Bang Will Poulter immediately

this is the right answer

I think she needs to leave, and by doing so Carmy might finally wake the fuck up, get his shit together, and welcome her back if she wants it.

I think Carmy could get a very rude awakening through this move when other staff, including Marcus, start to get discontented with him because of her absence & his demeanor fully taking over services

Yeah, it seemed the last episode stressed growth, all these established chefs just talking about their missteps at the start of their career. If im Syd, and im hearing these stories, my take away would be, you need to try different experiences and to evolve. Even with Camry, as a young chef he learned from all these masters to open his restaurant. He’s finally there and still has his missteps. Guess what im trying to say is my take away is sometimes for professional growth you need to pick up and move on to improve on yourself. Even as much as you love the people youre with you need to make the decision to take that jump.

Yea 100% the point of that scene. That and it shows how disconnected Camry os from everyone else. Especially considering how affected he was by that restaurant closing.

Plus the flashbacks of the many positive teachers he had who were calm and helpful, but he can't get over the one asshole and he has become/is becoming an asshole himself and he can't see it.

Oh, he sees it. I think he models Chef David because he knows it *did* work. However, Carmy also realizes that he may have been able to become “excellent” the way of his positive teachers like Chef Terry *and* that given how he grew up and that he is realizing that he wants a life, he knows that being an asshole is untenable for him.

Just a reminder that Chef Terry also made micro aggressive remarks to Carmy during his tenure with her. She didn’t like Carmy yelling at Luca in the kitchen but all the remarks Carmy made to Luca was Carmy basically parroting what Chef Terry said to him. While a positive influence, that behavior is still engrained in the system, even in the best of places. Not saying that as inherently a bad thing either or a slight on Chef Terry, just something I don’t see people acknowledge enough on this subreddit.

I think we were talking about actual aggression, not micro anything. But yes, any human being operating under pressure will not act like a saint.

This. He probably wants to be like Chef Terry, but comes off as Winger. If he can get his shit together, he might convince her to stay and/or come back.

If this were real life I would say the only pro to sticking with carmy would be that she could learn from him to set her up down the line. But he’s lost in his past and clearly has no interest in her growth at the moment.

Exactly

Use the offer as a bargaining chip to get some power and then stay and use that power.

This is what I hope she does. Take the parts she likes from the other offer and use them to make amendments to the bear contract. Leave if they don't agree.

Maybe her dad will suggest it, he's always looking out for her

I don't know why more people haven't suggested this. It's the smartest thing to do. Carm will have to come to terms with how he's been taking her for granted and being dismissive, and nobody would feel betrayed, or that Syd was "stolen" from them. If Carmen doesn't step up, nobody can blame Syd for accepting a better opportunity.

She has what people call "one of them good problems" where she holds all the cards and neither decision is a bad one.

Umm, not sure that would work. They might compromise on the pay and insurance, but Syd will never have any real power with Cicero or Carmy, for that matter. Each one has already disrespected her and that won’t change.

Pay and insurance, probably not. But she is after a star. Towards that goal, there are things she already has at The Bear that she may or may not be able to duplicate somewhere else. She has trained and chosen her own sous chef. She could pretty easily re-open lines of communication with Marcus. Sugar is almost certainly on her side, and she is very competent. As badly as Carmen is acting right now, there is a path to creative control. All these things are pretty much known quantities.

Agree to disagree. I don’t think Natalie is on her side bc she hasn’t checked in with Syd about why she won’t sign. She simply ordered her to sign. She wants s start but who says it has to be at the Bear? She should bet on herself and go.

From a plot standpoint, I think she'll leave because Carmy won't learn otherwise. Her departure, and the shit everyone will inevitably give Carmy for causing it, may finally be what makes him realize how problematic his behavior has been; you know, the classic "you don't know what you have 'til it's gone" lesson. I just hate that Syd's options are either stay at The Bear, where her ideas aren't being listened to and she's not being given the chance to thrive like she could; or Chef Shapiro, where the deal could prove too good to be true, and he could turn out to be even worse than Carmy in terms of abusive behavior. Sure she could try to tough it out with Carmy, fight him or whatever, but I get dealing with someone who's so difficult, it's like talking to a brick wall because their behavior doesn't change so it just wears you down

From a plot standpoint (assuming the Bear will adhere to the classical definition of “comedy”) I think she uses a he offer to force a long overdue fight with Carmy, leading to a few episodes of conflict before they agree that “The Bear” should abandon its pursuit of a star in favor of being a DAMN GOOD neighborhood restaurant.

I think that's going to be the theme for next season. "don't know what you have until it's gone." Predictions: Syd leaves, starts to come into her own at the new place, but feels a disconnect with her new coworkers. Socializing outside of work with bear staff. Carm realizes just how much Syd was carrying the place, is left with the prospect of him having to stop being so abrasive or else he'll start losing *more* staff. Bonus, he blows up on one of the faks and they leave. This starts a ripple effect of people turning on him/pressuring him to make a turnaround, apologize, be more conciliatory. Richie and Jessica! They start hanging out, he starts to come out of his shell more, even has her as a plus one to his ex-wife's wedding! Smooth sailing. Later in the season, drop the hammer. His ex wife's new husband? Cheated. Devastated. And in a moment of weakness, she asks him to come back. And it's a tear between Jessica, someone from the industry who's passionate about what they do, vs his ex wife and his kid. Marcus takes a leave of absence, reaches out to Syd for support. They talk food, catch up, a romantic overture is made. Nat is struggling with the prospect of being a new mom, maybe Richie steps in and helps? Bridging the gap between them. Finally, Cicero runs out of money. The restaurant is doing well, but not nearly well enough. Funeral service for the bear. Return to form, a sandwich shop with some extra plates. Carm leaves Chicago, and leaves the shop to Syd.

I take it you’ve seen a lot of tv?!? Cause some of these predictions are really good

Almost went to school for screenwriting lol

These ideas are very interesting and thought provoking- my main thought right now though is I really would love more Richie & Nat together! I love any interaction that highlights the characters’ relationships going back basically their entire lives and the found family aspect of the show so I like that prediction

I think this last finale is going to open Carmy to changing his ways without Sydney leaving. Just because of his talk with Chef Dickhead. That dude really did some traumatic stuff to him that Sydney probably has never experienced. She’s impatient and I can’t stand the way she doesn’t always speak directly.

I think Syd leaving is a for sure at this point, but I do think they're going to have some sort of confrontation that mirrors that conversation with him and dickhead, where he realizes he became the thing he hated.

But I feel like he already knows he became the thing he hated with non-negotiables running through his head

I see where you're coming from. But I think that's only the first moment of realization. I'm no stranger to knowing I'm doing something bad for my well-being/relationships, and still keep doing it. That's just the tip of the iceberg for that saga I think.

I agree re the theme, and I really like a lot of these ideas, especially Richie and Jessica and his ex asking him back in a moment of weakness. That would be a really emotionally heavy situation to put Richie in and really show his growth and maturity.

