I really like the story of The Bear and the characters of The Bear and this was a good season. The only tiny gripe - though this could become a major issue - is that the writers are trying to subvert expectations in ways that feel unnatural.
Case in point: the writers are trying to make us believe, through Natalie, that Carmy has somehow lost his love of cooking and always was destined to be an architect or something.
And that doesn't make any psychological sense.
Now, do I believe Carmy is rudderless and in fact not entirely one track minded? Of course. But you do not become the best of the best without a love for your craft. Doesn't happen. Carmy specifically wanted to open a restaurant with Michael. His way of reconnecting with Donna is cooking her lunch unprompted. Carmy talks through food, always has. But here the show goes: "Oh, Carmy, it would be entirely fine and natural to not want to do that anymore. Why? We need drama, that's why." What on earth is internally prompting Sug to say: "Hey, Carm, you hate your biggest passion, just stop it, it's ok?"
Now can your greatest passion dry up for a spell, and is it good to step back when you have over relied on it? Yes, it can and that is all fine, healthy and dandy and maybe Carmy should go take an art semester. But that is not his problem. Luca articulated Carmy's problem. Carmy has been so deeply warped by pressure and drama that he cannot function without it and will sabotage everything he holds dear to get to the needed level of stress.
S1? No need. The Beef was a disaster. Carmy is in his preferred level of Hell. The second The Beef starts running functionally? Let's open a restaurant. Hair raising levels of stress. But oh shit. My people are good. Syd is a master. Richie is stepping up. Of course I need to sabotage opening night. And then I will run a good thing into the ground. Until The Bear is doomed, and then I am OK. Then I will actually work. And lo - The Bear recovers. It might just about survive. Fuck what do I do - I know! I'll leave! It's not like I am a world class chef who can cook that pasta dish in three minutes! When it comes to skill, I am hard to replace, so now I can worry about Sug and Richie and Syd. And when they manage - because they've shown they will - I can come back and disrupt things again.
That makes all the internal sense in the world, and it also makes sense that Carmy does not realise that is what he does. He grew up with Donna and Richie and Mikey, what does anyone expect? But I'd prefer it if the writers didn't try to convince us that this is something else, the way they try to convince us Carmy should be with Claire. He should not be. Claire shouldn't be with him. After that fridge meltdown, she should have stayed gone. I will even take the stoop heart to heart. But girl, you don't go after a guy, because when you do, like you did, you will get a fridge meltdown. And if you let somebody come back after that? Andrew Tate will have you pegged as his next doormat. Claire deserves better than what she got from Carmy and Carmy deserves to learn that these meltdowns have real, lasting consequences. And I know. The show wants to subvert expectations. But the fact that Carmy and Syd seem to belong together is, in and of itself, not necessarily boring tv. It can take any so called destined couple a very long time and a great amount of courage to make that internal leap. That's where the drama is. So it's fine to have the Claire storyline. And Syd should also find someone because the girl is a powerhouse and a genius and a beauty and she has already shown Carmy in S1 that she will not take his bullshit. And it is also fine to make S5 be about Carmen leaving, coming back and having to make a gut wrenching effort not to self sabotage and thereby finally winning Syd, who realises that she needs him specifically, possibly through dating someone else. Now if I were a sadist, I would let that someone else be Richie, and have Expo girl pine a little right in front of his nose, while Richie needs to go up against Carmy for Syd. Like I said, horrific, but great TV. But Carmy didn't lose his love of cooking and doesn't need to be with Claire. He needs to figure himself out and become worthy of Syd and Syd needs to be pampered by a hot guy in the meantime. Because does that girl have options. And Richie needs to be with Expo Girl (I forget your name, sweetheart, but you're a legend). That is what the writers are showing, stop trying to tell us something else through using your characters as mouthpieces.
