Spoilers for Season 2 of The Bear are ahead. If you aren’t caught up on the 2023 TV schedule hit, you can stream it with a Hulu subscription.
As The Beef evolves into The Bear, a lot of the characters on the FX show of the same name are also going through some major changes. However, the character who has arguably had the biggest evolution this season is Richie, as he went from a guy hanging on to the past with no real job duties to one of the most valuable employees at The Bear. With this redemptive arc, tons of fans have been raving about Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s character’s development, while the actor himself reflected on where this beloved “Cousin” was at the beginning of Season 2.
Fans Are Loving Richie’s Evolution In Season 2 Of The Bear
What I’d compare this about-face fans had about Richie to is the evolution of Steve Harrington on Stranger Things. Over the course of a few days, viewers of The Bear went from not loving Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s character to him being one of their favorite people in the ensemble, much like Joe Keery's beloved character on the Netflix hit. This admiration was made clear on Twitter too, as people like C. tweeted:
from being the one reason behind most problems, whose inability to adapt and change was an obstacle to everyone in the beef to being the one to step up in a time of crisis and take on a hige responsibily in the bear. richie's character growth has been a joy to witness #TheBear pic.twitter.com/p11X5X2UJ6June 26, 2023
To make this arc really work, there were a few scenes that proved how Richie had changed, and fans loved them. For example, Rolo Tony tweeted:
Okay, last The Bear S2 clip for the day. How could I not show cousin Richie some love? When he hit the speed bump, I shouted and fist pumped like never before. pic.twitter.com/W4upE0jKy4June 23, 2023
This scene is from Episode 7, when Richie is staging at a fancy restaurant. Following a successful job shadow, the installment ends with Moss-Bachrach's character singing “Love Story” by Taylor Swift at the top of his lungs. This T-Swift moment really sealed the deal for a lot of fans, as they tweeted things like what abdullah posted:
I already loved Richie in S1 of “The Bear” but Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s work in S2 has made Richie one of my favourite tv characters ever. pic.twitter.com/gxaF8F2oWTJune 23, 2023
Overall, this love for Richie is so sweet, and quite overwhelming, and it’s all the more meaningful because of the place Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s character started in Season 2.
Ebon Moss-Bachrach Opens Up About Why Richie Felt So Lost At The Beginning Of Season 2
When we find Richie at the beginning of Season 2 he’s literally in the basement, at the bottom, searching through old pictures. Moss-Bachrach broke down how his character was feeling at that moment by reflecting on how Richie was trying to “preserve a way of life” and the “memory of his best friend.” The actor told CinemaBlend:
And so, when we find him literally in the basement, you know, going through old pictures, I mean, it's not a subtle scene, he's totally spun out, he fought like crazy to preserve and lost. And I don't think he's like licking his wounds or anything. I think he's genuinely trying to figure out how he can be relevant and part of this new iteration of the restaurant. But I mean, I think it was a struggle to even figure out how he fit into the old one, let alone this new sort of gastronomic kind of consumption.
Within The Bear’s cast of characters, everyone has a specific role, except for Richie. In Season 1, it’s hard to tell what his purpose is, but it’s clear he’s trying to preserve the restaurant's past, and he fails. So, finding him at rock bottom in episode one of Season 2 felt natural. For Moss-Bachrach that place his character was in helped him figure out where to take him next. That place he realized was to be as helpful as possible, as the actor explained:
The skeleton for Richie’s arc for Season 2 for me was very, like, very, very, very giving [and] very, very helpful.
Richie needs The Bear, and in Season 2 of the FX hit he makes it so The Bear needs him. This redemption arc has really stuck a chord with fans, and they’ve truly loved it. However, it started with the character at rock bottom, and from that scene, he was able to grow into the lovable front-of-house guy he is by Episode 10.