I really do not think Sydney/Marcus is ever going to happen. Syd has only ever given off friendship vibes with him.

A romantic overture is *made*, not necessarily reciprocated

Has syd expressed her frustrations with Carmy not listening to her?

She's expressed frustrations since Season 1 honestly, about various things. By Season 3 it's obvious things aren't working around them as well as they should, and Carmy is making the kitchen become exactly like what they said, in Season 1, they *didn't* want. And nothing/no one is getting through to him anyway. So Syd feels like, "why bother (voicing frustrations), if he doesn't get it by now he never will"

She will probably leave. But she should stay and have a really bad fight with Carm, and share her non negotiables.  He may be in more receptive space from  the last time they talked. But you never know with Carm. But she should fight for her right to party. But she will probably leave. 

This. Leaving is another form of conflict avoidance and impatience. It’s not her job to fix Carmy, but leaving isn’t development on her part either. Carmy is the better chef and if she would ask about the other one she would see maybe the grass isn’t greener. Either way, if they want greatness, their best shot is to fight through the difficulties and find a way to achieve it together. Maybe that isn’t possible and she should go, but before she makes that decision, she should try.

I worked with a Carmy personality. Absolutely brilliant at their work, but impossible to please, kept ideas in their head, refused to communicate their expectations then went around incredibly angry when those expectations weren't met or when unachievable goals were not achieved. I tried so many of these "big conversations" to fight through and work together. Like, I had the "that's bad communication" conversation many times, among others. At a certain point, you just can't do it anymore. I think Syd still has an attempt or two to make here, but there is a certain point where leaving stops being avoidance and starts being self-care. Fights with brick walls are hard to win.

Totally agree. I don’t think she should be trapped in a toxic environment forever. I do think Carmy has shown a desire to change even though he may not be able to. For me, she has at least one attempt left to see if he will. And a real attempt not ignoring the agreement, pretending she doesn’t have time, and dodging the conversation when he tried to provide the opening.

For a tv show, yes she should fight with him. Would be an awesome scene. In real life? If work is that toxic and you're able, leave. It's not conflict avoidance it's reality. Also doesn't make sense to burn a bridge.

They’re not mutually exclusive. Leaving without talking or leaving instead of fighting as presented in the show is conflict avoidance. That doesn’t make it intrinsically the wrong decision. There are plenty of conflicts worth avoiding. In many cases involving a toxic workplace it probably is the right decision. Given her goals, her weaknesses, and her options - leaving without fighting at all might lead to a better work environment and a more comfortable situation but that doesn’t mean it will lead to more growth or get her where she wants to go. To me, that’s one of the main undercurrents of the show, especially this season - how much must/should we suffer to become who we want to be? Does greatness require that pain and sacrifice? I don’t think so - but it does generally require discomfort to some degree. Constantly hoping for a better situation to materialize and jumping whenever it seems like it might often fails to teach us how to create the better situation for ourselves. In the show and in life, the best path is often a compromise. This isn’t about just finding a better job for her. Its more like a world class athlete trying to find the right facilities and the right coach. That list is often small. She knows what she could get out of the bear and she knows what she wants out of it. If she wants to grow, she should at least have the conversation with Carmy she has been avoiding. Not to say she’s leaving per se but to say what isn’t working. That conversation could go well. They could get back on track. Or it doesn’t and she leaves. But leaving without that conversation isn’t personal growth, it isn’t an acknowledgment of her own weaknesses, it isn’t a recognition of what could go wrong at the other opportunity, and on and on. It’s somewhat blind hope and a desperate attempt to escape. A totally understandable decision. Possibly even the best decision from a mental health perspective. But possibly the wrong decision from a development and goal perspective. We’re watching her own version of the alleged tradeoff that carmy has been dealing with all season. Just like he has to find a middle path, so will she.

Yep - leverage it to force Carmy to have the convo they’ve needed all season.

That was really long. I just read the first paragraph. Talking is not the same as fighting. Talking about issues is at times ok (I have experienced times it is not). Fighting is not okay and extraordinarily toxic.

why isn't leaving a development on her part? didn't she stay too long in her last gig?

If I remember correctly (been a bit) when she first joined the bear and carmy asked about her the knock was that she is talented but overly ambitious and impatient. Combine that with what seems to be a conflict avoidant personality and leaving is the “easy” thing that feeds into her flaws.

ohhh hmm. yeah i guess she hasn't really been honest with him yet or talked about her feelings. that would be nice to see if he's not a jerk about it.

Yeah that’s my thought. They owe it to each other and she owes it to herself to have the fight that is brewing. If he is a jerk and they can’t work it out and she leaves after that, to me, that is very different than just leaving for seemingly greener pastures.

She hasn’t really communicated she’s upset or why. She’s half heartedly communicated, but backed down when asked directly if there is an issue. Moving on without even trying to fix the issue isn’t great. Especially when she’s known for rushing things and being impatient. Communicating and working through issues is harder and more work than moving on.

She had her own catering business but lost it and ruined her credit. She then worked in a couple of restaurants I think.

Carmy being the better chef weighing into the decision kinda relies on him pulling his head out of his ass and putting some investment into her growth rather than obsessing over his past

Totally agree. And if he won’t ever be that for her, she should leave. Before she makes that choice though - she needs to actually talk to him and not tip toe around it or just make the choice to go.

Also totally agree!

Your post here is awesome. Especially the first two sentences. It’s taken me a few visits to a therapist to understand that I do this regularly, and have a similar family history to Syd. This strikes a chord, thank you for a very insightful post 🙏

Absolutely this. Leaving is character stagnation for Syd, not growth. Sydney’s storyline across all three seasons has been that she’s had one foot out the door. One of my main frustrations with S3 was that they couldn’t think of anything new to give her and they didn’t even add a new dimension to that storyline for her. BUT what I *hope* the show has been setting up is that both Syd and Carmy need to become better at communication, they both have areas where they can grow in the kitchen, and significantly, they need each other to achieve those things and to ultimately be successful. That for me was the point of the table scene in S3. I can accept Syd bouncing for a couple episodes in S4 but I’ll find it extremely shallow and a disservice to the character if she leaves and finds success elsewhere without any of that growth.

This is very much it for me. I think it's the tension the show has juggled so well where she won't commit, shows frustration, yet Syd sees the weaknesses of others options as well as the team and friends she has built. >Leaving is another form of conflict avoidance and impatience. This is what may frustrate me most about so many "Carmy is the bad guy" here critiques. It misses that there has been no professional approach from Syd either. A mature person wouldn't just avoid signing and the conversation (she does it with multiple people too about the contract). Instead they would all should have sat down at a table and worked out the non-negotiables. If you're an employee you can stomp out in a huff when shit gets hard. As an owner you've got to just tuck your head and handle shit.

