looks away from Sydney, shaking his head like he doesn't know how to answer.

"I don't know," Sydney says, drawing Eva's attention over to her. "Whenever we decide we want to."

"Don't you want to marry him now?" Eva asks sincerely.

Sydney laughs uncomfortably. When she looks over at Carmy, he's looked back up at her. His brow is furrowed slightly. He should be smiling and laughing. This is funny. Objectively. He's taking it way too seriously.

"Yeah," Sydney says, staring at Carmy, raising a taunting eyebrow at him. "Sure I do. But marriage is really complicated so I think we're probably going to wait and see. Right, Carm?"

"Right," Carmy says, with a stiffness to the word like he's in pain. "Yeah, let's not talk about getting married anymore."

Eva frowns.

"It makes him nervous," Sydney stage-whispers to her.

Eva cheers up at that, smiling and nodding knowingly.

"People get nervous when they love each other," Eva says. "Mommy told me."

Sydney scoffs softly, but when she looks at Carmy he isn't smiling. He's just staring back at her, doing that weird, hyper-focused thing where he gets, like, fixated on her face.

It makes her face feel hot.

It makes her nervous.

Fuck.

[mouseymilkovich]

Hi it’s me again, is it possible make a prompts for the word « slap », like reader and Carly got in a argument and reader slap him but she regret it as soon as she realized what she did, but even if Carmy is a little bit chocked he understand reader and comfort her as she cry about what she did to carmy please ?

( im sorry if u don’t understand this request but English is not my first language, I’m French but im bilingual so when I have to write long sentences I sometimes make mistake a few times and don't make myself understood 🥲😭 )

Thank uuuuu 🙏🏻

it's totally okay!! i appreciate you trying, cus English is hard as FUCK my friend

12. Slap ; from 100 one word prompts

come request something → 💌 100 follower special

"You haven't been doing well around here. You're always late when we call for hands, you're unreliable, you're clumsy-" Carmy criticized.

"I'm trying my best! But this place is fucking chaos, Carm-"

"Chef." He correcred.

"This place is fucking chaos, chef." You bit back. "New menu every night was a fucking stupid idea."

"Maybe hiring you was a fucking stupid idea."

Your eyes went wide when he said that, and you could barely control yourself when you raised your hand, striking him across the face with a slap.

"Ah! What the fuck-" He yelped, grabbing his cheek before he looked at your stunned face.

Your mouth hung open as what you'd just done dawned on you. You actually slapped him. Tears pricked your eyes, your bottom lip started to quiver.

"I-I'm sorry-" You whimpered out.

Carmy sighed, pushing some hair off his forehead. "Don't cry... I'm sorry too. I'm being a fucking asshole..."

His arms wrapped around you tightly, squeezing you in an embrace.

"The menu idea was fucked, I think Syd hates me, quitting smoking has been fucking hell..."

"I'll do better. I promise." You whispered as he hugged you.

"I will too. Promise."

[thiscanbegood]

LETS TALK ABOUT THIS

Sydney: “It’s hard to keep up with you sometimes.”

Carmy: “Yeah, well I’ve been doing this longer.”

I was thinking about this very shitty moment when I guess we all felt the urge to slap him out of our screens, and also the way he dismisses all her ideas for the menu, especially this moment when he asks her opinion but changes EVERY idea she gives.

Part of Carmy's old mindset is competition, now I don't think he's intentionally trying to beat Syd to something but he's definitely feeling the need to be better than her at something.

For his family, the only way to show love is giving something. Nat wasn't able to make things better for Carm and make him stay so she gave him money, Michelle couldn't make anything better either so she gave him a place to stay away from Chicago, Uncle Jimmy couldn't make Donna better or bring Mickey back so he keeps giving them financial and his own kind of moral support for the restaurant, and of course, Mickey couldn't tell Carm about his struggles or ask for help so he left the restaurant for him.

