The Bear Season 2 Episode 3 (“Sundae”) starts in a recovery meeting, where Carmy updates the group on his status — he’s thinking more positively. He even “Googled fun,” which shows, at least, he’s up to having it eventually, not spending all his waking moments pulling his hair back above his forehead whilst looking droopy and vascular. (Progress, not perfection.)
Meanwhile, Syd is Googling all the great Chicago restaurants that have tanked, so her version of fun also needs some work.
But the restaurant business is one built on faith, and after the bummer dinner with her Dad, Syd is clearly rattled. As she and Carmy continue assembling the Chaos Menu, they discover a significant problem. “Our palates are fucked,” Carmy says after he spits out some heinous grapefruit radicchio salad Sydney made.
Carmy says they need inspiration and suggests they head out into the world to try some real food. First stop, Kasama.
But as Syd waits patiently for Carmy to arrive, she gets a text that he’s gonna bail to do a favor for Claire (dammit, Claire!) because she’s the most important item on the Chaos Menu right now.
As she waits for her food to be served, we’re shown the book she’s reading: “Leading with the Heart: Coach K’s Successful Strategies for Basketball, Business, and Life.” Seriously. Kind of random, but also the type of book a clueless dad would give to a daughter he feels is wasting her life. The waiter takes notice. “Go, Devils!” he says. She has no idea what he’s talking about.
What’s next is a solo gorge-fest for Syd through town:
Many of her food mentors and peers she consults with throughout the day advise her on opening her new spot: Trust your partner.
With less than two months to Friends and Family night at The Bear, Syd’s concerned about Carmy’s head. Can she really trust a man she once called a little bitch?
Meanwhile, Richie continues his quest to become a better man and father, exemplified by his overt but awkward tenderness toward his daughter. When she talks glowingly about her “uncle,” who we can assume is actually her mother’s new boyfriend, Richie practices full restraint and manages to kiss her goodbye without saying something horrible — progress, not perfection.
Back at the Beef, Marcus and Fak argue about moving a stove. That’s it.
Back to Syd, visiting and enjoying Chicago’s finest eateries. She finally gets closer to inspiration and lands on…SNOWY PASTA:
But that’s not it. Syd mentally rifles through various other hypnotic-looking kinds of pasta, but the true winner finally appears:
Yep, green splat pasta. Looks delicious, though.
As a reward for the day’s work, she treats herself to an old-timey sundae at Margie’s Candies, a place she associates with comforting memories of her and her mom.
Syd returns to The Bear to find Carmy, Richie, Marcus, and Fak sweeping up rubble from a recently knocked-down wall. Sydney is stunned by the mess they made. Fak gives her the rundown on what was inside that dead wall: wood rot, termites, dead raccoons. It’s all bad news.
Sydney doesn’t appreciate a decision being made without her and tells Carmy as much. He doesn’t see the big deal but promises it’ll never happen again. He signs a circle around his heart. Goddammit, Carmy, don’t do that now.
Sydney rightfully finds it demeaning. This is another red flag after a day spent spinning out about Carmy’s trustworthiness due to his last-minute cancelation on their food inspo hangout sesh.
She wisely leaves the scene before she starts clocking people. She calls a person and asks to cash in a favor and borrow their kitchen. Next, we see her rolling out pasta, Coach K book nearby. She’s about to plate her food, swirling the green splatter she daydreamed about earlier. She takes a bite. BLECH.
She’s facing a real dilemma and wonders if she’s destined for a life of flagging down airplanes.
A.J. Daulerio is a Los Angeles-based writer and editor. He is also the founder of the recovery newsletter The Small Bow