Brie Larson Brings Francine Fak to Life in 'The Bear' Season 4
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The following story contains some spoilers for The Bear season 4, episode 7, "Bears."
THROUGHOUT THE COURSE of its run, The Bear has very sharply crafted a masterful vehicle for both brilliant guest stars and even better on-screen drama: the Berzatto Family Function Episode. The show's signature deployment of this was season 3's "Fishes," which took place during a past Christmas dinner at the Berzatto residence and introduced viewers to one of the show's most important characters (Jamie Lee Curtis's unstable matriarch Donna Berzatto) while adding a number more (including relatives played by Sarah Paulson, John Mulaney, and Bob Odenkirk, among others).
AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R15ekkr8lb2m7nfblbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R25ekkr8lb2m7nfblbH1» iframeThe show's fourth season gives us one of these in full-force, as we get to see just about all of our main characters (including Syd (Ayo Edebiri) and Marcus (Lionel Boyce), who get brought along as +1s) at the wedding between Richie's (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) ex-wife Tiff (Gillian Jacobs) and Josh Hartnett's super nice guy Frank. And in addition to our main cast, almost all of the past guest stars are there too—with one brand new addition: Brie Larson as Francine "Francie" Fak.
The on-screen expansion of the Fak family has been a major theme/running bit of The Bear. While season 1 only had us meet resident goofball/handyman Neil (Matty Matheson), subsequent seasons have introduced us to his brother, Theodore (Ricky Staffieri), and other brother Sammy (inexplicably John Cena). But as far back as season 2, we've been hearing about an off-screen Fak sister named Francie—and some kind of unexplained beef she's had with Natalie Berzatto (Abby Elliott). Natalie hates Francie, and we never quite know why.
That story is fully realized in season 4, when we learn more and more about Francie and Natalie's beef—and how they both more or less consider it a "betrayal"—but never exactly what it is they're mad at each other about. When Francie shows up at Tiff and Frank's wedding, the sparks immediately begin to fly. It's funny to call something between two people who spend the majority of a television episode yelling at each other and bickering "chemistry," but Elliott and Larson have that from their very first moment on screen. We learn more about their past—including that they may have hooked up, much to Natalie's husband Pete's (Chris Witaske) intrigue—and it seems like whatever has broken the bridge between these two may never be mended.
But we also get to see how Francie interacts with the other people in the Berzatto family orbit. One of the first people we see her greet is Uncle Jimmy (Oliver Platt), and they have an immediately lovely and cordial relationship (although to be fair, part of the charm of Jimmy and how Platt plays him is that he's just kind of the best Uncle ever). We see Francie interact with her two brothers, and as they discuss girlfriends of past and present, their relationship feels totally real and lived in.
FX/HuluThe episode also has some great moments that subtly explore the world of The Bear and how these characters understand and operate the world they're living in. During the episode's big "under the table" scene (long story!), we see Francie and Syd meet. Francie introduces herself as Francie Fak, and Syd instinctively says "Hi," before thinking for a quick second and realizing not only that she's yet another Fak, but the sibling of the two goofballs she knows and perhaps a person she's heard about through beefing with Natalie. "Hi!" she says again. Edebiri is always fantastic in The Bear, but she's particularly strong in expressing these small, relatable moments.
AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R1cekkr8lb2m7nfblbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R2cekkr8lb2m7nfblbH1» iframeBy the end of the episode, Elliott and Larson's chemistry comes circle, as a very sincere moment leads to the decision for Francie and Natalie to decide to be friends once again. Hopefully it sticks and we get to see more of Francie in the future, because it's an instantly wonderful character, and one that only helps to continue building the world of The Bear.
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Brie Larson plays Francine Fak in The Bear season 4
Jon Kopaloff - Getty ImagesMost people watching The Bear season 4 probably know who Brie Larson is—and upon seeing her, quickly asked "Is that Brie Larson?"
Well, the answer is yes. Brie Larson, best known for her Oscar-winning role in 2015's Room and for playing Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, plays Francine "Francie" Fak in The Bear season 4.
AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R1jekkr8lb2m7nfblbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R2jekkr8lb2m7nfblbH1» iframeAs to how she got involved with The Bear, well, she shared a text exchange with the show's creator, Christopher Storer, on social media. And given the February 2024 timestamp, it seems like things came together pretty quickly.
Larson is no stranger to putting her talent to use on the small screen. A year ago, she was nominated for both a Primetime Emmy and a Golden Globe for her leading role in Apple TV+'s Lessons in Chemistry (which she starred in alongside Lewis Pullman), an adaptation of Bonnie Garmus's book of the same name. She had previously also appeared in Showtime's The United States of Tara, in 2023 offered her voice to the Scott Pilgrim Takes Off animated series, and as a child actress appeared in the single-season sitcom Raising Dad alongside the late Bob Saget. She also made a key cameo in the final episode of Ms. Marvel.
The Bear isn't even the first half-hour beloved comedy series she's made an appearance in—she memorably had guest spots in both The League and Community.
Overall, her role in The Bear is a great one—and, with any luck, one we'll see reprised when the show continues its strong run.
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