This is what Carm is used to and what he keeps doing. Hence his need to understand how he can provide amusement and enjoyment for people around him. He wasn't around during renovations so he gave Syd the Thom Browne jacket. Now he let her down on their most important moment and he needs to give her something. The problem is, he doesn't really feel like he can give her anything that is good, the only thing he knows how to do is to be psycho chef (exactly what he says in the fridge) so he decides to give her the star. The second problem? While it's the mode he's used to, there's something off in him this time (maybe the fact that he isn't the same Carm from before Mickey's passing, I don't know) so he's constantly trying to convince himself and everyone that he can do this. Therefore his need to set himself apart from Syd and the crew showing that he can provide for them something they don't have.

Does it make him less of an ass for this? No! He doesn't have the right to put people down because he hates himself. Plus providing isn't the only way to show love, like Syd told Jimmy, standing WITH the people you love already has the power to make everything better.

And last but not least, he needs to come down from his big pedestal and learn a lesson from Terry, he doesn't know what he's doing. In a more general sense but also about running the bear, he retained the stars of a restaurant he didn't own and never had to calculate costs and margins. Carmy from the beginning of s2 that new the difference between retaining stars and getting them would definitely cringe if he saw how full of himself he is now.

Somebody violently screaming I love you in his face just like Richie did is exactly what he needs.

[curtsies-from-princess-ashlyn]

I cannot for the life of me understand why the writers are still dragging the Claire storyline out. If we, the audience, are supposed to feel as anguished as Carmy is over losing her, I think the writers really failed. I really didn't see that their connection was so deep that Carmy would be this distressed over their breakup - even if it was due to something insensitive he may have said. Having multiple characters continue to push him to rectify his relationship with Claire feels so forced, as well. If their relationship was something that I truly believed could be lasting, then I could probably connect to that emotional tension, but I had thought the entire purpose of his S2 storyline was that a step towards Claire was a step away from fulfilling his responsibilities to Sydney and their restaurant. His relationship with Claire was in direct conflict with his relationship with Syd, and he continually let her down until he finally realized he was letting himself be pulled in two different directions. His making amends with Claire should've been finished in the first few episodes - she's not a main character (she's not even a character who's developed outside of Carmy's POV), and I'm pretty sure she had more screentime than Marcus. These writers cannot write a manic pixie dream girl and expect audiences to actually believe in the strength of her relationship with the lead so much that they root for them. (I also still don't understand how Claire is supposed to have all this free time when she's a hospital resident)

If the goal was to sow this division between Sydney and Carmy, which will force them both to seriously examine their relationship next season, I get it and that can be fine. That's also sort of what happened in S2 already, but they can still further develop that idea in a meaningful way. I'm gonna be honest, I'm here for the writers to pair up Sydney and Luca for a time as a plot device ship. They have excellent chemistry, and I would love to see Sydney exploring a new relationship until Carmy figures his stuff out. It can be reinforce the strength and importance of Sydcarmy's relationship to each other.

Just to warn you all, though, Sydcarmy could either be headed the Rina route (Ricky and Gina from HSMTMTS) with a planned slowburn executed beautifully, or this could end up being a Bellarke situation (Bellamy and Clarke from The 100) where the writers have a vendetta against the romantic pairing, despite obvious romantic undertones. Whichever one happens is anyone's guess, at this point

[freedelusionshere]

Syd and Carmy are pretty close in age

But had very different experiences in the culinary world. It strikes me the ways in which the show is now requiring them to grow.

Carmy dove into cooking as a way to feel close to Mikey and also show him up because we was made to stay away from The Bear. (I don't think this was just because Mikey was spiraling, I think The Bear was a front for Cicero, but I digress). Carmy already had artistic ambition, like the story about him drawing the super-specific wool tailored pants (I live, what a nerd) which sound very like avant-garde Antwerp shit to me. His aunt owned a restaurant and wanted him to "keep going" and the rest was pretty open doors, a major award, matched with hard work.

Syd had to work at UPS to pay her way through CIA. Her dad is constantly talking about her needing to be financially stable and lets her move in with him, but he''s pressuring her to work at Boeing through a relative connection. Also, Sheridan Road failed and put her in crushing debt, but she worked at an impressive list of restaurants like Avec, but tells Marcus one of them had her zest for eight months. Just, amazing. Syd also dresses in stuff that hints she also likes avante-garde Antwerp-art-school-type shit to me like look at these short wool looking tailored pants she wears in Legacy, ahem (I can't with you, show):

Carmy's flaws are centered around abandonment issues and outdated elitist ideas of what it means to be "the best", and is extremely individualistic and competitive, despite having training that has taught him that's not how kitchens actually work. He's deeply romantic and artistic despite having limited life experience and needs to be more open to learning from others and understand that putting other people above himself instead of competing is what will fulfill him.

