#especially the meta about sydcarmy

[m4ndysk4nkovich]

the bear fandom is so horny literally everything is __ x reader it’s honestly so funny to me

[sydneys-adamu]

yes I have things to say about carmy and sydney and the endless endless themes of patience and communication and devotion both of them express to each other deeply rooted in an awkward meet cute and a loaded reunion the former uses to calm down when stressed, especially how this relates to their aversion to loneliness and goal to make the other feel as surrounded and loved as possible even when it isn’t always successful

but every time I start talking about it I’m just picturing myself shaking carmy’s shoulders till his eyes cross bc this man gives me the biggest headache I’ve ever had.

not you syd you’re doing great *hands her a rose*

[chefkids]

I love your meta!!! It’s amazing that you’re still able to identify and connect new things that the rest of us overlooked. Do you have any predictions for next season? Not just with SydCarmy but also any thoughts about where the show may take us

Thank you!

I think a big focus of next season is going to be on their lives intertwining and their families coming together. Season 3 ended with Richie, Nat, Carmy, and Sydney all coming together to open the restaurant and including her in their core group like family. And like Ayo and everyone in the show has said, this is all about chosen family and real family. But I also think a lot of bad shit is going to happen, especially at the very start of the season.

After Carmy practically begging to meet Sydney's dad, I do think Emmanuel and Carmy will finally meet. I do not think he is going to like Carmy at the start. He is very sceptical of their whole arrangement, he knows Sydney quit for a minute and might have heard Sydney talk shit about him. And if he ever finds out what went down on opening night, I don't think he'll be too happy with Carmy. But I do think they will eventually bond and get to know each other, I think including that Sydney's dad was sober from alcohol is going to be a big conversation for them.

I think they were alluding for Natalie having some sort of complication maybe preeclampsia with her shoulder pain. I think she's going to give birth sooner rather than later. Natalie giving birth is going to bring Donna back and is what is going to get Carmy and his mother to finally see each other again after seemingly years apart.

I also think Donna and Sydney will meet. I think Natalie and Sydney are both going to try to get Carmy to at least try to give his mother a chance because they are both much more optimistic and forgiving people than him. I think it's going to cause a lot of tension between all of them because Carmy doesn't want Sydney seeing that side of his family.

Sydney's share/ownership of the restaurant comes back into question. I also think Carmy getting more credit/recognition than her in reviews or press will bother her. I think she will basically say that this place is not really hers. Someone tries to poach Sydney, Carmy freaks out. Sydney starts to consider if it is worth staying if another good opportunity comes along.

Marcus' mom is dead and gone. RIP to that lady. I think grief and how they all deal with it differently will be a big theme. Carmy ignored his grief for a long time and tried to use work to fix things. Sydney and her dad still keep her mom's memory alive but she still struggles with letting others know about her grief. I think Marcus will be letting others help him and be there for him and Sydney will be there for him. I think this will bring back things Carmy about his own grief and how he's still dealing with it.

Luca returns to fill in for him for a bit and emotional support for Marcus. Which I think will also bring us to see Competitive Carmy in full force as goes into Michelin Mode, for Syd's sake. No amusement or enjoyment. I also think this will kinda turn the crew against Carmy as they'll prefer Sydney, they kind of already do. Especially considering she was more involved in training them and in the build than he was. Plus she's just nicer than him.

Sydney will overwork herself and burn out, she won't trust Carmy on his own and will inevitably put a lot of pressure on herself. She's not going to want to quit or stop but Carmy and her Dad will be pressuring her to slow down because she's making herself sick. I think a large focus of Season 3 will be on their energy. In Season 1 it was all about the pressure of money, Season 2 about time pressure, and now they need to find the energy to keep going because they need to make back money in a set time frame. The focus on energy and their internal dynamics between them, rather than external issues like things in restaurant being broken.

Jealous Carmy. When he realizes Marcus likes Syd more than a friend, he's going to view everyone as competition and a threat, even though he's still to scared to do anything about it. I think Sydney will grow closer to Marcus and Richie and maybe even Luca or new guy Connor, not in any romantic way, but it is going to bother Carmy a lot that she never spends any time with him and that they know her outside of work but he doesn't.

Menu overhaul is inevitable, aside from Marcus dishes, most of the menu is not that remarkable and they really need to pull out new interesting ideas if they want a star. I'm sure we will see a lot more of Syd and Carmy actually testing recipes together. Carmy is just not as creative as Sydney when it comes to food, he struggled with the chaos menu. Mostly as Carmy's way to force proximity with Syd when she doesn't want to be around him.

I'm also still rooting for the return of the short rib risotto and the missing acid chaos ingredient. They have to bring it back.

