The Bear: Are Carmy & Richie Related? The Truth Behind That 'Cousin' Nickname

"The Bear" is back for its second season, and it's safe to say fans are bracing themselves for more anxiety-inducing kitchen action. However, the characters truly drive the momentum of the series, especially with their relationships with one another. Some viewers may want to see a romance develop between Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) and Sydney (Ayo Edebiri), but things are stressful enough at the restaurant. There's also the unique bond between Carmy and Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), which may have some fans wondering how exactly they know each other.

Throughout the series, the pair refer to each other as "cousin." However, they're not actually related. This even causes confusion on the show, as Sydney asks what the deal is in one episode. Richie was actually Mikey's (Jon Bernthal) best friend before he died. Richie was always around, so he and Carmy are practically family. In this instance, "cousin" is slang for a term of endearment because the two are more than just co-workers at the restaurant; they're pretty much family.

Carmy and Richie may not be blood-related, but it's obvious they've been through a lot, especially when it comes to the death of Mikey. Richie has become a sort of de facto older brother figure to Carmy, while Carmy is a way for Richie to stay close to Mikey. Richie even tells Carmy that he's "all he's got" in terms of having some connection with his best friend. They bicker all the time, but that's part of being a family. They both miss Mikey, and staying close is a way to look out for one another. 

There's certainly animosity at times, but some of the sweeter moments of the series come when they manage to let their guards down to open up. They share cigarettes and hype each other up. It makes for a touching dynamic and adds something when Carmy is shouting at people in the kitchen. Everyone else may be an employee, but with Richie, that's practically his brother he's yelling at, which makes the tension all the more palpable. 

Calling each other "cousin" is a way to make the dynamic between Carmy and Richie more layered, and it's one of the many details of the show that make it stand out so well in the current television landscape. Season 2 of "The Bear" is available now on Hulu, and many critics, including Looper's Matthew Jackson, are saying it holds up just as well as the first.