"Someone who feels like they have to be the expert in something before fully taking it on", hey, I didn't expect a personal attack when I opened this video! loved the video
You’ve done an excellent and important thing here. There are many folks who would be unable to call out Carmine’s self destruction because it’s quiet and doesn’t seem as bad as an addiction or rampant disrespect. It doesn’t have to be big poison and gunshots both kill. Great job.
im not as sure. I think some of the specifics of her interpretation are overly hostile to carmy. Although ive never thought that the takeaway from the show thus far somehow ISNT that carmy isnt self destructive
I think my favorite part of season 2 was watching everyone progress and seeing Carmy regress episode by episode..Getting locked in the fridge at the end of the season will be the least of Carmy's problems in season 3.
48:50 Sydney also did something similar! In S1, she told Marcus that she spent her last dollars during culinary school to fly to...New York? And tried all the food she could. And the best meal she had was made by Carmy. So it's poetic (and sad) that he left her to do that again, by herself, when he was such a factor in her last exploration.
Never have I seen a main character in a piece of media with the level of pathological avoidance I deal with. Like sabotaging every facet of your life to stay comfortable and avoid anxiety kind of pathology. Great but also awful to watch this show.
Amazing video. You helped me see connections in this second season that I couldn’t on my own. Something I want to add to this discussion is Carmies mom coming to the opening, but standing outside, in the cold, battling whether she should come inside or not. Ultimately she decides to leave and begs Carmies sister’s husband not to tell anyone she was there (from what I recall). She has the same fears as Carm, which is why Cousin says at the end that he’s just like his mom. He’s in the freezer, in the cold, just like she’s in the cold outside - both afraid of connection, happiness, joy. I realized relate a little too hard to Carm after your explanation as to why he is the way he is… 😅 Good thing I stick to therapy unlike Carm!
Joel McHale's character was not actually there lol it was Carmy's trauma/anxiety just like how Sydney can hear the to go orders coming in when it's not actually happening
Pretty sure he was actually there; he interacts with another chef in the kitchen besides Carmy, and there was another point in the series (maybe even the same episode) where Carmy mentions that the Chef above him at his former gig in New York was an 'asshole'. I did however wonder if his character's final line ("You should be dead") was just in Carmy's head
@@robertwinslade3104 He EXISTED he just wasn't at the opening of the new "The Bear" restaurant. Carmy just saw a guy with glasses and had a trauma response.
I've been working on problems similar to Carmy and didn't even clock half of what he was doing wrong. I was slighly caught off gaurd in the end and your breakdown just made me a lot more self aware. Great love it when I learn about what's wrong with me through fictional characters.:(
As much as I found Claire to be this opposite of him to be his love interest, I was shaking my head at them both when they were together😂.. I mean seeing and understanding Carmen, to him it’s Sydney that really brings out the best in him. Claire might’ve made him realise a lot of things that he SHOULD’VE understood with the therapy he’s going through, but he isn’t open with her and she transports him to a different world and love- isn’t supposed to be rooted in a whole other dimension that makes you work way too much out of your comfort zone. It has to be natural and has to be a walk hand-in-hand from point A to point B. Just my two cents😅
Totally agree. Sydney brings out the best in him and Claire is like a way for him to rewrite his traumatic past or to escape from his life and responsibilities without healing or moving forward.
The guy in the corner is not really the chef Carmy used to work for. They show the person sitting there later, and it isn't him. That was Carmy imagining he's there and feeling stressed. Probably imagining the horrible things that guy would be saying to him. He has become a personification of Carmy's fear of failure.
Subscribed after the fixing v. understanding discussion, but the " he invented importance around reaching this goal in order to avoid doing more important things" bit really hit hard. You're my new therapist.
45:15 this is why i think in S3 Richie is gonna be Carmen's biggest antagonizer but the opposite. S1 Richie resisted Carmen's change and growth of the restaurant, and in S3 Carmen will resist self-reflection and growth that he needs to go through, and Richie will be the loudest voice trying to make him grow, stepping into that older brother roll he should have been in, in Mikey's absense the whole time. (Spoilers, why i think they're agruing in S3 teaser)
This is such a great analysis, and makes me even more excited for The Bear coming back! Honestly, the way Carmy's perfection anxiety manifests is really relatable for me and you described it perfectly.
Holy shit this is incredible! Esp the bit about him cooking Claire dinner only after the fire suppression test succeeds and he feels secure in that portion of his life, so feels comfortable investing in this new part! It really sets him up to fail in the final episode, where the restaurants opening night isn’t going perfectly (after 2 separate pep talks about how it Cannot Go Wrong UGH) and his relationship self-implodes. In the next season I’d love to see him separate his professional and personal life (or maybe grow one from scratch), absolutely love your insight! Can’t wait to see some more recognition for your work, the editing and script already speak for themselves :)
The people that like Claire only like her because she represents them. Boring and basic. The problem is they write her as a guy’s fantasy instead of a real and complex woman.
I don't hate Claire, but to me she's kind of just a manic pixie dream girl, or a plot device, for Carmy's growth. I just don't think it was needed. I think there could've been growth for Carmy's character with the already established characters instead of just dropping this new character in. Just my opinion.
@@haleykleckner9425 i disagree, Claire as a plot device is perfect bec she represents fun, love/s*x and things that aren't work, it contrasts and problematizes his workaholic tendencies , what else could have done that in the show? going to theme parks? knitting?
The Bear is my all time favourite show and this video was just perfect to me. Incredibly insightful especially on Carmy's self sabotage which was so interesting. You're also so funny like this shit had me giggling and kicking my feet. Really enjoyed this video, you deserve so much more recognition and am just about to go watch your video on ep 6 of the bear!
