The Bear is about a lot of things, from addiction to trauma to realizing that as you get older, you can create your own wonderful family. It’s also about chasing dreams, especially when they seem totally impossible. One of the best characters who has been following his heart since the pilot episode is Marcus Brooks (Lionel Boyce), and the pastry chef has an emotional arc at the end of season 2.
Marcus is kind, thoughtful, and compassionate, and we love watching him make amazing desserts. While The Bear season 2 finale sees all the main characters dealing with a lot as they open the new restaurant, Marcus has an especially memorable time.
How did Marcus’s The Bear season 2 storyline wrap up?
Throughout season 2, Marcus helps his mom, who has been sick for a while and who tragically can’t communicate with him anymore. At the end of the season, he’s having fun working at the restaurant… but his phone keeps ringing. His mom has passed away, and when he realizes it, we know it’s going to be devastating.
Marcus struggles with the reality that his mom is going to die in season 2, and his desire to become a brilliant pastry chef is also part of his journey. Anyone who has experienced anticipatory grief knows how hard it can be, and Marcus wants to do the right thing for his mom. That’s just one of the reasons why we love him so much. All The Bear characters deal with anxiety in some way, and Marcus has to face one of the harshest realities of life.
A few episodes before Marcus’s mom’s death, Carmy Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) wants Marcus to study in Copenhagen. Just like Richie’s (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) episode “Forks” shifts his entire perspective, Marcus gets his own awesome episode called “Honeydew” and learns a lot from Luca (Will Poulter). He feels more sure than ever before that he can really do this. But he’ll never forget that when he was enjoying himself during The Bear’s opening night, his mom died. As Lionel Boyce told Deadline, “He had a great night and he’ll punish himself for not being attentive, like for losing himself.” He added, “he’s just got lost in work and life caught up to him.”
Marcus also has an important moment in The Bear season 2 finale: deciding that the sign Luca wants him to have that says “Every second counts” should be in the restaurant’s kitchen. The saying encourages everyone in the kitchen to not get too stressed out that they can’t cook well and get orders out quickly, but it’s also so much more. Since The Bear deals with grief so much, with Carmy, Richie, and Sugar (Abby Elliot) still dealing with losing Mikey (Jon Bernthal), this sign speaks to the show’s theme of living in the moment. Marcus and his coworkers know how quickly everything can be taken away and they appreciate the opportunity to do work that they love.
While The Bear season 3 lives up to the dramatic promise of its trailer, there are also some beautiful, raw, and honest moments about the process of grieving a loved one. In The Bear season 3, episode 3, “Doors,” Marcus and his co-workers/friends/family attend his mother’s funeral and he makes a beautiful speech. While we never want to think about losing a parent (or anyone really), we know we’ll always remember the good times, the little moments, and what we learned from them. Marcus makes it clear in his eulogy that his mom was wonderful and he’ll never forget her.
What else happened to Marcus in The Bear season 2 finale?
Marcus makes some huge strides in his career in the last episode of The Bear season 2 and realizes that he can definitely make it as a pastry chef. He was nervous about this before, but we love seeing him have fun trying new things. Marcus and Carmy have always both loved looking through cookbooks and finding motivation that way, and Marcus feels like he has been given a new lease on life after his time in Copenhagen. We cheered him on the entire time and looked forward to seeing what delicious desserts he would create in The Bear season 3.
When the restaurant is finally open for business, Marcus is thrilled and loves being part of the team. While he experiences the same stress that the others do since everyone in the kitchen deals with some problems, he knows this is where he wants to be and where he should be.
Another important plot point involving Marcus? His crush on Sydney Adamu (Ayo Edebiri). At the end of The Bear season 2, it’s clear that they’re just going to be pals because she doesn’t see him in a romantic light. Their conversation is super respectful and polite, and we know they care about each other a lot. We’d love to see Marcus in a happy relationship. Maybe in season 4…