Was talking to my friend about sydcarmy tattoos and we got into our usual analysis and it’s just so fascinating to me!
Months ago @yannaryartside made this great post about their tattoos and now I want to share some of my favorite thoughts and observations, because the costume and makeup departments didn’t just give them random shit, they designed two matching, contrasting sets of personal iconography.
I have to start with the absolute blueprint of their dynamic.
Carmy’s Pierced Hand: For a chef, the hands are everything!!! Creation, execution, control. Carmy has a knife plunging directly through his hand. It’s the ultimate symbol of self-inflicted sabotage of his own capability. He is one of the best chefs alive, yet he uses his talent as a weapon against himself. He cannot create without bleeding.
Sydney’s Pierced Heart: Syd’s wound isn't in her labor, it’s in her passion. Her shoulder features the Three of Swords tarot motif-a knife and swords piercing a heart. I assume that It represents the grief of a shattered dream from her past business failure. She leads with her heart, but she’s been burned badly.
Carmy hurts himself through what he does (the hand), and Sydney gets hurt through what she cares about (the heart). When Carmy metaphorically stabs himself in the hand (like locking himself in the walk-in fridge or completely losing focus or leaving) the collateral damage plunges straight into Sydney's heart, killing their shared dream.
The part I’m absolutely obsessed with: the potential portrait of their relationships with food
Carmy’s "86'd" Fish: Shoutout to my cousin who works in a kitchen and confirmed this. During an intense rush, they’ll slash an "x" on a container's tape so someone who isn't too bright doesn't accidentally use the spoiled produce. Symbolically, that is so Carmy. He only cooks or tries food when it's a high-stress restaurant obligation. In his personal life we see him eat junk food over a trash can. Like, food is literally just a stressful production line of panic-management and survival for him at this point.
Syd’s Vintage Anchovies: Syd has the complete opposite, beautiful relationship with food. We always see her in and out of the restaurant being so chill, exploring, experimenting, and never afraid to just try new things. Anchovies are a very specific ingredient used to build deep flavor profiles from scratch.
Where Carmy views food as a checklist of potential disasters to control, Syd genuinely appreciates the raw, complex ingredients that make cooking a soulful, creative art.
They are both drowning in intense, crazy anxiety, but look at how their skin maps out their relationship with time and pressure:
Carmy literally has Sense of Urgency tattooed on his fingers, right alongside the dark irony of a snail forced to "Live Fast." As we know SOU is the ultimate «every second counts». Move faster, sleep less, never stop. Carmy has internalized this mechanical, frantic pace so deeply that he wears it on his hands. He operates at a destructive 100 km/h, even though the snail shows that his soul is desperately crying out to slow tf down.
Syd counters all of that relentless pressure with a cursive "C'est pas grave" ("It’s no big deal" / "It doesn't matter"). It’s the literal antithesis to a toxic Sense of Urgency. My girl is chill. That phrase is like her personal grounding tool-the quiet reminder she uses to force her brain to breathe and de-escalate the panic when the kitchen is actively burning down around her.
So, basically, it shows how Carmy leans into the panic that is killing him, while Sydney actively tries to fight it off.
So, to me, these next two show exactly what anchors them to their pasts and the baggage they carry:
With “773" Carmy carries a loud, systemic obligation to a place. Reality of the South/West sides of Chicago and the heavy legacy of the Berzatto family name. His identity is entirely wrapped up in proving himself to his brother, hometown and the ghost of the family restaurant.
Sydney carries a quiet, private grief for a person. Her Volvo tattoo has a license plate that literally reads "MOM." It’s a devastatingly tender piece of nostalgia, the ultimate symbol of family safety and maternal care that she lost way too soon.
Finally, look at how they view their luck, risk, and life in general:
Carmy has the Grim Reaper shaking hands with a liquor bottle. It’s about as dark as it fuckin’ gets lol. It's just total acceptance of self-destruction. He knows his toxic coping mechanisms are walking him straight to an early grave, but he shakes hands with the reaper anyway. (Also might be a nice homage to his mamma)
Syd has a delicate little wishbone. It's a classic symbol of hope, luck, and wishing for the future. But a wishbone only works if you take a gamble and risk breaking it in half to get what you want. It proves that despite her trauma, Syd is still willing to take a massive leap of faith on her dreams, even if it hurts.
Can’t help but thing about this caption by the makeup artist:
To cope with @capeflatssweetpea knocking the shit out of me with this finding, I decided to re-examine Sydney's and Carmy's tattoos for clues. And oh my god, I feel Storerr was playing in my face.
