The Bear’s Napkins dives into Tina’s backstory and her relationship with Mikey

In the season's sixth episode, Liza Colón-Zayas shines in her first solo spotlight.

“You know how much I loved him, right?”/“How much?”/“A lot. I loved him a lot”

This scene featured Tina and Carmy discussing Carmy's deceased brother, Mikey, who was also Tina's previous boss, in the Season One finale of The Bear.

What happened in The Bear season 3, episode 6?

While Carmy was Mikey's sibling by blood, Tina considered Mikey as part of her family and staunchly defended his memory. When Carmy and Sydney started implementing changes at The Original Beef of Chicagoland, the kitchen staff resisted, with Tina being particularly vocal.

She feigned a lack of English proficiency to avoid obeying Sydney’s directives and frequently glared at her inexperienced coworkers.

Her evolution in embracing the new approach was perhaps the most crucial character development of the first season, as Carmy's ability to impress even Tina with his food validated his touted genius on the show.

However, the first two seasons of The Bear primarily delved into the emotions of those who had known Mikey Berzatto the longest: Carmy, their sister Natalie, other family members like their mother Didi, and best friend Richie. While we understand why they held him in high regard, Tina's perspective relied more on her testimony and Liza Colón-Zayas' compelling portrayal in the role.

In this season's sixth episode titled "Napkins," Liza Colón-Zayas not only shines in her first solo spotlight but also fills an emotional gap. In doing so, it delivers the standout scene of Season Three for The Bear.

What is the relationship between Tina and Mikey in the Bear?

Mikey (Jon Bernthal) doesn't make an appearance until later in the episode, in a flashback set several years before the events of Season One. Tina, now 46 years old, is happily married to David (portrayed by Colón-Zayas’ real-life husband, David Zayas), and has been working steadily for 15 years in payroll at a candy company.

However, their rent has recently increased dramatically, David's long-awaited promotion as a doorman appears elusive, and Tina faces unemployment due to a round of layoffs.

Employers show little interest in hiring a woman of a certain age, even after she masters LinkedIn. "Napkins" mirrors the story of Sisyphus, as Tina spends her days pushing her resumes uphill, facing rejection, and starting anew each day.

In the beginning of "Napkins," Tina confidently discusses her resume, only to be brushed off by younger gatekeepers who view paper resumes as outdated relics.

After Mikey mentions her time at the Beef, she offers him a copy of her resume, but he declines once again. However, this interaction stands out because Mikey is genuinely engaging with Tina as a person, not just seeing her as an annoyance disrupting his day.

He sympathizes with her and genuinely likes her. He needs the help anyway, and unlike the others, he doesn't dismiss Tina's resume as another reason to look down on her. Mikey wants her to take the job, so the document itself is irrelevant to him. Previous rejections of her resume made Tina retreat inward, but Mikey's rejection turns into a shared joke between two people who are clearly destined to become close friends.

The scene concludes with Mikey returning to his duties, and Tina savoring her first bite of the complimentary sandwich. Its taste is exceptional, symbolizing more than just the meat's quality. That evening, when she returns home to David, she carries an Original Beef T-shirt in her purse—a symbol of her new journey and a fresh start ahead.

She doesn't yet realize how much more thrilling her life will become, or how the quality of the food she prepares will improve when she eventually encounters the man who sent that perplexing photo to Mikey.

At present, she has a job, a sense of purpose, and a new boss whom she will soon come to admire deeply, and whose reputation she will protect with great determination, just like everyone else there. Now, we fully grasp the reasons behind her commitment.