(Warning: The following contains MAJOR FX spoilers Bear Season 2, Episode 1, “Beef”)
Bear returned and answered one of Season 1’s biggest lingering questions in the Season 2 premiere episode, “Beef.”
As viewers may recall, the latest installment of the FX show’s freshman run saw up-and-coming young chef Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) discover wads of cash hidden in several cans of tomatoes stored in the storage room. He was driven to open the cans after discovering his brother Michael’s (Jon Bernthal) last letter to him, which included a spaghetti recipe and the motivational words, “Let him rip!”
Sure enough, Carmy let it rip while he and his Beef crew opened the boxes and collected the money, but viewers never knew where it came from, only that Mike hid it and designated it in his books as “KBL”.
(Credit: FX/Hulu)
In the season 2 premiere episode, viewers finally understand how Mike’s parting gift came to be when Carmy descends the stairs to the diner’s basement for a chat with cousin Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach). On the shelves, we glimpse the canning equipment Mike must have used to open the tomatoes and reseal them with the money inside.
As for “KBL,” an explanation comes when Sydney (Ayo Edebiri), Nat (Abby Elliott) and Carmy gather with “Uncle Jimmy” (Oliver Platt) to discuss the investment in their new restaurant, The Bear. In Season 1, Jimmy mentioned that he loaned Mike $250,000 and disappeared. Realizing that the money belonged to Jimmy, Carmy and the gang wanted to propose that they invest it in their business along with a little extra money.
Looking for an answer to everyone’s KBL mystery, Carmy asks Jimmy what it means. “Kalinowski, me. Berzatto, you. Layne, Lee,” Jimmy replies.
“Lee? Who is Lee?” Carmy asks, wondering about the third person involved. “Uncle Lee Layne,” Nat interjects.
“Oof. He’s not our uncle,” points out Carmy. Nat is quick to point out to her brother as well, “Yeah, well, Richie’s not your cousin.”
As the season goes on, we later find out who Lee is, but to say that now would be too much of a spoiler. Either way, the mystery of KBL and the tomato box has been resolved, allowing fans to focus on more important matters as Season 2 unfolds. Don’t miss it for yourself; capture BearIts second season as it is streaming in its entirety on Hulu. And let us know your thoughts on the tomato box mystery solved below.
FXs BearSeason 2, Streaming Now, Hulu