Bears Season 2 mainly revolves around building and running the eponymous restaurant, but it also includes some side missions, such as Marcus learning a new dessert from a very handsome chef in Denmark. In Episode 7, "Forks," Richie also gets the chance to serve as an apprentice at a new restaurant, which could also be renamed "Richie's (Taylor's Edition)."
In fact, the entire season leading up to Episode 7 was littered with Taylor Swift references. While speaking with his young daughter Eva, Richie apologized for being sidelined by Swift. "I love you. And Eva, and I love Taylor Swift," he said. "I just need a break, you know?"
Ebon Moss-Bachrach told Screen Rant that this was an added day for co-showrunner Christopher Storer. "I was like, Oh my gosh, this is such a deep conversation and you can see everything and it feels so real," he said. “I’m so impressed that Chris doesn’t have kids yet he came up with such insightful pieces in his car.”
Later in the season, he attempts to get tickets to the "Cruel Summer" singer's concert (a timely, relevant challenge) and ultimately succeeds. In flashback episodes, we can clearly see where his daughter's obsession began: In episode 6, "Fish," Eva's mom (who was pregnant with her at the time) is wearing a 1989 T-shirt shirt.
Being surrounded by Swifties seems to have had an effect on Richie — as "Love Story" plays a montage of him learning and testing his restaurant savvy during his apprenticeship. Then, after a successful night, we see Rich singing the song at the top of his lungs while driving home.
It's a relatable vibe for those who know the power of driving to Swift's music. Viewers took to Twitter to express their love for the feel-good scene, as well as Richie's Swiftie days.
As some viewers pointed out, this scene is not only very funny, but it's also an important milestone in Richie's character development. As @brittbrenner said, it shows that he "fell in love with working in a real restaurant." @halesinparis said he “fell in love with this industry and what it’s all about.”
Moss-Bachlach did tell Collider that Swift "had themes throughout the season," so it seems like her music (and that song in particular ) was used to tell the specifics of Richie's journey. It worked!
@hosseiri has just one request: please let Richie and Eva attend the Bears Season 3 concert.
