Warning: Spoilers for The Bear season 3
Summary
Surprisingly, Donna role’sThe Bearhas completely changed the way I see Jamie Lee Curtis' character. She delivered one of her most unforgettable performances as Donna, the matriarch of theBerzatto family inThe Bear.Her portrayal in the stressful season 2 episode “Fishes” left a lasting impact, and has since created a palpable sense of anxiety whenever she appears on screen. So, when Curtis appeared again in season 3, I was deeply concerned about the direction the episode could take.
Curtis isn’t the only celebrity appearance in the hit Hulu series.The Bearseason 3 features a long list of cameos; some, like Curtis, are returning characters, whereas others are new. However, Curtis' performance as Carmy and Sugar’s mother is by far the most meaningful in the show. And her appearance in season 3 has now completely changed the way I see Donna.
I Love The Bear, But Season 3 Confirmed 1 Harsh Reality About The Show
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After “Fishes,” I Get Extremely Nervous Every Time Jamie Lee Curtis Appears In The Bear
Donna’s presence makes me anxious every time she’s mentioned
The season 2 episode “Fishes” was deeply stressful, and much of that has to do with Jamie Lee Curtis' brilliant portrayal of the unhinged Berzatto matriarch, Donna.The Bearepisode slowly builds tension, using the ever-so familiar setting of the family’s Christmas dinner to ratchet up the drama. Curtis brings a frenetic energy to the character, that feels like watching a car crash in slow motion. Thedisaster seems inevitable, as the pressure keeps rising in the household. Yet the episode’s climax still manages to take me by surprise, providing a perfect visual for the metaphorical familial car crash bubbling inside the house.
Ever since this anxiety-inducing episode, however, even the mere mention of Donna makes me nervous because I know something stressful is about to happen. Curtis' character was always foreshadowed as a menacing presence in the Berzatto family, even in season 1. So, in episode 8, when Sugar is in labor and forced to make the dreaded call to her mother to ask for help, that sense of panic returned.
ThroughoutThe Bear, Curtis' Donna seems to be haunting the family, but it’s not the kind ofhaunting that the Fak familyare fond of.Donna is a pervasive force always eating away at the back of Carmy’s and Sugar’s minds, and appearing in flashbacks during high-tension moments. She is Carmy’s familial counterpart toDavid Fields who acts as the season 3 villain. Like Donna, Joel McHale’s Fields appears to Carmy in flashbacks when the chef is under extreme pressure.
The Bear Season 3 Sets Up A Big Change For Donna & Her Kids
Season 4 could see a whole new relationship form between Donna and Sugar
Prior toThe Bearseason 3 episode, “Ice Chips,” Donna had become the family’s Voldemort, whose name should never be spoken. But"Ice Chips" changed everything.Curtis' nuanced, award-worthy performance in the episode delivered a completely new dimension to the character that will have a long-lasting impact on the family. While Donna was still her usual unhinged self, the episode gave the mother empathy, showing that she does have good intentions, even if her actions don’t come across that way.
The experience of labor in “Ice Chips” also gave Sugar a deeper perspective on her mother. Before giving birth, Sugar worries about Donna’s influence on her and how that may impact her own parenting. Aware of the trauma her mother has caused, Sugar fears passing that down to her own child. But through her labor experience, Sugar realizes her mother isn’t the demon she imagines. Yes, Donna is loud and abrasive, but she’s also caring and supportive of her children in her own way, even if it’s not always apparent.
It’s unclear howThe Bearseason 4will address these changing relationships, nor how much impact Sugar’s labor experience will have on the family’s dynamic. Now that Donna has shown a totally new side to her character, however, I won’t be as anxious about what’s to come.I have a whole new appreciation for Carmy and Sugar’s mother, and Curtis has made a strong argument for her to have a much bigger presence in future seasons.
