The Bear season 3 reveals the protagonist Carmy Berzatto as the new villain of the show, proving that two of Carmy’s worst fears have come true. The Bear season 2 ends at a tumultuous point for Carmy. He gets stuck in the walk-in refrigerator on the opening night of his restaurant, missing out on most of the experience. He thinks he let down his staff and guests because of this incident, blaming himself for getting distracted by the good things in his life, such as his girlfriend, Claire, his friends, and his family.

The fallout of getting stuck in the walk-in refrigerator is devastating for Carmy. He gets into an explosive fight with Richie, breaks up with Claire, distances himself from his family, and devotes all his time to his career. Carmy essentially loses everything except for the restaurant, so he self-destructs when he throws himself into his chef career. However, Carmy’s changed personality ultimately turns him into the villain in The Bear season 3, making his worst fears come true.

Carmy Becoming The Bear Season 3’s Villain Turns Him Into His Mom & Chef David Fields

Carmy Embodies Chef Fields At Work And His Mom In His Personal Life

Carmy is now The Bear‘s villain because he acts like the two people he was afraid of becoming: his previous boss, Chef David Fields, and his mother, Donna. While viewers are still unsure what Donna’s issues are, it is quite clear she suffers from a lot of emotional turmoil and possibly has alcoholism. She is erratic and not the greatest of mothers, and Carmy has always been wary he would end up like her. Ironically, he does because he distances himself from his family and continues to fight with Richie.

Carmy’s new behavior also proves that he acts like his previous boss. Chef David Fields was a bully and treated his staff terribly. Carmy confronts David about the ulcers, panic attacks, and nightmares David gave him in The Bear season 3, episode 10, “Forever.” However, this conversation also makes Carmy realize he has become David. Carmy treats his staff terribly. He no longer cares about anyone; he prioritizes perfecting The Bear’s food. Carmy creates a list of non-negotiable items and does not allow anyone to voice their opinions. He stops treating his peers with the respect they deserve.

Carmy’s Villain Twist Sets Up A Huge Change In The Bear Season 4

Carmy Must Decide Who He Will Be

However, Carmie is not entirely lost yet. Although he has changed for the worse, he is not as bad as Chef David was, and he can still salvage his relationship with his family. The Bear season 3 ends at a turning point: either Carmy doubles down and spirals into a terrible person, or he straightens out his life and gets back on track. The Bear season 3 ending just when The Chicago Tribune posts their review of the restaurant will push Carmy to decide who he wants to be.

Only Carmy can decide because he has pushed his loved ones away; they cannot help him. Claire shuts down any reconciliation effort, while Sydney is upset that Carmy does not give her the proper credit for their restaurant. Richie does not want to make amends, and Sugar is a new mom. Whatever path Carmy takes will be his choice entirely. Carmy’s crossroad is the turning point for The Bear—whatever he decides will set up the tone for the remainder of the show. What Carmy will steer toward is a question only The Bear season 4 can answer.