The Bear would still be awesome if Carmy Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) was the most well-developed character, since the tormented and tough chef has such a fascinating arc. But thankfully for us, just as much attention has been paid to every other character. And in The Bear season 3, we get to see more of Tina Marrero (Liza Colón-Zayas), the gruff but kind-hearted sous chef we’ve rooted for since the start of the FX/Hulu show.
We’ve had a well-done episode about Marcus Brooks (Lionel Boyce), and we loved the season 3 premiere. Now we got an episode that shines a light on Tina… but might have changed one part of her story (which we’re okay with because we love The Bear so much).
What happens in The Bear season 3 episode about Tina called “Napkins?”
In The Bear season 3, episode 6, “Napkins,” we learn more about how Tina is hired at The Original Beef of Chicagoland… and it’s all we could have wanted. Of course, we wish that she didn’t have to suffer before her happy ending, but getting that scene between Tina and Mikey Berzatto (Jon Bernthal) was more wonderful than we could have asked for.
We knew Tina was married and had a son, but we dive into her life and discover that she was suddenly fired from a job she had for 15 years. It’s tough to watch the scenes of Tina taking bus rides and trying to give people her resume, because who hasn’t had some kind of similar experience? We hate that no one will hire her, but when she has half an hour before the next bus will arrive, she goes into The Original Beef of Chicagoland. After Richie Jerimovich (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) gives her a free coffee (aw!) and she also gets a sandwich, Tina runs into Mikey in the back. The two have a super deep and significant conversation about hopes, dreams, and why he loves and hates working there.
Of course, Mikey gives Tina the chance to work there, and the rest is culinary history. This episode not only cements how kind and strong Tina is, as she just wants to work and feel useful and provide for her family, but it proves she and Mikey really cared about each other.
The Bear season 3 episode about Tina is also great thanks to some behind-the-scenes details. Not only did David Zayas, who is married to Liza Colón-Zayas, play Tina’s husband, but Ayo Edebiri was behind the camera. Colón-Zayas has praised Edebiri’s direction in several interviews, including when she told The Independent that that the actress who plays Sydney is “a superhero” and added, “She’s going to run the world before you know it!” We feel all warm and fuzzy knowing that the cast members of our favorite show love each other as much as we love their characters.
Is there a continuity error in The Bear season 3 episode “Napkins?”
Everyone adores Tina and The Bear… but people noticed something about “Napkins”: what seems to be a continuity error. According to Us Weekly, viewers shared on X that while Tina began working at The Original Beef restaurant a few years before season 1’s timeline, she explained to Sydney in one scene that she had been there forever. Since Tina explained that she was an employee even when Carmy was a baby, “Napkins” seems to change this.
While continuity errors are definitely frustrating and we don’t blame anyone for wondering about them, we can totally forgive this one. It’s possible that when working on The Bear season 3, it made more sense for Tina to meet Mikey when she’s at a unique crossroads in her life and needing a big change. It’s more compelling than if she had been there since the very beginning, especially since Mikey shows her that working in a restaurant has ups and downs, but is incredibly fun and satisfying. Then, in season 2, when Carmy encourages Tina to learn more about cooking, this feels even sweeter and more satisfying, since Mikey helped lay the groundwork a few years earlier.
Either way, Tina’s story works because she has been in Carmy’s life for at least a few years, and The Bear season 3 is still TV that everyone involved should be proud of.