‘The Bear’ Season 3’s Romantic Implications: Which Ships Sunk And Set Sail Ahead Of Season 4?

To ship, or not to ship, that is the question for fans of The Bear.

Since Season 1 of FX’s Emmy-winning comedy premiered back in June 2022, a host of viewers have been craving a side of romance to go with their hefty helpings of culinary chaos. But a hunger for romantic relationships on the critically-acclaimed cooking show isn’t universal. Other fans, who hope the show opts to celebrate and deepen platonic friendships in the kitchen, see romance between the Chicago chefs as a big, fat, non-negotiable no. So what’s the status of The Bear ships after Season 3? Glad you asked!

Going into The Bear‘s third season, a number of viewers were convinced there were “romantic implications” between Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) and Sydney (Ayo Edebiri). Others hoped that Sydney and Marcus (Lionel Boyce) would eventually hit it off, especially after he asked her out in Season 2. Another giddy group started boldly shipping Sydney and Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach). And some who felt all the above chefs should stay single thought the go-to ship in Season 3 should be The Bear and Success. (They weren’t wrong!)

In the days leading up to Season 3’s June 26 premiere The Ringer dubbed the series “a love story between Sydney and Carmy” and published a comprehensive list of all their most romantically-charged moments. When asked if there was any talk in the room about the online chatter of romantic implications between Syd and Carm’s relationship during FX’s Season 3 press conference, however, Edebiri said “No,” and White confirmed, adding, “No, there was no talk in the rooms about any romantic implications.”

In Season 3, Sydney and Carmy definitely, absolutely, 100% do not start dating, nor do they kiss, nor are they on particularly great terms! If we’re being honest, several ships seem to have sailed in Season 3, while other unexpected pairings may be cropping up. Whether or not you’re thirsty for romantic connections on The Bear, the ship wars rage on. So Decider is here to share our suggested pairings ahead of Season 4, plus some Ships On Deck in case you want to explore other options.

1. Carmy And Therapy

   Bet you didn’t see this one coming, but if we’re being serious, you should have! Before we can even begin to romantically ship The Chairman of the Tortured Chefs Department with anyone, Season 3 proved he has some serious trauma to sort through. The man swore off giving and receiving amusement and enjoyment for goodness sake! If Carmy’s seeing anyone right now, it should be a licensed mental health professional who specializes in anxiety, stress, grief, abuse, family conflict, relentless and extremely gorgeous montages, etc.

   Ships On Deck: Carmy and Claire (Clairmy?!), SydCarmy

   If Carmy puts in the work and finds himself in a healthy place, by all means, go for it, chef! Season 3 also stressed that this man is in no way, shape, or form over Claire Bear (Molly Gordon). I know everyone thinks she’s a deeply irritating Manic Pixie Dream Girl, but she low-key also seems nice and appears to make him happy! I, for one, would like to see this man have some joy in his life, so if he really thinks Claire is “peace,” fine! That said, I must address the SydCarmy of it all, because I’d be lying if I said at several points in the series I didn’t see it! The table scene? The flashbacks of her that helped pull him out of a panic attack? Romantic implications were romantic implication-ing. That said, I love Syd too much to ship her with Carm in Season 3 and you should, too. He was NOT showing up for her in Season 3 and she deserves more. If Carm betters himself in Season 4, then we can talk. Otherwise, there’s a new Hot Chef in town…

2. Sydney And Chef Luca

   The Bear fans crowned Will Poulter’s Luca the official Hot Chef of Season 2 after watching him mentor Marcus in Copenhagen and he made his triumphant return in Season 3’s finale to attend Ever’s funeral service. There, Carmy introduced him to Sydney, and when I tell you those two Hit It Off instantly — like, Chris Storer, if you’re reading this play “Enchanted (Taylor’s Version)” immediately. The two made small talk during dinner, but after the party, they headed to Ever’s kitchen for some quality conversation under the “Every Second Counts” sign. Swoon! The two dove deep into discussion about their families, asked thoughtful questions, shared laughs and cheesy grins, and straight-up got their flirt on. The chemistry was electric and effortless, and their intimate scene was set to “We Close Our Eyes” by Susanna Hoffs, which features lyrics like, “And if you come to me and if you touch my hand I might just slip away/ I might just disappear, who am I/And if you think I’m worth it/And if you think it’s not too late/You might start falling/If we don’t try too hard/We might start falling in love.” I’M JUST SAYING. SydLuca danced and laughed at Syd’s afterparty later that night, and the chef is staying in Chicago for a few months, so we’ll see what Season 4 has in store.

