Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Bear season 2!

Summary

• Carmy's father may have died before the events of The Bear, as he hasn't spoken to him in over two decades.
• Another theory is that Carmy's father abandoned his family, explaining his absence in the show.
• It's possible that Carmy's father is in prison, given the criminal activities surrounding Carmy's life.

One of the biggest questions after The Bear season 2 has to do with what happened to Carmy's father, and here are the eight biggest theories that could explain the as-of-now unseen character's whereabouts. Despite The Bear seasons 1 and 2 heavily revolving around the trauma that Carmy Berzatto has faced due to his family history, the father of Carmy and Sugar still hasn't appeared in the show yet, with The Bear not even revealing what his name is as of season 2. While it is possible that Carmy's father could pop up in The Bear season 3, these eight theories are the only explanations as to why he's missing.

The Bear is one of the most critically acclaimed shows currently running, with the collaboration between Hulu and FX producing both seasons of the immensely popular comedy-drama. While The Bear season 1 explored Carmy's life as he returned to Chicago in order to pick up where his recently-deceased brother left off, season 2 saw Carmy and the chefs take some major steps, with them opening up the all-new titular restaurant. Season 2 also gave a better look at The Bear's Berzatto family tree, and while the lives of many Berzaztto family have been explored so far, one character still remains a complete mystery.

8 Carmy's Father Died Before The Events Of The Bear

Very little is known about Carmy's father, with one of the few details that the show has revealed being that Carmy hasn't spoken to him in over two decades. This has led some The Bear theorists to believe that Carmy's father simply died when Carmy was at a young age, decades before the events of The Bear. Carmy barely knowing his father would explain why he hasn't played a role in the destruction of Carmy's mental health, as he would've been very young when he died. One The Bear story even hints that Carmy's father died in a car accident after flying out the windshield, although this hasn't been confirmed.

7 Carmy's Father Abandoned His Family

Another likely theory regarding the whereabouts of Carmy's father is that he simply abandoned the family shortly after Carmy's birth, which explains why he isn't around in The Bear. The Bear's Christmas family reunion episode shows the entire Berzatto family together for the Feast of the Seven Fishes, although no mention of Carmy's father is made. If he had died, it would be expected that at least one family member would make a positive remark about him. However, Carmy's father leaving the family would explain why nobody talks about him anymore, as the damage he has done to the family speaks for itself.

6 Carmy's Father Is In Prison

It is also possible that Carmy's father could be in prison, explaining why he isn't around for the events of The Bear. Carmy's life is surrounded by crime, from his uncles being involved in the shady KBL organization to Richie dealing drugs behind The Original Beef of Chicagoland. It would only make sense that Carmy's father has also gotten caught up in some crimes, with him being caught and put in prison for decades. This is a very broad theory, as there are a variety of reasons why Carmy's father could be in prison. However, it is one of the more likely explanations.

5 Carmy's Father Ended His Own Life

One of the more tragic theories concerning where Carmy's father is during the events of The Bear is that he sadly took his own life. People close to Carmy taking their own lives has been a major overarching motif in The Bear so far, with most of the series being driven by the fact that Carmy's brother Mikey ended his own life shortly before Carmy returned to Chicago. Mikey's nickname in The Bear was "Bear," with this title thematically representing Mikey's importance by covering the entire show. If Carmy's father also died in the same way, it would make Carmy and Mikey's story even more tragic.

4 The Berzattos Have Nothing To Do With Carmy's Father Anymore

The Bear has hinted that Carmy's father isn't that great of a person, with the scarce mentions of the character throughout the series featuring people referring to Carmy's dad as a deadbeat. It could be that Carmy's father was just a bad person, leading the Berzatto family to cut him off. It could also be that Carmy's father was a good person, but the dysfunctional characteristics of the Berzatto family led to him being cut off anyway. Although it doesn't make sense that every Berzatto would go along with this for over two decades, it is possible that this could be explained in The Bear season 3.

3 Carmy's Father Ran Away With Francine Fak

Although more specific than the aforementioned theories, some The Bear fans have come to believe that Carmy's father ran away with Francine Fak. The Bear has hinted that Francine Fak did something horrible to Sugar, although the series hasn't revealed exactly what it is yet. It could be that Francine and Carmy's father got together and left their respective families, explaining Sugar's resentment of Fak. The Fak family and the Berzatto family have seemingly always been close, so it is possible that a strong enough relationship could have developed between the two, causing them to run away together.

2 Jimmy & Lee Made Carmy's Father Take The Fall For KBL

Another idea as to the whereabouts of Carmy's father ties into a few of the previous theories, with some speculating that Uncle Jimmy and Uncle Lee made Carmy's father take the fall for KBL. KBL is a partnership between Jimmy, Carmy's Father, and Lee, with the company being pretty shady as far as The Bear has presented. While it hasn't been shown that KBL does anything explicitly illegal yet, it has been heavily implied. It's possible that Jimmy, Carmy's father, and Lee got caught doing something illegal, with Jimmy and Lee forcing Carmy's father to take the fall for it.

1 Uncle Jimmy & Uncle Lee Had Carmy's Father Killed

The wildest theory as to where Carmy's father is in The Bear comes from Reddit, with one commenter positing that Jimmy and Lee may have had Carmy's father killed. Jimmy and Lee have clearly made some tough decisions in the past, and while The Bear hasn't revealed that they have killed anyone, it wouldn't be surprising. It could be that a deal went wrong or that Carmy's father decided to come clean, with Jimmy and Lee deciding to take matters into their own hands. The reveal that they killed him when Carmy was young and covered it up would be a massive potential plot twist for The Bear season 3.