The stars of the hit comedy-drama series The Bear sat down with Good Morning America ahead of the show’s highly anticipated third season, in which the characters build closer toward chef Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto’s goal of earning their revamped restaurant its first Michelin star.

Last season, Carmy, played by Jeremy Allen White, transformed his family’s failing Italian beef shop into a fine dining restaurant with the help of an ambitious sous chef, a sarcastic yet dogged manager and, of course, their friends and family.

“I think that feeling of belonging and, like, loneliness, met by the need for belonging — feeling like you’re a part of something bigger than yourself — that’s such a human and universal thing,” White said of what makes this unique storyline so special.

The show has become a love letter to restaurant culture with its powerful through line rising from tragedy, tackling an array of unforeseen setbacks and transforming a group of misfits into a hardworking, cohesive culinary team led by Carmy.

“He’s so avoidant. And I think when he’s going through an experience that’s particularly traumatic, like the death of his brother — or feeling like he’s let down his new sort of found family, he’s gonna bury himself in the work,” White said.

Ayo Edebiri plays Sydney, the passionate younger sous chef who has stuck by Carmy’s side despite heated tension in the kitchen.

“I think the root of their relationship is … passion, and it’s respect, and it’s seeing that same fire,” Edebiri said. “Maybe at different levels of ignition, but they see that fire in each other, and, you know, they wanna push themselves. They wanna push each other.”

White agrees. “Carmy believes in Sydney, probably more than he believes in himself sometimes,” he said.

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