Summary

Josh Hartnett's cameo as Tiff's fiancé in The Bear season 3 adds depth to Richie's character.
Hartnett's recent career resurgence includes roles in Oppenheimer, Operation Fortune, Black Mirror, and M. Night Shyamalan's Trap.
Richie confronts his loneliness after learning about Tiff's engagement, leading to a potential romantic interest in the maître d'hôtel of the Ever.

Josh Hartnett’s unexpected guest appearance in The Bear season 3 was a nice surprise, but his character only served to make me feel even worse for Richie. The Bear season 2 featured a few mentions of Tiff’s fiancé Frank, but he never appeared on-screen. In season 3, as Tiff and Frank’s wedding gets closer and closer, Frank finally makes his first on-screen appearance – and he’s played by a familiar face. The season featured plenty of A-list cameos, ranging from John Cena as a Fak to Thomas Keller as himself, and Hartnett added to that star power.

Throughout The Bear’s three seasons, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and showrunner Christopher Storer have done a great job of turning Richie from an immature loudmouth into a deeply sympathetic character. They’ve shown that all his bluster is just a cover for his fragile insecurities. From his scenes with his daughter to his superstar transformation from fork polisher to charismatic waiter, plenty of Richie moments have made me feel for this character – and Hartnett’s cameo appearance in The Bear season 3 added to that.

Josh Hartnett Playing Tiff's Fiancé Was An Exciting Twist In The Bear Season 3

Hartnett has been enjoying a comeback in the past couple of years

In season 3, episode 4, “Violet,” Richie drops his daughter off at her mom’s house and the show finally introduces audiences to Frank. There’s no animosity between Richie and Frank – they’re both very mature about the situation – but their conversation is extremely awkward. Frank feels like he should’ve gotten Richie’s permission before proposing to Tiff, but Richie insists it’s fine and he doesn’t mind. Richie worries that Frank’s presence in his daughter’s life is confusing her, and wonders if she should have two adult male role models, but Nat encourages Richie to continue to be there for his kid.

Hartnett has been enjoying something of a comeback in the past couple of years. Last year, he appeared on the big screen as Ernest Lawrence in Oppenheimer and Danny sco in Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre. He starred in one of Black Mirror’s best recent episodes – season 6, episode 3, “Beyond the Sea” – and he’s landed the lead role in M. Night Shyamalan’s next psychological thriller, Trap. Appearing on one of TV’s most acclaimed shows is yet another feather in Hartnett’s comeback hat.

Richie Finally Realizes How Alone He Feels After Learning About Tiff's Engagement

Richie finally confronts his loneliness

Although Richie tells Frank he doesn’t mind that he’s marrying Tiff during Hartnett’s The Bear cameo, the news of their engagement is shown to have really affected Richie. When his daughter tells him that Tiff worries about him because he’s alone, Richie finally realizes just how lonely he feels – and that made me empathize with Richie even more. Fortunately, it doesn’t seem like he’ll be alone for much longer. At the Ever’s funeral dinner in The Bear’s season 3 finale, Richie is shown to have palpable romantic chemistry with the maître d’hôtel, Jessica.