I’m worried about Carmy's fate in The Bear Season 4 after this major character’s absence from the trailer

When I first watched The Bear Season 4 trailer, I could have sworn that I had missed something. To be sure, I rewound it frame by frame. However, the fact that Claire isn't in it bothered me no matter how many times I watched it again. Not even once. Considering everything that went down between her and Carmy in Season 2, her non-appearance in the trailer isn't just strange—it's unsettling.

Claire was never just a side character. For me, she felt like the only person who saw Carmy as more than a chef, more than a pressure cooker waiting to explode. Her role had depth, and by the end of Season 2, she was at the emotional center of his unraveling. So yeah, I’m worried. Because if Claire’s gone, what does that mean for Carmy’s already fragile state?

Claire's nowhere to be found in The Bear Season 4 trailer and that may say it all

To me, this isn't something small. Claire not being in the trailer feels intentional. Her absence may be symptomatic of how Carmy is distancing himself once more—something we've seen him do every time that he senses he's losing control. I think the trailer might be introducing us to a Carmy withdrawing further into himself, away from others who make him vulnerable. Claire, sadly, might be the first one to go.

And to be honest, Carmy isn't so great at letting people in. Claire tried, and he locked the door on her, literally and figuratively, back in Season 2's season finale. That said a lot. He affirmed he was better alone, and maybe he really did believe it. But without Claire, what's left to ground him?

This could mean Carmy's about to spiral hard in The Bear season 4

The way I reason, The Bear Season 4 would be delving deeper into Carmy's isolation. Season 3 already showed us flashes of that—his all-consuming quest for perfection, the emotional walls, the control obsession. The trailer suggests pressure hasn't eased at all. Actually, it might be worse. And with Claire nowhere to be found, I don't see anyone who can rein him back before time runs out.

He has folks around him at work, but he's not emotionally invested. Claire was an exception. She had seen him outside the kitchen, outside the craziness. Her loss in the trailer is a warning sign: Carmy might be more alone now than he's ever been.

The Bear Season 3's finale already hinted at this

Seriously, I should have known better. The finale of The Bear Season 3 didn't exactly leave much hope for Carmy and Claire's future. That freezer monologue? Harsh as heck. He cut her out completely, and although she knew all, she simply stood up and walked away without saying a word. That break-up scene wasn't a break-up—it was closure. Bummer, but realistic.

If the writers are choosing to omit her from Season 4, I sort of think it works narratively. Carmy made his decision, whether he meant to or not. And now we're likely going to get to see him deal with what it's like to live with the choice.

The show's never been about the romance anyway

The Bear never sugarcoats anything, which is something I've always appreciated about it. The show is about pressure, obsession, and emotional turmoil rather than romance. Claire brought a brief moment of calm, a “what-if” scenario for Carmy. But even then, it always felt temporary.

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So maybe this is just the show staying true to form. It has never been about the tidy conclusions. If anything, Claire's vanishing might be the most glaring sign so far that Carmy's path continues to be fraught with tension—and no easy egress.

Also read: The Bear Season 4 Episode Release Schedule: When do all the new episodes drop?

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