Why Richie Sends Uncle Jimmy A Chocolate Banana In The Bear’s Season 2 Finale

WARNING: The following contains SPOILERS for The Bear season 2.The chocolate banana in The Bear season 2 finale that Richie gives to Jimmy is a callback to an earlier episode in the season that fans might have missed. Jimmy, otherwise known as Cicero or “Unc” by the dysfunctional Berzatto family, is a wise yet no-nonsense influence over Carmen, Natalie, and even Richie, who has struggled to earn Jimmy’s trust during the first two seasons of The Bear. Jimmy always has good intentions at heart with the Berzatto’s, but often represents the harsh realities they struggle to accept, making him both an enemy and a mentor.

Richie’s flaws as a man are part of the reason he and Jimmy struggle to see eye-to-eye despite Jimmy’s willingness to help out him loved ones. Jimmy is clearly a man of principle, which is how he became so profitable and sharp in his business practices. Although Jimmy has love in his heart for Richie and the entire Berzatto family tree, he can’t look past Richie’s failures to honestly believe and invest in him. However, with the simple gesture of the chocolate banana, The Bear shows Richie is taking a big step in changing Jimmy’s opinion.

The Bear Season 2 Finale’s Chocolate Banana Is A Callback To Uncle Jimmy’s Childhood Memory

The Memory Is Also Linked To A Moment Of Kindness From Jimmy

With the chocolate banana, The Bear showed just how deep and complex a show it truly is. In The Bear season 2 finale, Richie sends Jimmy a fancy chocolate banana made especially for him at the grand opening of Carmen’s new restaurant. The tearful moment is a subtle callback to The Bear season 2, episode 6 “Fishes” where Jimmy explains to Richie’s former wife Tiff a childhood memory of his dad taking him to a chocolate banana stand.

In the flashback Christmas episode, Jimmy recalls the smell of the chocolate bananas out of thin air, which Tiff rationalizes as the holidays invoking Jimmy’s nostalgia. Moments later in the same scene, Richie gets exposed for claiming that Jimmy offered him a job in front of Tiff. This was a lie made up by Richie to appear like he had earned the opportunity honestly from Jimmy, which he did not.

Jimmy could have made it known that Richie was a liar and embarrassed him in front of Tiff, which would have damaged their relationship further. However, Jimmy chose to keep the truth hidden to save Richie’s face, a rare sign of good faith although Richie had forced Jimmy’s hand.

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The Bear’s Chocolate Banana Callback Proves Richie’s Maturity In Season 2

Richie’s Growth Is One Of The Best Aspects Of The Bear Season 2

Richie’s gift to Jimmy at the end of The Bear season 2 is a sign of Richie’s maturity as well as an indication that Richie has always cared about Jimmy despite their differences. After Richie found purpose in performing acts of service, he used his newly inspired outlook to remind Jimmy how much he appreciated him for bringing Carmen’s restaurant to life.

It was also a gesture of gratitude between the two men that demonstrated Richie’s growth, which Richie had previously been too proud or unserious to acknowledge. The chocolate banana was Richie’s way of telling Jimmy that he respected and loved him throughout both seasons of The Bear.

This Scene Rewards Viewers Who Pay Close Attention

The Bear Has Added Plenty Of Small Details For Eagle-Eyed Fans To Notice

Many aspects of The Bear have been praised, from the acting to the directing to the soundtrack, but moments like the frozen banana reveal truly highlight the exceptional writing in the series. Jimmy’s anecdote is a touching one that shows a bit of vulnerability in the character, but it comes within an episode that is so chaotic and packed with memorable moments that it doesn’t stand out as a pivotal moment that audiences will remember. However, the show is confident enough to not over-explain things when Richie delivers Jimmy the frozen banana in the finale.

It is a moment that might get lost on a lot of people, but it is a subtle detail that rewards those viewers who are paying close attention. The Bear is a rich and detailed show where even things mentioned in passing or seen in the background can mean something profound later on. There are a number of moments like this that many people may have missed but that enrich the storytelling overall.

In season 1, episode 8 of The Bear, a framed drawing of a restaurant can be seen in one of the offices without much attention paid to it. The “Fishes” episode links to this Easter egg as well, as it is revealed the drawing was a gift from Carmy to Mikey, envisioning what they could do together.

Another aspect that is introduced in “Fishes” is Jamie Lee Curtis as the Berzatto matriarch, Donna. However, she is actually first mentioned in season 1, with Tina admitting to eating a tasty Christmas dinner at the Berzatto household, but mentions Donna “wasn’t calm”. However, the season 2 premiere also foreshadowed the casting for the role as Richie looks at a collection of old family photos where a young Curtis can be seen among them.

There is another memorable tease in season 2 during the episode “Honeydew”, which finds Marcus working in Copenhagen alongside experienced chef Luca. As Marcus asks questions to his more experienced colleague, Luca reveals that he became a better cook by trying to be as good as another cook he was working with who was clearly better than Luca. Later in season 2, during the episode “Forks”, Richie sees a photo in Chef Terry’s restaurant of Carmy and Luca posing together, confirming that Carmy is the rival chef.

While missing these small details might not ruin the experience of the show, the fact that the series is willing to add these little clues that not everyone will pick up on shows the confidence in the writing as well as the fun that can be had in diving deep into The Bear.

The Bear

Set in a Chicago sandwich shop, The Bear follows Carmy Berzatto, a young professionally trained chef who returns to take over his family business after the unexpected death of his brother. At odds with many of the shop’s employees due to his culinary training, Carmy struggles to maintain order and keep the shop from failing entirely. Jeremy Allen White stars as Carmy alongside Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Ayo Edebiri. 

Release Date

June 23, 2022

Seasons

2