Mikey Berzatto’s Death In The Bear Explained – How & When Jon Bernthal’s Character Died

Despite his character having passed before the events of The Bear began, Jon Bernthal’s Mikey Berzatto has had an incredible impact on the series throughout its four seasons. Created by Christopher Storer and showrun by him and Joanna Calo, the FX on Hulu series follows the young chef Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), as he returns home after his older brother Mikey’s death. Together with his family, the staff, and up-and-coming chef Sydney (Ayo Edebiri), Carmy sets out to turn around Mikey’s struggling business from a humble sandwich shop into a highly successful and celebrated prestige restaurant.

Throughout the series, Carmy has attempted to grow the business, not only grappling with the stresses this brings, but his long-held personal traumas, including the lingering impact of Mikey’s death. Because of this, The Bear has been acclaimed for its explorations of heavier mental health themes, and the faithful portrayal of the challenges the restaurant industry can bring. As the series continued, these explorations of Carmy and his staff’s struggles in the present, the series has gradually revealed more about Mikey posthumously, and why he left such an impact.

Mikey Died By Suicide Shortly Before The Bear’s Series Premiere

Mikey Inherited An Overwhelming Burden

Michael “Mikey” Berzatto was the eldest sibling of the Berzatto family and the owner of The Original Beef of Chicagoland, having inherited the establishment to support his family. While he could be abrasive, he was also good-hearted and caring towards his loved ones, wanting to do whatever he could to keep them happy through his charisma and kindness towards those who needed it. Unfortunately, his optimism and compassion weren’t enough to battle the pressures that kept his family through his father’s legacy brought him.

As he managed The Original Beef of Chicagoland, Mikey’s leadership led to the restaurant heading into incredible financial hardships, with him quickly burning through funds in the hope that several business ventures could finally deliver the life that he felt his family deserved. This pressure mounted throughout the later stages of his life, to the point where he became addicted to painkillers and went as far as to discreetly sabotage the restaurant in case he ever needed to resort to committing fraud and destroy the restaurant for the insurance. With this, Mikey shot himself on the State Street Bridge.

How OId Mikey Was When He Died

Mikey’s Unexpected Death Left His Family Reeling

At the time of his death, Mikey was only 43, with his sudden loss leaving an unavoidable impact on the entirety of the Berzatto family. While he may have set out to prove Mikey wrong after being shunned from working at The Beef, Carmy was left in shock, as all the progress that he had put into proving himself as a worthy chef was disrupted. While she grieved, Natalie (Abby Elliott) was vocal about how Mikey’s irresponsibility led to his dire situation, making her eager to sell the restaurant.

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Mikey’s death also had a notable impact on their mother, Donna (Jamie Lee Curtis), who had strained her relationship with her children due to her own mental health struggles and battles with addiction. Mikey’s death acted as a catalyst for Donna, who took the time to change from the brash, impulsive, and neglectful person she had been during their youth, making the effort to change while allowing her children to decide for themselves whether they’d embrace her once more. However, it is through Carmy’s eyes that we initially see the lasting impact of Mikey’s legacy, both good and bad.

The Real Meaning Of Carmy Imagining A Bear At The Bridge Where Mikey Died

Carmy & Mikey Weren’t On Good Terms When He Passed

While Mikey and Carmy had been close with their shared love of cooking and ambitions to run their own establishment, their dream would play a role in pushing the pair apart prior to Mikey’s death. Having been grappling with the pressures that running The Beef had brought, Mikey refused to hire Carmy to join its staff, seeing it as an act of kindness to save his brother. Carmy, on the other hand, took it as a slight, becoming the best chef he could be to prove Mikey wrong in his eyes.

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At the start of the series in the season 1 premiere, “System”, Carmy is depicted as making his way across the State Street Bridge to a caged bear, which growls at him and lunges at him despite his attempts to reassure it. Though this is quickly revealed to have been a dream, the sequence still represents a major milestone for Carmy, who had only just returned to assume control of The Beef. The Bear is more than just a name he associated with Mikey, but an omen for the burden he was about to undertake.

Growing up in the Berzatto family was no easy upbringing for either of the siblings, but Carmy chose to leave and build his reputation, while Mikey remained in hopes of keeping his family’s legacy alive and maintaining their well-being. With this, Mikey ultimately subjected himself to unbearable stress and pressure that broke him down and destroyed his health, pushing him to his limit. While the Bear may represent the pressures of Carmy and Mikey’s old dream, it also represents the dangers it brings, hence why it lashes out.

Why Mikey Left The Beef & All Those Cash-Filled Tomato Cans To Carmy Before His Death

Mikey Had Faith In His Brother’s Potential To The End

Despite opening with imagery that signified the personal dangers that Carmy assumed ownership of The Beef would bring, there was one person who had faith that his younger brother had grown into the right person to take responsibility. In The Bear season 3’s “Napkins”, the episode depicts Tina (Liza Colon-Zayas) and Mikey’s meeting, where they discuss the stresses of business. While his own situation may seem dire, Mikey had seen how Carmy had grown as a cook, leaving him proud and relieved that there was hope for the next generation.

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As such, he names Carmy as the co-owner upon his passing, leaving him with a letter carrying the simple message of “I love you dude. Let it rip“, urging him to make their dream a reality, showing that he had faith in his younger sibling. Furthermore, Mikey had also left $300,000 in cash from Cicero’s (Oliver Platt) loan among several cans of tomatoes to help him make a start on their dream. As such, despite passing before The Bear began, Mikey has had a long-lasting impact throughout the entire series.

The Bear

9/10

Release Date

June 23, 2022

Network

Hulu

Showrunner

Christopher Storer