Hopeless Romantic

Hello, so I FINALLY collected all the Carmy and Sydney scenes and placed them into one full video.

Click here to find the video

PSA: If you do use these scenes for edits, please tag me. My socials are

@devisrina on TikTok

And @vishwatrainwreck on Insta

Edit: So, I realised after I made this post that the audio from season 2 episode 2 was mute. It was bugging me because it's one of the cutest episodes for them, so I made a separate link to where you can watch season 2 episode 2 scenes with the sound on.

Click here to watch season 2 episode 2 Carmy x syd scenes

tiktok: @devisrina

“torrential storm” ?? oh we getting that rain kiss

toxic codependent fwb with feelings sydcarmy in s5

He has a panic attack remembering having sex with Claire, and it’s a memory of Syd that calms him down, and once Syd it’s on his mind, he is not compelled to think again about having sex with Claire. Carmen somehow was aware of what he did, he couldn’t look Syd in the eyes so easily while they prep for service.

The multiple times he stares at her, some of those times he was in a relationship with Claire, and other times he was actively pursuing her.

He makes dishes about what she wears. He made a dish on the green dress she wore at an event where he was supposed to pursue Claire. The inspiration kink here is wild, how often does he thinks of Sydney to inspire himself?

He looks over Claire’s shoulder! to look at Syd while they are all dancing. He is literally cheating on Claire right in front of her face.

Okay, hear me out — Carmy in season 4 isn’t just sad or “burned out.” He’s miserable. He’s colourless. He’s stuck in grayscale while everyone else is living in 4K. And it’s not because he stopped loving cooking — it’s because cooking started feeling like losing.

Everyone keeps saying he’s uninspired and doesn’t care anymore… but that’s bullshit. We’ve seen him get inspired — by Sydney’s bandanas, by the way she plates food, the way she moves in the kitchen. So the problem isn’t inspiration.

The problem is competition.

Carmy feels like Sydney doesn’t need him — not because he’s over cooking, but because he can’t stand losing to her. She’s faster. Softer. More natural. And he hates the feeling that she might actually be better. He doesn’t want to be second in his own kitchen. And we’ve seen this before — he was competitive with Luca too. It’s how the industry raised him.

He was programmed this way: be the best or be nothing.

So when he tells Syd her dish “isn’t ready”? Nah. It was ready. It was too good. And he couldn’t handle putting her above him.

Control is his religion. He’s a control freak with trauma layered like a mille-feuille — industry abuse, insane chefs, his brother’s death, his parents, the whole enchilada.

He’s not quitting cooking forever. He’s trying to find something else he can be good at, something that doesn’t hurt. But he will come back — because cooking is his art, his language, his heartbeat. I can literally see a scene next season: Carmy cooking something slowly, quietly, no rush, no chaos — just love for the craft. Healing through creation.

And then — Claire (sigh…)

He didn’t go back to Claire because he loves her. He went back because she’s easy. Because she’s safe, untouched by kitchens and chaos. She wants him the way he is. She doesn’t ask him to be better. She doesn’t challenge him. She just lets him exist as he is — broken, quiet, cooking or not cooking. She brushes off his trauma like dust on his jacket.

But Sydney? Whole different thing.

With Sydney, it’s:

“Don’t let me down again.”

“Try to be less miserable.”

“You’re supposed to fucking be here.”

With her it’s growth. It’s accountability. It’s partnership. It’s healing, but the painful kind — where someone looks you in the eye and says fix it.

Sydney doesn’t let him rot. She pushes him. She meets him at eye level. She sees his trauma but doesn’t let it become an excuse. (Remember during their fight when Syd says, “I’m sorry you had to go through this shit,” and he literally begs her to stop?) That’s the difference — she doesn’t let him hide from it. She won’t let him stay small. Also she believes the kitchen isn’t a battleground — it can be a collaboration.

Where I think this is going:

• Carmy heals. Slowly. I pray to God that therapy is involved.

• He finds out about making the best meal for Sydney. I feel like there is a reason multiple characters know about it but not him yet. I think it might be a big thing for him that shifts something.

• He falls back in love with his craft.

• He learns that working (and being) with someone (especially someone who challenges you) isn’t losing — it’s love.

• And as soon as he realises that? Claire won’t make sense to him anymore.

• I even think Claire might not want him to return to cooking — because it makes him chaotic and harder to love. And that might be exactly what breaks them.

Because in the end? I don’t see Carmy and Claire together. I see Carmy choosing the heat, the mess, the growth. I see him choosing colour again.