Tina and/or Richie straight up comment on Sydcarmy. I think Tina knows and suspects a lot more than she lets on. She is very observant and protective over Sydney. She's overheard and seen a lot of what has been going down between them. She's going to put Carmy in his place and scare him a little on Sydney's behalf.

Richie on a similar note is going to put 2 and 2 together on what Carmy is feeling and basically tell him to stay away from Sydney because he doesn't want a Claire 2.0 to happen to her and he probably feels like Carmy does not even deserve Sydney in any way and he would just fuck things up for everyone at the restaurant.

Natalie finally says something to him and that's what finally gets him to do something and stop bottling everything in. She never commented on his relationship to anyone except Sydney, and that was more so to get her in the loop and protect her, because she knew Carmy was leading her on while seeing Claire and not telling her. She's going to subtly or not so subtly ask him wtf he is doing. I also think Jimmy fully thought Sydney was his girlfriend.

Fire Suppression System will tested for real with an actual fire. I have a lil theory that Sydney is going to be the one to accidentally start a fire next season. The fire suppression test was all a metaphor for Syd and Carmy suppressing their feelings and the spark/fire that they have. At the end of season 1 Carmy started a grease fire after Sydney quit, because he couldn't suppress his sadness and feelings for her. In season 2 they passed the fire suppression and Carmy decided to declare Claire his girlfriend. They managed to contain their feelings, but eventually they still came out with Carmy and his panic attack. But now I'm sure Sydney is going to be the one trying to suppress feelings because of how everything went down, and I think it will just blow up in her face literally and metaphorically. They spent so much time explaining the fire suppression system and the electrical wiring and the amperage of it all, that I think it's going to come into play again.

Carmy uses Sydney for emotional support without her realizing. When he texted her because he needed her comfort and forgiveness before opening Mikey's note, she didn't know that was what was happening. When he had panic attack and thought of her to calm down he used her for comfort, but she doesn't know all that. I think he's going to tell her or show her that she is his comfort person. I also think we will also see Sydney eventually reach for him for support and comfort as well.

Sydney's catering days and UPS flashback. Please I am begging. We need more of her lore. I think next season will be a lot of seeing her as more independent and being the boss, we only just started to see her at her peak performance in the last episode. I think we'll see more of her evolution, and also her flighty nature. She went from restaurant to restaurant. I think the idea of her leaving The Bear will hang around all season, but she won't leave.

Claire apology then goodbye within the same episode. Sorry to that girl. I think Carmy was already planning to breakup with her after he had the panic attack and the talk with Uncle Jimmy, which is why he freaked out when after he saw her at dinner. I don't think there would be much place for her unless they throw her into some hospital scenes with maybe Nat or Sydney being sick. I think her work here is done. I think she might make other appearances with the Faks. They are close family friends. Maybe she's friends with the elusive Francie Fak that everyone is dying to know what happened between her and Nat.

I think Richie will try to work elsewhere for a bit. He wants to prove that he doesn't need Carmy and that he can succeed without him. I think he'll come back when Sydney asks him to. The situation with him and Tiff feels very 50/50 to me. On the one hand I think it could be him learning to move on from his ex, on the other hand I think Chris and Joanna are all about second chances and I could see Tiff seeing Richie change and wanting to give things another chance.

I also think there's opportunity to see another city like we did with Copenhagen. I'm still rooting for Carmy to take Syd to Noma before it shuts down. I could also see a New York flashback episode with Carmy working at Eleven Madison and Sydney going on her NYC food tour and their whole invisible string coming together.

Not in this season, but The Bear Cookbook will happen. Trust.

And The Psychedelic Musical Episode. A girl can dream. But I do think we'll get another karaoke scene, maybe with the whole crew going out after a shift and just letting loose for once.

[noangeleither]

Personally my fave will always be when they meet. I always rewatch this scene bc it reads like a romcom meet cute. And it genuinely gets better every time especially after rewatching the show and reading metas/fanfics etc.

Carmy being flustered, like he didn’t expect her to be so pretty. Sydney being starstruck, finally meeting a culinary hero. It’s so raw? like if they met outside of the Beef, under different circumstances, they would totally date?

Carmy’s double take and him forgetting what fucking UPS is???? literally classic. not to mention this is the first thing carmy thinks about to calm him during a panic attack????

C R A Z Y

Please vote and also if you like discuss why in the comments or reblogs? maybe add a scene you think should be included?

[turbulenthandholding]

The Bear Season 3 Musical Speculation: Sydcarmy Edition

After all of the discussion of what songs from Monster could end up in The Bear season 3 last week, I have been inspired to take a look at R.E.M.'s other albums to speculate which song (or songs) might pop up in The Bear season 3.

