@thoughtfulchaos773 / thoughtfulchaos773.tumblr.com
It's the camera movements, the close shots, and composition that make it look like a love montage from a John Hughes movie, and the angles that are fitting for an 80s ballad in the background
Also, I love that the close ups don't start until Carmy lays eyes on Sydney.
Brainrot:
What if the "two tops? Booths?" Was an inside thing between syd and carmy? Maybe she talked about her dream restaurant during one of the many shifts those last 6 months, and little did she know Carmy listened.
It's perfect because they end up 'fixing' a two top, while Sydney has sat in a booth twice in the season (2x02 and 2x03) alone.
Now I'm waiting for Carmy and Sydney to have to sit in a booth. It's more intimate that way, where they have to sit side by side. It's a subtle way to say that they finally laid their cards- feelings- on the table.
You know what I mean?
DEEP DIVE AND RANDOM COMMENTARY AND QUESTIONS FROM BRACIOLE
JAW in the opening scene in the cooking show dream, damn he's such a good actor. The colors of the kitchen represent his heightened emotions and a little kid's play kitchen at the same time. The audience laughing and applauding sometimes dissonantly, sometimes falling silent. This was such a well done dream, you take it for granted how good it is, how dream-like it feels, and how much work went into it.
When Carmy is talking at al-anon. There's a window with opened blinds behind him, and a mirror on the wall in the next room. There's a tall dark haired man sitting in the front row watching/listening to Carmy. Carmy makes eye contact with that man throughout, even when it's a close up of his face, spatially it's that same man he's looking at. Carmy is talking to his brother Mikey. The mirror between them is a reflection between the brothers, how they mirror each other but how they missed understanding each other, too. When someone dies they are forever "in the next room" now. You can never talk to them again, so many unanswered questions, a wall between even though there's a window to look back into, but you keep wishing you could talk. That's grief.
Marcus and Sydney in her kitchen. It feels like nighttime. But intercut with the scenes at The Beef, it's day time there. Like I can't see Sydney inviting Marcus for lunch (and then tea) inside her house??You cook dinner for your friends inside your house, not lunch. For lunch you go out somewhere. Am I wrong? Is her house just dark? Why does it feel like nighttime? I'm real confused here.
Is it just me or when Syd clarifies that the CIA is not the CIA to Marcus she is subconsciously recreating the UPS moment with Carmy?
Aw, Marcus and Syd are buds. Flirty. But buds. Tho it also feels like Syd has run to Marcus for comfort and perspective and reality check because Carmy treated her so bad. It'd be nice if they were clearly only friends and hugged. Instead it's this flirty question mark hang out.
I swear Carmy’s pupils actually dilate when he thinks of Syd while looking at Tina in her apron. (Who did that amazing post about JAWs biological acting?)
Mikey was so loud obnoxious and hilarious, Richie? Sounds like you tried to be like someone... This is a common misconception about suicide, that loud funny people won't commit suicide. Mental health PSA.
Why do Carmy and Richie go that hard at the bachelor party dudes? They are mad at Mikey? I mean they really get in there, Richie is throwing punches, not just breaking it up. Dudes, sheesh.
Someone already said Richie calls Tiff before he finds out if he manslaughtered someone, same like Carmy texting Syd before opening Mikey's letter. Serious moments make you want your old lady, huh?
Richie wakes Carmy up at the police station and they just walk out of there. Carmy asks no questions. How do you get like this? I'd be all over Richie with like what he got charged with?
Why does Carmy leave in the middle of trying to apologize to Marcus? Ebra calls him and he leaves, but then after apologizing he interacts with Ebra as if the first time. So Ebra called him, he walked away, then what? He didn't go to Ebra yet. He just needed to gather himself more to apologize to Marcus? Unless Ebra quickly coached him or gave him a look that he needed to apologize? The moment was that heavy that he needed a break in the middle and Ebra's presence. Oh Carmy.
Carmy really looks so pale and clammy in the fridge. He's looking up at the ceiling in desperation--the man needs the gods to intervene.
Carmy staring at the fire and you see the fire reflected on his face--is this a biblical reference? The image of fire being God. The burning bush.
Richie slapping Carmy out of his daze. He almost killed a man by knocking him unconscious, and now he knows what's what, how to wake a man up. Redeemed somehow. He limps away. His ass still sore? He slept in the jailhouse with a sore ass. Poor Richie.
I want to live with Sydney in her kitchen. Just sitting at the counter with my hands under my chin watching her cook. Also why does this feel like a different kitchen than the kitchen of Sydney and Marcus? It's daytime!
Syd says fuck me about the onions on the stove (they are perfect by the way) while she's waiting for Carmy's next text. Hmmmm
When I first watched this ep a decade ago I swear I thought Mikey's note said "I love you duck." I had to rewind and look at it again. I guess I wish Mikey called Carmy something cute like that when he was little.
I want to know more about Ebra's life in Somalia, being grillmaster and all.
Fak bro flirting with Richie. Agh! I want to look away but I can't.
The sounds of Carmy cooking the sauce. What's it the kids love these days? ASMR?
I knew it was money the minute I saw the little corner peek out of the sauce. Who else?
Let Down by Radiohead begins and it's seared in my brain and connected to this show forever now.
Stop smoking indoors Richie!!!!!! I can't stand that he does that. I want to rip away that dangling cigarette. It's personal to me.
Carmy breathing so hard staring at Syd. Syd clutching her purse strap and chewing her lip.
That's right! Carmy staring up at The Beef sign. Beginning of s2 its Carmy and Syd staring up together. This doesn't get old.
Ah, around the table together. Wait, what did Pete's grandfather die from??? And why is that funny???
Carmy is so happy!!!!!! I want him and Syd to nuzzle. Come on.
