Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Bear season 3.
Summary
Marcus' story inThe Bearseason 3 stems from the death of his mother, with a eulogy he makes at her funeral tying to the state of the titular restaurant. Theending ofThe Bearseason 2centered entirely around the first service of the restaurant for friends and family. Unfortunately for Marcus, his mother remained in hospital due to an illness. Marcus, played excellently by Lionel Boyce inThe Bear’s ensemble cast, receives missed phone calls from his mother’s carer during this episode, withThe Bearseason 3’s premiere confirming that she had passed away.
By the time ofThe Bearseason 3’s ending, Marcus' story depicts how to healthily process the grief that comes with the death of a family member. Since the show’s beginning,The Bearhas hinged around these themes, from dealing with grief and trauma to familial issues and mental health. These explorations allowThe Bearto feel unflinchingly and endearingly human, spearheaded by its great characters and their choices. InThe Bearseason 3,Marcus' choice to perform a eulogy at his mother’s funeral sparks a beautiful monolog that ties to the titular restaurant going into season 4.
The Bear Season 4: Cast, Story & Everything We Know
FX on Hulu’s The Bear has been serving up culinary drama for three seasons thus far, and the award-winning hit has been renewed for season 4.
Marcus' Eulogy Highlights The Importance Of Paying Attention, Being Heard & Being Loved
Marcus' Words About His Mother Sum Up The Keys To Healthy Relationships
With so much ofThe Bear’s three seasons surrounding dysfunctional families and the equally strained relationships that come with them, Marcus' eulogy is a refreshing change of perspective.The Bear’s focus on troubled individuals like Carmy, Natalie, Richie, and Donna makes Marcus' relationship with his mother seem much healthier by comparison, with the latter’s eulogy summing up why this is the case. Marcus begins by listing his mother’s desirable qualities, before going on to highlight a massively important aspect of any relationship: feeling loved.
Paying attention, hearing about the issues of others, and thus spreading love are some of the core components of healthy relationships, friendships, or familial bonds…
Marcus tells his fellow mourners that, regardless of the time or place, his mother showed her loveto Marcus simply by listening. This highlights that listening to those around you, no matter what they are saying, is vital to making someone feel loved. Paying attention, hearing about the issues of others, and thus spreading love are some of the core components of healthy relationships, friendships, or familial bonds. All of this is highlighted in Marcus' eulogy inThe Bearseason 3, making for an emotional scene that ties to several other characters in the show’s story.
Carmy Ignores The Message In Marcus' Eulogy Throughout The Bear Season 3
The Bear’s Other Characters Could Learn From Marcus' Words
As Marcus is explaining the importance of listening to others and paying attention to their needs, shots of Carmy, Syndey, and Richie are intercut throughout. This trio is undoubtedly the main source of drama inThe Bearseason 3, whether it be Carmy and Richie’s ongoing feud after season 2’s finale or Sydney’s frustrations with how The Bear is being run.All of this ties back to Carmy, whose trauma and experiences have caused him to do the opposite of what Marcus preachesin his eulogy.
It is worth noting that most of this is not Carmy’s fault, andThe Bearperfectly explores how Carmy is simply a product of his experiences and trauma. That said, he spends a lot of time inThe Bearseason 3 not listening or paying attention to others. He ignores the other staff members' grievances with his new rules, fromThe Bear’s non-negotiablesto changing the menu daily. This causes friction with Sydney, who Carmy is often shown not listening or paying attention to.
Where Richie is concerned, he and Carmy could both learn from Marcus' words. Their endless arguments stem from not listening to each other. The two are dedicated to bottling up feelings until it is too late, as evidenced by their explosive argument inThe Bearseason 2’s finale. Rather than listen to each other and show the other that they are loved, their problems spiral inThe Bearseason 3 to create an even more toxic workplace environment which is the opposite of what Marcus' words, if put into practice, would create.
