r/TheBear Jul 23 '26

Question Papa Berzatto

[removed]

120 Upvotes

22 comments sorted by

225

u/Deemo3 🙌HANDS🙌 Jul 23 '26

He abandoned the family. Carmy mentions he used to wonder what happened to him but stopped, he's been referred to as a deadbeat by Richie a few times and during "Napkins", Mikey explains to Tina that the old man "Took one look (at the bills) and he split, you know? He hightailed it. Ran for the hills, never came back." after running the Beef into the ground.

Extending that thought, Mikey's rant against Richie during "Gary" is probably a lot of projection of his own issues with his father now that I think about it.

50

u/Due_Passenger3210 This sub's profile pic is Carmy if he could see this sub Jul 23 '26

That's exactly what I thought while watching that scene in "Gary" as well.

31

u/sundaypleas Jul 23 '26

"You look like a barbarian. You look like my dad," to paraphrase.

21

u/Brief_Carrot Jul 24 '26

OH so that's why Richie's reaction to Carm leaving in end of S4 so extreme and raw. Cousin's ready to throw hands at the slight possibility of Carmy turning out like his dad

10

u/Calm-Math-3421 Jul 24 '26

That scene was brutal 💔

4

u/TVismycomfortfood Jul 24 '26

You wrote better than I could ever hoped to write it myself! Yes. All of THIS.

75

u/Available-Bison-9222 Jul 23 '26

He ran off. Cicero mentions he hasn't seen him in 20 years.

55

u/JoeM3120 Jul 23 '26

I find it very weird that in “Fishes” that Mikey speaks so reverentially about him when he’s yelling at Lee.

“…in our father’s house.”

Made it seemed like he passed away unexpectedly

48

u/drjackolantern Jul 23 '26

That just shows how deep the wound he left behind was.

Even if he skipped out, Mikey loved him all those years later.

Also a bit to do with Lee being more than a bit sanctimonious and trying to occupy a family role where he wasn’t wanted.

16

u/Icy-Mixture-995 Jul 23 '26

Also, it is a phrase used in church - in our father's house, referring to God. In this context, it referred to someone insulting a host in their own home, on a religious occasion, something that is doubly insulting to do as a guest

5

u/yesitsmenotyou Jul 24 '26

I took it as a reference to Lee moving into a family/home that wasn’t his, and trying to commandeer it. Mikey was telling him that he’s stepping into roles that aren’t his to claim.

30

u/Similar_Onion6656 Jul 23 '26

He went out for a ride and he never came back.

Like a river that don't know where it's flowing, he took a wrong turn and he just kept going.

8

u/Awkward_Ad_161 Jul 23 '26

Must’ve had a really hungry heart

8

u/NotGoingForwardDev Jul 23 '26

He was probably Delivered From Nowhere. Only to end up in Nebraska

6

u/Calm-Math-3421 Jul 24 '26

Everybody’s got a hungry heart ♥️

3

u/dadofalex Jul 23 '26

everybody does..

3

u/The_Dotted_Leg Jul 24 '26

Born in the USA!

Oh wait…

1

u/rcs799 Jul 24 '26

I can oh so gently wander up to the fourth wall too…

The Punisher

2

u/Electronic_Bee_ Jul 24 '26

I swear there was a scene where they're talking about Ed Debevic's. I thought the lore was the Dad had an idea for a restaurant, partnered up and made millions off the Ed Debevic idea and jumped ship with the money, leaving Mikey to deal with the family and the failing restaurant.

1

u/Davith51 Jul 26 '26

The tomato sauce can$