So as I said I really love this moment, especially because of where in the narrative it takes place.

In 1x07, we see him trying to put distance between himself and Sydney with his anxiety-spoon when she touches his arm to check in with him. He wasn't ready for her/her friendship/her partnership/a collaboration with her. More on that here.

In 1x08 we see him moping after her, then when she comes back, when she walks in, he realizes he wants to do this with her. And that it's okay to need her.

In season 2, his main arc of having fun, having friends, connections outside of work and food starts.

Here's my meta on how it was originally Sydney who he wanted to have fun with, and to be his friend.

In 2x02 he started to touch her casually like all the other characters. Even after his first hangout with Cl**re, he behaved the same with Sydney in 2x03, he casually touched her shoulder.

But at the end of 2x03, Richie just had to tease them about their argument, and the next episode Carmy started avoid Sydney, and only her, and he full-on stopped touching her, and only her. Here and here are the metas on why this happened, and what it's got to do with Richie.

Going forward, they have no problem touching others, feeding Fak from their own hands, etc., but they just don't touch, except their hug at the fire suppression test, and that business-hug for show at the Ever funeral.

Also, season 3 as a whole is his repression of wanting to be with Sydney, having fun with her, being her friend, etc. And the epitome of it is the lamb dish in 3x09. (like, all of his lamb dishes are about this, I'm writing a long ass meta)

Then in season 4, when Sydney tells him she doesn't like the dysfunction he operates the kitchen with, we see him changing things, trying to be better, be square with everyone.

In 4x07, we see their first interaction in the show that's not about work, and it's a wedding. We all know how it's Sydney who gave him peace and courage, how she saved him from the situation with his mother, how relaxed and smiley he was when they talked, how couple-coded they were when they were talking with Steve.

Next episode, we see him plating the dish that's inspired by Syd's clothes at the wedding. She tells him to "get over with" Donna, to just go there and bring the photos she wants. So he goes.

And here's the crazy part:

He calls Cl**re before knocking on Donna's door, and she tells him to go find her sweatshirt. He smiles, because it's an opportunity she gave him to get back together with her. He smiles, because "he loves her" and being with her feels like being on fire and it's the "best".

Then in 4x09, he talks with Donna. Note that Donna and Cl**re (and also Fields, but it's not that relevant now) is connected in the show visually to show how they're connected in his psyche. (I can't find the interview with one member of the staff, but it's confirmed.)

And with Donna, something new happens. A change. She's trying. She's getting better. It's a step towards repairing something broken.

I love how in the show, Carmy's problems are like an onion. Like I won't elaborate here, but his problem with Cl**re is his problem with Sydney, and his problem with Sydney is his problem with Mikey, and his problem with Mikey is his problem with Donna. And we can only speculate that behind his problem with Donna there's his father who abandoned them, and also Donna's own abusive mother. But the point is, Donna is the source of most if not all of his interpersonal difficulties. At least the source he can actually interact with.

So when Donna is changing, she changes this trans-generational dynamic from the source. They talk, and it is something new, something Carmy hasn't experienced before with her. Something shifts.

So when he goes and finds this green sweater, and looks at it... he doesn't smile anymore. It's like something just... clicked in his brain.

And it's not just about Cl**re. It's about cooking, too. He made her lunch, because he wanted to take care of her. He wanted to show his love. Wanted to have a connection. It was why he originally chose to be a chef. To have this connection with people, to take care of them, to make them happy. He lost this part of him somewhere on the way, but now he took care of his mother, and it was joy for him again.

When he tells Richie he made her lunch, and Richie says that's nice, he smiles softly and says "yeah".

It's like as if he had this kinda reparative experience with Donna, and the gears in his head and heart turn towards healing. Not smiling when thinking of getting together with Cl**re, and smiling at the memory of cooking for someone he cares about.

And I think he's now ready to continue with Sydney where he left off after Richie's comment in 2x03.

He stands closer to her than ever. They were in their own bubble in 2x02, he really went into her personal space when they argued in 2x03, and after Richie's comment, he avoided her like the plague in 2x05, he could ease up on the avoidance in 2x08 when him Cl**re were public knowledge so he was in a friendly distance, he was really close Syd again in 2x09 after his panic attack made him realize who is it he really wants (we don't know if it's conscious or not), in season 3 they were separated by the kitchen island most of the time, in season 4 they were at least at the same side, but NOW, after Donna, after things clicked for him, he's so close to her their elbows touch. He LEANS into her so they touch.