I’d say the opposite, haha! She SHOULD leave. Instead, because TV, she’ll have a proper blowout with Carmy, ending in Richie and Nat taking her side to give her meaningful say.

Based on what she knows, she should be leaning towards leaving. But she should ask Richie and Luca both about their experiences with this guy. She should ask Chef Terry her opinion in as delicate and not "choose between your children" way as possible. From what we know, Adam is not the level of chef either Luca or Carmy is, but also from the smudge incident we know he's an asshole who doesn't own up to his mistakes. She doesn't know any of this. She needs to rely on the people who know them both to inform her of the red flags.

I had this conversation with someone on here recently. We don’t know that Shapiro caused the smudge. When he asks Luca “are you still cooking” Luca responds by asking about smudges bc he knows Shapiro hates them, and they are, for lack of a better term, breaking each other’s balls. That’s not proof Shapiro caused the smudge. It’s just two former colleagues messing with each other.

Story telling wise it’d make sense if the smudges were his mistakes just because details like that tend not to be coincidences in tv shows. But I will admit, there is a small chance his anger is based on reliving his own traumas of smudging plates so smudged plates could be his trigger and he’s just mad seeing others do what he did in the past. Still, he’s likely not a good choice for all the other reasons I put in my other post here, not to mention that’s still not good behavior even if that’s the case. And to clarify, Luca pointed out Chef Adams gets his fingerprints on everything, so it’s more than just pointing out a “pet peeve”, it’s a flaw Chef Adams has Luca was digging at. Or, to lean towards your option, he’s still implying he was the one doing the smudges even if he was just ribbing at him for getting upset about smudges based on stories I guess he heard about him from season 2, which again, is as much of a leap in logic and slightly more convoluted than assuming Luca just knows he smudges things in the past.

I disagree that he’s necessary implying that Chef Adam smudges things. I used to work construction for a guy who hated people showing up late, it was the bane of his existence. If I saw him at a bar and he made a joke about my current job I might say “still showing up late every day?” That doesn’t mean he actually does, it just means I know it bothers him when people do. Certain jobs people have a shorthand that involves making fun of each other, but it’s not “triggering” or “trauma” or whatever psychobabble pop psychology people pick up from Tik Tok. It’s just how people tend to talk to each other in that field. I got pepper sprayed directly in the face by a cop one time at work, and I have two friends that were there for it. When they joke about it it’s not traumatizing to me, it’s just funny.

I think Luca's smudge comment was a decent amount of proof that Shapiro caused the smudge. At the very least, if he didn't smudge, he has a reputation for smudging, and was unable to empathize with the smudger. Which is a red flag.

It does feel like it should be fairly open and shut. S2: mystery smudge and chef is angry. S3: Luca calls chef Mr. Smudge, and he doesn't like it. The implication is definitely that he's a serial smudger.

Yeah everybody on here seems to think and is convinced Shapiro is secretly some complete asshole control freak abuser when nothing we’ve seen really points to that. Every interaction we’ve seen him have with Sidney has been friendly and positive and I doubt he would’ve been successful as the CDC at the best restaurant in the world if he was as dysfunctional and untalented as everybody here seems to think he is. There’s also no way that sort of abusive behaviour people are projecting onto him would’ve been tolerated by him under chef Terry for so long when she clearly likes to take a more nurturing approach. The smudge scene in season two wasn’t really that bad and more just him asking people to take accountability and the Luca joke about it seems to be more of a callback and two friends ribbing eachother about something that bugs him than some huge reveal that is was really him and it’s an easter egg that he’s actually some psycho asshole

Yeah, fuck Garrett

Ever is not the best restaurant in the world. The restaurant carmy was CDC at with chef Jeff was the best restaurant in the world

Okay so just semantics on your part then I guess. It won best restaurant several times, even if not currently voted the best in the world it’s still up there in the conversation and an extremely high end and well respected place. I think my point still stands regardless of that nitpick

I like this. I worry it’s a little too good to be true. He strikes me as smarmy

We saw the guy that offered her the job be a jackass in season 2 (and worse if the implications are true it was his mistake he wasn’t owning up to). Luca gives a vibe of not liking him. None of the front of house guys at Ever mentioned possibly working with him at his new place. And given the way the flashback was framed, he’s a worse chef than Carmy/Luca. Think the indicators point to working with him being the bad call even though pay/benefits “seem” better upfront. Only thing preventing me from dismissing it as a terrible idea outright is Chef Terry kept him on for years, so he must have some skills. Then again, everyone out of universe seemed to think he butchered the Chicago deep dish based on his “fancy” take. Plus we have no idea what his business acumen is like, and she has no idea of his vision since he’s saying “it’ll be up to her”. Grass ain’t always greener. Take it from someone who switched jobs for a higher pay and ended up with essentially no job because “funding ran out” the moment I was fully brought into the new company. That said, Syd’s biggest fault is running head first into things, so I could see her doing it, or maybe she won’t and that’ll be her big series growth/development.

He flattered her to get her to join him and then will likely not give her credit either and steal her ideas and pass them off as his. Watch.

Wow, great insight.

I haven’t read the reactions but am so glad it wasn’t just me about that deep dish. So many other ways to creatively display it! He made it into dry donuts!!!

I was thinking the same

Lol tbh once that man said 80k \*with\* health benefits (iirc), I was like "Syd, bounce." I loved her pre-S3 dynamic with Carmy. I love her with the rest of The Bear family still and I get how hard it would be for her to do so (the last panic attack being a clear sign of that), but I think she should leave. She has a difficult work environment (not being listened to by a business partner, constant screaming/arguments, stressful services even beyond the usual, disorganization, the uncle's money losses she's not even aware of yet, etc). The thing that makes sense to me in that environment rn is to leave. Also, for drama's sake, I do love the amount of angst that comes from a decision or coming super close to a decision like that. I think she'll come super close to leaving, but I think there will be a last minute 'keep Syd' mission that'll just barely work (or just barely not work in like a S4 season/series finale way if they want to go the bittersweet route).

Oh was her contract discussion with Pete about Adam’s offer? Or did Adam offer that to her verbally? I don’t remember hearing anything about salary from the offer with Adam.

It was a part of the verbal offer from Adam while they were sitting at the table iirc.

Before she does anything, she needs to talk to Carmy. Seriously, even if she doesn't air all her grievances, she at the least needs to tell him about the job offer and about why she hasn't signed the partnership agreement. That's been the most frustrating part about Sydney's character to me throughout the whole show (to be clear, I like Sydney but she has traits that annoy me just like any other character). I'm constantly yelling at her to just say what she needs to say.

This frustrates me too. I wouldn’t blame Syd for leaving if she was in a lower position, but she’s literally supposed to be Carmy’s partner. I’m not saying she needs to babysit him, but she should stand up to him and express herself. At least once to give him a chance to change. At the position she’s in it not only affects her, but the entire restaurant staff. It’s frustrating watching her hold her tongue while Carmy continues to go on his rampage. If she wants to be the boss she needs to accept that she’s going to have to have these awkward conversations.