Is it just me or was joel McHale as chef douchenozzle one of the most impactful and memorable performances of this season? I think i saw him in my dreams too😂
33:23 - yes to all of this-- I always think also about how, like...sydney is this person who is his peer in excellence, telling him HE is excellent (~that he is in control~). he can't relax until he zeroes in on a voice reminding him he is Good At Cook. (also, seeing a few different thoughts on sydney's puking in the comments, so my two cents--anxiety for sure, but it also feels to me like a delayed emotional reaction specifically to not having carmy's support? they had their chat under the table, he said he wouldn't let her fall apart, and when it came down to it he simply wasn't there. everyone else had her back and she pulled through beautifully, but due to * gestures at the whole video * This Cascade Of Events, she kind of ends up with her worst fears confirmed. all those warnings about unreliable partners from Sundae! so, anyway, I'm really interested to see if their partnership has fractured in s3, and how it (hopefully) gets repaired)
As an ACoA, I found this show unbelievably relatable, particularly the perception of chaos as normality, Carmy's self-destructive anxious perfectionism, and his sister's people pleasing tendencies. I've never worked in a kitchen, but everything in the show felt so familiar to me, and it all finally clicked into place with the Christmas episode.
this a great analysis, thank you for the video! i have Avoidant Personality Disorder (AvPD) and really connected with Carmy (albeit unconsciously/“oh he has anxiety” sort of thing), but you calling out his avoidant pattern of behaviour with claire, sydney, and the restaurant was a real “oh shit” moment for me. i really look forward to your future content!
I admittedly wasn't too crazy about Claire when I watched this season, but you did such a good job articulating why her role in the story is still so meaningful and brings out a new side of Carmy's character. I hope we get to learn more about her in season 3!
The part of Carmy trying to go through working in the kitchen was about them making sure the set up was going to be efficient for a working kitchen. They have to make sure everything is where it is easiest to get to and use before installation of all the appliances, so it’s actually useful what he’s doing,
I don't think the point was that what he was doing was useless I think the point is that 1. it wasn't a priority at that time and 2. even while it was needed carmy wasn't putting any effort into changing what was wrong just doing the same thing over and over and expected the time to reduce
you deliver such an excellent analysis with a perfect balance of tangents and humorous bits while injecting enough of your personality to avoid the analysis being clinical alongside editing that is of a calibre well beyond you subscriber count. I’m happy the algorithm led me here
YOU ARE SO FUNNY WHAT? your comedic timing as on point, i dont even know anything about the bear but i kept watching just for your amazing personality!
love this except for the part about sydney. i'm not saying they need to end up romantic. but that scene is directly comparing claire and sydney. that does mean something. to say otherwise would be to just chalk that direct comparison up to coincidence which is not a thing that happens in the bear often (hence ur ability to make this 50 minute great analysis of season 2). maybe syd carmy isnt end game but that scene of his girlfriend giving him anxiety and specifically sydney (not anyone else) was able to calm him down def had vibes. there is a big thing in media where black woman always get ignored as potential romantic interests especially when the person in question is white. i feel like people sometimes pretend their crisitism and interpretations of media exists in a vaccuum out side of societal norms/expectations and is completely objective. but that just not true. our experiences of things often times are shaped by our own implicit bias.clearly you spent a lot of time with this video backed up your points very well and holistically. except for this one. i think in making that comment there was a responsibility to note how your own (and others) implicit bias could be affecting how you viewed that scene. as i think we all have a duty to combat prejudice in the simple ways we can especially is we are in a position of power and influence. i know what im mentioning is very small part of the video but clearly we both enjoy analyzing and critiquing media so.
Hey liv you’re razor sharp, equally enlightening and devastating (given how much I relate to carmy😬) and you deliver everything so hilariously. I really enjoy your delivery on every joke. I hope you keep making videos!
Am I the only one who found Claire going through Fak to get Carm's real number to be a little weird? If a guy that I haven't seen in years gives me a fake number, I'm going to assume he's not interested and move on. I'm not going to approach his coworker and ask for his real number so I can call and confront him. That comes across as stalker behavior, or she needs to respect herself more and not pursue emotionally unavailable guys. Idk, maybe a bad take, just struck me as icky.
Nah, I get You, I didn't necessarily get the same feeling, but in a rewarch with my Sister She called her out on it and yeah, I have to agree, its kinda weird if You think abt it a little
She absolutely does need to respect herself more, and I think that’s why doesn’t respond when Carmy calls out to her while trapped in the fridge (either that or half-hoping Carmy will assume it’s a hypothermia hallucination)
"Carmy being so fix fix fix oriented puts so much pressure on himself to perform in social situations, therefore avoiding them entirely" Yeah, that's me, thanks for reminding me 😅 I'm on therapy though, I'll be fine. Eventually.
I too have not been able to stop thinking about The Bear; I loved this so much! You picked up on things I didn't even notice too and tied it all together so neatly. (Like the party getting broken up by the cops and Carmy's statement of 'there's always another shoe'. That was golden) Thank you so much for making the video!!
this went from solid takeaways of a great show to an impromptu therapy session/call out... not doing things for fear of failure to the point of stalling growth is not the move
I'm so emotionally, teetering on the edge of weirdly, invested in the broken, beautiful characters on this show. Kudos to you for this piece ~ I think it's the best of the way-too-many videos I've watched about The Bear. AND you threw in an Ira Glass quote! Great video, thank you 😘👏👏👏
He's miming working at the work stations so they know where to put the work stations for maximum efficiency. The seconds add up and can throw of the time it takes to get a dish out.
It’s not that it’s a totally useless action, it’s very important to make the kitchen efficient. But he did that for an hour straight, without any change in approach or progress. The issue here is his inability to handle tasks with high priority. He’s focusing on a task that while it matters, it’s really a time waster in the grand scheme of their plan. Additionally, the layout is already established. So really he’s just trying to beat his potential best time when he should be doing any of the thousands of tasks syd is asking for assistance on.
