Why Does Sugar Hate Francie Fak On The Bear?

Four seasons in, one of the dependable delights of The Bear is watching its ever-expanding roster of celebrity guest stars come to play. But the lineup of familiar faces can get confusing, as you start to pick at the specific threads connecting Carmy’s family and friends. Who’s a cousin by blood, and who by vibes? (I’m still not completely sure which camp Sarah Paulson falls into, and that’s OK.)

Of course, one mystery has eluded fans for several years: Who is Francie Fak, and what did she do? Fortunately, Season 4 attempts to explain — with some help from Brie Larson.

Francie & Sugar’s Beef On The Bear

First, a recap of the Francie lore so far: While it’s easy to miss in The Bear’s chaotic group scenes, Francie’s name has come up a few times. In Season 2’s Christmas episode, “Fishes,” it’s revealed that she is Neil and Ted Fak’s sister — but as the characters explained in the episode, she was “not allowed” at the group gathering.

As Neil puts it, Natalie (aka Sugar) is still “mad as hell” about something that happened in the past.

Later, when Neil asks if Francie can come to the restaurant’s friends and family night, it’s a firm no from Natalie. “She can go f*ck, my love,” she says.

Natalie has a similarly strong reaction at the beginning of Season 4 (which dropped on June 25), when her husband, Pete, says he saw Francie at the gym. Even hearing him relay Francie’s simple message — “Hi” — makes Natalie furious. And when Neil informs Natalie that he invited Francie to Tiff and Frank’s wedding, she’s insulted. As she ominously puts it: “She knows what she did.”

Brie Larson’s Cameo, Explained

So... what is that, exactly?

At the wedding, Natalie and Francie (played by Larson in a surprise guest spot) both allude to the other’s betrayal. They have a screaming match, but only bits of their conflict can be deciphered. It sounds like they were having a night out as teenagers — Francie says they didn’t have cellphones back then — when Francie, who Natalie says was “drunk as sh*t,” seemingly took a bus and left Natalie stranded.

Again, the women yell over each other so much that it’s hard to make out a coherent explanation. But one moment lends some surprising context to their conflict. After Ted claims the frenemies previously hooked up, Pete reacts in disbelief, but Natalie and Francie pause and say, “Well...” in unison, suggesting they may have had some romance in their past.

Whatever the specifics of their squabble, the women make amends later on. “Natalie, I think about you a lot. I do miss you. And I really hope that you’re happy, and that you have someone who loves you,” Francie says.

Natalie sweetly returns the sentiment. “I think about how smart you are, how hard you work, how funny you are,” she says. “And I just think, holy sh*t, she’s probably doing something great.”

They decide to begin anew as friends — so here’s hoping Larson returns in a potential fifth season of The Bear.