Carmy's Complex Character
WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for The Bear. Just one of Carmy's lines in The Bear encapsulates his major struggles his his identity and profession in the critically acclaimed series. Throughout its first two seasons, The Bear has quickly cemented itself as one of the best television series of the 2020s, with its first season earning an impressive 13 nominations at the 2023 Emmy Awards. Carmy, played with masterful passion and surprisingly charming recklessness by Jeremy Allen White, is as complicated as he is precise, an undeniably gifted chef with incongruently low self-esteem.
Sydney and Carmy sitting in The Bear
Since the very first episode of The Bear, Carmy has asserted himself as the vocal and sometimes overly aggressive leader of basically any kitchen he walks into. The Bear becomes so much more than a show determined to portray the stresses of working at or running a restaurant, digging into the background of Carmy's family history in an attempt to trace back how Carmy's talents, and his mindset, have been formed and altered throughout the years. The end result is Carmy: a brilliant artist whose paintbrush is a chef's knife and whose canvas is a cutting board who will always be the first person to point out his flaws.
Carmy talking to Claire in The Bear
A perfect example that demonstrates Carmy's low self-esteem and overly critical lens on himself is one of his lines from The Bear's season 1 finale titled 'Braciole'. Carmy delivers a wonderfully heartfelt yet tragic monologue that is hard to forget in the episode. Within his thoughtful prose, Carmy refers to himself as a cook as opposed to a chef. While the two terms may seem to mean the same exact thing, it's evident that the term 'chef' has been used as a sign of respect throughout the series, a respect that Carmy ostensibly doesn't have for himself.
Marcus cooking in The Bear
Carmy's Internal Struggles
Carmy works meticulously hard throughout both seasons of The Bear but it's possible that he's not doing it to prove anything to himself. In fact, Carmy said himself in The Bear that he went off to culinary school to essentially prove something to his older brother Michael, a sentiment that brought him great success as a chef in the competitive world of fine dining. However, after coping with Michael's death by taking over his sandwich shop and transforming it into a great restaurant by the end of season 2, Carmy may realize that he may not respect himself as a 'chef' because he honestly didn't become one for himself but rather to spite his brother.
Richard and Sydney talking in The Bear
Carmy's insecurities in The Bear have a lot to do with his low sense of self-worth, which has been exacerbated by the death of Mikey. Carmy is also relentless in his pursuit of trying to be better than he already is, setting up a highly productive but also self-destructive leveling system in his mind in which he is ultimately never good enough. Accepting the rank of 'chef' would be crossing a finish line for Carmy, and the last thing he wants to hear is 'congratulations' because that would mean that he's reached his peak.
The Bear season 2 episode 4 Honeydew
To the viewer, Carmy is absolutely a tortured artist archetype in a chef's coat, whether or not he would call it that himself. Like many artists, Carmy pours his passion and pain into his craft, which has created some seriously toxic work environments and dynamics between his supporting cast of 'chefs'. Carmy also appears to be struggling with impostor syndrome, since his achievements are more than enough to validate his apparent prestige. It will be interesting to discover whether Carmy will continue to be his own worst enemy in The Bear season 3.
A screenshot from The Bear of Carmy and Sydney in the kitchen. Carmy is standing and gesturing with his hands, while Sydney is sitting and has a spoon in her mouth.
The Future of Carmy's Journey
The Bear has not only captivated audiences with its gripping storytelling and complex characters, but it has also shone a spotlight on the inner turmoil of a talented chef battling with his own demons. Carmy's journey in The Bear is a poignant exploration of the human condition, delving into themes of self-worth, identity, and the relentless pursuit of perfection.
Carmy in the fridge during The Bear