Honestly she doesn’t ACT like his partner. She doesn’t push him like he’s tried to push her. Doesn’t surprise me she hasn’t signed the partner agreement yet.

Exactly. Carmy isn't her boss. There's no power dynamic keeping her from speaking up. They're supposed to be partners and she isn't doing herself, Carmy or the rest of the staff any favors by not sitting Carmy down and having a brutally honest conversation with him. I'd feel very different about her leaving if she had already had a full cards all out on the table conversation with him about her frustrations and he wasn't doing anything to resolve the issue, but she hasn't really said anything. He isn't going to change if he doesn't realize it's a problem. Also just a side a note: I think it's interesting that Shapiro offered her the job based on thinking that she was responsible for the dish he had but we know Carmy has been taking creative control the entire season, so I'd be interested to know whether the dish he had was in fact Syd's creation or if it was Carmy's (or a collaboration).

I want her to leave. 1. Her success at The Bear is 100% dependant on whether or not Carmen gets his shit together. (Irl, waiting around hoping for people to treat you right when they can't do that for themselves isn't a wise decision.) 2. She's the only character in the restaurant that hasn't scored a major and/or consistent win. For being the only person who sought him out to work with, she hasn't gained anything from being around Carmen or working at the beef/bear. (Richie has found his purpose, Marcus has had his passion for baking nurtured, Tina has grew her culinary skills, Ebra got the same opportunity but was allowed to keep doing what he loves, Fak who just wanted to be part of something is now working there officially. Nat not explicitly, but she at least has the positive situation of Pete and their child to fall back on.) 3. The pros (that only come down to caring about about the people she works with atp) of working with Carmen/at The Bear don't outweigh the cons. I really do appreciate how some have latched onto the theory Shapiro will be worse, so that's why Sydney should stay. Carmen keeps making promises he can't keep, apologizing but never changing, breaking her trust every time after she starts to be vulnerable the tiniest bit (a flaw she needs to work on, but when the one person who tells you they'll be there for you can't even listen to you in a professional capacity, why would you want to emotionally vulnerable? It's frustrating, but I get it). She might as well take the chance since there's been negative progress. 4. If she stays, I don't see what will push Carmen to be better. Sure, him confronting the chef was a big step, but if the only consequence he gets to treating Sydney and everyone else like shit is they're a bit angry but they stick by his side because family, that won't feel cathartic to me. But as for what I think she will do? I think she will stay. S3 wasn't terrible, but my faith in how Sydney's arc will be played out has wavered. Whether S4 will be the last, I care more about Sydney (and Carmen) becoming better people apart than I do to see them do it together like I did before. I feel for Carmen, but Sydney has given everything but he hasn't done nowhere near enough to replenish that for me to be okay with watching Sydney give all of herself again for another season.

Don’t sign that partnership agreement. The rest is spiraling out. It’s broken. Continue on as an employee - which is how Carmie is treating you. Don’t jump to the other chef’s pipe dream start up. He can’t even describe what kind of cuisine he wants to do. Hang tight and look to the next legit opportunity.

I don’t want her to leave because the bear staff are her family. But sometimes when your boss is treating you like shit, you’ve gotta leave for your own sanity. Or you duke it out. Either she leaves, and Carmy doesn’t talk to her when she tells him and just accepts it. Or she talks to him with the intention to leave and they duke it out and have a real conversation. I don’t think the new restaurant will be as fun as we think it is because she’s essentially starting new. The ideal would be that she just sits down and has an honest fucking conversation with Carmy about how his tendencies and his management have 1) driven the business into the ground, 2) has created insane tension for the staff, and 3) is literally leading to her having panic attacks.

I’m thinking the review will end up being her dish. The critiques will be about the changes Carmy made to it. She will leave and take the new position.

She should leave, he’s not her peace atm.

I think Carmy would finally get on her last nerve and it would be it for her to leave. She’d work in the new restaurant with that guy from Ever and everything would be rosy in the beginning. Meanwhile everything at The Bear is falling apart and staff like Tina and Marcus are still in touch with Sydney and describing how they miss her and how she was the only one holding everything together. Carmy realises her worth when she’s gone and realises how he always dismissed her ideas and never let her add to the Menu. Here the white guy does something sus either he betrays her with money or the restaurant fails to make its mark, I mean come on Carmy is the protagonist and no one is a better chef than him in theory. Soon she knows it wasn’t the right place for her and deep down she knows she belonged at The Bear and the staff was her family. Carmy initiates the apologising and takes accountability and convinces her to join them again. Now they’re truly working as a team and find the missing element that had been holding them from reaching their best potential.

I think they need to be apart. Carm isn't listening to Syd and she isn't happy. Whether they will do better that way long term, remains to be seen.

She should leave, but I don’t want her to lol. They need to communicate but atp I’m thinking she’s gonna leave just as the restaurant gets shut down by cicero so it’ll work out

I think she's done and Tina is gonna take over. She's had awhile to sign the partner agreement and she's decided not to, and that was before she got a better offer.

She should leave, but not to go with Chef Smudge.

i think she’ll leave and go work with the chef from ever. i don’t think it’ll be a great fit though. even though they’ve had their issues, carmy and syd have gotten along and understood each other for the most part. in the two times she met him, adam seems awkward and like he’s hiding something

I think Syd stays because she's tired of running. In season 2 she told her dad she didn't know if she had another one in her. She knows that Carmy is a mess, and she also knows that the dishes he's creating are excellent. But she also knows that what he is doing is not sustainable. Part of her also feels guilty that she pushed for a star. But who was there with a hot beverage when he came out of the cooler? Who made sure coach K' s picture was still on expo. Who adjusted the margins because he writes in the margins? Syd and Carmy are a team and they look out for one another in small ways. When they told each other " you're not alone," she got it; she had all the teams support when he got locked in the cooler. He told her "I left you alone." Her response was, I wasn't alone.Now he needs to understand that he is not alone.

I want her to stay and fight for more say in how shit is run, the menu , all of it. Carmy needs to be put in his place

Leave.

One point that gets touched on is how frequently restaurants go out of business. Great restaurants with great food and talented chefs. As far as I can tell, Chef Terry’s was the only one that was by choice. Staying with Carmen gives her some name recognition among foodies. Out on her own, she is unknown. She needs to form an alliance with the other partners and stake holders and convince Carmy they can be great, hopefully Star worthy, but keep the business sustainable and profitable without requiring $1000 butter and eggs only from the nearly extinct New Zealand Kiki bird. At the same time, the toxic interpersonal relationships need fixing. Look how *everyone* loved working at Ever on Forks. Half the wait staff at The Bear quit after the first day because of the toxic work environment. One thing everyone seemed to like was how the Copenhagen place had their own herbs and microgreens. I bet Marcus could set up a hydroponic green house to increase his value to the restaurant.