   Ships On Deck: SydCarmy, SydRichie, SydMarcus, SydNewJob

   We already broke down SydCarmy, and honestly, if Carmy doesn’t start treating Sydney better we might be shipping SydNewJob in Season 4. SydRichie made no sense to me at first, but during a recent rewatch I did say “OH!” out loud in response to several of their scenes — but in Season 3, the romantic implications weren’t there. Richie also has several ships of his own, so let’s move on to SydMarcus. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t see sweet, genuine potential there. Marcus was (and perhaps still is?) clearly interested, but Sydney essentially changes the subject whenever the topic comes up, so it feels like she’s not? And that’s a huge factor in shipping.

3. Richie And Chef Jess

   Hear me out, people: Richie and Chef Jess (Sarah Ramos) could be a match made in Ever. She played a role in his Season 2 “Forks” epiphany, gave him the opportunity to prove himself in the kitchen, and welcomed him back with forks in hand during the funeral service. As we saw in a Season 3 phone call, the two have been in touch since Richie’s iconic five-day run at the restaurant. And in the Season 3 finale, they share a sweet moment in which Richie asks if there’s a secret to staying “all pumped.” She says she surrounds herself with people who are better than her (outside of work), then later at Sydney’s afterparty we see them laughing and dancing together. Richie clearly respects and admires Jess, and — per her advice — he also wants to surround himself with people like her to continue growing. He’s been working hard to move on from Eva’s mom, Tiff — whose wedding is quickly approaching — so if the exes have no plans to rekindle their romance, I think I might officially be Team Jessie. (I’m not good at couple names, sorry!)

   Ships On Deck: Richie and Tiffany

   Let the record show that after The Bear introduced us to Tiffany in Season 2’s “Fishes” and the two shared the sweetest, goofiest scene in Donna’s bedroom, I was hardcore shipping Richie and Tiff. Honestly, I wanted the two to reconcile even after I learned she was engaged! But then…

4. Tiffany And Frank

   As long last, The Bear Season 3 introduced Tiff’s fiancé Frank. and he’s played by none other than JOSH HARTNETT. (A known fan of The Bear!) Not only that, but when Frank opens the door to his house for Richie and Eva, Taylor Swift’s “Long Live (Taylor’s Version)” is playing in the background. He’s handsome! He’s awkward and gentle! He listens to Eva’s favorite artist! He lets her call him Waldo! He also takes time to have a heart-to-heart with Richie, in which he admits he’s “feeling really shitty” for not giving him a heads up before asking Tiff to marry him. “I also know that like, this can be a little weird. And I don’t want to add to the weirdness. I want things to be good. And you and I are probably gonna spend a lot of time together. So just — and I like that,” Frank frantically continues in another show of solid casting from The Bear. “Whatever. I’m talking way too much.” If Tiff’s fiancé was a bad dude or a bad potential step-dad, he’d be history to me. But if Richie’s giving them the green light, Tiff’s happy, and Josh Hartne— I mean Frank is a standup guy, I think I’m aboard the ship.

   Ships On Deck: Tiffany and Richie

   That said, if The Bear decides Tiff and Richie are meant to be, you know I’m open to switching teams again.

5. Sammy Fak And Haunting

   You know Neil (Matty Matheson) and Ted Fak (Ricky Staffieri), but Season 3 introduced a long-lost Fak brother, Sammy (John Cena), who introduced a running “haunting” bit to The Bear that is simply delightful. It’s not clear if Sammy has a significant other, but he’s honestly so good at haunting that we hope to see him to spend more time doing that in the future.

6. Chefs And Self-Love

   Before we go, we do want to say that The Bear is doing just fine without romance. It’s an Emmy-winning series with stellar performances, writing, directing, and execution on all levels, so if the show doesn’t opt for romantic storylines, that’s ultimately fine. What we would like to see, either way, is for these characters to start LOVING THEMSELVES. Give more talented chefs their “Love Story (Taylor’s Version)” moments, you cowards! They deserve it.

The Bear Season 3 is now streaming on Hulu.