Now that we know season 5 of The Bear is a go, it is important to remember one thing about the show: Richie is the best character. Since season 1, Cousin (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) has been there to support The Beef and his growth is a beautiful thing to see.
Richie started The Bear as an antagonist in a way. He didn’t want Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) changing anything that Michael (Jon Bernthal) did. He wanted to keep that legacy alive but didn’t understand that Carmy was just trying to keep the restaurant alive. So when it came to finding a job for Richie in the new restaurant, The Bear, Carmy realized that Richie first needed to fix himself and he did that by sending him to a restaurant that was all about the experience.
It allowed Richie to go from the guy who was causing chaos to someone with a set job and life through those two seasons. Into season 3, Richie was growing into someone that the Bear needed. He was in charge of the front of house, knew what he was doing, and even was trying to help Carmy out. All of this had led to season 4 Richie and this season has, for me, cemented him as one of the best characters on television.
From the start of the show, Richie has been someone who cares. He might not have had the best or most healthy ways of going about it but he learned how he should and should not act and I think that’s what makes me so obsessed with Richie. He’s not perfect but at least he’s someone willing to try to be a better person and when it comes to The Bear, that’s a big deal.
This is how you do character development
Richie’s character arc didn’t happen all at once. He’s had a long journey to get to where he is in season 4. When Tiff (Gillian Jacobs) marries her new husband, Richie is there to be supportive. Season 1 Richie would have been a destructive force at that wedding but the new Cousin was sweet, helpful, and even made sure that his daughter was okay with everything going on to try and make Tiff’s day the best it could be.
His dynamic with Syd (Ayo Edebiri) this season was really something special because it wasn’t a sexual kind of love and relationship. It was two friends who care about each other and seeing that platonic love really works on a show like The Bear. But you can tell that Richie has grown in how he talks to Carmy about his decision at the end of the season.
So yes, I love Richie the best. Mainly because he’s trying and while a lot of these characters are lost in their own nonsense, Richie has gone through that journey and is actively still working on himself and I think that’s a beautiful thing to explore within this series. And I hope season 5 continues that journey for Richie.
(featured image: FX)
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