I'm going to do it in three parts: this one, which is focused on Sydcarmy (and extrapolating what song could pick up where Strange Currencies leaves off), followed by two additional parts - general songs and a totally unserious third part.

There has been a lot of excellent meta about how, with the panic attack scene in s2e9, Strange Currencies actually ends up being a Sydcarmy song.  (This post by @myloveismineallminee is a great example, as are this post by @chansoooo1-blog, this post by @bellassima, and others)

In thinking about season 3 and the importance that R.E.M. songs have played in the show so far, it makes sense to me that they will carry forward what they have been indicating about Carmy and Sydney’s relationship:

these words, you will be mine

these words, you will me mine, all the time

But using another R.E.M. song that is an emotional sequel to Strange Currencies.  Strange Currencies is, as @thoughtfulchaos773 says here, a song about wooing (see tags especially). These are the songs that I think could be that and make (at least some) sense to continue and expand upon that in a season 3 arc.

My seven song ideas follow - definitely interested in hearing what people think!

Be Mine (New Adventures in Hi-Fi)

@thoughtfulchaos773 has posted about this one before here and I agree.

Mike on Bus version from 25 year anniversary edition (this one is even lovelier than the original Album version)

It’s a little obsessive, and totally focused (I need your focus like you need mine), and fits a potential deepening of their relationship.  The lyrics of the whole song apply, but to choose a section:

you and me, you and me

you and me, you and me

and if you make me your religion

I'll give you all the room you need

I'll be the drawing of your breath

I'll be the cup if you should bleed

Hairshirt (Green)

Album version

A hairshirt is a very uncomfortable shirt made of animal hair that would be worn as a self-imposed form of penitence to self-punish or repent something, for religious reasons.  To me, Hairshirt is a song about letting go of the things that you have used to punish yourself (or held over yourself or others’ expectations or any number of other things) to be able to embrace a relationship with someone.  This fits their story to me in that both are working through grief and past trauma; they likely will need to let some of it go to be able to fully embrace each other.

And hang your hairshirt on the lowest rung

It’s a beautiful life

And I can hang my hairshirt

Away up high in the attic of the wrong dog’s life chest

Or bury it at sea

All my life, I’ve searched for this

Here I am, here I am

In your life, it’s a beautiful life

My life, it’s a beautiful life

Your life

You’re In The Air (Up)

Album version

The lyrics of this one are a little more generic, but it does feel like something of a follow-on thought to Strange Currencies.

Key lyrics:

You wanted a challenge that’s calling you higher

I landed on my feet by crawling

I remember standing alone trying to forget you, idling

I hate to admit that that’s my reference point

But there it is, you say you want me

I’m what you found, I’m upside down

You’re in the air, you're in the air, and I am breathing…

You Are The Everything (Green)

Album version

I have posted about this before - and it’s kind of a nice call back to the line in s1e3 Brigade when Carmy tells Syd, “you, you are everything else.”

I interpret this song a bunch of different ways, not all of them romantic, but I think it does make sense in a romantic context here, especially with the kitchen lyric (especially knowing the way that Storer and Senior have no qualms about cutting songs at the points where the lyrics make the most sense to the story they are trying to tell - see also: In Too Deep by Genesis in s1e3 Brigade as well as Strange Currencies, in the panic attack scene in s2e9.

Key lyrics:

I think about this world a lot and I cry

And I've seen the films and the eyes

But I'm in this kitchen 

Everything is beautiful

…

You are here with me

You are here with me

You have been here and you are everything

Perfect Circle (Murmur)

Album version; this live version has me by the freaking throat

Perfect Circle is a gorgeous love-ish song; Michael Stipe has said the song is about longing in a relationship but that it could mean lots of different things. a perfect circle of acquaintances and friends speaks to the found family aspect of The Bear. It’s about the vibes to me for this one; depending on how it could be used it could mean many, many different things, including love.

Key lyrics:

Put your hair back, we get to leave

Eleven gallows on your sleeve

Shallow figured winner's paid

Eleven shadows way out of place

Standing too soon, shoulders high in the room

Me, Marlon Brando, Marlon Brando and I (Collapse Into Now)

Album version

Me, Marlon Brando, Marlon Brando and I is a song about heroes and idolization.  I’m not exactly sure that it’s relevant for season 3 but it does feel like it is a song relevant to Sydney and Carmy.  Certainly by this point in their personal and professional relationships, any blinders she had about him as someone followed his career, are gone.  He’s very much a real person to her and she definitely sees him in his entirety rather than someone to be held up on a pedestal.  It’s probably not super likely for season 3, but I feel like there’s a least a little bit of a through line here and wanted to mention it.

