Warning: Includes SPOILERS for The Bear season 4!
A fascinating reveal regarding Carmy’s father inThe Bearseason 4 adds an element of sadness to the new season’s ending.The Bearseason 4 saw Carmy continue to approach leading the new restaurant, and while he made drastic strides throughout, the finale saw him take a massive step in another direction.The Bearseason 4’s endingshows a dramatic confrontation between Carmy and Sydney after he reveals that he’s walking away from the restaurant industry, and there are massive interpersonal implications.
The Berzatto familyis incredibly complicated, but we actually see some positive moments of healing in this season. Carmy and his mother share a long, beautiful scene of dialogue. Uncle Lee shared some encouraging notions about Mikey, revealing to Carmy that his late brother was proud of him. We also see Carmy and Richie mending some of their differences following nearly two full seasons of feuding. This is all critical to Carmy’s path of self-discovery and healing.
Carmy Reveals He Was Partially Inspired To Open A Restaurant By How Happy They Made His Dad
Carmy’s Rarely-Happy Father Found Solace In A Restaurant
In a flashback inThe Bearseason 4, we see Carmy talking to Mikey about why he would want to open a restaurant. He mentions thatpeople go to restaurants to be taken care of, to celebrate, and not to be lonely, and even cites their dad as an example. We’ve been acquainted with the Berzatto matriarch, butCarmy’s father has been MIAthroughout the series so far. The character’s fate remains unclear, making it seem less likely that he has passed away and more likely that he’s lingering off-screen somewhere.
The only time Carmy can remember their dad being remotely happy was when he would talk about an Irish restaurant he loved. This is a driving motivation for him early in his adult life, and it makes sense, especially if their parents had separated early in their lives. A significant part of Carmy’s emotional arc stems from living in a complicated household with little outward expression of love, making it clear why he would seek that paternal validation.
Carmy Never Got To Fulfill His Original Desire In Opening A Restaurant
Image via Hulu
With Carmy deciding to leave The Bear and the restaurant business,it’s unlikely that their father will ever get to see what he built or even to experience his son’s incredible talent. We don’t know if Carmy’s father knows anything about The Bear, but Carmy putting that part of his life behind him signifies that he’s leaving this desire for fatherly approval behind.The Bearseason 4’s ending was upsetting in many ways, but it’s understandable why Carmy needs to move on, especially if this need for parental affection was at the root of his career.
