Every Subtle Way ‘The Bear’ Season 3 Mentioned Taylor Swift: From Friendship Bracelets to Her Music
The Bear fans were in for a surprise with several blink-and-you-miss-it Easter eggs relating to Taylor Swift.
Season 3 of the hit show, which premiered in June 2024, focused on employees at The Bear hard-launching their new restaurant to mixed results. In addition to seeing characters such as Carmy (Jeremy Allen White), Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) and Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) working, viewers got to spend time with them outside of the upscale Chicago spot.
Richie specifically had a strong connection to Swift, which made sense after his big season 2 moment. During a stand-alone episode focused on Richie, the character juggled a week-long training retreat at one of the best restaurants in the world. In a pivotal scene, Chef Terry (Olivia Colman) inspired Richie to find excitement and pride in his job again.
At the same time, Richie was trying to score tickets to Swift's concert for his daughter. He was able to get the passes, but his mood took a turn when he found out that his ex-wife, Tiffany (Gillian Jacobs), got engaged to another man. Richie was later seen driving home while rocking out to Swift's "Love Story" in the car.
After season 2 of The Bear started streaming in June 2023, executive producer Josh Senior discussed how the show was able to secure “Love Story.”
"No, [it wasn't hard]. A lot of people ask that question, and I wonder why they’re asking. Her team was like, 'Great. This is cool. How much money do you have? You have that much money? Let’s go,'" Senior recalled to Billboard in July 2023. "She was exceedingly generous and cool with one of our actors singing along to the song. Those are things that sometimes people just say no to, and that was probably one of the easiest songs to clear."
The episode received so much praise that Moss-Bachrach thanked Swift when he won a Critics Choice award.
"I've gotta thank my two special scene partners this year, Olivia Colman and Taylor Swift," Moss-Bachrach said in January 2024, while accepting the trophy for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.
Keep scrolling for other ways The Bear paid tribute to Swift during season 3:
Richie's Daughter Eva Having Eras Tour Merchandise
In a scene where Richie woke his daughter Eva (Annabelle Toomey) up, fans spotted the little girl tucked under a blanket from Swift's iconic Eras Tour. Others were quick to point out that Richie was sporting an NFL jacket, which felt like a subtle wink at Swift's boyfriend Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce.
A Special Taylor Swift Song Featured on the Show
Richie — and viewers — finally met Tiffany's fiancé, Frank, when Josh Hartnett appeared on screen as "Long Live (Taylor's Version)" played in the background.
Jacobs opened up about the subtle detail, telling The Hollywood Reporter in June 2024, "That was put in because it’s a song that Annie, who plays our daughter, was really into at the time we were shooting season 3."
She continued: "I think that’s sweet and I love that it’s a callback to the other Taylor Swift moments. It makes total sense that Frank would want to be a Swiftie dad. He has his nails painted in that scene, and I’m sure he’s got his friendship bracelets ready to go."
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Richie's Friendship Bracelets
While Frank might have his friendship bracelets ready, Richie was already showing off his fit throughout the third season. Richie's accessories caught Us by surprise when multiple scenes from season 3 prominently featured the character rocking friendship bracelets that Swift’s fans are known to trade at her concerts.