Key lyrics:

Sift through the annals of our flavored times

Our heroes and all their fatal flaws

Me, Marlon Brando, Marlon Brando and I, sing

Lay me down, down, down, down

Lay me down, down, down, down, down

Help me off to sleep

Take me deep again

Animal (In Time)

Album Version 

This one is admittedly a little out there as a suggestion.  But there's something to me about Carmy’s mental state at the end of s2e10 (“I'm a fucking psycho.  That's why, that's why I'm good at what I do.”) that really speaks to his inner animal, but then adding into that the way that the table scene in S2E9 sets his and Syd’s relationship (in all of its facets) apart and as something that helps instead of hurts his focus…it feels like this song brings both of those elements together.  

Key lyrics:

Hey, what's the big deal?

Tell me how to feel?

I know where we boomeranged and fell from grace

Point me to the stars

I'm up for the chase

I know where we fell on our face

Jump with me, you jump with me

…

I am vibrating at the speed of light

Take my hand, we'll wind up the night

Spin me, win me, lift me, kiss me

Trip me, trust me, cuss me, judge me

Touch me now, you take my hand

You trust me now, you understand

So, what's the big deal-

I'm an animal

(The answer landed on my rooftop. Whoa.)

I'm an animal

(The future and the truth, on my rooftop. Whoa.)

I'm an animal

(It's calling me to work it out.) (Whoa)

I am vibrating at the speed of light

[currymanganese]

"About the Blogger" Meme

Thanks to @all-inmoderation @bioloyg & @imliterallyjustablackgirl for tagging me! ❤️

Star Sign(s):

Sagittarius Sun, Virgo Moon, Pisces Rising <- What does it all mean? No idea! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Favorite Holidays:

Eid, Divali & Christmas <- Not for religious considerations, I associate them with having lots of delicious food, which is precious to me. 🤰🏽

Last Meal:

A slice of pawpaw (papaya), stew chicken, black eyed peas, white rice and sorrel juice. <- #grateful thanks mom 😔

Current Favorite Musician:

Khruangbin because Mark, Laura and DJ are all super talented and disciplined musicians, but also because I want the band's lead guitarist, Mark Speer and the bassist, Laura Lee, but especially Mark Speer, in ways that would shock and alarm you, like IDK anything about his personal life, but I think I'd combust if I met him. Mark if you're reading this that smut chapter in my songfic WIP was only possible because I just know you're good with your-[GUNSHOTS] <- He's not reading this, finish the meme! 😤

Last Music Listened To:

Total Control by The Motels for a The Bear meta post that I did and Hope Tala's "All My Girl's Like To Fight' from my small playlist of songs that I headcanon that Syd and Carmy from The Bear (2022) listen to. The playlist serves as a writing aid for me because regardless of the actual musical tastes of Syd and Carmy in the show's canon, this is a small sample of what the two of them like to listen to as I've characterized them in my fic.

Last Movie Watched:

Precious (2009) I was traumatizing myself and [SPOILERS]

Carmen Berzatto in my WIP fic, because Syd insults him using a gif from the movie and Carmy ends up watching this film so he'd understand the reference because he is a loser and is obsessed with his totally platonic coworker and he wants to know everything about her. 😔

Last TV Show Watched:

Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide, @devisrina convinced me, but I haven't finished watching it yet and I'm not to sure when I'll resume because The Bear and Sydcarmy still have me in thrall. 😔

Last Book/Fic Finished:

Last book finished, Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson. Last fic finished.....I shan't say - I'll describe it though - it was a seedy, sketchy, funny, smutty, crack ship one shot gag fic on AO3. I'm ashamed of myself, some of those words in that fic were in The Bible, but chile........anyways. Moving on!

Last Book/Fic Abandoned:

Last book I stopped reading - Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson - Dalinar Kholin, you stupid cunt, why do you always-[GUNSHOTS] <-Girl walk away from the book if it's stressing you that bad, c'mon now - the fictional character's dumb decisions can't hurt you. I'm actually planning on finishing it someday, but I watched The Bear when I was a quarter of the way through the book and now I am totally useless for almost everything else.

Currently Reading:

Ten Myths About Israel by Ilan Pappe, get a free ebook copy of it here while you can. Also the Gaza Diary by Ziad, a 35 year old Palestinian man.

Last Thing Researched for Art/Writing/Hyperfixation:

High blood pressure and pregnancy, and maternity leave in the US of A, and before that CBT case studies and CPTSD and ADHD, and before that meningitis and sepsis. <- All for my current Sydcarmy WIP.

