The following article contains mentions of suicide and addiction. Reader discretion is advised.
InThe Bear, Mikey’s specter is a constant presence in everyone’s lives and while his death may have affected everyone he was close to, his memory continues to hold the show together. Does “The Bear” inThe Bearrefer to the restaurant, “The Bear?” Or does it refer to the nickname close ones occasionally call Carmy (Jeremy Allen White)? Maybe it refers to the colloquial meaning, as in, “running a restaurant and taking care of your dysfunctional family and personal life is a real bear.” Or maybe it’s simply shorthand for “Berzatto”, the surname of the main characters.
The Berzatto family inThe Bearis a large one, and a messy one at that. You can point fingers in any direction, but at some point, trying to find who’s at fault for the family’s troubles is an irrelevant task. The Berzattos can’t change their pasts. They have to keep moving forward, and some do so better than others.Flashbacks are used frequently inThe Bearto show why exactly it’s so hard to move on, and they are often centered around one character,Michael “Mikey” Berzatto, who, though dead, is piped into every layer of the show.
Mikey’s Death Is The Impetus For The Events In The Bear
Michael Berzatto Was The Oldest Member Of The Berzatto Family
Mikey is the eldest of the three Berzatto children and the owner of The Original Beef of Chicagoland restaurant, which his younger brother Carmy would later turn into The Bear. The first few episodes make reference to Mikey, and it’s soon revealed that there’s a reason he doesn’t appear. Mikey died by suicide a little bit before the start of the series. In his will, he leaves his semi-estranged brother Carmy his restaurant, a task Carmy is loath to take, but does so in memory of his beloved brother.
The Bear Season 3 Cameo Brings Back The Original Real-Life Inspiration For The Beef
Christopher J. Zucchero’s Chicago sandwich shop inspired the hit Hulu drama series, The Bear. The real-life chef reprises his cameo role in season 3.
Carmy also inherits Mikey’s best friend, Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach). Richie was Mikey’s friend for years, but despite their closeness, Mikey did not give The Beef to Richie, he instead gave it to Carmy, someonewho couldn’t even bring himself to go to Mikey’s funeral.Mikey had a painkiller addiction that slowly killed himand fractured his relationships within an already damaged family. Throughout the series, we see flashbacks of Mikey, revealing different parts of his personality and exactly why his death affected so many people.
In Season 1, Mikey Is Shown As The Cool Older Brother
Mikey Was A Father Figure To His Siblings
Mikey first makes an appearance in season 1, episode 6, “Cerres”. In the flashback, he, Carmy, Richie, and Natalie (Abby Elliott) are in their kitchen preparing dinner together and joking around. Mikey tells his siblings and his friend about his and Richie’s revelry the night before when they met the Blackhawks hockey team and Bill Murray all at the same bar. Carmy laughs and though Natalie acts annoyed, it’s obvious this is a usual and comforting dynamic.
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This is probably the Mikey that most people remember him as. He’s charming, funny, and charismatic. He’s almost like a father figure to his siblings, telling ridiculous stories to Carmy, teasing his sister, and always making room for his friend. It’s this Mikey who leaves a note for Carmy later in the season that reads, “Let it rip”.He’s the inspiring one, the friend, the leader, and when anyone inThe Bearneeds a little inspiration or confidence boost, this season 1 Mikey is no doubt in the back of their minds.
Season 2 Reveals Mikey’s Weaknesses And His Pain
Mikey Has A Breakdown At A Holiday Dinner
Season 2 is where the cracks in Mikey are revealed. Behind his bluster and cheery attitude was a broken man, slowly losing control, without any of the tools to stop himself from sliding off a cliff.I think it’s fair to say that every fan ofThe Bearremembers season 2, episode 6, “Fishes”, where we get an uncomfortably intimate look at the Berzatto family dynamics. During dinner, it begins to become painfully obvious that Mikey is going through withdrawal, or is currently taking a drug, or is simply reaching a breaking point.
As much as they want to pretend he was always season 1 Mikey, it’s season 2 that sticks with them in their darkest moments.
His frustration, fear, and depression reach a boiling point, and he attacks his uncle Lee (Bob Odenkirk). He goes from raging to impish to laughing to near tears all within a few minutes and the frightened and stoney faces of those around the table suggest that this is not an unusual occurrence. It’s hard to watch. This is the Mikey I imagine most of his family knew him as in the last years of his life. As much as they want to pretend he was always season 1 Mikey, it’s season 2 that sticks with them in their darkest moments.
Mikey In Season 3 Reveals The Best Part Of His Personality
Mikey Knew How To Connect With People On A Human Level
It isn’t until season 3 that we’re greeted to the “real” Mikey. Not the carefully cultivated cover he made for himself, nor the violent, uncontrollable Mikey that was the result of his struggles with drugs. The real Mikey is the one who sits down with Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas) in season 3, episode 6, “Napkins”. Seeing Tina crying after she loses her job, Mikey pulls up a chair to commiserate with her. There’s no bravado, no real charm, no manic energy. He’s just kind. The kind of person you’d be lucky to have in your darker moments.
This is the real Mikey. An empathetic friend who can recognize the pain in others, likely, because he has seen it in himself. When he offers Tina a job on the spot, he doesn’t pretend he’s doing her a favor. In fact, it seems like she’s the one doing him a favor.This is the Mikey that is truly embedded within the walls of The Bear restaurantandThe Bearthe show. It’s kindness, neighborly love, honesty, and non-judgment. Everything in the show and in the restaurant works best when they’re operating under the ideals the real Mikey exemplified.
The Bear Season 4 Has To Have A Mikey Episode
Mikey Is Critical To The Arc Of The Bear
Mikey is critical to the story ofThe Bear, everything operates because, for, or in response to his passing. His specter lies over Carmy and the staff, butif Carmy would only embrace his brother’s legacy and memory, instead of fighting with it, he may come to realize that his brother still has things to share with him. The end of season 1 with the tomato cans proved that.
It’s been suggested thatThe Bearseason 4will be the last season and I need to see at least one more Mikey episode. The character still has more to give and, depending on the results of the restaurant review, Carmy is likely to spiral one way or the other. He will need to contend with the memory of his brother, both the bad and the good, and he’ll have to remember exactly who his brother was and what he stood for. Otherwise, I’m worried Carmy could find himself careering down a similarly self-destructive path.
