Diksha Sundriyal
It is the end for Carmy Berzatto in the final episode of FX’s ‘The Bear‘ Season 5. He revealed his intention to hang up his boots in the Season 4 finale, and the fifth season focuses on the aftermath of this decision. While the seven episodes focus on yet another chaotic day in the restaurant, the final episode gives the characters time to catch their breath and look to the future. It opens with Ebra preparing his pitch for the franchise, and not to get intimidated by Carmy’s blue eyes. Sweeps, who had previously been considering leaving, or rather preparing for the possibility of the restaurant shutting down, confirms that he is sticking around as the sommelier. Luca puts things in order before leaving for Denmark, assuring Marcus that he can handle his station on his own. Meanwhile, Carmy prepares for a new chapter of his life, and the restaurant receives shocking news. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Does the Restaurant Get a Star?
One of the things that Carmy wanted for the restaurant, the thing that he saw as a sure-shot sign of its success, is getting a Michelin star. Having worked in the business for more than a decade, he knows how difficult it is to get a star, which is why he keeps pushing to achieve the level of excellence that will get them where they need to be. But, on top of all the other things in his mind, it puts him under such pressure that he doesn’t have the time to breathe and think about anything else. By the end of Season 4, he realizes that he is not good for business, and the business is not good for him. So, he decides to quit. Whether the restaurant gets the star takes a back seat as he works to ensure his own survival.
The opportunity presents itself before he leaves when a mysterious guest, named Dearborn, shows up. Despite everything that goes wrong, the staff does their best, turning a seemingly disastrous day into an unexpected success. It confirms that their drive is stronger than any challenge thrown their way. However, unbeknownst to them, their star had been sealed already. In the third episode of Season 4, titled ‘Scallop,’ a guest named Mr. Clark came to the restaurant. He was by himself and had an interaction with Richie, during which he praised Sydney’s scallop dish and the restaurant’s vibe. Richie offered him the beef sandwich, and he also witnessed a family of four getting their final course outside in the snow, which the restaurant staff had just gotten for them.
Mr. Clark left with a smile on his face, and it turns out that he was the real Star Man and the mystery caller throughout the seven episodes of the final season. When Carmy didn’t pick up, Clark left a message for Sugar, who relayed the message to her brother. So, Carmy finally calls him back. Later, he tells Sydney about it, repeating everything Clark said to him. It is a repeat of what he told Richie last season, the praise of the scallop dish, and the organically warm and fun vibe of the restaurant. All these compliments make her think that a “but” is coming, but Carmy tells her that they didn’t get one star, but two. She is ecstatic about this news, as it not only validates all the hard work they have put in so far but also gives her the confidence to keep going.
What Happens to Carmy? What Will He Do Now?
After surviving yet another chaotic day at work, Carmy notes that the success was ensured by the staff’s love for the job and their support for each other. Taking the backseat allowed him to relax, and with Sydney taking charge, crises and mishaps were handled very differently than Carmy would have. She is calm under pressure, and even when she feels like screaming, she does it outside the restaurant rather than taking it out on the people around her. This, Carmy notes, is the main difference between them and what makes her a better choice to lead the place. When he shows up at work and prepares to start the day, Sydney asks him what he is going to do next. He notes that he doesn’t really have any skills, but he has an idea.
Earlier that day, he had a heart-to-heart with Uncle Jimmy. They apologized to each other, and Jimmy tried to convince him to stay, but Carmy’s mind is made up. Jimmy also mentions that with Ebra’s franchise plan, things will turn out better. At this point, Ebra hasn’t said anything to Carmy, so he is surprised, but he admits that the franchise plan is actually a rather good idea. Later, as Ebra prepares to give him the pitch, Carmy saves him the trouble and tells him to go forward with it. After the news about receiving two stars and sharing a heartfelt moment with Sydney, he goes to an interview with Stevie, who has gotten him an internship at an architectural firm. This is quite a pivot for Carmy, and the interviewer mentions this as well. They start talking about his career as a chef, which leads him to say that, despite being rather good at it, he wasn’t really happy there.
At least, not the way the rest of the staff was. He didn’t love the job as much as he should have, and it was starting to stress him out in ways that were ruining his life and his relationships. He talks about the day after he decided to quit and how it all turned out well despite many problems, and a major reason was that he got out of the way of others and let them do what they do best. All of that, though, is in the past now, and Carmy is ready to start the next chapter of his life, which hopefully will be much less stressful and more fulfilling. In the final scene, we see him at a party in a restaurant with all the people he loves and who love him. Claire is there as well, which means that their patching up last season has led them to rekindle their romance, and this time, Carmy will do better.
Does Richie Go to Japan? Do He and Jess End Up Together?
The news of the two Michelin stars is not the only good news that the characters receive. When Richie shows up for work, he and Sugar talk about how they scraped by financially the previous night. Even when they were stacked, they didn’t really make any profit because they had too much going on at once. If they continue this way, there is a good chance they can keep the business running and maybe even turn it profitable. She also tells Richie that one of their guests, whose proposal took place at the Bear, has offered Richie a seat at an international hospitality seminar in Japan. This is a huge opportunity, and Richie acknowledges that, but it also makes him nervous.
Sugar encourages him to go for it, and so does Carmy, who finds out about it when he finds Richie in the pantry about to have a nervous breakdown. Carmy helps him calm down and reiterates how great this is for him. Over the course of the five seasons, Richie goes through one of the best character arcs in his show. His growth has been exponential: the more opportunities he got, the more he learned, and eventually he came around to serving at the restaurant. The seminar offers him yet another opportunity to advance his learning and serves as a reward for all the hard work he has put in all this time. It means he is on the right path and things are only going to get better from here.
As he finds an old picture with Michael, reminding him of the day they went to Gary and things got quite dramatic between them, he wishes Mikey were there to see what the restaurant had become. What makes things even better is that Richie and Jess finally confirm their romance. Sparks had been flying between them for a while, and even Sydney noticed that earlier in the season. Now, they fly to Japan together, hand in hand. Before this, Richie takes Eva to the restaurant for the first time, where she is surprised with a birthday party attended by all their loved ones. Sydney hands him all the meds that he may need on his journey, wishing him luck. When he talks about being away for so long, she assures him they will be fine. Sydney herself gets a break for what seems like forever.
Earlier, she received a compliment from Sugar, who said she felt much better now that she knew they had a proper captain to steer their ship, which always seems to be in turbulent waters. Tina had shared a similar sentiment, speaking of how, despite all the problems and the stress, it was one of her best days at the restaurant. Meanwhile, the plumbing and the roof are finally fixed, and Sydney expresses her appreciation to the Faks for sticking around. Later, Sydney meets her father over lunch, where he gushes about the Michelin stars, which has been written about in the newspaper, with Sydney’s photo front and center. Between the Michelin stars and Ebra’s franchise plans, it seems the restaurant is going to be alright.
Read More: Richie and Mikey’s Flashback Scene in The Bear Season 5 Episode 1, Explained
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