Syd is also individualistic, but in the sense that she has had to assume 100% of the risk herself with no one to bail her out. She is right to be wary of bad partners, but the main thing is that it's made her second-guess herself when actually she has good business sense, but not the experience running a full restaurant. Syd is deeply nurturing and a dreamer despite having trust issues and needs to be allowed to not carry the weight of the world on her shoulders solo, to know what she brings to the table (not relying on a partner to do that for her), and that her life experiences are just as valid and actually make her stand apart.

All of this stuff I hope to see explored in Part IV.

[nolita-fairytale]

a little carmy blurb inspired by the eleven madison park granola recipe

a/n: a friend of mine put me on to the EMP granola... and now i can't stop thinking about carmy. assuming the nyc restaurant carmy worked for s supposed to be eleven madison park, i wrote a little blurb his relationship to said granola recipe and my pastry chef!reader. have i told you how much i love writing from carmy's POV?!

takes place in the 'make my heart surrender' world after sugar's had baby michael and a few months after you and carmy have gotten married. food is love. that's all.

the familiar scent of caramelized brown sugar and toasted coconut waft through the home he's made with you--a smell that catches him off guard, considering it's been years since he's experienced it.

ever since you retired from the restaurant life, carmy's noticed how much joy cooking at home brings you. and he can't complain. while you no longer work at the bear, it's been nice for him to come home to a warm meal after a long shift. he's suddenly found himself on the receiving end of long culinary projects, done over the span of the weekend, where he hasn't had to lift a finger. but as you stand in the kitchen, a kitchen towel folded over the lip of the half sheet pan you're pulling out of the oven, it reminds him of old times and even older versions of himself.

"hey you," you say, as you hear the cease of his footsteps.

you rest the sheet pan against the coils of your stovetop before turning to look at him, kitchen towel in hand. you search carmy's perplexed expression, watching as he chooses the words that follow.

"wh-, watcha' doin'?" he stammers out.

"oh! i'm workin' on a care package for sugar. and i heard syd's out sick too so i think i'm gonna pack up some of this granola for her too," you answer simply.

"you okay, bear?" you ask him, the concern evident in your voice.

"i uh-. yeah. i just-," carmy begins, letting out a heavy exhale. "jus' haven't thought about it. you know... the granola. our old spot. in a while."

right.

you sigh.

"should i have said something?" you ask, as it dawns on you that the old recipe may not bring back the best memories for carmy. "it's just that i made some a few weeks ago... at sugar's. and she begged me to make more. i mean, her and pete are totally hooked on it but.... i know that that wasn't a great time for you. i should've thought about that."

"no!" carmy protests. he doesn't want you to feel like you have to walk on eggshells around him, and he finds himself falling a little more in love with you as he wraps his head around just how much you love his sister too. "no. it's okay. i just. 's been a while." he chuckles, this time as an exhale of relief. "caught me off guard. is all."

you nod slowly in understanding, as carmy takes a few steps toward you.

"i don't know what it was about a few weeks ago that made me think about it. haven't made it in a while, carm," you say back with a small chuckle. it had been your job--to make the restaurant's signature granola that was gifted to diners at the end of their meal--for the first three months of your time at EMP. "feels like a lifetime ago. but uh... well shit. it's just as good as i remember it."

"oh yeah?" he asks you, curiously, his tone much lighter this time.

