What happened to Carmy, Sydney and Richie?

Warning: Spoilers ahead for the series finale A bear.

A bear it has come to an end after an impressive run, producing five seasons in five years.

The fifth and final season of eight episodes premiered on Thursday night, which began after Sydney Adamu (Ayo Edebiri), Richard “Richie” Jerimovich (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and Natalie “Sugar” Berzatto (Abby Elliot), discovered that Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) had decided to leave The Bear factory.

“Every second counts,” the mantra that has guided the series since the beginning, remains at the heart of the final season. Most of season five takes place over the course of a single day, as a powerful storm barrels through Chicago and causes chaos at dinner. Despite a lack of resources and mounting obstacles, the team made it through the night under Sydney’s calm leadership and teamwork.

The series finale (“The Original Beef of Chicagoland”) ends the story on a triumphant note: The bear gets not one, but two Michelin stars.

After surviving the stormy dinner service, the crew returned to work the next morning. Sugar tells Richie that the restaurant is “out of business” and running out of money, even though they have enough money for a few days and can still pay.

Their last viable option is a deal with The Beef, and Ebraheim (Edwin Lee Gibson) presents a comprehensive, carefully researched idea that Carmy quickly approves.

The finale also pays tribute to late actor Rob Reiner, who starred in season four as restaurant consultant Albert Schnurr. After seeing Ebra’s success using the sandwich window, Albert saw the potential of The Beef.

When Carmy signs Ebra’s proposal, she calls Albert.

“We have a business,” said Ebra. “Perfect. I’ll have all the documents, I’ll email you right away. Is there anything else I can do?”

Albert can’t be heard on the other end of the line, but Ebra’s response – “As you wish” – suggests his approval while also referencing an iconic line from Reiner’s film. The Princess Bride.

Elsewhere, Sydney encourages Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas) to become a chef, while Luca (Will Poulter) returns to Copenhagen for a job opportunity, leaving Marcus (Lionel Boyce) to run a catering station in his car. When Marcus visits the restaurant on his training day, he receives a gift from Carmy: a stack of her journals filled with recipes from her time at The French Laundry, Ever, Copenhagen and New York, along with a handwritten note that simply reads, “No Limits.”

With Carmy leaving, Sydney officially becomes The Bear’s head chef. Although he initially doubts whether he can fill his shoes, he proves to be an effective, stable and compassionate leader, especially during the difficult restaurant service during the storm.

While in the kitchen, Sydney asks Carmy what’s next for her. He admits that he has an idea but is not ready to talk about it. The two joke around, and Sydney reminds him that there’s always a place for him at The Bear.

After ignoring numerous calls from an unknown number throughout the season, Carmy finally answers, and it is revealed that he is a man named Peter Clark (Gary Janetti).

When the conversation ends, a shocked Carmy tells Sydney that the diner everyone thought was the Michelin inspector last night was just a regular customer. The original Michelin inspector was Mr. Clark, who visited the restaurant months ago during the fourth season. He calls to tell Carmy that The Bear has earned two Michelin stars, far exceeding Carmy’s ambitions when he turned his family’s sandwich shop into a fine dining restaurant.

Carmy and Sydney hug as Sydney cries tears of joy. And for the shippers of Carmy-Sydney: no, the end does not change their love relationship, although the warm light and emotional weight of their embrace gives a momentary feeling of closeness.

Meanwhile, Carmy’s cousin Stevie (John Mulaney) sets her up for an interview as an intern at a construction company. During a conversation with Sue (Bonnie Hunt), a nervous Carmy explains that she’s been looking for another creative outlet and has always enjoyed art and painting. Asked what he hopes to achieve, he reflects on the storm, explaining how everyone came together to support each other.

Carmy says: “Even though it was fun, it was the most fun I’ve ever had.

Near the end of the episode, Carmy sits alone in The Bear’s office, quietly meditating. He then sends a text to his late brother Mike (Jon Bernthal), whose disconnected number is still stored in his phone: “Everything is fine.”

Who is the character? it does got a romantic happy ending by Richie.

At the end, he is invited to attend an international hospitality conference in Japan, another sign of how much he has grown since the beginning of the series. Although Richie tries to find an excuse not to go, Sugar encourages him to accept the opportunity.

Carmy finds Richie in a walk-in refrigerator between panic attacks. Richie admits that he has never flown and is afraid of going to Japan. In one of the cousins’ most heartfelt scenes together, Carmy assures him that flying itself is peaceful and talks about how his anxiety often comes up whenever he leaves a place that feels safe. The conversation helps Richie understand why he is struggling.

Richie later throws his daughter, Eva (Annabelle Toomey), a surprise birthday party at The Bear. The celebration also includes many familiar faces from throughout the series, including Gillian Jacobs as his ex-wife Tiff, Josh Hartnett as Tiff’s fiancee Frank, Jamie Lee Curtis as Donna, Bob Odenkirk as Uncle Lee and Molly Gordon as Claire.

Richie decides to attend a seminar in Japan, and Sydney gives him a kit full of travel essentials, including Dramamine, Tylenol and earplugs. The two shared a heart-to-heart.

The series ends with Richie sitting anxiously on the plane, nervously touching his fingers to his leg. And then there’s the final surprise: Jess (Sarah Ramos), whose flirtatious chemistry with Richie has been constant since he joined the series, sits next to him. He places his hand on top of hers, calming her emotions. They both smiled before closing their hands. When Richie looks out the window, he takes a deep breath and smiles.

All episodes of A bear are streaming on Hulu.