Favorite Online Fandom Memory:

The day Richonne went canon, or rather that era. <- Love it when racists suffer, schadenfreude can be something so personal. 🥴

Favorite Old Fandom You Wish Would Drag You Back In/Have A Resurgence:

I want Star Wars and BNHA to be good, but alas....Next question. <- Anyways these franchise/series are making money hand over fist still, nobody cares if I never care about them again, but I do love the ship Inko Midoriya/All Might from BNHA and I ship UkaTake from Haikyuu!! <- I had a lot of fun in that niche marketplace for a time.

Favorite Thing You Enjoy That Never Had an Active or Big "Fandom" but You Wish It Did:

The Blue Castle by LM Montgomery FUCKS severely - I'm glad that it got a boost on here with The Blue Castle Book Club. Ms. Montgomery put her whole pussy into that book, every single cell and I relate to the book's protagonist, Valancy, quite a lot.

Also, The Queen's Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner has a smallish, but fairly active following on Tumblr, but it deserves the energy that is devoted to some more popular YA fantasy/historical novel series. <- All of these books are re-readable af, 10/10 no notes.

Tempting Project You're Trying to Reign In/Don't Have Time For:

No such thing because I am unemployed. <- have mercy on me O God! It's been the first year of my adult life that I haven't been in university or running myself through the gristmill of capital and I feel trapped and anxious and fed the fuck up. I hate it here, goddamn!

Sorry to end on such a bummer of a note, but thank you for reading if you've read this far and please, regardless of if you were tagged, play along if you can! I've seen a lot of my mutuals tagged in these things before, so apologies if you've already done this, but*

@vacationship @anxietycroissant @bulabujalam @tvfantic87 @devisrina @dreadfuldevotee @mod-doodles <- please come back to me, Mod, darling, I miss you! 🥲 @jub-jub @pureseasalt <- bestie I miss you too! @ashluvsu4ever @cchickki @parrradiseeee @margaery-bonaparte-said-so @seleneofthejungle @prowitchazel @gardenianoire @artemis0404 @polymorphposting @hauntedstrawberrygiver @justabovewater20 @monetbonet @sab-teraa @agoodworkerdoes @melfinawins @melaninerd @iwantadecentblogname @persephonelovesbooks @november-rising @yannaryartside @bitchqueenofthebitchsquad @waywarddeee @myelegieseulogizeme @paddington22017 @ruethrills @techliche @erins-quinn @sydcarmyfan @lunasink @perkedelktg @couldbemaybe @msmoiraine @darkostudios-blog @angelica4equity @theonlyamazingtazmin @mswyrr @chansoooo1-blog

*pretends all of your blog names rhyme with pikachu*, I choose you!

[thoughtfulchaos773]

Fishes, Water, & Dreams: A rant and Intro to Jungian Concepts and Maybe the show doing all this on purpose?

intro to part 2 on Jung concepts inspiring the show's narrative.

I initially dove deep into Freud's influence on The Bear Season 3, especially since Richie frequently uses Freudian terms throughout the season. But as I mentioned in my last post, Richie is also into Jungian concepts.

Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung? Two influential figures in psychology. Freud is known for his theories on the unconscious mind (as known as Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung were two leading figures in psychology. Freud is known for his theories on the unconscious mind (which is the parts of ourselves, thoughts, memories, and feelings we aren't aware of). Freud was mainly focused on repressed desires, sexuality, and how they influence behavior. Carl Jung, once a mentee of Freud, eventually broke away and developed his own theories, like the collective unconscious and the significance of archetypes and symbols.

Now, I’m not a Freudian or Jungian scholar, but I’m fascinated by how film explores the human mind by using different mediums to enter our subconscious. Over the years, I've encountered Jung's concepts here and there, and Here are a few of my favorite Jungian ideas and quick definition:

Collective Unconscious: The collective unconscious is a shared part of the human mind that holds universal symbols, memories, and experiences inherited from our ancestors.

Dominant and Inferior Functions: The dominant function is how we naturally interact with the world—it feels more comfortable to us. The inferior function is a weaker part of us that we usually avoid. It lies in our unconscious. Integrating it can lead us to wholeness. Think of the MBTI Test, a test of personality type based on Jung's work. You'll see reddit posts about Richie being an ESFP or ESFJ. So it's definitely talked about amongst fans.

Symbolism: Jung believed symbols represent deeper, unconscious meanings beyond what is on the surface. They appear in dreams, the arts, and folklore. Symbols connect us to the collective unconscious and help us understand hidden aspects of ourselves and the world. AKA the meta you see here that talks about the clothes the characters wear, the symbol of knives—forks—are all Freud and Jung's concepts.

Dreams: According to Jung, dreams are messages from the unconscious mind. They use symbols and images to reveal hidden thoughts and feelings to reach wholeness

Synchronicity: When two events seem connected, even though there’s no clear cause linking them, a meaningful coincidence.

