WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for The Bear’s season 4 finale!With another twist-filled finale,The Bearseason 4 ends without solving some of the show’s biggest mysteries, including a Berzatto family member’s fate that had some significant setup. Occurring in real time after kitchen service,The Bearseason 4’s endingfocuses on the series-changing reveal that Carmy intends to quit the restaurant industry, leaving plenty of narrative loose ends untied ahead of season 5.
Still, some important lingering questions aboutThe Bear’s Berzatto familyfinally got answers this season after being built up for years. For instance, Sugar andFrancie Fak’s backstorygets fleshed out through Brie Larson’s cameo as the mysterious character, with Uncle Lee’s connection to the Berzattos also getting more clarification. However, despite being referenced more frequently,The Bearseason 4 avoids sharing any significant details on the biggest unseen Berzatto character.
The Bear Season 4 Still Doesn’t Reveal What Happened To Carmy & Sugar’s Father
The Reason For His Absence Is Still Unknown
Since Jamie Lee Curtis’ Donna Berzatto was introduced inThe Bearseason 2’s acclaimed Christmas flashback episode, “Fishes,” there’s been one pressing mystery reigning above the others in terms of intrigue: what happened to Carmy’s father? We find out that Carmy and Sugar have strained relationships with their mother, Donna, who becomes a recurring character, but have only the vaguest insight into their father’s fate.
After finally referencing him more in “Fishes,” it’s been two years andwe still don’t even know the name of Carmy and Sugar’s father. Though Donna still bears the “Berzatto” surname, it’s implied that he’s been out of the picture for years, and there’s no indication as to what led to his absence from his family’s life.
It’s clear that he was a poor father to Carmy, Sugar, and Mikey, but there are no specifics about his whereabouts or actions other than that he ranThe Beef sandwich shopbefore Mikey came into ownership. Whether he died, suddenly ran out on the Berzattos and left the restaurant to Mikey, or was still around when Mikey took over the restaurant remains a mystery.
It seemsThe Bear’s Uncle Jimmy has been their surrogate father figure for the majority of their lives.
The only concrete knowledge we have of their father ahead ofThe Bearseason 5is thatCarmy and Sugar aren’t in contact with him and have poor reflections on how he treated themas a father. There’s still very little indication of the timeline around when he left, but it seemsThe Bear’s Uncle Jimmy has been their surrogate father figure for the majority of their lives.
The Bear Season 4 Hints Carmy’s Father Is Still Alive, But Is Probably Not In Chicago
Carmy’s Conversations About His Father Imply He’s Still Alive
The absence of Carmy’s father fromThe Bear’s “Fishes” flashback, a lack of any present conversation around reconnecting with him, and no implication that he attendedMikey’s funeralsuggested he may have passed long before his son died inThe Bear. However, some of Carmy’s references to his father in season 4 seem to be hinting more towards the Berzatto family member still being alive today.
The Bearseason 4, episode 1’s flashback of Mikey and Carmy talking about plans to open up a restaurant includes the two discussing their father. Carmy mentions the Irish pub that their father loved going to, and Mikey asks whether he still thinks about their dad and inquires how long it’s been since he’s heard from him. Carmy couldn’t remember when, which seems toimply that he’s alive, but any contact with him is rare.
Later on, Marcus has a deeper conversation with Carmy about potentially reconnecting with his own dad. Marcus asks Carmy if he ever thinks about his dad, and Jeremy Allen White’s character replies that he doesn’t really anymore, but used to. The response, however, isframed more like Carmy choosing not to think about him because he’s alive but completely absent, rather than refusing to think about a deceased parent.
Rather than continue to put focus on a man who doesn’t prioritize them, Carmy and Sugar try not to think of him.
The clues about Carmy and Sugar’s father appear to add up to the notion that he’s alive but makes no effort to be involved in his kids’ lives. Rather than continue to put focus on a man who doesn’t prioritize them, Carmy and Sugar try not to think of him. It’ssimilar to how they dealt with Donna before she came back into their livesinThe Bearseasons 3 and 4.
If Carmy’s father is still alive, then it doesn’t seem like anybody close to the family keeps in touch with him or knows about his whereabouts. Uncle Jimmy andBob Odenkirk’s Uncle Leeappear to have no updates on him, andsince their community is tight-knit, that suggests he’s no longer living in Chicago.
The Bear Season 5 Finally Has To Introduce The Berzattos' Father
The Bear Needs A Flashback Or Present-Day Reunion
It’s now been three seasons thatThe Bearhas left thequestion of Carmy’s father’s fate unanswered. Instead of continuing to draw out the mystery, it’s crucial to Carmy and Sugar’s overall character development thatThe Bearseason 5 finally explains what happened to their dad and why they have no relationship with him.
The Bearseason 5 has yet to be officially renewed by FX.
To properly dive into that part of their backstory,the best path would be to properly introduce Carmy’s father either in a flashback episode or in the present timeline. Whether a young Carmy, Sugar, and Mikey are seen with their dad at The Beef or present-day Carmy and Sugar reunite with him, it’s time for that mysterious aspect ofThe Bear’s story to be fully addressed.
