What Happened to Marcus in The Bear Season 2

The Bear‘s second season wasn’t short on drama, and I’m not just talking about what went on in the restaurant. Marcus Brooks, one of the show’s major characters, went on a journey that took him well beyond the restaurant. Here’s what happened to Marcus in The Bear Season 2.

Here’s What Happened to Marcus in Season 2 of The Bear

Marcus aspires to be at the top of his craft, a Gordon Ramsey-level pastry chef, without the shouting. And with support from The Bear’s owner and head chef Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto, that’s well within reach. However, he’s also got an ailing mother, and while she has her own caretaker, Marcus still worries about her. On top of that, Season 2 hints that he has feelings for Chef Sydney.

During Season 2 of The Bear, Marcus grows both as a person and a professional. He becomes ever more driven, though not coldly so, and Carmy arranges for him to go to Copenhagen to learn from another pastry chef, Luca. However, this does mean leaving his mother, which isn’t an easy call.

Marcus does go to Copenhagen, where he bonds with Luca and becomes more confident in his culinary abilities. But Luca also teaches him it’s not just about skill and that he should be trying to do the best he can, not to be better than anyone else.

Inspired and refreshed, Marcus returns to The Bear, where a missing member of staff and an implausible freezer incident mean that he and Sydney have to step up. But they come through the other end mostly unscathed.

However, as the finale reveals, Marcus has received several missed calls from his mother’s nurse/caretaker, Kristy. The timestamps cover the last 16 minutes, but we don’t get to see just how long she has been calling for. So, what happened? If you don’t mind a spoiler or two for The Bear Season 3’s first couple of episodes, read on.

Related: Is The Bear Actually a Comedy?

What Happens to Marcus’ Mother?

Marcus gets to the hospital, but he’s too late. His mother has passed away, and, as if her death wasn’t enough, he has to deal with the knowledge he wasn’t there during her final moments. We don’t see much of him during this episode, just enough to tell us that he’s a wreck. He later talks about how his mother would have wanted him to be in the restaurant’s kitchen, but it sounds as if he’s trying to convince himself.

So, that’s what happens to Marcus in Season 2 of The Bear. He learns valuable new skills and grows somewhat as a person, but the season ends with an emotional gut punch.

The Bear is streaming now on Hulu.