He's back where he started but worse, because now that he's failed with the restaurant and Claire I doubt he'll think himself worthy to try again and will dement both romance/fun and the success of the relationship because he didn't have a hand in it's success. Especially the restaurant since it directly interacts with his ego. He has always looked down on the bear, and the whole show was kicked off by him saving it, regardless of whether he wanted it. Him being absent from it and Sydney and then not he opening night getting fridge is going to eat away at him, and he's going probably be very negative/hypercritical towards the restaurant and Sydney. One of my real first issues with Carmy is how he very slightly demeans Sydney whenever she shows a strength he lacks, whether it's even really a real strength or not. An instance this season was the comment about the plates, which was literally just a common sense decision based on their finances. But in season one he shrugs off/is upset by her getting mentioned in the local paper for the dish she gave to the food critic- who makes it a point to say her dish (that carry didn't approve of/deem perfect) was better than anything on that menu. So I honestly see him becoming a worse version of himself before he becomes better. I'd also like to add that what I love about syd and carmy is how much they complement each other as people and characters, and I think it'll bring some interesting things to the surface regarding Carmy's ego and Sydney's growing capability. I also wonder if this show will critique the question of skill and talent. Because while Carmy is impressive skill wise and the show makes it a point to show the neat tips and tricks he always has off the dome, I feel like the show also makes it a point to show the very personal way Sydney shares food. which to me comes from.a more natural place compared to Crmy who seems to just be experimenting with that
What an absolutely fabulous analysis! Just listening to this has greatly increased my appreciation for the show, and made me think much deeper about the purpose behind the inclusion of much smaller moments.
I'm loving your analysis of everything. Some may complain that such analysis may make them overthink the tv show. For me it adds a cool new dimension when I watch season 3. 😉
15:29 That’s such a reassuring quote. The thing that makes you dislike your work is how you improve it!
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What an amazing analysis!! I already loved this show but I think I am even more impressed with it after your breakdown of these different emotional layers. Fantastic! Looking forward to watching your other videos.
This video was beautifully done....... But, I must say, you literally k!lled my hope for SydCarmy with how you analyze the whole table scene. I felt like the apartment scenes with both of them cooking and the table talk was the only time I felt like I could breathe. I have very high anxiety and Carmy's scenes with Claire were so triggering for me. Every scene with Claire I felt like Carmy wasn't being authentic and holding his breath around her. I've been through this in past relationships where my trauma was bleeding on my love life. Those relationships never worked because I couldn't find balance and a safe space to breathe around my partners. Just like Carmy, I had everyone around tell how good a person was, and I agreed, but ultimately they weren't right for me. I was slowly freezing to death in my head. I guess it is what it is lol. I'm still not sold that Claire and Carmy are so in love OR that their love will be a healthy 1. A love that will help on the job and off the job. They need to convince me that she is the right one for him when it comes to BALANCE and MENTAL SAFETY. Love doesn't bloom in 2 months with an unhealed traumatized person, it takes years, a lot of patience, and the ability to calm that person even in the middle of a storm. BUT, I have a feeling the writers will make her more likable in season 3, and I'm cool with that. Carmy definitely needs professional help along with the support of his family and friends. If SydCarmy never happens, I can live with love and friendship they have in real life.
Liv you are fantastic, you seriously deserve to blow up, and also it’s so satisfying to see someone who is similarly obsessed with the character work on The Bear. It’s just so well done. I love how they bring in Claire in S2 in a way that makes the audience mistrustful of her, and put their walls up a bit, just like Carmy, until the end of the season where she’s worked her way in, and then he fucks it up horribly and you’re just like, oh yeah this was always gonna happen.
This video is awesome!! Carmy really resonated with me while watching the show, and your analysis articulated exactly why. Also you're so funny! Subscribed!
I suffer from the fix it guy personality. Or in my specific instance the hero complex. I get called out by my friends often that I'm always trying to help them or "trying to save them". I relate to Carmy on that level. Also the control. For me it's not that someone else can't do what I do, it's more that if I do it I know it's done. Which was really unhealthy when I was in a leadership role. Because I was split between helping others and just doing it myself and ended up in a self destructive spiral of taking on too much responsibility. Which greatly effected me by playing into my guilt complex. I got complements from the people that worked under me. Because I was always willing to help them learn and figure stuff out. I started realizing what I had done to myself and decided to quit and take a break from my career. Then my coworkers start seeing that what should've been a crack to fill in was actually a canyon. I had taken on too much responsibility. Even though I delegated stuff and trained people to do the things I did I was still the one doing most of it. And without having the person who knew how to do everything there to tell them what to do and when to do it things fell apart. I'm not trying to praise myself it's more me realizing that my style of leadership only works if I'm there. It only works if I pick up the slack and the truth is that isn't leadership. A leader's job is to delegate work not do it all themselves. The reason things fell apart after I left wasn't because I wasn't there. It was because I didn't let the people in my command figure things out on their own. I was either too hands on with inexperienced staff and borderline too hands off with my senior staff. It worked well with the senior staff but the ones without experience didn't have a guide to give them orders when I was gone. I never found the balance between doing everything or doing nothing and ended up burning myself out. Now after a break I'm back in my career at a healthier location and even though I'm at a lower position I'm given a good amount of autonomy due to my prior experience in the field. If I become a leader again maybe I'll learn the best leadership style for myself. Be less of a lone wolf so to speak.
Woah, this sounds very exhausting and congratulations on taking a break and becoming more self-aware. I never was in management role, but I have seen what it does to people (family), especially if they are over-involved physically or emotionally and it definitely affected how I do things in my own life. I either panic and avoid or do everything and start coaching and managing and just oh god. Managing makes me feel calmer and put together, makes everything around me more "orderly". It's almost addictive- taking action instead of taking a calmer approach. As for now I just try to catch my uncalled impulses around other people and giving them space. It's surprisingly hard :')
The algorithm sent me your video, and I am extremely grateful, but absolutely befuddled why on Earth you don't have more subscribers!! Phenomenal work!!
