The Bear Stars Offer The Final Word On Carmy And Sydney's Relationship Status
Despite the relative lack of romance on "The Bear," the show still has a major section of Carmy/Sydney shippers in the fanbase. It's hard to blame them; there's clearly some sort of spark between the two, and their relationship feels like the central source of tension behind the series. The big fan debate is all about whether this tension is romantic in nature, or if it's more of a platonic work soulmate sort of situation.
At a recent press conference for the upcoming season 3, /Film's Ben Pearson listened in as Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri were asked about a potential love story between their two characters. Were there any romantic implications intended in Carm and Sid's relationship? Ayo Edebiri's answer was an immediate, "No." Allen White's answer was "No. No, there was no talk in the rooms about any romantic implications [between those characters]."
Both actors seemed annoyed by the question, which makes sense given they've been asked repeatedly about this topic since the moment season 1 dropped back in 2022, and their answers have never changed. Their tone indicated that a Carmy/Sidney romance is not on the table for "The Bear" (although it was briefly pitched before quickly being shot down), and fans should probably give it a rest.
The writers and actors could not have been clearer about this
The show's creator, Christopher Storer, has been saying the same sentiment for years now. "We wanted to make something that was about friendship and a partnership," he told Variety in January 2023. "Selfishly, I hadn't seen a show without a romantic plot and was like, that could be kind of cool and interesting."
Throwing another wrench into the shippers' hopes and dreams is the trailer for season 3, which reveals the return of Claire (Molly Gordon), Carmy's season 2 girlfriend who was last seen walking out of the restaurant in tears. Many fans hoped this would be the end of her, partly out of frustration with Claire getting in the way of their perceived Carmy/Sydney romance, but it looks like things aren't going to be so simple. If the show is giving Carmy a serious long-term romance, it'll be with Claire long before they consider one with Sydney.
On the bright side for those who enjoy romantic drama in their cooking shows, there's always the chance of Sydney and Marcus getting together. But for the show's two main leads, it looks like "The Bear" is aiming for something far more complex and understated. As Don and Peggy in "Man Men" have already proved, platonic love between a male and female character can make for plenty of compelling, emotional episodes of TV. "The Bear" is already a doing a great job at depicting a similar dynamic, and it doesn't sound like they're letting anyone get in their way.
"The Bear" season 3 premieres on Hulu on Wednesday, June 26 at 9:00pm ET.