When Carmy looks up at Mikey. We've seen this before in Carmy's memories--Mikey with the sun behind him. But he didn't look back in that previous memory. Gets me every time.
I guess it's my favorite ep. I skipped some stuff that's been talked about a ton.
With Sydney back in his life and with a final benediction from Michael, did Carmy feel he was no longer suffering deprivation, that he wanted for nothing more? Note Mikey's knowing smile at the camera and the cheeky smiling figure in the lower right hand corner in the painting.🥲
Thank you so much for the gif @cosmic-light-fics - Mikey was with them at that meal in spirit! 🥺💔
When you put the gif @cosmic-light-fics sent and the photo next to each other it's eerie but in a good way. Like as the family is in their little world the guy smiles at the camera aware of the moment.
Us right now
I can’t stop thinking about this. It’s so insane. Wow @currymanganese I just love that you saw this, did it just like pop in your head? I’m interested in your process. @thoughtfulchaos773 Mikey and the man both aware of the moment, this has me tearing up. Which like Mikey and Carmy are in that moment together, with Carmy recollecting it, so with the painting parallel that casts Carmy as the artist/the looker/the dreamer cooking up this vision of the life he wants, that he has now with Sydney there, that Mikey helped him get. Gosh. My eyeballs are swimming. We all know it but to have this allusion to the painting is like, storer is.doing.this. Also I mentioned somewhere that I’m pretty sure there’s an empty seat at the table for Mikey, right next to Carmy. Bah!
@vacationship you got me crying! You're right carmy is the painter and that scene he's really taking in that his family is eating harmoniously
@currymanganese you must tell us!
@thoughtfulchaos773 @currymanganese it really is moving. And I knew there had to be a reason Sydney has got this bucolic print on her top—it really adds to the feel of the whole scene
Now that you mention it, the nature print on her top is a bit reminiscent of the floral details on the mother's blouse and the wallpaper in the painting!
And her hair ribbon is like the dress sleeves. Syd's outfit captures all of the painting's softness and sweetness. The Beef aesthetic is very opposite of this traditional home but Syd brings all the gentleness in. I could totally see Storer telling the costume designers to make Syd look like this home. But instead of a frilly dress they made it fit her vibe more but it still has the same effect. Her look sticks out.
I noticed that episode 1x08 Richie and Carmy are held accountable, and there's this message of men holding things in for the sake of their masculinity.
As far as accountability. One could compare Tiffany/Richie scene where he leaves Tiffany a voicemail in jail and the Carmy/Syd text.
Richie: I was thinking about all that shit that went down with your dad. And uh, how I called him what I called him, and uh, you were right, you know? That was not okay, and um, I'm sorry.
Carmy: (text to Syd) My behavior was not okay.
Richie and Carmy have to face something head on - Richie is stuck with the reality that he may be charged with manslaughter and Carmy is holding Mikeys note. They're facing this difficult truth, and they contact the women they were once close to. Richie lost Tiffany, and in this episode, Carmy lost Sydney, but they still needed their support.
But since their relationships with these women are broken and the support and trust are gone, they could only apologize for their behavior.
It's about fixing their issues so they can old on to the people dearest to them. It's men no longer holding in their feelings. I say this because of Fak and his talk with Ballbreaker
Fak: Do you ever get sad?
Ballbreaker: Of course I do, Neil, but I don't talk about it. I keep it all inside it helps me beat the shit out of people.
The men in this show hold everything in, including their affection. Another Tiff/Richie comparison is season 2, we see that Richie is so gentle with Tiffany when they're alone vs. in public telling the family she's fine. But we get this moment of quiet between Richie and Tiffany just like we get these quiet moments with Sydney and Carmy.
I can say this is the Berzatto man effect. Hiding their feelings in front of people unless it's anger. Even though Richie is not a blood relative, he still grew up with the Berzattos.
As it was mentioned here, Pete, who's very open with his feelings for the woman in his life, he has no problem crying in front of friends of family and showing how much he loves Natalie. Just how Steven is with Michelle at the dinner table.
I hope Carmy will one day get there with being open and loving towards Sydney in front of people and it wont be too late, like Richie (as far as we know). It's not really meta. Just thoughts.
"I'm sorry. I feel like I should have known that or something."
Then, next scene, is Syd asking Marcus if he talked to Carmy lately?
Are you kidding me? The writers and director showing that they CLEARLY missed each other.
I'm sorry for the many posts but my brain is rotting and you must share the obsession with me.
But does anyone notice that Tina is always a witness and one to react to the Syd and Carmy fights?
Even in 2x10- Syd was hard on her 1 minute before Carmy walked and took his frustrations out on Syd. She could have ignored the ordeal like the other chefs, but Tina gave a small nod once Syd told him to take it down. She seems to stay in her lane but she's a little protective over Syd.
I love Mama Tina and I hope we learn more about her when Season 3 comes through.
Yeah,I feel like Tina loves Sydney DOWN! Cuz even with Richie when he was throwing shit around and yelling she IMMEDIATELY made him leave the kitchen! She knows Sydney wants the best for them.
Oh yeah, that too! Tells you a lot going from Tina telling her to back off then she stands up for Sydney. I love this relationship.
I'm sorry for the many posts but my brain is rotting and you must share the obsession with me.
But does anyone notice that Tina is always a witness and one to react to the Syd and Carmy fights?
Even in 2x10- Syd was hard on her 1 minute before Carmy walked and took his frustrations out on Syd. She could have ignored the ordeal like the other chefs, but Tina gave a small nod once Syd told him to take it down. She seems to stay in her lane but she's a little protective over Syd.
I love Mama Tina and I hope we learn more about her when Season 3 comes through.