I like it was very intense, he was great in everything he was in, but in this he nails the character and the drive to what makes him interesting. I’m no cook at all I suck and yes I knew how crazy and intense this cooks can be in the real world but man this show carries this sort of energy about it that when you are done watching it you feel like you just ate a big meal and now you have a food coma that satisfaction after a great meal to me the show delivered quite well. The story is consistent and thoughtful.
Thanks for the vid❤. Carmy definitely could benefit from therapy. Plus to me, he has anxiety and OCD. He fears joy and even success, and he gets fixated on things that might not be a priority, and he self-sabotages. What is redeemable is that he cares about his team and cannot sabotage them. He prepares each of them over time. The mark of a good leader is your team being able to hold down the fort when you’re stuck in the walk-in. They did. And to me, his meltdown in there is him ruminating on all his mistakes when he could have been listening to the good he did, even when Tina told him, “We’re doing really good.” People who live with things like anxiety, OCD, or ADHD, know about rumination because it’s a part of our life. You gotta throw a wrench in the works. Claire was the wrong wrench. Syd was the right one. And I don’t mean that in a romantic way. It’s learning to work with others. You’re right in saying he needed to trust his team more… He made great steps he needs to continue, and he needs to have more patience with himself.
I just finished season 2. Cannot wait for season 3. “Forks” and “Fishes” were so brilliant. I hate that the family resembles like realistic family gatherings. Mine used to be like that until I set boundaries with that side. 😅 so amazing.
Wow i love this. This explains who I feel about the bear to a t and over all this was just a fun video. It also explains some of the vary things I do in my job (creative focused). Hope to see you make many more of these on shows and movies you like; you definitely have a knack for it.
I feel like when he says if he could provide fun for himself, he could better provide for others, he’s justifying seeing claire to better improve his cooking skills. To me, he’s trying to justify her existence in his life through his cooking as the one thing he does
“I intellectualize every point of my life, please, give me the readings, give me the texts, on how not to be shitty” as an autistic who learned socializing mostly through reading as a child, this must be why I project onto Carmy so much (totally not any other reasons like avoidance or feeling like an active unforced error…)
I feel like Sydney and Carmy truly understand each other and I wonder if Jeremy said they were platonic just so that it wiould be even more of a surprise if they got together.
it might be! but i dont know how they would now show them getting together when they have established that this man can't have something personal while being the best in his profession. claire is the character OUTSIDE of the restaurant and he still cant separate the two. i dont know how he'll handle being in a relationship with a peer who's INSIDE the restaurant working in tandem with him. and we know in s3 the pressure will only increase and they will fight over things. so a relationship kinda seems difficult between the two.
i saw this on my sidebar and was gonna watch it but got distracted, only remembered the thumbnail, spent a few minutes trying to find it again, and all i had to do was search "the bear" ksjhdksfhdg
Awesome analysis, I really enjoyed watching! I really appreciate how you verbalized what I had thought and felt throughout the show. I've seen season two a half a dozen times and this just makes me want to go back for more.
Same, Liv! I started watching it on 12/31/23 and finished watching S2 on 1/1/23 (with a massive hangover, collapsed on the couch, while icing my forehead). And re-watched S2 fully and several random eps over and over, since. I'm obsessed because I haven't seen such a well-written show in like a decade. Best on TV by far and I'm sooo happy that S3 is already confirmed. Can't wait.
33:14 I just realized that Carmy probably drew that sketch of Claire, and we know he's good at drawing not just because he drew the dishes beautifully, but Claire recalled that Carmy was always doodling in class (ideas for jeans--and what does Carmy sell in ep1 to get money? Denim).
"Someone who feels like they have to be the expert in something before fully taking it on", hey, I didn't expect a personal attack when I opened this video! loved the video
Same here, 100%
That was me in my career, 20 years later I’m still at the bottom. But I know my job inside and out. 🤷♂️
the pacing , the comedic timing, the editing WITH clips from the show??? absolute banger
Fr fr I was cackling watching this
"Common-law wife"
You’ve done an excellent and important thing here. There are many folks who would be unable to call out Carmine’s self destruction because it’s quiet and doesn’t seem as bad as an addiction or rampant disrespect. It doesn’t have to be big poison and gunshots both kill. Great job.
His addiction is front and center, but it is the symptom of what is discussed here. I really appreciate the thought here
im not as sure. I think some of the specifics of her interpretation are overly hostile to carmy. Although ive never thought that the takeaway from the show thus far somehow ISNT that carmy isnt self destructive
I think my favorite part of season 2 was watching everyone progress and seeing Carmy regress episode by episode..Getting locked in the fridge at the end of the season will be the least of Carmy's problems in season 3.
I feel like we almost had to see that the team was excellent despite Carmy….. Carmy has to face himself… face all of it… he can’t escape himself…..
48:50 Sydney also did something similar! In S1, she told Marcus that she spent her last dollars during culinary school to fly to...New York? And tried all the food she could. And the best meal she had was made by Carmy. So it's poetic (and sad) that he left her to do that again, by herself, when he was such a factor in her last exploration.
Never have I seen a main character in a piece of media with the level of pathological avoidance I deal with. Like sabotaging every facet of your life to stay comfortable and avoid anxiety kind of pathology. Great but also awful to watch this show.
He just like me fr
Ikr? I feel so exposed
lowkey cathartic too
Amazing video. You helped me see connections in this second season that I couldn’t on my own. Something I want to add to this discussion is Carmies mom coming to the opening, but standing outside, in the cold, battling whether she should come inside or not. Ultimately she decides to leave and begs Carmies sister’s husband not to tell anyone she was there (from what I recall). She has the same fears as Carm, which is why Cousin says at the end that he’s just like his mom. He’s in the freezer, in the cold, just like she’s in the cold outside - both afraid of connection, happiness, joy. I realized relate a little too hard to Carm after your explanation as to why he is the way he is… 😅 Good thing I stick to therapy unlike Carm!
realized I *
Excellent
Joel McHale's character was not actually there lol it was Carmy's trauma/anxiety just like how Sydney can hear the to go orders coming in when it's not actually happening
👍🏼
Pretty sure he was actually there; he interacts with another chef in the kitchen besides Carmy, and there was another point in the series (maybe even the same episode) where Carmy mentions that the Chef above him at his former gig in New York was an 'asshole'.
