What happens to Carmy and the restaurant?
SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers for “The Original Beef of Chicagoland,” the series finale of “The Bear,” now streaming on Hulu.
The real restaurant was the friendships they made along the way.
That’s actually the hyper-serious thesis of “The Bear,” which aired the series finale on Hulu on Thursday. Sure, the titular restaurant can sear a critically acclaimed scallop, but it’s always about the people who make, serve, and eat the food. That makes it all mean something. The Bear “has something” that no other restaurant has, says Will Poulter’s Luca in a clichéd parting monologue. And what is that? “Family.”
In the penultimate episode of “The Bear,” Carmy (Jeremy Allen White), Sydney (Ayo Edebiri), Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and co. survive a brutal service that threatened to be their last. A thunderstorm, supply problems and too many reservations pushed the kitchen staff to their limits. And Uncle Jimmy (Oliver Platt), who financed the restaurant when it was upgraded from an Italian beef shop to a fine dining restaurant, has run out of money. (He even sold his watches to stay afloat.)
The entire season up to that point had taken place over the course of one evening, and in a relief, the finale covers the days after that disastrous – but ultimately successful – shift. Natalie (Abby Elliott) informs Richie that he has been invited to an international hospitality seminar in Japan, and she and Carmy urge him to board his very first flight and go.
Ebraheim’s (Edwin Lee Gibson) detailed pitch for The Beef franchise, the restaurant’s profitable sandwich window portion, and open ghost kitchens in the suburbs eventually reaches Carmy, who gives his approval. Marcus (Lionel Boyce) drops Luca off at the airport – his pastry chef is heading back to Copenhagen. And Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas) prepares to take on the role of Sydney’s chef.
And finally, Carmy answers the phone when that unknown number calls him for the third or fourth time. It is Peter Clark, also known as ‘Star Man’, who delivers the news that The Bear has been awarded two Michelin stars. In one of the most poignant scenes of the season, Sydney asks Carmy, “Did we get a star?” and Carmy shakes his head no before replying, “You have two.” (That’s “you,” not “we” — remember, he announced his plan to leave the culinary industry at the end of Season 4 and spent all of Season 5 passing the torch under Sydney. Or spatula.) Both Sydney and Carmy’s reactions are muted — neither knows how to process them. But a few minutes later, after they part ways, Sydney rushes out of the kitchen to hug Carmy, crying and throwing her arms around her former boss, mentor and best friend.
Elsewhere, Jimmy and the Beef boys begin their new venture and explore their first ghost kitchen. (In a nice tribute to the late Rob Reiner, Ebra calls his character Albert to tell him the good news.) With Sydney in charge of the main dining room, The Bear will continue to operate as an elite restaurant with sandwich spinoffs.
John Mulaney appears at the end of the season as Stevie’s cousin by marriage. He drops Carmy, who is unusually dressed in a suit and tie, off at a downtown building to meet a woman named Sue (Bonnie Hunt). It’s an interview for something, but it feels more like a therapy session, as Carmy explains why he’s leaving the kitchen and admits about his last shift, “If I had been in charge – if I had been the chef – I would have made it worse.”
He’s confident in his choice to leave The Bear in the hands of Sydney and Richie and co., and says it was great to see everyone “score”. “Even though it sucked,” he says, “it was the most fun I ever had.”
Ultimately, it is revealed that Carmy is applying for an internship at an architectural firm, where he will apply his obsession with the colors, presentation and design of food to buildings.
In one of the show’s final scenes, Richie takes his young daughter Eva to the restaurant, where he throws a surprise birthday party. The whole gang is there – including absent guest stars Bob Odenkirk, Josh Hartnett and Molly Gordon (we never get full closure on Carmy and Claire’s romance). Everyone sings, talks, laughs, enjoys food.
Then Richie leaves on his flight to Japan, nervously looking out the window, when a hand reaches out to comfort him. It’s his colleague Jess (Sarah Ramos), who resolves their long “will they, won’t they” dynamic. (At least one of the main characters appears to be ending the series with some action on the romance front.)
And Carmy is sitting at his new desk, wearing his white T-shirt and apron. He sends a text to his late brother Mikey (Jon Bernthal) – “All good” – and stops to appreciate his new surroundings. Still, he closes his eyes and thinks about his happy place: the restaurant. Not because that’s where he spent his formative years pursuing greatness, but because that’s where his people live.