Speaking of synchronicity, I found some myself! I was obsessed with exploring Freud’s concepts in Season 3 and wanted to write more about symbolism. But then, I discovered that some of the symbolism in the show is something Jung really delved into, so I stopped at trains. And guess what? I learned this week that Richie was initially supposed to be reading Jung. I'll use this synchronicity as a message from my unconscious that I must write this series and put it out there.

Anyway- the creators have to study Freud and Jung, right? How would they guide viewers through such intense emotional journeys if not by tapping into our subconscious?

I know sometimes sydcarmies- including me are tired of the subconscious components of the show. Maybe just impatient? However, the characters haven't fully developed yet they haven't integrated the parts of themselves to reach wholeness- revealing what it all means could be revealing the ending. It is a slow burn! They're taking the characters on deep emotional journeys, similar to the audience.

I know some think we may be delusional in thinking that the table scene symbolizes sex or that the knives and boxes represent Sydney and Carmy's sexual tension. But aren't there just too many symbolism or synchronicities for the show not to be intentionally doing this?

This is more of an organized rant on Jung concepts. The next part will explore how the dominant and inferior functions manifest in the characters.

[mod-doodles]

I wish people would stop speaking on sydcarmy/sydcarmy shippers when they don't know the majority of the convos we're having 😭 And especially when they never speak about the reddit dudebro fanbase like leave us alone pls. Everyday it's anger over us and our ship, give it a rest!!

Best not to engage it’s not worth getting invested or fighting back. Avoid Reddit if it’s upsetting, stay on tumblr enjoy the meta, watch the fan edits and turn off your peripheral vision to those commenters and if they’re going out of their way to find you:

We got aliens, rising unemployment rates, housing issues, climate crisis, the whales are fighting back and much more to think about! I’m not fighting with anyone over what these two fictional characters do. A wise woman once said ‘ain’t nobody got time for that’ 😂😂😂

[berzattosbandanas]

sydcarmy as taylor swift songs: a list

This show has got me down so bad, and the meta and fan fiction has given me such a stunning case of brain rot that I am actually writing something to contribute to a tag for the first time.

Sydcarmy is the one ship that I didn't want to have Taylor Swift songs for, because even as a major Swiftie, I need a break sometimes. However, the TikTok edits got me and I now have a list. There aren't many on this list just because I'm actively trying not to overreach with their current state in canon and not confuse myself with the mass amount of fan fiction I have read in the last month.

I think I need to establish my own thoughts on these two characters and their relationship at some point, but I think the main thread I have is that they don't know what they mean to each other yet. Carmy is definitely more in love with Syd at this point in time as he has visibly shown that he needs her to cope. While this is a bit unhealthy and could lead to a smidge of codependence, Syd is the person who understands him and his craft and knows him beyond his family, which is a source of comfort for him. On the other hand, Sydney has spent the series growing out of her hero worship of Carmy and building a professional relationship with him that has made them equals. I think having this innate understanding of each other will translate well into a romantic relationship, especially with the boundaries of this professional relationship being as blurry as they are and the feelings simmering under the surface. There is not a single platonic explanation for the panic attack scene or the table scene, but both of these characters have not been given an opportunity to have their romantic feelings become realised yet but there is such a clear opportunity for it to go this way.

Song One: cowboy like me (evermore 2020)

This song is the story of two con artists who fall in love but the narrator is unsure of how real the relationship is, despite the twin flame/soulmatism of it all. There is so much in this song to analyse on its own and in relation to these two, but I will try and keep it to a few points.

While Syd and Carmy are not con artists, their shared passion and job binds them together the way the con artists in the song are. They have both had bad experiences in fine dining, souring their passion but the newfound connection and subsequent relationship with each other have given them hope because of their unique understanding. This is akin to the experiences the narrator of the song puts forward of the rich men who she has tricked and their wives who have talked shit about her for it. Deceit is also a theme of the song, relating to how Syd and Carmy are, at this point, hiding their true feelings for the other from themselves and hiding behind the restaurant and their food to do that talking.

The relationship described in the song is hesitant but they know that it is it. The line now I know / I'm never gonna love again after the con artists' first meeting and repeated at the end of the song imply that this could either be the greatest love story or their biggest ruin, mirroring what Syd and Carmy have the capacity to be to each other. Now you hang from my lips / like the Gardens of Babylon carries so much meaning in the song on its own, with the reference to a historical place that has no proof of ever existing implying that the relationship is beautiful but idealistic and a far-away fantasy for someone in the unconventional line of work the narrator is. In relation to Carmy and Syd, the industry they work in is insanely difficult to form romantic relationships within and outside of, but there are a lot of fwb situations to blow off steam. This speaks to if the relationship between the two takes a sexual or romantic turn, where will the line be drawn? Will it just be a friends with benefits situation or can they put in the work to make it a beautiful, healthy and fulfilling relationship, just like the Gardens of Babylon would have needed if it actually existed?