I did however wonder if his character's final line ("You should be dead") was just in Carmy's head
@@robertwinslade3104 He EXISTED he just wasn't at the opening of the new "The Bear" restaurant. Carmy just saw a guy with glasses and had a trauma response.
Wtf
Super insightful. I didn't even catch the "arrested for having fun" thing because it just worked as a funny little gag.
Former food service workers and people with anxiety love this show and you did a great job explaining why.
I've been working on problems similar to Carmy and didn't even clock half of what he was doing wrong. I was slighly caught off gaurd in the end and your breakdown just made me a lot more self aware. Great love it when I learn about what's wrong with me through fictional characters.:(
Becoming aware of a problem and understanding it is the first step to growing from it!
I had the same realization - really hit me out of nowhere
relatable
Joel McHale showing up at friends and family night is a manifestation of Carmy’s anxiety.
"shut up Carmy im not actually here, im just a representation of your anxiety" - Jeff Winger
@@nicolaslabra2225 classic Winger
I also never believed he was actually there
As much as I found Claire to be this opposite of him to be his love interest, I was shaking my head at them both when they were together😂.. I mean seeing and understanding Carmen, to him it’s Sydney that really brings out the best in him. Claire might’ve made him realise a lot of things that he SHOULD’VE understood with the therapy he’s going through, but he isn’t open with her and she transports him to a different world and love- isn’t supposed to be rooted in a whole other dimension that makes you work way too much out of your comfort zone. It has to be natural and has to be a walk hand-in-hand from point A to point B.
Just my two cents😅
Totally agree. Sydney brings out the best in him and Claire is like a way for him to rewrite his traumatic past or to escape from his life and responsibilities without healing or moving forward.
Sydney keeps him grounded in his career. Claire keeps carmie honest with himself outside of work, but he hasn’t realized that balance yet.
Actually insane this doesn’t have more views, incredible analysis and video
The Bear has been living rent-free in my head for months. Real.
The guy in the corner is not really the chef Carmy used to work for. They show the person sitting there later, and it isn't him. That was Carmy imagining he's there and feeling stressed. Probably imagining the horrible things that guy would be saying to him. He has become a personification of Carmy's fear of failure.
Subscribed after the fixing v. understanding discussion, but the " he invented importance around reaching this goal in order to avoid doing more important things" bit really hit hard. You're my new therapist.
"Someone who feels like they have to be the expert in something before fully taking it on." WHY did you come for me like that?! That hurt! 😭😭😭😭
45:15 this is why i think in S3 Richie is gonna be Carmen's biggest antagonizer but the opposite. S1 Richie resisted Carmen's change and growth of the restaurant, and in S3 Carmen will resist self-reflection and growth that he needs to go through, and Richie will be the loudest voice trying to make him grow, stepping into that older brother roll he should have been in, in Mikey's absense the whole time. (Spoilers, why i think they're agruing in S3 teaser)
I had not noticed at all that Jimmy tried to bring up the idea of unforced errors in earlier episodes, great catch
This is such a great analysis, and makes me even more excited for The Bear coming back! Honestly, the way Carmy's perfection anxiety manifests is really relatable for me and you described it perfectly.
Holy shit this is incredible! Esp the bit about him cooking Claire dinner only after the fire suppression test succeeds and he feels secure in that portion of his life, so feels comfortable investing in this new part! It really sets him up to fail in the final episode, where the restaurants opening night isn’t going perfectly (after 2 separate pep talks about how it Cannot Go Wrong UGH) and his relationship self-implodes. In the next season I’d love to see him separate his professional and personal life (or maybe grow one from scratch), absolutely love your insight! Can’t wait to see some more recognition for your work, the editing and script already speak for themselves :)
thank you for redeeming Clair, I feel like the internet trashed her character undeservedly
The people that like Claire only like her because she represents them. Boring and basic. The problem is they write her as a guy’s fantasy instead of a real and complex woman.
@@ashley.taylor174 geez who hurt u?
@@ashley.taylor174wait for s3
I don't hate Claire, but to me she's kind of just a manic pixie dream girl, or a plot device, for Carmy's growth. I just don't think it was needed. I think there could've been growth for Carmy's character with the already established characters instead of just dropping this new character in. Just my opinion.
@@haleykleckner9425 i disagree, Claire as a plot device is perfect bec she represents fun, love/s*x and things that aren't work, it contrasts and problematizes his workaholic tendencies , what else could have done that in the show? going to theme parks? knitting?
The Bear is my all time favourite show and this video was just perfect to me. Incredibly insightful especially on Carmy's self sabotage which was so interesting. You're also so funny like this shit had me giggling and kicking my feet. Really enjoyed this video, you deserve so much more recognition and am just about to go watch your video on ep 6 of the bear!
Is it just me or was joel McHale as chef douchenozzle one of the most impactful and memorable performances of this season? I think i saw him in my dreams too😂
Agreed. He's just so ..... menacing, I guess is the word.
33:23 - yes to all of this-- I always think also about how, like...sydney is this person who is his peer in excellence, telling him HE is excellent (~that he is in control~). he can't relax until he zeroes in on a voice reminding him he is Good At Cook.
