The Berzattos—and by extension, the entire Original Beef family—have been living in, around, and on top of each other for so long that they can’t remember things being any other way. They talk over one another, bump elbows in the kitchen, and regularly call each other “a piece of shit” in the most loving way possible. They’re never, ever alone.
But, as Richie mulls over throughout this episode, there’s a big difference between being and being With the exception of Natalie, there are very few (if any) members of The Bear team who have a significant other in their lives. And sure, you can find fulfillment in your work; but if that’s the whole story, then something is definitely missing. It’s brilliant and bittersweet that is showing us some of the most tender moments of Carmy and Claire’s relationship only after it’s ended.
“Violet” opens with a whispered exchange between the two—the kind that only happens behind closed doors in the wee hours of the night, honesty giving off its own light in the sleep-drunk dark. Carm and Claire may be fully clothed, but there’s nothing more intimate than the meandering conversation they have about deep cuts and the things that made them. Claire notices the scar on her boyfriend’s palm and wonders how he got it.
From grabbing the handle of a hot pot, he tells her; but of course there’s more to the story. “Did it hurt so much that it didn’t hurt at all?” (I’m reminded of that famous scene where Don tells.