Overall, the song does validate the connection that Carmy and Sydney have and that they can be (are) the great loves of each others' lives, but it needs work and both of them to stop lying to themselves and each other about their feelings.

Song Two: peace (folklore 2020)

Peace is a song that I think encapsulates Carmy's point of view on a relationship. Not just with Syd, as parts of the song can be generalised out to Claire and even his familial relationships like Mikey, Richie, Nat etc. It speaks of warning someone about committing to the narrator, in this case Carmy, as he is not a peaceful person so it would be hard to give the other person the peace they seek in a relationship.

Of course, I think the person to give Carmy peace and allow him to reciprocate would be Sydney because they work in the same industry, and get each other in a way that no one else can understand. They have both had moments of validation from the other, Sydney by having a culinary education and fine dining experience validating Carmy's thoughts and direction during The Beef era, and Carmy acknowledging her fears in the table scene and absolving them (before getting stuck in the fridge and unintentionally going backwards on his word). This validation of the other is such a gift of peace in an otherwise crazy workplace that is a valued part of their relationship.

The whole song is of giving someone peace, warmth and a safe place to come to that Carmy is sceptical of having and being but will give to the described partner to the best of his ability. The narrator/Carmy also admires the person they are singing the song to, Your integrity makes me feel small / you paint dreamscapes on the wall, which forms a big part of the relationship because if this is about anyone, it would be about Syd. I think in 2x03, he wants to let her creativity show and be able to collaborate with her to create a restaurant that is not just his, but theirs but hey, then a big distraction walks in the door.

The bridge is also a massive part of why this song is Carmy-specific.

And you know that I'd swing with you for the fences Sit with you in the trenches Give you my wild, give you a child Give you the silence that only comes when two people understand each other

He wants to give Sydney her dream, as well as achieve his own of his restaurant with Mikey, this is spoken through the wild and child, as the wild his his passion, effort and attention and the child in this case is The Bear. He will support her through her decisions and ambitions, the same way she will him, and go through all the shit with her that comes with running a business in the cutthroat culinary world, whilst wanting to know more of her and her life (the Dead Mom conversation, the "say more" in the table scene). The silence line is the most Sydcarmy coded song lyric that I have ever heard in my life and they have the beginnings of that connection now, but they have such a capacity to grow into that sort of telepathic connection and safe space for each other that I really hope we get to see.

Song Three: hoax (folklore 2020)

These songs, in my head, go together quite well and in this case, it is Sydney singing about Carmy. The singer begins the song as downtrodden, whether as a result of their life and experiences or because of the other person, which works with Syd's narrative thus far. Over the course of the song, the narrator insinuates that as disillusioned with life as she is, the hoax that is being in love and having a life with this one specific person is all they want.

For Syd, her previous experiences in fine dining and her catering business were those winless fight[s] / that have frozen [her] ground and made her closed off from the culinary world until she saw the job posting by Carmy that gave her hope. These and her mother's death early in her life have also seen to have frozen her heart, as we as the audience have had no mention to connections she has beyond her dad and those at The Bear. I hope in the next season/s that we get to see Syd with some friends (bring Rachel Sennot on the show pleeeease) so she doesn't seem as lonely as she does.

Don't want no other shade of blue, but you / no other sadness in the world would do is such a romantic lyric that speaks to, when she realises she is in love with Carmy and wants to be with him, wanting to be with a person regardless of all their mental health issues and insecurities, which Carmen Berzatto has in abundance. To counter with Peace, Carmy wants the same with Syd, despite her neuroticisms and anxieties, he wants her too.

The bridge in this song is also a big part of why I like this song for Syd and Carmy.

You know I left a part of me back in New York You knew the hero died, so what's the movie for? You knew it still hurts underneath my scars From when they pulled me apart You knew the password, so I let you in the door You knew you won, so what's the point of keeping score? You knew it still hurts underneath my scars From when they pulled me apart But what you did was just as dark Darling, this was just as hard As when they pulled me apart

The New York mention makes it feel like this could be a Carmy song because he was so battered and bruised by his New York experiences, pulled apart if you will, but for Sydney, New York meant something else to her. She tasted Carmy's food for the first time and set her standards for food there. I think she has yet to reach her own standards, whilst being an incredible chef, and growing closer to Carmy in terms of their professional partnership and personal relationship will help her reach that.

