Through Season 2 of The Bear, we saw Carmy focus on work, however, we also saw him in a romantic relationship. After he got stuck in the walk-in though, he fully decided to commit himself to his restaurant. Heading into Season 3 of The Bear, we’re getting an even more focused and controlling version of the chef. With that in mind, I asked Jeremy Allen White about his character’s mentality leading into these new episodes, and he explained how it will impact him and other characters moving forward.
Ahead of its June 26 premiere on the 2024 TV schedule, the cast of The Bear did a press conference, which CinemaBlend attended. While there, I asked its Emmy-winning star how Carmy is feeling mentally going into Season 3, and how his getting stuck in the walk-in last season will impact his mentality as well as his employees. Here’s what Jeremy Allen White told me:
Yeah, I mean, you know, what happens, I do get out of the walk-in refrigerator and that’s good. And then yeah, you know, I think Carmy does what he does, which is he sort of buries himself back into his work and really tries to challenge himself and in doing so, really challenges everybody around him and I think becomes quite challenging to be around, as well. A lot of challenges.
To which his co-star Ayo Edebiri joked by saying “Challengers,” presumably in reference to the project on the 2024 movie schedule. Whether she was referencing the Zendaya-led movie or not, I do think that we can safely conclude that, like that tennis movie, tense interpersonal relationships will be at the center of The Bear’s primary conflicts this season.
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As we saw in the Season 3 trailer for The Bear, Carmy is taking his words at the end of Season 2 seriously. He’s fully committing to the restaurant and his craft, and that means he’s likely going to be more demanding and controlling than he was in past seasons. The guy is a perfectionist, and perfection is what he’s striving for.
However, he’s a perfectionist to a fault, and as the trailer suggests, this tendency could create rifts within The Bear’s kitchen. Between seeing him write his non-negotiables, proposing a business agreement with Sydney and vehemently disagreeing with Richie and Neil's choice to take a piñata into the dining room, it’s clear that Carmy’s “challenging” mentality is impacting everyone.
Carmy’s drive, work ethic and professionalism have served as a great asset to The Bear, as well as one of its challenges. Heading into Season 3, it feels like it will be central to the show’s story, and his pushing his employees for perfection could be a major cause of conflict.
Jeremy Allen White’s break-down confirmed that Carmy is going to bury himself in work this season, and in doing so, it’ll challenge him and his staff. I think this ongoing challenge the head chef faces is a reason why The Bear is considered one of Hulu’s best shows, and I personally can’t wait to see how Carmy and co. go about running their business this season.
To see what goes down in Season 3 of The Bear, and how Carmy’s mission and mentality impact the show, you can stream all episodes with a Hulu subscription starting tonight, June 26, at 9 p.m. ET.