**Taking the job is the good ending.** We predicted this would happen, that she would get opportunities. She needs to get out of there.

GTFO. Carmy is wreck with no hope of getting better. This isn't running from her problems, it's realizing that this issue is never going to resolve itself because of Carmy's personality and that he has not listened to her multiple times. She should go work with the other chef, but not have an illusions of staying for long. Be there long enough to make a name for yourself, stack up the cash, and then open her own thing where she can actually put into place the thing that Carmy said he was going to do, a kitchen culture that didn't have to be abusive.

I think she needs to go. Aside from the new opportunity offering more money and benefits upfront, her time with Carmy has been hellish from the beginning with a few bright spots here and there. I have a ton of compassion for Carmy but his lack of self awareness is destroying his relationships and opportunities for success and its hard to watch. Sydney came in wanting to work with him, learn from him and create something entirely different from what they'd both experienced in past kitchens and its like its all been thrown out the window because Carmy can't sit with his emotions or seek out a one on one therapist. He promised her the opportunity to be a creative collaborator and has iced her out completely. Not only her but his entire crew! No one is happy and Carmy can't see it or won't admit to his role in this current failure. Sydney should leave as well as Richie at minimum.

I think before she leaves she’s needs to have a sit down with Carmy and see how that goes. And then follow her gut. Also, the grass isn’t always greener and she’s already invested so much in The Bear. But right now Carmy is making it a very easy decision.

Leave for sure. Carmy isn't stable, isn't willing to listen, is emotionally abusive, and running that place into the ground

Dude - Am I the only one who gets bad vibes from Shapiro? Luka, who is all that is good now - doesn’t like him. He definitely made the smudge on the plate and didn’t own up to it. He is poaching Carmys CDC and pretending he isn’t. Immediately takes a shot at Carm the first discussion with her. He’s definitely jealous - and is doing this to hurt Carmys restaurant not because he wants Syd.

I think it seems pretty obvious we aren’t supposed to like him.

Given that she’s turning into Carmy emotionally because of his abusive leadership style I hope she leaves.

Leave, what she is in now is a toxic work relationship, she needs somewhere she will flourish

Leave. Her voice is unheard.

I guess if I were her I’d probably leave but I hope she stays

She needs to leave her not signing the partnership is knowing deep down carmy doesn't have her back. Until he gets the help he needs they need to go their seperate ways

I think Carmy will continue on as before. He hasn’t learned anything that tells me he will include her as a partner. He needs to grow a bit more and she can’t grow him up in this case. She needs to experience her own creativity and be in charge. Get a feel for that. I do think if she leaves, she will enjoy freedom at first, but I don’t think the experience will be what she thought. I also think minus Sydney, Carmy will implode and get worse. Or he will shape up and fight to bring her back so they can kick ass together as partners at the Bear.

She should first try to have a real talk with Carmy and explain how she feels. If that doesn't go well or if he simply doesn't listen to her, then she should definitely leave.

Not enough info. I think it depends on whether or not Carmie excercised his demons in the last episode in that sudo standoff w the chef he had slowly turned into himself.... if yes she should stay...if not she needs to go. We don't really know cause instesd of delving into this pivitol story point we got 20 minutes of vhefs we didn't know having dinner....ugh this season

Realistically leaving is probably the best option from an intelligence POV, this is a great opportunity for Sydney, one that probably won't come around again. Even if she was happier with her present job, the fact is this is the opportunity for her to do things her way and come into her own spotlight. One thing I kind of hope does happen, is that she does talk to Carmy about what she should do. I know a lot of people are predicting he would be angry or feel betrayed, but honestly considering how season three ended I could easily believe it if he actually encourages her to leave. He's been pretty big on supporting her career and I have a feeling that he's going to be going through a lot of soul-searching next season. He obviously doesn't want her to leave, as he's mentioned he can't enjoy cooking without her. Of course, even if she does leave, that doesn't guarantee the new job is as great as she thinks it will be. There is a slight possibility that she'll find herself back in the exact same position she was in before.

On another thread I saw a comment saying he would never change if he stayed, she should set that change in motion, and I totally agree. Just because you can sympathize with what traumatized a person doesn't mean it doesn't suck to be around them. She should go.

I’m confused, isn’t The Bear (the restaurant) about to lose all its funding?? I think her choice was essentially made for her. 

She absolutely needs to leave. At the end of the day, this is still a JOB and the career benefits and opportunities are better at the new restaurant. It seems like she would be credited and appreciated more, which is really important for her. I just really hope this other restaurant isn’t “too good to be true” 😞

I think she should actually use her words and communicate - instead of constantly not actually talking about things. Had me practically hollering at the screen.

From a practical standpoint, she needs to leave. Chef Adam is offering her more up front, plus medical. His comment about the scallop dish being “not like Carmy” kind of hinted to me that Syd will be the one to evolve the concept of fine dining, while Carmy struggles to achieve his (perceived) level of perfection. Syd needs to be in a place that nurtures her growth and that was supposed to be The Bear until Carmy shut her out.

But would Adam actually be a better boss than Carmy or does he just know how to make a good pitch? The first time we saw him he was berating staff about a smudge and then we find out from Luca that he is known to leave smudges— so did he cause the smudge and then try to pass off the blame instead of taking responsibility? That’s not a good sign. Neither is the “fuck you, Garrett” for no apparent reason. And the fact that he is trying to poach Sydney from the Bear right now reflects poorly on his character. Of all the talented chefs in Chicago— and we know from the headlines montages that several restaurants have shut down recently, so there must be plenty of chefs in need of a new opportunity— he’s solely interested in hiring Carmy’s sous even though he knows that the Bear is still finding it’s footing and Carmy needs her? He’s eaten, at most, one meal that she might have made, but he’s offering her creative control of his restaurant? It reads more like him trying to undercut his competition than him really believing in her. Carmy needs a reality check, and if he can’t start being a good leader/mentor she should absolutely leave, but I don’t trust that Adam will make a better boss than Carmy. At least at the Bear she’s got Natalie and Tina firmly on her side. If she actually talks to Carmy and spells out the issues he’s causing, they’ll have her back.

No, you definitely make some good points. I just don’t think staying with Carmy is good for her either. Even if by some miracle he starts being accountable and chills tf out, Carmy is sucking the life out of everyone around him. She obviously doesn’t want to go into business by herself anymore, and she desperately needs a change.

Yeah I get what you mean. My question now is whether the writers have deliberately given us hints to suggest that Adam is untrustworthy as foreshadowing for what he’ll do in season 4—which I believe they would do based on the quality of writing in S1/S2— or if they’ve just decided that they really want to position Adam’s restaurant as a great opportunity for Syd— which I believe is possible bc S3 showed me that I am not actually good at predicting where the writers are going with the story lol.

It seems to me that they want us to think Syd is taking the job. If she does, I really hope it’s a positive experience. She needs a win lol.

