The Bear Season 4, Episode 7 introduced audiences to a long-standing beef between Abby Elliot's Natalie "Sugar" Berzatto and the newly-introduced character Francie Fak (played by MCU star Brie Larson). Larson's character made her series debut as the lone Fak sister in Season 4's seventh episode, subtitled "Bears." The new chapter to the award-winning comedy picks up its kitchen-based action and places it into the world of weddings, as the Berzatto clan suit up to see Richie's (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) ex-wife Tiffany (Gillian Jacobs) get married to her new boo, Frank.
One of the key throughlines of The Bear Season 4, Episode 7 is this deep-seated hate between Sugar and Francie, as the pair cross paths for the first time in years at Tiffany and Frank's nuptials. This is highlighted by a couple of signature shouting matches that the hit FX on Hulu series is known for, as this long-mentioned rivalry finally comes to a head over a few glasses of chardonnay.
The Bear Season 4 is now streaming on Hulu (breaking a record for the longest episode in The Bear series history). The award-winning comedy series is led by Jeremy Allen White as Carmy Berzatto, a Chicago-based chef who attempts to transform his family's greasy spoon into one of the Windy City's biggest names in haute cuisine.
White is joined by a stacked cast headlined by Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ayo Edebiri, and Oliver Platt. The show also features a constant stream of big-name guest stars, including John Mulaney, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sarah Paulson, and many more.
So Why Does Sugar Hate Francie Fak in The Bear?
One of the longest-running bits in The Bear series history has been the rivalry between Abby Elliot's Sugar Berzatto and the lone Fax sister, Francie.
While the male members of the Fax clan have been featured prominently in the hit Hulu series (with the likes of chef Matty Matheson and Ricky Staffieri playing Neil and Teddy Fak), the only Fak sister, Francie, has remained just a name to this point.
The only real detail fans knew about Francie was that she existed, and Sugar and her did not get along.
Fans will remember in Season 2's acclaimed "Fishes" episode that Francie was first mentioned when Sarah Paulson's Berzatto cousin, Michelle, asked where the Fak sister was during the tense Christmas dinner. That is when the Fak boys first mentioned she would have been there, but she and Natalie (aka Sugar) cannot be seen together in the same room.
This long-standing hate came to a head in The Bear Season 4, Episode 7, as Sugar and Francie finally went at it on-screen for the first time, with special guest star Brie Larson bringing to life the secret Fak sister.
While their arguments in Season 4's wedding episode are particularly heated, the reason for this beef's origin remains largely unclear. Even in the episode, the pair does not clarify why they are so upset at one another.
The closest fans get to a confirmation of why they are so mad comes late in the episode during one of these testy exchanges. As Elliott's Sugar calls out Larson's Francie, saying she can "apologize whenever," the idea of a house party from years earlier comes up.
After a few more barbs about "whipped cream" and "being drunk" get thrown in, Sugar's husband, Pete (Chris Witaske), steps in, separating the two women. That is when one of the Fak brothers, Teddy, chimes in, saying Pete is "in denial about [the pair] hooking up."
After hearing this revelation, Pete stands there. As if to convince himself otherwise, Pete remarks, "You two did not hook up," before Sugar and Francie simply stare at each other with nothing but a "Well..." being exchanged between the two of them.
This, paired with Neil Fak's laughter after the moment, seems to indicate that some sort of carnal affair did happen between the two characters in a past life, but something happened to turn the pair into jilted lovers.
Following Pete's intervention, Sugar and Francie seemingly bury the hatchet. The two characters sit down and, this time with no yelling involved, express themselves freely. Francie tells Sugar that she misses her a lot, but "really [hopes] that you're happy, and that you have someone who loves you:"
"I think about you a lot...I do miss you, and I really hope that you’re happy, and that you have someone who loves you."
The two then agree to be friends with a hug, and an agreement that either party will not "f*ck [the other] over."
