I know I might make a lot of you mad when I say this, but I passionately believe Carmy and Sydney should NEVER be romantically involved in The Bear. Ever since the Chicago-based restaurant dramedy premiered, there’s been a passionate group of fans who want the lead characters of The Bear cast – Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri – to be together, and I’m here to say, I think that’s a terrible idea.
So, now that Season 3 of The Bear has dropped on the 2024 TV schedule, and it just further proved my point about Sydney and Carmy, now feels like the right time to do a deep dive into why these two characters should never, ever fall in love.
I’ve Always Liked Carmy And Sydney’s Complicated Friendship
One of my favorite dynamics when it comes to The Bear’s characters is the relationship between Carmy and Sydney. Sometimes they have a mentor and mentee kind of vibe, other times they’re business equals, occasionally they seem like real friends and all of the time it’s interesting to see how they’re working together to help their business succeed.
In Season 1, we saw Carmy mentoring Sydney (or at least trying to) while they ran The Beef. In Season 2, we saw them work as collaborators, creating the menu for The Bear and running the new kitchen. And in Season 3…well, things got complicated, and we’ll talk about that later.
Basically, these two have always grown together in the confines of the business, and through that, a lovely (and complex) friendship has been created. This relationship is at the heart of the series, and it's one of the reasons why it’s one of Hulu’s best shows. Adding romance into this would make it worse because I don’t think it’s logical and if anything it’d make the show more stressful.
The Show Is Already Stressful, We Don’t Need A Workplace Romance Complicating Matters
The last thing I want to see is a doomed relationship.
I know some fans think there’s chemistry between Carmy and Sydney, and I know they’d love to see them kiss. That one moment might be great for them, however, if a romance like that continued on the show, there’s no way it’d be fun to watch.
Even in happy comedies like The Office, Parks and Rec and Abbott Elementary, workplace romances make matters complicated before they get better. Take the stress and tension you felt during those and turn the dial all the way up, and that's what we'd get on The Bear.
A workplace romance in The Bear is just asking for more chaos. I don’t think anyone at this restaurant could handle a relationship with someone they also work with, especially Sydney and Carmy. They run the business, they constantly butt heads, and if you add romance into that equation, I’m positive it wouldn’t end well, therefore, I don’t think I’d ever want to see it.
The series is already incredibly stressful, I don’t need to see Carmy and Sydney trying to navigate a romantic relationship too. Plus, after seeing how Jeremy Allen White’s character treated Ayo Edebiri in the latest season of The Bear (which you can stream with a Hulu subscription), there’s no chance they could maintain a healthy romantic relationship at all, in my humble opinion.
Here’s your chance to stop reading if you haven’t seen Season 3 of The Bear! We’re about to get into the weeds of the Emmy-winning show’s newest episodes.
What Happens Between Carmy And Sydney In Season 3, Made Me Believe They Could Never Be Together
As Jeremy Allen White said, Carmy’s mentality is “challenging,” to put it lightly, this season, and it deeply impacts everyone on the show, especially Sydney.
In the first few episodes, Carmy gives everyone non-negotiables, which involves changing the menu every day. So, all that hard work Sydney and Carmy put into their menu last season was essentially thrown out the window. Then, as the season goes on, when she tries to ask him something or tries to give input on the menu or a decision for the business, she gets shut down.
By the end of the season, both characters seem like shells of themselves, and I think it’s because Carmy has unintentionally tried to control everything so much that it’s made his employees, especially Sydney feel un-cared for in the workplace.
Sydney is considering leaving, she hasn’t signed the business agreement because of how controlling Carmy is, and it’s also the thing that is straining their partnership and friendship.
At this point, a romance between these two is completely out of the question. There’s no way it could happen now, and even if they get back to a place where their relationship is healthy, it should never be romantic. That’s because on top of this simply not working for this show and these characters, it’s also so important to see platonic friendships and partnerships on television.
It’s Important To Represent Platonic Friendship And Partnership On TV
One of my favorite friendships on Ted Lasso was Ted and Rebecca’s. The owner and head coach of AFC Richmond went from being co-workers to really good friends, and they were such great support systems for each other. While fans really wanted Tedbecca to happen romantically, and the show even teased Ted and Rebecca in Season 3, it never happened, thankfully.
Seeing platonic and professional friendship is vital, and it’s not something we see often enough. I think it’s important to see men and women being friends and developing important bonds that aren’t based in romance. Ted Lasso did it, so why can't The Bear?
While I love a romance – I’ve been shipping Gregory and Janine on Abbott Elementary since day one – I also adore seeing two people be really good friends who support each other and help one another succeed. That’s what Carmy and Sydney can be, and I think it’s what they want to be.
We’ve gotten a taste of how powerful Carmy and Sydney’s friendship is, and how they can truly help each other achieve their goals. Romance would ruin that, as we’ve discussed. It’d take the focus off their professional relationship and goals, and that’s the last thing I want to see.
Watching them find success together with The Bear is one of my favorite elements of the show, and I can’t bear to see it ruined (even though it’s currently at a breaking point in the show) because of unnecessary romance.
At no point has it really felt like Carmy and Sydney could be a romantic couple, and I’ve never wanted it. Plus, as Vulture compiled, Ayo Edebiri and Jeremy Allen White have said it will never happen many times.
While I know fans want it, and as much as I love Carmy and Sydney as a duo, I will never be able to ship them as a couple.