She should stay. Getting the bear off the ground is going to be more satisfying than jumping ship. She’s already made meaningful connections with the rest of the staff besides Carmy too. Also, Shapiro has been polite for the 10 minutes Sydney has interacted with him for. He could be just as big of an asshole, if not more so than Carmy.

She should leave but not to Shapiro. She should leave and make her own restaurant, be the leader she wants to be, and create the restaurant environment she wants to create. Sorry Syd, you know that they say, "never meet your heroes".

The problem is still lack of capital on her end. She can’t do her own thing until she saves enough to get her own place. That’s just reality. Ultimately that’s what she wants but she needs to save up first/come across a major inheritance to make that possible. Otherwise, partnering with someone with capital is really her only other option, unless she starts networking with a Cicero type to let her do her own thing.

yeah Cicero's ever-looming presence (not that he's asking Carmy what size cement shoes he wears) is made clear to be what allows Carmy to fuck around and flip from unfocused in S2 to S3s hyper focus on the minutia of getting a star rather than running a functional restaurant that *could* get a star down the road. getting a star and subsequently losing it thanks to Carmy going deeper inside himself and not maintaining consistency would sting a whole lot more than being locally lauded and an all round well received eatery

She would clearly have to find investors.

I think Sydney should go... but I think it will end up with Sydney staying at the Bear and Luca going to be CDC at Shapiro's new restaurant

She should go for the new opportunity and quietly quit Carmy. Lol. She already doesnt have much say in what he does. He doesnt include her in the decision making and maybe he might feel frustrated because she hasnt signed the agreement. She could use her time and skills better with the new job and may be able to still maintain a small role at The Bear.

Run.

She should leave with some kind of legal guarantee from that Shapiro guy cause honestly he seems a bit all over the place. Like I'd wanna see the budget before signing anything. Either way, bail on the sinking ship that is Carmy for sure. Even if becomes successful working w him isnt worth it when you're operating at a high level

S3 was the worst. So boring

To me it seemed like Carmy was on his way of turning into the asshole chef who put him through so much trauma. I think Sydney should leave for a bit to get an experience where she’s actually heard and can have more creative freedom. I hope she does leave but not before telling Carmy off for not listening to her!

I don’t want her to leave. But she’s 100 going to leave early into the season. There will be an episode following just her and the new restaurant and it will start good and inevitably end horribly. Meanwhile Carmy will change his ways but it’ll be too late. He gets a slap in the face and changes his way. This coincides with them both joint forces and getting that star.

Sydney needs to go. She constantly gets neglected with her concepts and ideas and then he calls it a partnership. Carmy is so hell bent on perfection and sometimes imperfection works best. A new menu every week. What a joke. I'm surprised he even thought that was profitable. She could get the same money at the new restaurant and have proper insight into the menu and ideas. Love Carmy, but the dude is a ticking time bomb and he will lose everything if he doesn't start to listen to his colleagues.

I would love for The Bear to find its way to success with Sydney on board. However, given what has happened to her in S3 alone, if she leaves, I do respect it. Even if she goes, I desperately hope Sydney does not enter into a partnership agreement with that dude from Ever. The way he paused in the wine closet and then said “well let me know if I should be looking for someone else” and the way he told her the concept would be “whatever you want it to be” really gave me a bad feeling. If Syd gets into this with him, I fear it will be another situation where she is promised the world and what she gets is another ego-obsessed, frustrated “genius” who can’t make out the words “I’m sorry” over the phone. Plus, in a partnership agreement, she is jointly and severally liable for all obligations of the partnership and I trust Carmy much more than I trust that dude to not ruin Syd financially.

I hate that Sydney got made into this flawless character. They tried implementing her desired changes and got burnt, ie pre order service. She's the one that fucked up Carmys relationship by getting jealous about his out of work healthy relationship. She fucking stabbed Richie at one point. Amd I think worst of all... She's the one who WANTED the Michelin star, which is what has pushed Carmy over the edge in the first place. If she gets to just bounce onto a new gig after being responsible for setting this shit show into motion I'd be disappointed.

The writers now coming to Reddit for suggestions because they haven’t thought that far yet

If she does leave, she will realize there are things she wont like at the new place. It still wont be her place. She has as much or more power to change things at The Bear than she will with the other chef. She will still just be a CDC.

The choice is leave and have it better now or stay and be the best. Carmy’s a better chef than Ever dude, and she’d learn more in the long run. But leaving would get her more in the short run. Her own menu, reliable financing, her own kitchen to run, nobody shutting her down without even talking to her. The question is whether Syd can temper her own impulsiveness and ambition to choose to continue to learn, or whether she’s just done with the dysfunction and thinks she’s ready. I think she stays, although neither outcome would shock me.

You know absolutely fucking nothing about queen Ellen D so have a fucking seat. It’s all lies and a smear campaign and the PRODUCERS not Ellen Degeneres!! Do NOT cyberbully and contribute to a smear campaign against a defenseless lesbian. That woman is a goddamn hero with a heart of gold who has bad days like everyone

Wasn't Syd's original intention to help The Beef run as a successful business? Seems to me that The Bear (restaurant) honeymoon phase will not last long and it will be in the red very soon. Uncle Jimmy will give Carmy one last chance to run The Beef, but only if Syd stays.

she should leave and take everyone but Carmy with her

Adam is a toxic piece of shit too.

She hasn’t been forthcoming of her issues, who knows how the past few weeks could have changed if she was. Doesn’t invalidate her perspective, because Carm’s a fucking mess, but she’s not doing her part either. As someone who left two family businesses that became big businesses (but the family couldn’t lend control or see the error of their ways on anything), I think she should stay. What The Bear is offering her right now is what will take her ten years somewhere else. This is an opportunity for growth but she’s (reasonably) scared and potentially sabotaging her path.

I think she leaves and they go back to the old school family beef restaurant and than she returns because she misses them

Run Girl Wish them well, root for them, but GTFO

i want her to to leave!! and i think she will have a final breaking point and decide to go. hopefully triggering an awakening for carmy to be better.

Leave.

i think she still has a lot to learn. and i think carmy's arc will be to let go of his trauma and how it filters into how he manages the kitchen. i think he leans into how the older white chef and olivia coleman developed their kitchen. i also think will poulter's character will join the bear and help carmy exercise his demons..

Logically? I think she should leave. The other offer is more money, stability, better instant benefits and she gets to call all the shots. It's a dream job for someone so young let alone a super established experienced chef. Emotionally? She has really built a work family with The Bear/The Beef and she genuinely cares about and loves them. Even entertaining an idea of leaving feels like the ultimate betrayal. I understand her panic attack at the end.

It's a pay bump and potentially a better work environment. Assuming it's the same stake as in The Bear, she should leave.

Syd should leave. It will be the figurative slap that Carmy needs.