(also, seeing a few different thoughts on sydney's puking in the comments, so my two cents--anxiety for sure, but it also feels to me like a delayed emotional reaction specifically to not having carmy's support? they had their chat under the table, he said he wouldn't let her fall apart, and when it came down to it he simply wasn't there. everyone else had her back and she pulled through beautifully, but due to * gestures at the whole video * This Cascade Of Events, she kind of ends up with her worst fears confirmed. all those warnings about unreliable partners from Sundae! so, anyway, I'm really interested to see if their partnership has fractured in s3, and how it (hopefully) gets repaired)
As an ACoA, I found this show unbelievably relatable, particularly the perception of chaos as normality, Carmy's self-destructive anxious perfectionism, and his sister's people pleasing tendencies. I've never worked in a kitchen, but everything in the show felt so familiar to me, and it all finally clicked into place with the Christmas episode.
this a great analysis, thank you for the video! i have Avoidant Personality Disorder (AvPD) and really connected with Carmy (albeit unconsciously/“oh he has anxiety” sort of thing), but you calling out his avoidant pattern of behaviour with claire, sydney, and the restaurant was a real “oh shit” moment for me. i really look forward to your future content!
I admittedly wasn't too crazy about Claire when I watched this season, but you did such a good job articulating why her role in the story is still so meaningful and brings out a new side of Carmy's character. I hope we get to learn more about her in season 3!
The part of Carmy trying to go through working in the kitchen was about them making sure the set up was going to be efficient for a working kitchen. They have to make sure everything is where it is easiest to get to and use before installation of all the appliances, so it’s actually useful what he’s doing,
I don't think the point was that what he was doing was useless I think the point is that 1. it wasn't a priority at that time and 2. even while it was needed carmy wasn't putting any effort into changing what was wrong just doing the same thing over and over and expected the time to reduce
you deliver such an excellent analysis with a perfect balance of tangents and humorous bits while injecting enough of your personality to avoid the analysis being clinical alongside editing that is of a calibre well beyond you subscriber count. I’m happy the algorithm led me here
5 seconds in and you got me with "Laundry Soup"
For the longest time I thought that was the "cabbage water" charlie was complaining about for dinner.
YOU ARE SO FUNNY WHAT? your comedic timing as on point, i dont even know anything about the bear but i kept watching just for your amazing personality!
how does this only have 30 likes rn i loved this video essay, so well spoken
love this except for the part about sydney. i'm not saying they need to end up romantic. but that scene is directly comparing claire and sydney. that does mean something. to say otherwise would be to just chalk that direct comparison up to coincidence which is not a thing that happens in the bear often (hence ur ability to make this 50 minute great analysis of season 2). maybe syd carmy isnt end game but that scene of his girlfriend giving him anxiety and specifically sydney (not anyone else) was able to calm him down def had vibes. there is a big thing in media where black woman always get ignored as potential romantic interests especially when the person in question is white. i feel like people sometimes pretend their crisitism and interpretations of media exists in a vaccuum out side of societal norms/expectations and is completely objective. but that just not true. our experiences of things often times are shaped by our own implicit bias.clearly you spent a lot of time with this video backed up your points very well and holistically. except for this one. i think in making that comment there was a responsibility to note how your own (and others) implicit bias could be affecting how you viewed that scene. as i think we all have a duty to combat prejudice in the simple ways we can especially is we are in a position of power and influence. i know what im mentioning is very small part of the video but clearly we both enjoy analyzing and critiquing media so.
Especially when Hollywood loves to put men with their comfort person, “I feel safe with her" vibes frfr
👏
Agreed
This!!!
Hey liv you’re razor sharp, equally enlightening and devastating (given how much I relate to carmy😬) and you deliver everything so hilariously. I really enjoy your delivery on every joke. I hope you keep making videos!
historians will one day call this the definitive carmy berzatto psychoanalysis
Really, truly the best analysis of the season I've seen. Engaging and thorough the until the end.
Am I the only one who found Claire going through Fak to get Carm's real number to be a little weird? If a guy that I haven't seen in years gives me a fake number, I'm going to assume he's not interested and move on. I'm not going to approach his coworker and ask for his real number so I can call and confront him. That comes across as stalker behavior, or she needs to respect herself more and not pursue emotionally unavailable guys. Idk, maybe a bad take, just struck me as icky.
Nah, I get You, I didn't necessarily get the same feeling, but in a rewarch with my Sister She called her out on it and yeah, I have to agree, its kinda weird if You think abt it a little
She absolutely does need to respect herself more, and I think that’s why doesn’t respond when Carmy calls out to her while trapped in the fridge (either that or half-hoping Carmy will assume it’s a hypothermia hallucination)
"Carmy being so fix fix fix oriented puts so much pressure on himself to perform in social situations, therefore avoiding them entirely"
Yeah, that's me, thanks for reminding me 😅
I'm on therapy though, I'll be fine. Eventually.
this is perfect. all of my thoughts and feelings just laid out plain. 10/10
I too have not been able to stop thinking about The Bear; I loved this so much! You picked up on things I didn't even notice too and tied it all together so neatly. (Like the party getting broken up by the cops and Carmy's statement of 'there's always another shoe'. That was golden) Thank you so much for making the video!!
this went from solid takeaways of a great show to an impromptu therapy session/call out...
not doing things for fear of failure to the point of stalling growth is not the move
I too cannot get over this show. So will be watching
I'm so emotionally, teetering on the edge of weirdly, invested in the broken, beautiful characters on this show. Kudos to you for this piece ~ I think it's the best of the way-too-many videos I've watched about The Bear. AND you threw in an Ira Glass quote! Great video, thank you 😘👏👏👏
Ah! As someone who deeply resonates with Carmy, I thoroughly enjoyed your perspective and breakdown.
As someone who relates heavily to Carmie, I appreciate the intellectualization of your interpretation of this show
Rewatching the show just cause of this, I love your analysis so much
i loveeeee the way u talk like. how u discuss ahhh it’s so fun
He's miming working at the work stations so they know where to put the work stations for maximum efficiency. The seconds add up and can throw of the time it takes to get a dish out.
It’s not that it’s a totally useless action, it’s very important to make the kitchen efficient. But he did that for an hour straight, without any change in approach or progress.
The issue here is his inability to handle tasks with high priority. He’s focusing on a task that while it matters, it’s really a time waster in the grand scheme of their plan.
Additionally, the layout is already established. So really he’s just trying to beat his potential best time when he should be doing any of the thousands of tasks syd is asking for assistance on.
