An intriguing line from The Bear’s first season is “Say matae.” That being said, what does “matae” signify in The Bear series? There are a ton of theories among fans!
In “Sheridan,” the fifth episode of The Bear’s first season, Richard “Richie” Jerimovich (played by Ebon Moss-Bachrach) is heard saying, “Say, mate.”
In The Bear, who says “Matae” and when?
In Sheridan, the fifth episode of The Bear’s first season, Richard “Richie” Jerimovich (played by Ebon Moss-Bachrach) is heard saying, “say matae.”
Michael’s best buddy is Richie, played by Moss-Bachrach. He runs the eatery in a de facto capacity.
During an argument with Neil Fak, another of Carmy’s family’s childhood friends, he keeps saying this. Fak serves as the restaurant’s handyman on occasion. In the disputed episode, Richie’s drug peddling leads to a physical altercation between Neil and Richie.
“Matae”: What Does It Mean? Theories Explained
Since Richie’s song “Say Matae” hasn’t been formally explained by The Bear team, it’s up to the show’s audience to deduce a plausible interpretation.
Most agree that “mate” might reference the 1988 Jean-Claude Van Damme film Bloodsport.
Since episode 5 of The Bear’s first season features Neil Fak getting into a brawl, the martial arts/sports movie seems realistic.
In Japanese sports, like the ninjutsu shown in the film, the referee’s term “Matte” may be used to end a competition.
Within the film’s context, the term also denoted “I give up.”
Naturally, this is something that few fans would understand unless they are also enthusiasts of martial arts movies from the 1980s, as there are no other allusions to the movie in the show.
The term “matae” has an interesting history. According to Wiktionary, it means “cause to defecate” or “happen to defecate.” This makes sense as a verb and might be insulting in a restaurant setting.
We’re unconvinced that Richie was alluding to physiological processes based on how he used and expressed the word.
Lastly, some fans mentioned that “matae” is an archaic Midwesterner term for “uncle” that dates back to the 1990s.
Nobody involved in The Bear has confirmed this either, but given the context, we can all agree that it means something like “timeout” or “I give up.”
About The Bear
The Bear is an American comedy-drama television series created by Christopher Storer.
A young chef from the world of fine dining comes home to Chicago to run his family’s Italian beef sandwich shop after the suicide of his older brother, who left behind debts, a rundown kitchen, and an unruly staff.
All episodes of the first season were released on FX on Hulu on June 23, 2022, and the second season was released in its entirety on June 22, 2023. In November 2023, the series was renewed for a third season, which was released on June 26, 2024. Ahead of the third season premiere, the show was renewed for a fourth season, which will film back-to-back with the third season
The series stars Jeremy Allen White, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ayo Edebiri, Lionel Boyce, Liza Colón-Zayas, and Abby Elliott.
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