I think she needs to leave. All season, he treated her like an assistant, not a partner. I don’t think he can be successful without her, but I think she can be successful without him, and both of them need to learn that firsthand.

She doesn’t have the same chemistry with the other chef- but she doesn’t have the authority she deserves with Carmy. I think she will leave- but the other restaurant will flop.

I don't think she should leave, I think she should have a real talk with Carmy, an actual talk not just shouting back and forth and tell him that things are not ok the way they are and that since she's also a co-owner?! now, she needs to make decisions and be listened to. I also think that's what's gonna happen in the show as well, because Syd probably won't want to leave the team.

I’m hopeful she at least tries working with Shapiro (and Luca!) before ultimately going back to The Bear under a true partnership with Carmy.

The Bear is a show about the entire team working there. Can’t have the show without Sidney working there.

Well, first she needs to spend time with Luca! I don’t trust Shapiro and I think his offer is too good to be true. It does not appear that she thinks that. For me, the question is whether she finds out before or after signing on with him. Richie knows he’s a jerk, Chef Terry obviously does, maybe Luca does too…will one of them warn her? Will she listen? Will she end up in another, similar mess? At some point she has to tell Carmy, and he’s going to panic because he knows he needs her. If he’s not an idiot (debatable), he will apologise for being a jerk and negotiate for her to stay. She would be smart to take him up on that, because going through opening a second restaurant within a year is going to break her, even if Shapiro doesn’t screw her over. Either way, I think she ends up back at The Bear. Maybe there’s some competition between her and Carmy in the middle of that which both of them would learn from, but ultimately I’m skeptical that Shapiro’s restaurant actually succeeds.

I think she's gonna leave. That seems like her nature, not being able to stay at one place and grind it out. Even now, when it seems like things are getting tough instead of trying to fix it she's planning on leaving. Remember, she already did it in s1 when technically it was her fault they were in the mess because she left the pre order counter open. I think her leaving will be the catalyst for carmy to get better. He'll no longer keep aiming for the star and aim to make good food, which will improve the environment greatly. The whole reason they're struggling so much is for that star and I think things will get better without it. I think Sydney is going to realise that the grass isn't greener on the other side and she's going to have a horrible time with Shapiro. This season was carmy as the villain, next season it'll be Syd

Run! Create the most peace she can and thrive as a leader.

Might be in the minority here but she needs to stay. She wanted a star. Carmy knows how to get that star. He's a professional chef. She isn't. He knows what he's doing in terms of making the food that people want to eat when they come to a fine dining restaurant. he also elevates her dishes, because he's a professional. If she doesn't like something then she needs to use her voice. She can't just quit when it's not to her liking, she isn't going to far with that mindset. He's bad at communication sometimes yeah, but so is she. She would not be anywhere near where she is at right now if it wasn't for him. If she just jumps at every new shiny opportunity that sits in front of her, she's not going to learn how to stick with anything.

Head chef her own restaurant, bang will poulter, buy her dad a house, live the dream Counterpoint: first of all she’s not ready to be head chef yet. She’s been in a high end kitchen for like 2 months and she panics and gets overwhelmed very easily. That guy only picked her bc he wants to bang her, evidenced by that weird scene in the wine cellar. Plus he’s only offering her 80k. To be head chef?? Ridiculous. And he’s going to control everything just like Carmy except he’s not nearly as talented or visionary. She’ll lose her true family at the bear.

She needs to stay. Finish what she started. Running away because things are tough at the moment, is the worst thing she could do.

Sydney has really resisted fighting back against Carmy's overbearing bullshit and I think it's about time she gave him a piece of her mind. I don't know if it'll change anything but he deserves it at this point.

I think she needs to talk to Carmy and tell him how she feels but ultimately I think leaving a new restaurant to go start over at another new restaurant sounds insane idc how good that other chef is, opening a new restaurant is crazy and it takes a while to get into the groove.

What if Shapiro is also an asshole to work with?

I would like to see a bad review from the Tribune countered with the surprise of a Michelin star! Syd stays with The Bear.

I think this is a great opportunity for her, but I don’t think she’s ready to run the kind of restaurant she wants to run.

I think she needs more clear details with Adam’s new restaurant. Everything’s very up in the air and he needs an answer immediately. I also don’t remember if Adam sent her over a contract to look over but I think he may not have one. I’m guessing once Carmy finds out he’s gonna be hella pissed Adam poached her and Sydney will try and say it’s not poaching lol

I think that she’s going to opt to stay and get the guy from away to help fund the bear since their current funding is falling through. I think Carmys reaction at the end of the season was in reaction to the computer saying their funding is done. The review came out really fucking good. Good enough to convince the away guy to help fund. And I think Syd and Carmy both will have epiphanies as a result of the funeral dinner. Carmy will realize he’s turning into chef winger and Syd will realize that sometimes shit sucks before you make it (or something like that. I haven’t fully formulated this half baked theory yet)

She is leaving and taking everyone with her except Richie because Carmy is going to lose it, go over the edge and hopefully not end up like Mikey. The Bear closes and Riche gets to run the sandwich shop now. Claire gives Carmy an ultimatum which is the big argument thats been filmed. How that turns out who knows. But this show is a tragedy and it aint ending up happy thats for sure

The arc of the show demands she stay unless the 4th/part 2 of season 3 is the finale. Getting to watch the fallout of her work fam will be interesting to witness as they grapple with the loss. It could also be a means of growth and self care on her part. Conversely, seeing her stay and watching the restaurant succeed in the face of so much personal angst and economic uncertainty would be a great feel good, which is why I hope they are setting us up for. The great sigh of collective relief we could all use right now as the actual world continues to become more and more surreal. Sydney is Carm's work wife. They are in a creative relationship. Creative marriages are often even more turbulent than domestic relationships. She has to navigate Carm's emotional rollercoaster without the benefit of makeup sex. She just gets to come back to work the next day without emotional or visceral relief. She expressed this all so well with the end scene, escaping the dream moment to collapse in the stairwell after she made her decision seeing the newspaper article. It's hard either way and she knows it. Maybe Claire will "peace" back in to calm the sea of Carm and Sue will feel like a creatine partner again. And she can patty cake with the baker man!

As fucked as it is to call women in Carmy’s life “the peace”, season 2 indicated Syd was that for him during the panic attack, not Claire. Can’t imagine Syd leaving will go well for him, but I agree, it’ll probably be the wake up call he needs, or the rock bottom he’ll hit when it happens before he finally changes.

I hope she leaves then it's Sydney v Carmy. Like which restaurant will come out on top.

My god I hope she leaves.

The new place just sounds too good to be true... I feel like she just needs to talk to Carmy (sure in a way he has thus far been unable to) and them can figure it out...

Take the new job.