"mhm," you hum in response.

it's a strange feeling, returning to old things as the man he is today: a man who's found home again, changed by his restaurant, by his people, by loving and being loved by you. he picks up a few pieces of the still-warm granola, as you eye him carefully, before popping them into his mouth. the flavors hit his tongue, his palette dissecting each familiar note. he half expects to be flooded with memories of his darkest days, but instead it reminds him of you.

it makes him think of the morning of your first shift, watching you as you funneled the granola into the restaurant's signature glass jars. he knew his lingering gaze had made you feel like you were under a microscope, but he hadn't seemed to be able to stop his wandering eyes. he thinks of the way you'd notice that he hadn't eaten all day long, slipping him a jar of the granola right before dinner service started, without a word. a small smile spreads across his lips as carmy recalls the time you made it in the pandemic: playing around with different nuts, dried fruits, adding miso, sharing your latest creation with him after each volunteer shift with world central kitchen.

he's not sure how to say it--that this granola reminds him of you, and your love for him, not the restaurant. he wants to shout it from the top of your apartment building, proclaim his love for you in the form of a shakespearean sonnet, but instead he just says this:

"maybe you can make some more of this. for us?"

"you sure?" you hesitate.

a beat.

"yeah babe. i'm sure."

[blackerthings]

Syd: "I just need your focus like you need mine. I don't wanna share it I'm sorry."

Carmy: "You deserve my full focus, and I'm sorry. My attention shouldn't be split. It shouldn't have to be shared. I understand."

Syd: "You could do this without me."

Carmy: "I couldn't do this without you. I wouldn't even want to do it without you. You make me better at this."

Syd: "You make me better at this."

Syd: "And what if I just like... completely melt. Like I just fuck up and fail.

Carmy: "I won't let you." "You're not alone, Syd."

Syd: "Neither are you."

[wearewildanimals]

As someone who grew up analyzing film...be it as a hobby and not an educational major, It's very clear to me when people don't understand parallels and common tropes and themes in film. And people who will argue tooth and nail that there is zero romantic subtext in the bear between Syd and Carmy. When I'm explaining subtext and the use of music and editing in film. They tell me I'm just using "bad examples" and seeing things that I just want to see because I ship Syd and Carmy.

I'm sorry but if I ship Syd and Ebra...there is no way for me to make any romantic threads between them lol

It's one thing to have your own headcanon. And another to fully deny film analysis just to disprove someone's point.

[thoughtfulchaos773]

I've rewatched the episode Pasta, and I've been thinking about the show and its message in combating loneliness as Jeremy points out. It's one of the reasons why I love this series. Yes, it's about the hospitality industry, but it's all about connection, getting to know and learning about the people you love.

But what about disconnect? There were some critiques about the awkwardness in Claire/Carmy's scenes. I wonder if it's intentional. There's this weird dance in getting to know each other in which Carmy struggles to think of the next question. In the scene when he sees Claire again, he seems out of it as he turns away for a minute to think of another question to get to know who Claire is.

Perhaps, for Carmy, this is one of the ways to portray his character regression as he goes back to being the Carmy who is unable to connect with anyone and finds it difficult to express himself to Claire. When we consider that they hung out from March to May, and from Carmy's perspective, all he knows about her is that she is a doctor, her cousin Denny passed, her mom is living and thriving. Is this is because he struggles to ask her any questions beyond that? Shown by his difficulty in forming questions, i.e.- "so how did you um-is that something like- you get to pick that?

Throughout Claire and Carmys' relationship, Carmy's has been holding himself back from any emotional connection or intimacy. They have hung out before, but have never actually talked, as Claire explains. This is the story of their relationship. Claire doesn't understand his eagerness to fix something or his nervousness in waiting for the other shoe to drop. There's subtle conversations that shows their incompatibility.

Comparing this to earlier in the episode as Carmy gets to know Sydney. He holds on to her every word as she tells the story of her last time doing Sheridan Catering. He smoothly asks follow-up questions, and he's relaxed in their interaction.

When Carmy is with Sydney, there's vulnerability in their conversations, along with laughter and curiousity, as he asks Sydney questions to get to know her on a deeper level and he makes the effort towards connection.

Though Carmy and Sydney experience a form of disconnect when Carmy starts dating Claire he still makes the effort to connect with Sydney. At times he could do better but I think its showing us the chemistry and growth in Carmy by his interactions with Syd vs Claire. One where he asks questions that unravel Sydney for himself and the audience vs Claire where we don't even know her last name.