The Bear Theory Reveals KBL's Dark Role In 1 Mysterious Character's Absence

Over the course of two seasons, The Bear has left many unanswered questions as Carmy, Sydney, and the others at The Original Beef Chicagoland try desperately to get the restaurant off the ground, and two particularly mysterious questions may actually be connected. In The Bear season 2, audiences get a peek inside the family life of Carmy and his siblings, and frankly, the episode "Fishes," offers both incredible insights and even more huge questions. In particular, viewers are left wondering what happened to Carmy's father, and about the relationship between Carmy and his "uncles," particularly Lee.

Since The Bear has left so many loose ends open for future seasons to answer, there are countless fan theories about what actually happened. Some answers may seem more obvious than others. For example, it would be very easy to assume that Carmy's father died somehow, which would explain his absence. And when it comes to the KBL, the group made up of Uncle Jimmy, Carmy's father, and Uncle Lee, it seems pretty obvious that they were involved in some sort of criminal activity. However, though these answers may seem easy, there may be a deeper story to them.

Related 10 Biggest Theories About What Happens In The Bear Season 3 As excitement for The Bear season 3 increases, theories about the upcoming story are circling as well as the twists that might arise.

The Bear Theory Reveals Carmy's Father Is In Prison (& It Might Be KBL's Fault)

KBL might have sent Carmy's dad to prison

Though The Bear has yet to reveal answers about Carmy's dad or KBL, there is a fan theory that suggests the two are interconnected. The Bear theory implies that Carmy's father is in prison due to his illegal actions with KBL. More specifically, the theory suggests Uncle Jimmy and Uncle Lee threw Carmy's dad under the bus, resulting in him going to jail and them getting off scot-free. Though The Bear has never outright said that KBL is doing anything illegal, it is implied that they are shady, and therefore, being arrested for this business makes sense.

The logistics of this theory mostly work when examining The Bear's flashbacks and relationships. In The Bear's "Fishes," Mikey and Uncle Lee clearly don't like each other, and a part of this could be due to Lee's role in sending Carmy's dad to jail. Mikey might also be the only one that knows about what KBL did. This would explain why Carmy and Sugar seem to have a good relationship with Uncle Jimmy. It could also be that Lee was the only one responsible for Carmy's dad's fate, whereas Jimmy had nothing to do with it.

How This Theory Changes The Stakes For The Bear Season 3

Carmy is too close to KBL

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If Uncle Jimmy and Uncle Lee truly are responsible for sending Carmy's dad to jail, then that makes The Bear season 3 even more complicated. This is mainly because Carmy and Sugar owe Uncle Jimmy a large amount of money for the restaurant. And though they seemingly have a good relationship with Jimmy, owing him money puts them in a tough position that feels uncomfortably close to where Mikey was before he died, and perhaps where Carmy's dad was before he disappeared.

Carmy and Sugar may be following in their family's bad footsteps without even realizing it.

A potential route that this story could take, which would bring everything to light, is that Carmy and Sugar cannot pay Jimmy back. Though Jimmy has often been a supportive character in the series, a switch may be flipped when Carmy cannot get the money he owes. Perhaps Jimmy's personality would change, and he would put pressure on Carmy and Sugar to pay him back. Uncle Lee could even make an appearance in the present day. This situation would then throw a light on the fact that KBL is dangerous and may have had something to do with Carmy's dad.

KBL May Have Played An Even More Sinister Role In Carmy's Father's Absence

KBL could have killed Carmy's father

Though jail is a fairly reasonable fate for Carmy's dad, it could also be true that he is dead, but not in any natural way. Due to KBL's dangerous ties, it could be that KBL killed Carmy's father for some reason. This theory seems much less likely, but it is still a possibility due to how little audiences actually know about the partnership. If they were involved in some truly illegal things, then murder may not be so far off. It could also be that Carmy's father was killed because of his connection to KBL rather than by KBL itself.

The Bear season 3 is set to premiere in June 2024.

Overall, The Bear season 3 has many questions to answer, and it is unclear whether they will. The show is on such a popularity streak at the moment that it may take its time providing answers, focusing more heavily on the restaurant and other character dynamics. Even so, there is no doubt that, someday, The Bear will explain the fate of Carmy's father, and undoubtedly, the series must give more information on what KBL is.