First, let's talk about both of them having a drawing of their bodies pierced by a knife.
I'm working with this timeline of when he got each tattoo. Carmy got the knife tattoo right before working with Chef Fields. But, as @sonoranbumblebee explained in this post, it is quite possible that Michael did harm Carmy at some point, particularly burning his hands. Whether or not the abuse caused the burning scar that he has right now. Carmy could have, in fact, put his hand on a burner, but the wound itself reminds him (or dissociates him from) Michael's abuse.
In comparison, it makes perfect sense that Sydney's pierced-heart tattoo parallels his pierced-hand tattoo.
A three swords tattoo often symbolizes overcoming hardship, pain, and heartbreak, representing resilience, strength, and courage, frequently inspired by the Tarot's "Three of Swords" card which signifies sorrow, loss, or betrayal, but also the eventual passing of pain and the need for healing. It can also signify a powerful journey through past, present, and future struggles, or themes of honor, protection, and truth
It's about how Sydney has also experienced a loss/trauma that allows her to understand and empathize with the betrayal and sorrow, for which she can provide "honor, protection and truth," and you know the crazy part? This pierced heart tattoo was revealed to the audience right after a scene of Carmy and Claire kissing. @morningssofgold and @notthebear made recent metas about the possibility of Carmy being sexually abused/harassed, so the pierced hand tattoo in particular could also be about the shame of being touched without consent. And we have been talking about Claire using sex as a tool of control over Carmen, particularly coercion, and this sense of anxiety that plagues all their hookups. tagging @juniper-is-in-the-house and @alpinecoalescence cause they also talked about this.
Now, the fish.
this tattos are about their mothers. We have Donna and the seven Fishes tradition. And we have Sydnsys' mom, who died of lupus, and people with that illness benefit from a special diet, needing omega-3 to reduce inflammation, and fish are a good way to do that, like anchovies, salmon, and sardines.
anchovies can be a good addition to a diet for people with lupus, primarily because they are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, which help reduce inflammation. However, because they are often processed (salted or cured), they should be eaten in moderation rather than in high amounts.
This might be a stretch, but Sydney is obsessed with high-quality ingredients that are also accessible. She doesn't like processed foods, even if only for the taste. It is possible that one of the ways Sydney had to cope with the death of her mother was to investigate the importance of nutrition through illness.
On the other hand. It's kind of interesting. Sydney has a group of anchovies, and Carmy has one singular fish, maybe to explain Sydney's desire to make a difference ina group, contrasting with Carmy's perpetual individualism. God, I love them.
But on the other, other hand. You see that x in the fish? Almost like he is saying to himself, don't eat the fish?
There is another x in his tattoos, here:
in alcohol. He thinks his mother's fish are as poisoned as the tendency towards alcoholism he inherited from her. That's extremely telling, especially considering he deliberately put the seven fishes on the menu.
'Live fast' vs the French expression "ce n'est pas grave that I've been told is translated to "it's not a big deal" and "never mind." This is about them going into the industry to avoid facing their trauma. Sydney also admitted to it.
Not the fucking soulmatism in tattoos. Fuckig hate this show.
AND ANOTHER THING CHRIS. IF WE ARE GOING TO ENDURE THE FAKS AND CLAIRE IN S5, I WANT THEM TO TELL HER THAT CARMY CALLED SYDNEY THE BEAR AND ASK HIM WHAT'S UP WITH HIS EX BUSINESS PARTNER .
the fact that richie said in gary that he was bad at math , and the funny weird story with the math teacher , and then in the bear we have carmen claiming he is bad at math and afraid of it , and then we get syd trying to teach or explain math situation for him ......
this line kills me for various reasons, but one I think about all the time is that they're both struggling to label their Very Interesting relationship, and are using the terms most familiar to them as place holders!! both think the label the other has chosen is undeserving for what their relationship actually is, but neither want to take the step and be honest about what they mean to each other!!
bear with me (haha)
i think to understand what i'm saying you have to understand the trajectory of sydney and carmy's arcs over the seasons. what are their motives? what do they struggle with? what do they prioritize in their life? what relationships do they prioritize? (this might not be something the character consciously wants, but something they need in order to complete their character arc)
let's start with carmy. carmy doesn't have many friends when we meet him. or any, actually. he has competition. he has enemies, he has fellow chefs, but friends? he doesn't have time for that. he hasn't had the opportunity to slow down since mickey died (and before that really), so he's subconsciously ignored the desire to have any social connection for his own benefit. over the course of the show we're watching him attempt to let go of his past and confront his trauma, and through that, open up to other, healthier relationships. any person who gives him the space to forge that connection is special to him.
