The Bear: Richie's True Purpose

Now that The Bear has 13 Emmy nominations after season two, we have some things to discuss—specifically the end of the season and Richie’s newfound love for his role at the restaurant. Earlier in the season were see Richie struggling with his role and his purpose at the restaurant, and in life in general. He seems to be going through the motions. He feels like Carmy is pushing him out and doesn’t have a sense of purpose.

Fast forward to season 2 episode 7 “Forks” where Carmy sets Richie up, as he did with the rest of the crew, to learn outside of the restaurant. Richie gets set up with an internship with a Michelin-star restaurant to learn how to stage. Of course, this does not sit well with Richie as he’s a bit of a hothead. He feels like Carmy is just trying to get him out of the way so he can do his own thing without the distraction. Needless to say, in true Richie fashion he doesn’t exactly take it seriously and tries to half-ass his way through it.

But that might not be where they’re going with Richie. Maybe the episode was designed to give him a sense of purpose at the restaurant, but what if it’s bigger than that? If you remember correctly, earlier in the season he was fighting his hardest to get Taylor Swift tickets in order to bond with his daughter. It’s clear early on Richie has taken things hard and isn’t in the best head space. He’s barely keeping it together emotionally and seems like he’s coasting through the same way he did in his internship

Related: The Bear Needs To Avoid A Carmy/Sydney Relationship

But once he settled in and found what the dining experience meant to people, something clicked. Soon after he began to take it seriously and all of a sudden he’s finding something can be proud of. Maybe he has a realization as well.

He’s no longer the dad struggling to find ways to make things work. When the restaurant takes off and establishes itself as fine dining, he’s got a job he can be proud of. Once he finds his role within The Bear, the weight of the world is lifted off of his shoulders and his sense of purpose becomes more clear. He’s no longer left to feel like an embarrassment fighting to prove his worth. He’s now the guy who takes pride in his work, has drive and direction and knows how to get things done.

That’s where the Taylor Swift connection on The Bear comes into play. Once his time is up, he’s earned the respect of everyone he worked with and trained with. He’s not just the guy who’s getting crapped on. The drive home he’s blaring Taylor Swift as well know he’s a big fan which should be the dead giveaway. He’s not just realizing he’s worthy of working side by side with Carmy and his big ideas. He starts to realize he can be a role model for his daughter and not feel ashamed. The smile on his face isn’t from a newfound love of fine dining, it’s his new sense of purpose and direction.