Apologies (The Bear)
Apologies represents the ninth installment in the third season of the American comedy-drama series The Bear. It is the 27th episode in total, penned by supervising producer Alex Russell and helmed by series creator Christopher Storer. The episode was released on Hulu on June 26, 2024, simultaneously with the entire season.
The narrative follows Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto, a celebrated New York City chef who returns to Chicago to take over his late brother Michael's struggling Italian beef sandwich shop. In this chapter, the team braces for an important critique while organizing a memorial event for the restaurant.
Plot
Behind the scenes at the restaurant, Faks, Neil (Matty Matheson) and Theodore (Ricky Staffieri) support Carmy (Jeremy Allen White), encouraging him to reach out and apologize to Claire (Molly Gordon). However, Carmy remains preoccupied, anxiously awaiting a crucial Chicago Tribune review that could impact the establishment's future.
Communication tensions arise between Carmy and Sydney (Ayo Edebiri), as Sydney grows frustrated with Carmy's lack of insight into his own behavior. When Carmy tries to contact Claire, he only manages to murmur "I'm sorry" quietly to himself. Later, Cicero (Oliver Platt) arrives and reveals that escalating expenses mean a negative review might force him to cut back his financial support.
Sydney feels envious upon reading articles that credit Carmy solely for The Bear's achievements. While delivering meals to Pete (Chris Witaske) and Natalie (Abby Elliott), she discovers that Carmy offers her lower wages and fewer benefits than what she would receive working for Adam.
At a park, Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and Tiff (Gillian Jacobs) watch Eva (Annabelle Toomey) play; Tiff voices worries about her limited social network as her wedding approaches. Carmy invites Sydney to attend the Ever's "funeral service" closing dinner, temporarily shutting down the restaurant. During this event, Marcus (Lionel Boyce) and Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas) collaborate on innovative dishes. Fak and Theodore visit Claire in the hospital; Fak confesses his love for her, but Claire insists she must hear it directly from Carmy first. As preparations for the funeral progress, Carmy dons a suit at his apartment.
Production
Marcus continues delving into themes of magic and illusion, inspired by a card sleight-of-hand trick discovered within Carmy's food journals in Legacy. The episode opens with excerpts from iconic films such as Georges Méliès' A Trip to the Moon, Salvador Dalí and Luis Buñuel's Un Chien Andalou, The Red Shoes, Hitchcock’s Vertigo, and Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind. These visuals are paired with commentary from magician Ricky Jay and director Martin Scorsese. Their dialogue explores concepts like magic tricks, sleight-of-hand, misdirection, deception, and narrative technique. Ricky Jay’s voiceover is taken from Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay.
Development
In May 2024, Hulu announced that the ninth episode would be titled "Apologies," written by supervising producer Alex Russell and directed by series creator Christopher Storer. This episode marks Russell’s second writing contribution and Storer’s eighteenth time directing an episode in the series.
Costuming
Carmy dons a Ralph Lauren cotton "deck jacket" characterized by a corduroy collar, Japanese-style buttons, grosgrain-weave fabric, and a half-lined construction influenced by traditional nautical outerwear from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Meanwhile, Sydney is seen wearing a vintage Ralph Lauren cowboy sweater during her visits to Lake Michigan and Sugar's residence.
Music
This episode's soundtrack includes tracks such as "Are You Looking Up" by Mk.gee, "Secret Love" by Stevie Nicks, "Blowing Kisses" by Jennifer Castle, "Constant Headache" by Joyce Manor, and "A Murder of One" by Counting Crows. Jennifer Castle collaborated previously with Matty Matheson, a producer on the series who also portrays Ted Fak, at a restaurant. Castle explained to Rolling Stone that "Blowing Kisses" conveys a message of love and respect, encouraging attention to the positive amidst adversity.
The song "Blowing Kisses" plays over a montage featuring dish sketching for The Bear, interspersed with scenes of Sydney enjoying serene views of Lake Michigan and preparing food.[1]
Food
Sydney brings meals to postpartum Natalie, enabling her to concentrate on recovery and caring for her child. The dishes served include beef ragù alla bolognese with noodles, lasagna featuring "crispy edges," beef stew, and minestrone soup.[2]
Critical reviews
Jenna Scherer from The A.V. Club assigned the episode a "B–" grade, criticizing the season’s emphasis on self-reflection without substantial plot progression or decisive choices from characters such as Carmy, Sydney, Richie, and Marcus.
Marah Eakin of Vulture rated it 4 out of 5 stars, drawing attention to Carmy’s emotional scene en route to a restaurant funeral and pondering the future direction of The Bear.
A.J. Daulerio writing for Decider observed that four key characters—Carmy, Sydney, Richie, and Cicero—face challenges in being truthful with themselves and others, cautioning that the restaurant’s fate hinges on their swift confrontation of these realities.
Josh Rosenberg from Esquire remarked on rising tensions among the cast and urged Carmy to offer an apology amid growing pressures.[3]
Retrospective reviews
In 2024, The Hollywood Reporter positioned "Apologies" at number 21 out of 28 episodes. ScreenRant ranked it 26th, describing it as "one of the series’ weaker installments" due to diminished stakes and reduced dramatic tension.[4]
By 2025, Vulture placed "Apologies" 24th among 38 episodes of The Bear.[5]
See also
- Complete episode guide for The Bear
- Third season of The Bear
- Prior episode: "Ice Chips"
- Following episode: "Forever"
External links
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