Trigger warning: This article contains references to suicide and drug addiction
The Bears began with Jeremy Allen White’s Carmi Burzato struggling to make ends meet while trying to keep his late brother, Mikey’s beef shop afloat. However, the final season has dived deeper into the complicated relationships and family dynamics of the Hulu show’s characters.
With the highly-anticipated Season 3 premiere on Wednesday, June 26, the dynamics of the key Barzatto family will be explored further just like in Season 2. Jamie Lee Curtis will return to play the Barzatto matriarch, while the show will introduce glimpses of the Barzatto family.
The following are the members of the Berzatto family tree:
Donna ‘Dawn’ Berzatto
Oscar winner Jamie Lee Curtis’ much-anticipated performance in episode 6 was a highlight of season 2. The Hollywood star in the FX drama played Donna ‘Dawn’ Barzatto, the matriarch of the Barzatto family in the sequel season of The Bear, though she had been mentioned several times before.
Carmi and Sugar think poorly of their mother Dawn, recalling a miserable Christmas from their childhood. A Season 2 flashback episode showed Donna doing her best to prepare the perfect Christmas meal, the Feast of Seven Fishes, but ultimately finding herself disappointed by her family’s lack of appreciation.
Her struggles with mental illness and alcoholism are brought to light over the course of the show, crystallizing the deeper family troubles of the Barzatto brothers.
Carmen ‘Carmi’ Berzatto
Jeremy Allen White plays Carmi Barzatto, one of the three Barzatto siblings. He lived away from his family in New York, working as a successful chef, but had to return to Chicago after his brother Mikey’s death.
Carmi stands out from the Berzatto family due to his quiet nature, often keeping a safe distance from the antics of his dysfunctional family. Prior to the flashback episodes, he was the sole representative of the Berzatto family. However, after Carmi moves into their home on Christmas, viewers can sense the disparity between him and his family.
However, he gets along well with his sister Natalie, as they both have a similar tendency to avoid drama. He is the youngest Berzatto, so his opinion is often ignored.
Carmie develops a romance with Claire (Molly Gordon) and treats his restaurant staff more like family than his actual family.
Natalie ‘Sugar’ Berzatto
Abby Elliott plays Natalie ‘Sugar’ Barzatto, Barzatto’s only sister. She was briefly introduced in Season 1, but became a central character in the following season. Sugar and Carmi team up to successfully run their late brother’s restaurant, but she is often bewildered by the challenges of the culinary industry.
Despite their differences, Sugar and Carmi are able to form a good bond as siblings over time. In the flashback Christmas episode, Sugar tries to calm Mikey down as he fights with Uncle Lee. Therefore, Carmi and Sugar share a similar demeanor of calmness and patience, unlike the other Burzatos.
Michael ‘Mikey’ Berzatto
Michael Burzatto, played by Jon Bernthal, is a character who commits suicide in Season 1 and leaves his restaurant to Carmi.
Despite his limited screen time, Mikey is a central character throughout The Bear story as all of the events that unfold from his death include Carmi returning home, starting a restaurant crew/family, and later leading The Original Beef of Chicagoland to success.
Mickey appears mostly in flashbacks and will continue to be so. While very little was known about his character in Season 1, viewers got a deeper glimpse into his personality after he became loud and aggressive in the Christmas episode. Season 2 also showed his past drug addiction that turned him into an erratic person, leading to his suicide.
Nonetheless, Berzatto, the eldest brother, was portrayed as a charismatic man whom the family was proud of.
Michele Berzat
Another important character who has received less screen time is Michelle Barzatto, played by Sarah Paulson. She is the cousin of the Barzatto siblings, who also attends the Christmas celebration in Season 2 with her friend Steven.
She supports Carmi behind the scenes and even offers her a stay at her home before she goes back to work in New York after the Christmas accident.
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Chris Vitaske plays Pete, Natalie’s husband and a regular on The Bear. He is not actually adopted by the Berzato family due to his insensitive nature.
In the infamous Christmas episode, he is offended when Pete brings an eighth fish, tuna, for the traditional seven-fish feast.
As the family drama unravels that night, Pete retreats without making any attempt to control the chaos.
Cicero ‘Uncle Jimmy’
Uncle Jimmy is played by Oliver Platt and has appeared since the debut season of The Bear. He lends Mikey money to start his own beef shop, which Mikey never pays back. Jimmy is portrayed as a wealthy and influential character who later partners with Carmi to invest more in the restaurant business.
Disclaimer: If you know someone who is having suicidal thoughts, is anxious, is going through depression, is suffering from a serious mental illness, or is battling addiction, contact a nearby doctor, mental health expert, or an NGO for immediate help. There are many helplines available for this.