There is something so intimate about someone knowing you so well and there being such a strong connection that all of the walls you keep up are let down around this person (You knew the password, so I let you in the door) and I think that this is Carmy to Sydney. She told him about her mom which she had not told anyone else (as far as we have seen) and they share many of the same fears in terms of the culinary world so letting him in was easy, he just now has to maintain being that person and be the hoax that Syd can believe in.

Other Songs

Obviously there are many more songs that could fit these two, but they are included in multiple Sydcarmy playlists on Spotify and capture what I feel like these two characters could feel for each other based on what we have seen so far in the show.

Renegade (feat Taylor Swift) - Big Red Machine (How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last? 2021)

The Archer (Carmy Carmy Carmy)

You Are In Love (established relationship fic vibes)

False God (for when the finally get their act together)

[mswyrr]

I was thinking about Tam Lin and referenced it re: Sydcarmy the other day because my aspiration, with the final scene of Chapter 4, was to reference it metaphorically - only, instead of fairies transforming him, it’s Carmy himself who is providing the “illusions” of himself as monstrous (because of his internalized ableism about being mentally ill) and Sydney, as Janet, holds him fast and fears him not - because it’s just not fucking true and she chooses the truth.

(IMO in addition to her personality and their relationship so far, her background, with her parents’ love story-- her father deeply loving her mother who was chronically ill--means that Sydney has an awareness of what that means that plays into why she’s capable of seeing through the illusion - now that she has the full facts on what his deal is!)

I figure, what with all the ways Carmy has symbolically proposed to/tried to marry Sydney in canon so far, it was time to give her the chance to take the initiative and symbolically marry him right back 😂

I’ve been reading meta and books and following people who know fairy tales/mythology for several years now and trying to understand and draw on some of its power more - though these kinds of stories aren’t ones I experienced young (I had fundamentalist Christian parents who didn’t allow it) and they don’t come intuitively to me. Once it clicked for me that I needed a “symbolic marriage” with Sydney initiating and the use of “beast husband” imagery it was really fun to explore - it especially seems powerful to me when talking about complex inner states, like the way someone can see themselves as monstrous and try to share that illusion. 

[noangeleither]

you're right because the people who have their own separate carmy and syd headcanons always gotta insert themselves when we're discussing sydcarmy! like why not make your own tweets/posts/whatever without mentioning sydcarmy 🤔

very disingenuous especially on sydney’s part.

it’s lazy. @uncriticalbunny has a really good post about this on their pinned.

i just side eye people bc i look at their accounts and they don’t talk about sydney. i look in the tags. zero content about sydney being lesbian. no meta about her sexuality. just contrarians. same with sydmarcus people….

[hourglassfish]

A nerd speaks

Quick note – all my writing here has been so long, and so dense. It feels a) a bit sad, and b) like I should apologise. Especially cus the one I’m working on about Syd and Richie is gonna be a fucking beast I think.

But it’s really been fun to me to do some writing that is not for my job? And I feel really inspired by lots of the meta I find here. So thanks to the community of people thinking out loud about The Bear! And if you are reading this, I’m really grateful, and I really welcome and appreciate comments. I keep trying to respond but it will only let me do that from my danmei account, for some reason, and I’m trying not to cross the streams.

Also to say I am neutral in any and all shipping discourse, I support hopeless romantics (sydmarcuses), platonics (down with love corners!), the horny romantics (sydcarmys), AND the chaos gremlins (sydrichies). I have time for lovers of American indie films (clairecarmys), fans of european cinema (luca/marcus, luca/carmy) traditional slash shippers (richie/carmy, Richie/mikey, carm/new York chef). I will respectfully RESPECTFULLY sit separately from those whose honesty about their own fantasies I can only aspire to ( x reader folks, god bless you), but I WILL make eye contact and share a solidarity based nod.

Me personally? I wanna talk about HR!

I also want  Carmy to get a pet. Maybe like the ugliest dog you’ve ever seen, like a really smelly one that is actively incongruent with the rest of his life but he loves them, and they love him. A pet demands that you get some fucking perspective, because whatever happens they need feeding and walking, and cleaning and playing with and hugging or whatever. It is also an incredible thing, when you feel fundamentally unlovable, to be loved by a creature who reminds you of the beauty of the universe, AND just wants to hang out together as they enjoy their existence. So, you know. That might be good for him.  

Maybe also for him to do some travelling that is not related to work. Could we send him to trek through a jungle or something? Something physically and mentally demanding enough that he doesn’t freak out at the stillness, but outside with lots of fresh air, very different to a kitchen and the chance to look at beauty and maybe eat new things, Cus he’ll want that.

OK, bye now xxx