Sydney talks about Gary and that the wine pairings were amazing. In this meta, I talk about how the menu was always a metaphor for their relationship. Earlier in season 4, we have Gary saying that he has difficulty with the wine pairings because the menu changes so much, and the sommelier says to him "Just remember, if it grows together, goes together." And now Carmy and Syd talk about amazing wine pairings. Yeah. It's about them.

Carmy just stares at her really intently. Like, it's not the text, only my opinion, but he looks at her and agrees with her so surely. Like someone who knows what he wants.

And they talk about FUN. Carmy's main arc. Something he wanted with Sydney. Syd says "I think he's been having fun, too, which is nice." And Carmy says "Yeah, that, too." (or Yeah, too", I'm not sure).

Then she makes a grimace, and I have no idea what she said exactly, I could only make out the word "somebody". Idk, doing something with somebody? Having fun with somebody maybe? I have no idea, but Carmy just stares at her, nodding, saying "Yeah.", and I just know he's thinking about having fun with her and having her outside the restaurant.

Like this little interaction is so loaded with narrative implications. If they didn't film this the way they did, but the camera actually stayed put and focused on them, the way Carmy is watching her as she talks about fun, I think it would've been really obvious where his mind is and what he wants going forward.

And this change in him after Donna goes into the finale as well. He touches Sydney when he takes the lighter from her (season 3 Carmy would never). He talks about hurdles, and when Sydney interrupts him, saying "changing the menu everyday, yelling at Richie, not communicating, etc." he says probably, maybe, he's like agreeing with her, but it's like these things are not first hurdles he wanted to say. I think he wanted to talk about them, but then she wouldn't let him. Then when finally start talking about their relationship, Richie comes.

Yes, chef!

Although if Carmy would have wanted to get back together with the C person he very well could have at the wedding when they danced, (their last dance) if they went their separate ways that day, IMO it´s bc Storer wanted to show us at he no longer held any hope of rekindling that flame, they just parted ways amicably, which is something the old Carmy (S2 stuck in the walk-in Carmy) couldn´t do. He couldn´t even allow himself to experience any sort of amusement and enjoyment, let alone dance at a wedding. So the fact that he did and that didn´t end up in a reconciliation, just in them proving they could remain friends after the breakup, is what happened, and that´s why in the next ep they talk on the phone, like friends do. Friends that tell each other stuff, like "Hey, I'm going to see mom today, wish me luck," and things like that, friends that are in each other´s lives in that new capacity after having been in a romantic relationship that just didn´t work out, no hard feelings, just moving on. A very mature thing to do, which I think is exactly what Storer wanted to depict. This new mature Carmy that was working and improving/healing his relationships, especially his relationships with women. That is from Carmy´s standpoint. Now, from C´s standpoint, there´s nothing mature or friendly about her; she 100% wants to get back together with Carmy, and plans on using that fucking green sweatshirt as a childish excuse to see him again and try to win him back; she´s absolutely not over him, and she´s stubborn and she sees Syd and his work as competition. That green sweatshirt is the only thing that is still tethering her to Carmy and to the whole plot; it´s a plot device.

And what you said about Carmy healing his relationship with Donna is exactly like that, that´s why that reconciliation is so important for Sydcarmy to happen, Sydcarmy can´t happen without it, it´s a non-negotiable. Syd deserves the healed version of Carmy, and there´s no such thing without him repairing his relationship with his mother and facing his abusers. He started doing that work back in 3X10. I do think that link you traced with Mickey and Donna and his father is exactly like that bc Carmy saw Michael as his father figure, that´s why he idealized him. When there´s an absent parent, physically absent, like Mr. Berzatto Sr., the child tends to idealize or blame the caretaker that stays, in this case Carmy idealized Mikey and that´s also why Carmy has authority issues, because of their fallout, which he tried to cope with by becoming an authority in his field himself, beign the most excellent CDC... etc. When Carmy heals his relationship with Donna, he will heal his relationship with all women in his life, and when Carmy heals his relationship with his dead brother, he will heal his relationship with himself, which will allow him to be fully present without resorting to a work addiction to hide behind and use as a shield, he will be able to be vulnerable without being weak and enjoy things outside the kitchen without using them as escapes, or distractions, but truly being open to being "less misserable", as Syd put it in 4x1, which is code for "Happy", he will finally allow himself to be HAPPY (with her).

And since he´s re-enacting his old "big brother" dynamic with Richie, the fact that they reconciled (via Michael) in 4x10 is proof that that part of Carmy´s healing journey already began and we will see the fruits of it next season.