The Bear season 2 episode 9 recap: Omelette

On the award-winning series from FX, The Bear episode 9 features the chaos and emotion on the day of the soft opening of the newly rebranded resto for friends and family.

Carmy and Claire have started to figure out that they can be comfortable in their new relationship as official girlfriend and boyfriend. Their intimacy in bed, in the opening moments of this episode, is something that I at least feel is very well deserved for Carmy.

After everything he’s been through since season one, he’s well overdue for some love. Still, at the parking lot the next day Carmy almost has an anxiety attack thinking about the many many ways he could screw this good thing up.

Part of the trauma he’s remembering is the catastrophic Christmas night when his mother crashed the car into the house. Then again, he can’t help but pay tribute to it as he’s written “Seven Fishes” on the menu board for opening night.

The Bear season 2 episode 9 recap

At home with her dad, Sydney has a conversation with him that makes her feel like she needs to impress him. That he’s coddling her so much and doesn’t really believe she can take the pressure that the resto opening will present. Just like the time her home catering service folded.

On the way to The Bear, she walks past a restaurant she was just in last episode two. The sign outside says it will be closing soon. Permanently.

Carmy and Nat have a moment of honesty and she tells her brother that she has invited their mother to opening night. In her defense, she says it’s themed “friends and family.” When Sydney comes in both she and Natalie are on Carmy for not calling the fridge guy to fix the handle on the walk-in freezer.

At kitchen prep two hours before opening night, the new crew under Tina and Sydney is still gelling and some accidents occur. But they do trace most of the faulty setup back to Carmy since he’s been unfocused as of late. Even Tina blames it on Carmy and how he’s been distracted since he got a girlfriend.

The atmosphere does perk up when Marcus presents them with three excellent desserts, the Copenhagen Sundae inspired by his time in Denmark, Mom’s Honeybun from the Berzatto family dish line, and Sydney’s Donut.

Highlights and recap of The Bear season 2 episode 9: The Michael

The fourth one is a special savory dish that’s got sentimental value for Marcus and all of them. He calls it The Michael.

Later on, Carmy is about to call the Fridge Guy when a call from Claire comes in. Then Marcus asks him to taste something and this makes him completely forget about the fridge repairs or his new girl.

Uncle Jimmy gives Carmy a state business certificate for The Bear that he’s managed to finesse from his friends over at the governor’s business office. Jimmy then tells his nephew a story about a shortstop for the Chicago Cubs that’s a metaphor for complete and utter failure.

Highlights and recap of The Bear season 2 episode 9: Listen better

Because Nat hasn’t eaten in a while, Sydney makes the pregnant woman an omelet. Meantime, Ebra is brushing up on a ServSafe test so that he can operate the checkout window.

There’s also a budding chemistry between Marcus and Sydney that our man wants to pursue, so he asks her out but Sydney is avoidant and vague about going out. Marcus is disappointed. Sydney is just awkward.

25 minutes to meal service and the management and chefs give the staff a last-minute powwow. Almost everyone gives a speech but surprisingly and delightfully Richie has the best one regarding the sensitivity required for fine dining service.

It’s also a nice surprise that Neil Fak will be joining Richie on the service crew. They’re both in suits. It must be noted that Matty Matheson is the only real chef on the cast and the tatted guy sure has transitioned into a real character actor on this show.

Highlights and recap of The Bear season 2 episode 9: 25 to open

There’s a great moment before the chaos when Sydney and Carmy are repairing loose bag holders on one of the tables. Carmy apologizes for being distracted and tells her The Bear does deserve his full focus. Sydney confesses she’s deathly afraid of screwing this up like she did her catering service.

Then Carmy brings out a gift for her. It’s a new chef’s whites double-breasted jacket with her initials on them.

The rest of the episode is a beautiful cut-to-cut of the prep chaos and will that goes on behind every kitchen five minutes to opening. What an appetizer for the season finale.

You can stream season 2 of The Bear on Hulu.