‘The Bear’s Episode 7 ‘Forks’ is a needed second lifeline for Richie

I don’t think I hated Richie’s character. Sure, he can get under your skin with his constant insistence on doing things his way and grates your nerves with not letting anybody else have any autonomy over processes. However, much of that’s born out of the insecurity of his purpose. In the first episode, “Beef,” Richie asks Carmy about purpose. At 45, he’s watching his younger cousin come into his with the new restaurant and even before that with Carmy’s ascension as a chef. Even with Mikey, Richie worked alongside him, but also got a front-row seat to see the business crumble and his friend take his own life.

This flies in comparison to when we see him during the Christmas dinner from hell in “Fishes.” He’s not exactly sure what he will do in terms of providing for his then-wife Tiffany and his daughter on the way – but there was some fight in him. Richie goes to Cicero because he knows he doesn’t want to work at The Beef forever. Flash forward to four weeks before opening, and Richie is 45, divorced, and caught in a perpetual state of loathing.

It’s why Carmy sends Richie to work in the best restaurant in the country. At first, Richie takes the news hard, concluding that his cousin only did this to get him out of his hair. What Richie doesn’t see is that the repetition of cleaning forks would lead him to some of the most valuable lessons of his life – one that probably gets him the second chance he desires the most.

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Coach K’s presence has been notable throughout the second season of The Bear – mostly surrounding Sydney’s presence and how she’s learning to be a leader with the lack of Carmy around. The particular interview played at the beginning of “Forks” mentions the principles of failure, being a part of a team, and what it takes to be a leader. It’s everything that Richie needs to hear, but he will learn in a different way than you’re expecting. To be fair, waking up at 5 in the morning to clean forks is tedious. (I will give Richie that at first).

However, when you work at the best restaurant in the world, every part of the supply chain is essential. How you do that job is what you perceive about yourself and your teammates. It’s why the chef goes off about the smudge in the meeting – mistakes are going to happen, but it knows when they do, it affects every step in the process. In discussions Richie has with his supervisor for the week, Garrett (Andrew Lopez), every day is the Super Bowl to them.

There is a reason why that restaurant won awards and gained three stars. Every person on that staff believes in what they do and in making the best possible experience for the customer. What restaurant do you know has a staff member discover every intricate detail about their patrons and give a couple a free dinner to make their experience the best? It’s the principles Richie has to relearn to get some zest back in his routine.

I noticed a particular side story concerning one mega recording star, Taylor Swift. When calling Tiffany about getting those tickets for Eva and putting the invite out there for her to come, she lets him know she’s engaged. It’s the immediate shutting of the door of Richie’s former life and almost pushes him into this situation of starting over. He can again commit to acts of service without acting like it’s an insult to his ego. We don’t know what was the main point of contention in Richie losing Tiffany, but you have to figure out he doesn’t want that to lose him again. (As he buys in, it’s funny that “Love Story” plays)

At the end of his tenure, you can tell Richie is sad about leaving. This was the first time in a long time that he experienced people saying, “We are happy about you being here.” All the lessons he’s learned this week conclude with meeting Chef Terry (Olivia Coleman). This talented person crashed and burned with her first restaurant and started over again to make one of the best restaurants in the world. Richie needed to see that somebody could be redeemed, and you have to hope he wants it.

“Forks” is not only a love letter to the art of getting back up again, but to the restaurant industry that work its butts off to make our anniversaries, promotions, birthdays, and nights out memorable.