The Bear is packed full of will-they/won’t-they romances. Due to the nature of the environment and the show’s lack of focus on relationships, there are a number of characters with undeniable chemistry. Aside from Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) and Claire (Molly Gordon), viewers have speculated on a potential relationship brewing between Syd (Ayo Edebiri) and Luca (Will Poulter), although some fans believe that Carmy and Syd would be well-suited for each other. However, there is one friendship at the restaurant that feels as though it could naturally develop into romance and be beneficial for both parties’ growth: Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and Jessica (Sarah Ramos).
Richie has taken on arguably the most drastic character growth, as he never had a background in fine dining and had the most to learn for the opening of The Bear, both technically and personally. When he staged at Ever, it was Jessica he learned these skills from, but it was only when she transferred to The Bear that the pair became more emotionally available. Their personalities complement each other, and Richie feels more vulnerable around Jessica, so a romantic relationship between the pair not only feels plausible but desirable. It would be a first for two staff members at The Bear to start dating, and it would certainly be a risk for the show and the restaurant, but Richie and Jessica feel perfect for each other.
Richie Is One of ‘The Bear’s Most Evolved Characters
Richie was introduced to Jessica in the Season 2 episode, “Forks,” where he was sent to Ever by Carmy to stage and learn about leading a high-class service team. During his initial days at Ever, Richie learns that his ex-wife Tiffany (Gillian Jacobs) is getting married, which serves as a representation of his current mental state. He feels everyone is moving on, while he is stuck, especially considering his age and position. When he first walks into Ever, he is dismissive of the trivial work, but once he is allowed to observe the front-of-house team, something transformative happens. Richie is told to change into a suit, and this small exterior change facilitates his personal growth.
As the Ever service team works like an oiled machine, Richie is in awe of their meticulous attention to detail. He discovers this is overseen by Jessica, the head waiter and expo, who is responsible for the flow of food between the kitchen and dining room. She has a driven assertiveness and razor-sharp focus, and Richie is clearly in professional awe watching Jessica work. As Richie becomes more comfortable, the front-of-house team begins testing him on flavors, and he begins to let his loud, boisterous personality come through. Here, there is not an intimate connection between Richie and Jessica; she is merely one of the staff members at Ever who helps facilitate Richie’s personal growth. However, as she says goodbye to him, her words, asking Richie not to be a stranger, hint at the strength of their friendship.
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Richie Opens Up to Jessica in ‘The Bear’ Season 4
When the head chef of Ever, Terry (Olivia Colman), decides to shut down the restaurant, Richie offers some of the service team a job at The Bear, including Jessica. It brings their professional relationship to a more equal standing, and there is a sense of pride as Richie watches her control The Bear’s kitchen pre-service. It is notable that someone of Jessica’s skill, who could walk into any restaurant and be worthy of a front-of-house job, chooses to join Richie at The Bear. However, any potential relationship is purposefully slow-burning, as neither is the type to prioritize romance over work. It is not immediately obvious that Jessica and Richie have a deeper connection; there is a distance between them at first before an invisible string brings them closer and closer throughout the season.
As the two spend more time together, Richie lowers his walls around Jessica in a way that he doesn’t around other members of The Bear’s staff. He opens up about Mikey’s (Jon Bernthal) death and his own need for routine, and this vulnerable side is a testament to how comfortable Richie feels around her. Initially, this could be interpreted as Richie feeling able to be honest with Jessica since she has no personal connection to Mikey. However, there is a nervousness in Richie’s tone that indicates his walls are coming down for the first time since his marriage ended — and there is the potential for more than friendship with Jessica.
Richie and Jessica Have Undeniable Chemistry in ‘The Bear’
In “Green,” the pair are tidying up the restaurant together and engaging in an intimate discussion before Richie asks Jessica if he has been oversharing. Considering that Richie has always been stubborn and sarcastic, this moment reveals that he is letting his internal self, the version that is more sensitive and plagued by guilt, rise to the forefront. Bachrach displays a more timid side to Richie, evidencing that he is concerned about how he comes across and wants to impress Jessica. Ramos matches this energy by changing the way she comes across, with Jessica’s hard-layered facade slipping. When Richie ultimately reaches out to straighten Jessica’s tie, it’s the perfect encapsulation of their professionalism winning out over pursuing something more — at least for now.
However, in the same moment, the two share a long glance, and their chemistry shifts from theory to something that could be acted on in the future. Richie is finally in a position to let someone new into his life after the personal growth he has experienced, and Jessica assists in his struggles with impulsivity. Although The Bear has not delved into Jessica’s personal life, and it’s therefore more difficult to establish how Richie complements her, even the snapshot we do have shows he helps her separate herself from her work and lets her drop the meticulousness.
Jessica and Richie don’t have a huge number of scenes between just the two of them alone, but the small insights into their one-on-one conversations reveal their undeniable chemistry. The Bear has always prioritized familial and professional drama over romance, and the show has never explored any of the restaurant’s employees pursuing a relationship, secret or otherwise, but with Season 5 confirmed, now is the perfect time to inject more of this into the show. Richie has grown immensely since the start of his character arc, and Tiff’s wedding finally gives him a sense of closure in that part of his life. A romantic plotline is the natural next step for Richie on The Bear, and Jessica would be the perfect partner for him in more ways than one.
