There was a time when I believed that the two most powerful sentences in the English language were “I love you” and “I’m sorry.” I now know that those words can wound, deeply, when they’re contradicted by our actions. “I’m sorry” can even insult our intelligence if regret never leads to repentance. […]
That’s what “The Bear” is really about: How do we live together when someone always seems to be going too far? The answer we ultimately get is that we can’t. We can’t sustain a community when the pain grows too great. […]
In Season 3, we can clearly see the damage Carmy has done. He has made something great, but each person in the restaurant — each person in his family — is still under terrible strain. Something has to give.
No, more precisely, someone has to give, and that someone is Carmy.
This terrible tension and pain can make “The Bear” difficult to watch. Relationships are splintering across America. It’s hard enough to live in a community — we are all inherently flawed, after all. Normal human failings create persistent frictions, and unless we learn to deal with and ameliorate that friction, even the best of friendships can sometimes fade.
But we’re living through something else, a furious anger in which it seems people actually want to end friendships, where they want to inflict pain with their words. It’s one way to demonstrate your commitment, your great and high ideological or religious or political calling. The cause demands it, and you serve the cause. […]
I’m such a fallen person that when I saw that scene, I admit that my first thought was of the people who needed to repent to me. But thankfully that moment passed. Instead, I came to feel a profound sense of conviction. I asked myself, “Who have I harmed?” and — more important — “How can I change?”
At a time of extraordinary fury, we all live in a degree of pain. We all live with regrets. But hope can come from unexpected places — and perhaps a show that features scallops, pastries and Chicago beef can also teach us that only repentance can heal our broken hearts.
— David French, The Raw Power of Repentance (NY Times, July 27, 2025)
Notes:
- The Bear: Highly recommended…
- Photo: Lifestyle Asia
