Why Richie Sends Uncle Jimmy A Chocolate Banana In The Bear’s Season 2 Finale

Richie sends a heartwarming message to Uncle Jimmy in the final moments of The Bear season 2 that reaffirms how Richie feels about him.

WARNING: The following contains SPOILERS for The Bear season 2.

Richie gives a chocolate-covered banana to Uncle Jimmy in The Bear season 2 finale. Jimmy, otherwise known as Cicero or "Unc" by the dysfunctional Berzatto family, is a wise yet no-nonsense influence over Carmen, Natalie, and even Richie who has struggled to earn Jimmy's trust during the first two seasons of The Bear. Jimmy always has good intentions at heart with the Berzatto's, but often represents the harsh realities they struggle to accept, making him both an enemy and a mentor.

Richie possesses the most flaws between him, Natalie, and Carmen, who are all receiving guidance or financial support from Jimmy. This has created a great deal of friction between Richie and Jimmy throughout The Bear, since Richie wants Jimmy's help but doesn't have his respect. Jimmy is clearly a man of principle, which is how he became so profitable and sharp in his business practices. Although Jimmy has love in his heart for Richie and the entire Berzatto family tree, he can't look past Richie's failures to honestly believe and invest in him.

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In The Bear season 2 finale, Richie sends Jimmy a fancy chocolate banana made especially for him at the grand opening of Carmen's new restaurant. The tearful moment is a subtle callback to The Bear season 2, episode 6 "Fishes" where Jimmy explains to Richie's former wife Tiff a childhood memory of his dad taking him to a chocolate banana stand. In the flashback Christmas episode, Jimmy recalls the smell of the chocolate bananas out of thin air, which Tiff rationalizes as the holidays invoking Jimmy's nostalgia.

Moments later in the same scene, Richie gets exposed for claiming that Jimmy offered him a job in front of Tiff. This was a lie made up by Richie to appear like he had earned the opportunity honestly from Jimmy, which he did not. Jimmy could have made it known that Richie was a liar and embarrassed him in front of Tiff, which would have damaged their relationship further. However, Jimmy chose to keep the truth hidden to save Richie's face, a rare sign of good faith although Richie had forced Jimmy's hand.

Richie's gift to Jimmy at the end of The Bear season 2 is a sign of Richie's maturity as well as an indication that Richie has always cared about Jimmy despite their differences. After Richie found purpose in performing acts of service, he used his newly inspired outlook to remind Jimmy how much he appreciated him for bringing Carmen's restaurant to life. It was also a gesture of gratitude between the two men that demonstrated Richie's growth, which Richie had previously been too proud or unserious to acknowledge. The chocolate banana was Richie's way of telling Jimmy that he has respected and loved him all along throughout both seasons of The Bear.