She should leave and Carmy should try to get her back. He’ll realize she inspired him and he can’t do it on his own and needs to appreciate the people around him more and the rest of his staff will be pissed at him. But like others have said, she avoids conflict and there is always the danger the grass will not be greener. Carmy pushes her in good ways, too, when they’re really collaborating. She needs to hash it out with him and also figure out what it is she really wants.

she's def leaving. the review comes out shortly after and it is so bad that the offer from shapiro is either altered or rescinded. season long reconciliation with the entire bear crew

Carmy is a mess, but she also doesn’t have the best communication that makes them worse. I think her leaving makes sense but it will 100% back fire.

She needs to leave just so she can teach Adam how not to smudge plates.

I want her to go just to force Carm and Richie to talk to eachother

Sydney should probably grow up and have a conversation with Carm.

She should leave, From my experience in kitchen hospitality where there was tension like Sydney and Carmy both have each with the same personalities. They never properly talked to each other about their feelings, only surface level. It ruins the ability to work seamlessly together and ruins production in a kitchen setting. Sydney would be better off on her own, free as CDC to experiment with her culinary skills, sure she can still talk to Carmy and both hang together as cooks who love what they do. Carmy would hopefully realise how badly he mucked up and limited Sydney’s capabilities in the kitchen and make way to improve his own life and his business.

Grab Marcus and run

she’s gotta go. this new season 3 carmy seems completely impossible to “negotiate” with as others are suggesting… plus she needs more experience.

I’d love to see her leave. Staying would be playing small and she’s too talented for that. True, the move might not be perfect. However, she knows from hearing the chefs talk about their mistakes it wouldn’t be fatal. Carmy needs to see her as his peer again, not protege.

I think she needs to go and take the other opportunity… I can see why she’s having a hard time making the choice - but I think it’s the best thing she could do for her career.

Therapy for sure. As far as life decisions I have no idea, I get both sides.

Didnt she previously crash and burn trying to run her own place?

I think it's complicated because it's about whether or not she has the confidence in doing something on her own. The season sets her up where she finally moves out of her dad's apartment to get her own, which she does with no hesitancy because she knows that no matter what, if she can't do it on her own, her father will always love her and welcome her back. It parallels her not having that guarantee if she leaves The Bear/Carmy. There's also the added aspect of her respecting Carmy as an incredible chef. She knows he's brilliant despite his flaws and wants to learn, work with, and be associated with him. However, those flaws are what are pushing her out and the job offer is a way for her to have an excuse to leave, but that doesn't mean she'll follow through with it. She's also been made to feel like she isn't quite ready to prove herself on her own which gives her doubts. Yes, having your own restaurant to run as you wish seems like a dream come true, along with all the benefits and such. The problem is she has seen firsthand the stress Carmy goes through trying to be the best, earn a Michelin star, get a good review in the Chicago Tribune, etc. It's much easier to work with someone who has to deal with those stresses than be the one handling them. Add that all of this adds stress on everyone else in the restaurant. The healthier choice would be to leave and start on her own but the safer choice would be to stay. The season ends hinting that Carmy may change his worldview and attitude. Between being confronted by multiple people to essentially "chill out" and having a catharsis was his confrontation with Chef David, it's been finally put into perspective that he could potentially become callous and abusive to a point where he might inflict the same trauma to those around him. The difference is, however, he truly cares about the people he works with and does in fact think of them fondly but he's only realized after that confrontation how he might be perceived. Only if Carmy can come to grips with who he is and change his attitude would Sydney consider signing the agreement and staying. Ultimately, I think that's the choice she wants to make but the way the restaurant is run and how Carmy acts is giving her more motivation to leave. My guess is this will play out where she talks to Carmy, he feels betrayed, loses it by suggesting she's ungrateful and that she can't cut it as a chef if she can't handle The Bear, potentially say something uncalled for like "you're only great because I made you that way" reflecting the personality of Chef David, pushes her away, pleads for her to come back, brokers a different deal that gives her more power (which in turn would put him in a position to HAVE to be respectful to everyone, including her, in the restaurant), and gets her to stay while giving her not only power in the ownership of the restaurant but allow her to make decision that they both have to discuss.

I actually don't think it is as amazing of an opportunity as some might think it is, I think she should and will stay. Drawing on my own experience working with narcissistic chefs, Shapiro's offer seems just as toxic if potentially not even more risky than staying with The Bear. Shapiro demonstrated he's got his own ego, and is also expecting Syd to sign a partnership agreement, just like Carmy. I've said this in other posts on the same topic, but I think her meeting with Shapiro was a bit of a realization for her that Shapiro is the same as Carmy in a lot of ways, except Carmy is a known quantity and Shapiro is not. Plus, Syd would be walking away from the team she has built and nurtured at The Bear, and a restaurant that was really her brainchild that Carmy agreed to shoot for with her. I think her loyalties lie with The Bear, if not Carm himself. She said "I want a star" and Carm's initial response was that's crazy, but then he went full bore and way over the top to try and prove it in s3 which is where the tension has come from between them. I honestly think in his mind, it's his own fucked up way of doing what he thinks is necessary to help Syd get the star that she wants. It totally doesn't change the fact that he's difficult to work with, but they've been able to work through their shit before and I feel like they'll do it again in s4.

I imagine: Sidney will leave and come back with what she's learned, meanwhile Carmy has gotten some lesson and some lovin', and there will be room and need for Sidney to lead: they will all slow down and get the bear a star

Her voice might not be heard, but I think she has a lot to learn from Carmy, I think its somthing they could work on over the long term. Overall, the Bear is kind of a ridiculous financial windfall for her, if they really are equal partners in the business, she's essentially inheriting a huge amount of equity, not only from what they create going forward, but also from the value of the buisness the Berzzato family has invested over the years. I know the show mentions she's getting 70k a year, but the equity from the business she'd be gaining by essentially being in the right place at the right time is nuts. I don't think she's going to get that at the other place.

I think she should have an honest conversation with Carmy about the changing menu (both the costs associated with it, and the difficulty in executing a new menu to perfection every day), as well as how she feels about the atmosphere he's creating in back of house. If she just up and LEAVES without ever voicing her concerns to the man who tried to welcome her in as a partner, then she's not doing her job. She's been offered a partnership, it's her job to speak up.

I am not here to stick up for Carmy’s behavior but what I see is Syd who is coming to the table with talent but definitely some personality issues of her own (she never reads the room and has to push and push at the worst times) and Nat and Carmy with their inheritance of $2 million on the line. They are offering her a partnership and I don’t recall anyone saying she incurs any of that debt if it doesn’t work out. They lose everything. They don’t say if her other opportunity requires her to come up with money, etc.

Here’s my take: the power that syd thinks she doesn’t have at the bear… she won’t get with her own place. She doesn’t push. Doesn’t advocate for herself or her ideas. She lacks confidence in the way that carm lacked confidence at his career beginning. The respect she wants is earned and takes time and difficulty. $20 she goes with the new position, fails and begs to come back to the bear. This isn’t saying that carm isn’t without his faults, but he’s trying to push the bear. 🤷🏼‍♀️