The Bear stars Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri have set the record straight on where things are headed between their characters in season three.
The Emmy-winning kitchen drama is returning for its third season this week, with 10 brand new episodes set to drop in one go on Disney+ in the early hours of Thursday morning for UK viewers.
As season two ended with Carmy breaking down under the weight of his professional and personal responsibilities, the fate of his relationship with Syd remains up in the air as fans have begun to wonder if he and Sydney could be headed for romance.
Asked outright by Vanity Fair during a press conference on Monday whether the show had considered writing a romantic plotline for the pair, they both answered with a definite “no”.
“There was no talk in the rooms about any romantic implications [between Carmy and Sydney],” Jeremy added.
However the co-stars did agree that an official partnership, as teased in the season three trailer, may affect the dynamic between the two characters.
“Carmy is somebody that I think she’s really looked up to, but now is sort of in the thick of doing business with,” said Inside Out 2 star Ayo. “And it’s, I think, a lot more chaotic than she might have idealised before they really started working together.”
Jeremy added that his character’s poor communication skills – combined with having “a lot going on in his mind all the time” – also affects Carmy and Syd’s relationship, but added: “I think Carmen’s trying to welcome her in a little bit was the point of the partnership agreement.”
Speculation around the two actors’ friendship has been rife since they were spotted hanging out together outside of work hours.
Speaking about their close bond in Ayo’s recent Vanity Fair cover story, The Iron Claw actor shared: “We really enjoy each other in life, on camera and off camera.
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for her as a person, but also as an artist. And so I hope that sort of that kind of thing shines through on camera between Carm and Syd. Syd is always able to…I don’t know, to deliver something different to Carmy, and she’s usually right. And I guess I think Ayo is also usually right.”
The Bear follows celebrated chef Carmy who takes on the responsibility of running the family sandwich shop after his brother’s death.
Season one premiered back in 2022, before the second dropped the following year. According to undisclosed sources who spoke to Variety, a fourth is reportedly already in the works.
The first two seasons of The Bear are available to stream on Disney+ now.