I've never even seen The Bear but so many of these observations were calling out my own shortcomings and I really liked that
He's back where he started but worse, because now that he's failed with the restaurant and Claire I doubt he'll think himself worthy to try again and will dement both romance/fun and the success of the relationship because he didn't have a hand in it's success. Especially the restaurant since it directly interacts with his ego. He has always looked down on the bear, and the whole show was kicked off by him saving it, regardless of whether he wanted it. Him being absent from it and Sydney and then not he opening night getting fridge is going to eat away at him, and he's going probably be very negative/hypercritical towards the restaurant and Sydney. One of my real first issues with Carmy is how he very slightly demeans Sydney whenever she shows a strength he lacks, whether it's even really a real strength or not. An instance this season was the comment about the plates, which was literally just a common sense decision based on their finances. But in season one he shrugs off/is upset by her getting mentioned in the local paper for the dish she gave to the food critic- who makes it a point to say her dish (that carry didn't approve of/deem perfect) was better than anything on that menu. So I honestly see him becoming a worse version of himself before he becomes better.
I'd also like to add that what I love about syd and carmy is how much they complement each other as people and characters, and I think it'll bring some interesting things to the surface regarding Carmy's ego and Sydney's growing capability. I also wonder if this show will critique the question of skill and talent. Because while Carmy is impressive skill wise and the show makes it a point to show the neat tips and tricks he always has off the dome, I feel like the show also makes it a point to show the very personal way Sydney shares food. which to me comes from.a more natural place compared to Crmy who seems to just be experimenting with that
What an absolutely fabulous analysis! Just listening to this has greatly increased my appreciation for the show, and made me think much deeper about the purpose behind the inclusion of much smaller moments.
One of the best damn video essays I’ve ever seen
I'm loving your analysis of everything. Some may complain that such analysis may make them overthink the tv show. For me it adds a cool new dimension when I watch season 3. 😉
15:29 That’s such a reassuring quote. The thing that makes you dislike your work is how you improve it!
What an amazing analysis!! I already loved this show but I think I am even more impressed with it after your breakdown of these different emotional layers. Fantastic! Looking forward to watching your other videos.
"There's always another shoe if you're the other shoe." - Carmy, probably, 2023
I know this came out two months ago but I appreciate you making this. It was really entertaining. There were so many things you pointed out I missed.
This video was beautifully done....... But, I must say, you literally k!lled my hope for SydCarmy with how you analyze the whole table scene. I felt like the apartment scenes with both of them cooking and the table talk was the only time I felt like I could breathe. I have very high anxiety and Carmy's scenes with Claire were so triggering for me. Every scene with Claire I felt like Carmy wasn't being authentic and holding his breath around her. I've been through this in past relationships where my trauma was bleeding on my love life. Those relationships never worked because I couldn't find balance and a safe space to breathe around my partners. Just like Carmy, I had everyone around tell how good a person was, and I agreed, but ultimately they weren't right for me. I was slowly freezing to death in my head.
I guess it is what it is lol. I'm still not sold that Claire and Carmy are so in love OR that their love will be a healthy 1. A love that will help on the job and off the job. They need to convince me that she is the right one for him when it comes to BALANCE and MENTAL SAFETY. Love doesn't bloom in 2 months with an unhealed traumatized person, it takes years, a lot of patience, and the ability to calm that person even in the middle of a storm. BUT, I have a feeling the writers will make her more likable in season 3, and I'm cool with that. Carmy definitely needs professional help along with the support of his family and friends. If SydCarmy never happens, I can live with love and friendship they have in real life.
That was nearly like a therapy session for me. This is a great tv show and great analysis.
Nice work!!! Especially on the editing and through lines
The scene where Richie expedites is one of the greatest scenes in TV history
You slayyyyyyeeeeddddd this and it was so fun (please hold while Carmy googles the definition) to watch!
Liv you are fantastic, you seriously deserve to blow up, and also it’s so satisfying to see someone who is similarly obsessed with the character work on The Bear. It’s just so well done. I love how they bring in Claire in S2 in a way that makes the audience mistrustful of her, and put their walls up a bit, just like Carmy, until the end of the season where she’s worked her way in, and then he fucks it up horribly and you’re just like, oh yeah this was always gonna happen.
This video is awesome!! Carmy really resonated with me while watching the show, and your analysis articulated exactly why. Also you're so funny! Subscribed!
I suffer from the fix it guy personality. Or in my specific instance the hero complex. I get called out by my friends often that I'm always trying to help them or "trying to save them". I relate to Carmy on that level. Also the control. For me it's not that someone else can't do what I do, it's more that if I do it I know it's done. Which was really unhealthy when I was in a leadership role. Because I was split between helping others and just doing it myself and ended up in a self destructive spiral of taking on too much responsibility. Which greatly effected me by playing into my guilt complex.
I got complements from the people that worked under me. Because I was always willing to help them learn and figure stuff out. I started realizing what I had done to myself and decided to quit and take a break from my career. Then my coworkers start seeing that what should've been a crack to fill in was actually a canyon. I had taken on too much responsibility. Even though I delegated stuff and trained people to do the things I did I was still the one doing most of it. And without having the person who knew how to do everything there to tell them what to do and when to do it things fell apart. I'm not trying to praise myself it's more me realizing that my style of leadership only works if I'm there. It only works if I pick up the slack and the truth is that isn't leadership. A leader's job is to delegate work not do it all themselves.
The reason things fell apart after I left wasn't because I wasn't there. It was because I didn't let the people in my command figure things out on their own. I was either too hands on with inexperienced staff and borderline too hands off with my senior staff. It worked well with the senior staff but the ones without experience didn't have a guide to give them orders when I was gone. I never found the balance between doing everything or doing nothing and ended up burning myself out. Now after a break I'm back in my career at a healthier location and even though I'm at a lower position I'm given a good amount of autonomy due to my prior experience in the field. If I become a leader again maybe I'll learn the best leadership style for myself. Be less of a lone wolf so to speak.