now what about sydney? sydney is struggling. lets assume she has a better social life than carmy (one because... look at her, and two i think a rock could have a better social than carm) but we do know she's struggling financially. she craves stability, independence, equality in her worklife. we know this because she feels guilty in relying on her dad, is pretty quick to jump into a new restaurant where she would be on equal footing with carmy, and prioritizes collaboration and communication over anything else. over the course of the show we watch her gain respect, notoriety, and standing in the culinary world. any person who gives her the space to collaborate and understand her, take the risk and be her partner (and through that title acknowledge her greatness), is special to her.
now lets flip it! what do they NOT prioritize? what is shallow for them? what isn't AS special?
sydney has friends. she has lots and lots of friends. she's liked and people want to be around her. she is in an abundance of friends.
carmy has been is bureaucratic hell for months. he's worked in professional kitchens for most of his adult life. he's been acknowledged. he has nothing left to prove to the culinary world.
imagine if your best friend in the whole wide world, the person you notice even the most imperceptible things about, who appreciates you (outside of your culinary expertise), who comes back (out of her own volition) to be there for you, who knows you write in the margins, called your relationship a business partnership? something so devoid of feeling, the one thing you've been trying chase?
imagine if your partner, the person you'd idolized for so long, who didn't just give you a chance but saw you as an equal, bought you a thom browne chef jacket, stared at you like you were the most amazing thing to grace this earth, practically HANDED you his dead brother's restaurant on a silver platter, called you just a "friend"? something he calls neil fucking fak, something you already have plenty of, none of which helped bring your credit score up?
wouldn't you be confused? wouldn't you think its fucked up, how dare they reduce your special, amazing, rise-above-it-all relationship to something so meaningless?
respectfully, they both made up definitions for their given words based on prior significance to them. in what world does a business partner apologize for giving attention to his girlfriend over you? in what world does a friend gush about you to your estranged mom?
but they both know that. its just a lot easier to pretend they're living in that world.
"you're my partner" said mournfully
"i'm your friend" said angrily
"well you're not fucking acting like it"
so what are you acting like?
(the answer is lovers)
tiktok comment i wrote a couple months ago that randomly appeared in my brain and made me go "i should talk about this more"
Finally finished season four of The Bear. I unmuted a bunch of tags on Twitter because I was avoiding spoilers, and the first tweet a see is someone saying “Luca better get passed around like a blunt in season 5”
Here’s a link to the epubs for the 10 part oyster knife series as well as “A Matter of Taste”, “Take Care”, “Avenues All Lined With Trees” and “Over the Bridge”
Asmaa and her family are fighting to survive in Ghazza. Her home and her brother's home were both bombed by the occupation, leaving all of them displaced.
They live in horrible conditions without access to clean water, food, or healthcare. The closest medical setup is usually miles away. They are surrounded by disease and their tents hardly protect them from the elements. Their beloved kitten Timur starved to death due to the lack of food and water.
Without any sources of income, they cannot evacuate on their own.
I am Asmaa, 25 years old, the daughter of this beautiful family of 8 members. … Asma Ayyad needs your support for Help me and my family esca
In order to evacuate, Asmaa and her family need to raise €45,000. Since beginning their campaign, they've only raised €21,459.
Everyone, please help Asmaa and her family survive. If you're able, donate to them. Even if you can't donate, sharing their campaign will also make a world of difference. Anything you can do will help shave their lives.
VETTED HERE (43)
(content warning for the campaign page; there is an image of the dead kitten. It is not overly graphic but if you would like to avoid it simply don't scroll down)
Asmaa and her family are fighting to survive in Ghazza. Her home and her brother's home were both bombed by the occupation, leaving all of them displaced.
They live in horrible conditions without access to clean water, food, or healthcare. The closest medical setup is usually miles away. They are surrounded by disease and their tents hardly protect them from the elements. Their beloved kitten Timur starved to death due to the lack of food and water.
Without any sources of income, they cannot evacuate on their own.
I am Asmaa, 25 years old, the daughter of this beautiful family of 8 members. … Asma Ayyad needs your support for Help me and my family esca
In order to evacuate, Asmaa and her family need to raise €45,000. Since beginning their campaign, they've only raised €21,459.
Everyone, please help Asmaa and her family survive. If you're able, donate to them. Even if you can't donate, sharing their campaign will also make a world of difference. Anything you can do will help shave their lives.
VETTED HERE (43)
(content warning for the campaign page; there is an image of the dead kitten. It is not overly graphic but if you would like to avoid it simply don't scroll down)
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