You’ll Make That Mistake Again (The Bear)

A lot of you told me to watch The Bear, and I’m slow, OK? But I know I’m not the slowest one on this list. I’m not going to spoil anything, but I have to capture a conversation about making mistakes here to share.  

Because god, this is so relatable. 

To everybody who feels like a perpetual screw-up, who wonders if the next shoe to drop – because there’s always a next shoe to drop – is going to be the last one, when everything just bursts into flames irrecoverably, once and for all…

From pressure, to anxieties, to presentation. 

The f*** up. 

It’s somehow, someway, always – part of the formula for growth.  

If you can just stay alive. 

The setup for this is the dessert chef is working on a new idea while trying to get his regular work done. When he finds himself way behind schedule on his deliverable, he tries to cut a corner to catch up. He ends up blowing a fuse that takes the entire restaurant offline, sending everyone into an anxious scramble. Carmy, the main chef, shares a moment of vulnerability with him outside (emphasis added):

Transition scene: (whistling) ♪ Sisyphus peered into the mist ♪ ♪ A stone’s throw from the precipice, paused ♪ Chef. You alright? f***еd up… Um, I was behind on cakes. Tried to speed it up and I blew the fuse. This job’s insane. (lighter clicks ) Yeah, it could go from chill to unchill in a second, but you gotta stay ahead on your work. That’s just that. 

Marcus: Heard. You know, my first job was McDonald’s, and you don’t get to be creative. You just work with robots and everything’s automatic and fast and easy. I won’t make a mistake again. 

Carmy: Yeah, you will. But not ’cause you’re you, just ’cause s*** happens. I started a fryer fire night after I won Food & Wine’s Best New Chef. Nearly burned the place down. 

Marcus: For real? 

Carmy: For real. This weird thing happens too. You have this minute where you… you’re watching the fire and you’re thinking… “If I don’t do anything… “this place will burn down… and all my anxiety will go away with it.” And then you put the fire out. Then you put the fire out. So what’s up? You wanna be a baby for another minute, or you trying to party? 

Marcus: Let’s party, man. 

Carmy: Let’s party.

h/t to The Bear, Season 1, Episode 5, “Sheridan”