Woah, this sounds very exhausting and congratulations on taking a break and becoming more self-aware. I never was in management role, but I have seen what it does to people (family), especially if they are over-involved physically or emotionally and it definitely affected how I do things in my own life. I either panic and avoid or do everything and start coaching and managing and just oh god. Managing makes me feel calmer and put together, makes everything around me more "orderly". It's almost addictive- taking action instead of taking a calmer approach. As for now I just try to catch my uncalled impulses around other people and giving them space. It's surprisingly hard :')
The algorithm sent me your video, and I am extremely grateful, but absolutely befuddled why on Earth you don't have more subscribers!! Phenomenal work!!
Ep 6 and ep 7 are amongst the best episodes I've ever seen period
I like it was very intense, he was great in everything he was in, but in this he nails the character and the drive to what makes him interesting. I’m no cook at all I suck and yes I knew how crazy and intense this cooks can be in the real world but man this show carries this sort of energy about it that when you are done watching it you feel like you just ate a big meal and now you have a food coma that satisfaction after a great meal to me the show delivered quite well. The story is consistent and thoughtful.
Thanks for the vid❤. Carmy definitely could benefit from therapy. Plus to me, he has anxiety and OCD. He fears joy and even success, and he gets fixated on things that might not be a priority, and he self-sabotages.
What is redeemable is that he cares about his team and cannot sabotage them. He prepares each of them over time. The mark of a good leader is your team being able to hold down the fort when you’re stuck in the walk-in. They did. And to me, his meltdown in there is him ruminating on all his mistakes when he could have been listening to the good he did, even when Tina told him, “We’re doing really good.”
People who live with things like anxiety, OCD, or ADHD, know about rumination because it’s a part of our life. You gotta throw a wrench in the works. Claire was the wrong wrench. Syd was the right one. And I don’t mean that in a romantic way. It’s learning to work with others. You’re right in saying he needed to trust his team more… He made great steps he needs to continue, and he needs to have more patience with himself.
I just finished season 2. Cannot wait for season 3. “Forks” and “Fishes” were so brilliant. I hate that the family resembles like realistic family gatherings. Mine used to be like that until I set boundaries with that side. 😅 so amazing.
“I cannot come to the phone, I am very satisfied” oh yes thank you yes you said The Thing in such A Way
Wow i love this. This explains who I feel about the bear to a t and over all this was just a fun video. It also explains some of the vary things I do in my job (creative focused). Hope to see you make many more of these on shows and movies you like; you definitely have a knack for it.
I feel like when he says if he could provide fun for himself, he could better provide for others, he’s justifying seeing claire to better improve his cooking skills. To me, he’s trying to justify her existence in his life through his cooking as the one thing he does
“I intellectualize every point of my life, please, give me the readings, give me the texts, on how not to be shitty” as an autistic who learned socializing mostly through reading as a child, this must be why I project onto Carmy so much (totally not any other reasons like avoidance or feeling like an active unforced error…)
I feel like Sydney and Carmy truly understand each other and I wonder if Jeremy said they were platonic just so that it wiould be even more of a surprise if they got together.
it might be! but i dont know how they would now show them getting together when they have established that this man can't have something personal while being the best in his profession. claire is the character OUTSIDE of the restaurant and he still cant separate the two. i dont know how he'll handle being in a relationship with a peer who's INSIDE the restaurant working in tandem with him. and we know in s3 the pressure will only increase and they will fight over things. so a relationship kinda seems difficult between the two.
this show absolutely deserves the amount of analysis you provide. Great job.
i saw this on my sidebar and was gonna watch it but got distracted, only remembered the thumbnail, spent a few minutes trying to find it again, and all i had to do was search "the bear" ksjhdksfhdg
Awesome analysis, I really enjoyed watching! I really appreciate how you verbalized what I had thought and felt throughout the show. I've seen season two a half a dozen times and this just makes me want to go back for more.
I absolutely love your take on this incredible show. Spot-on observations. Insightful and funny. The best kind of content. Thanks for making this!
great analysis, funny quips and snappy editing, this video was excellent. You deserve wayyy more subs!
Liv, this was an absolutely incredible analysis of one of my favorite shows. Subbed!
the editing at 21:54 had me choke on my tea this is so funny
Thank you for the video! Your humour is top notch and I liked your view of the characters. Made me appreciate the series even more
I love your videos!! They’re so wonderfully crafted and entertaining, thank you for all your hard work
Same, Liv! I started watching it on 12/31/23 and finished watching S2 on 1/1/23 (with a massive hangover, collapsed on the couch, while icing my forehead). And re-watched S2 fully and several random eps over and over, since. I'm obsessed because I haven't seen such a well-written show in like a decade. Best on TV by far and I'm sooo happy that S3 is already confirmed. Can't wait.
Claire is so cool. I feel so bad for her. Great character with a very “human” arch.
Amazing breakdown, I loved this. I don't usually like video essays but I'm definitely going to check out your other videos!!
I gotta say, it’s refreshing to see this style of long-form videos, loved it!
I honestly loved this. Perfectly curated how I feel about the show 👍🏾👍🏾
Great work Liv! Love this show so much, nailed the commentary.
Your editing and production is so great. Your writing too is *chefs kiss*
Great analysis! I really loved this show
33:14
I just realized that Carmy probably drew that sketch of Claire, and we know he's good at drawing not just because he drew the dishes beautifully, but Claire recalled that Carmy was always doodling in class (ideas for jeans--and what does Carmy sell in ep1 to get money? Denim).
Amazing production, your insights are witty but also on point and intelligent. Great work, can’t wait to see what else you do!!
Loved this breakdown! Guess it’s time for a rewatch of s2 😊
I’ve re watched the bear 5 times because I can’t stop thinking about it
Ahhhh! I LOVE your video! Excellent breakdown!
I felt on I was on therapy with this lol, good job! Excited about what other videos you might make.