The Bear Season 3 Perfectly Used Taylor Swift's "Long Live"
This show's best musical tradition is continuing.
This article contains spoilers for The Bear Season 3. Richie has some serious competition in claiming his title as The Bear’s ultimate Taylor Swift fan. In the culinary drama’s third season, the soundtrack once again features a standout track from Swift, but it’s used a bit more subtly than last season. Oh, and it was also accompanied by a pretty major celebrity guest star.
The needledrop arrived in Episode 4 of the third season, as Richie drops his daughter Eva off at her mom’s house. But instead of his ex Tiffany answering the door, it’s her new fiancé Frank (played by none other than Josh Hartnett). As Frank opened the door, Swift’s Speak Now anthem “Long Live” echoed throughout the house. The song played in the background as the two men tried to form an uneasy acquaintance, with Frank encouraging Richie to RSVP for his and Tiffany’s upcoming wedding.
The Swiftie moment is less prominent than when Richie belted out “Love Story” in his car after finding a renewed purpose in his life and career last season, but it still served an important purpose. The show has made it clear both Tiffany and Eva are huge Swift fans, so the fact that Frank is also blasting her music indicates he’s putting in the effort to really bond with his new stepdaughter.
It seems like Swift’s music has now become a part of The Bear’s DNA, as the past two seasons have prominently featured throwback songs by the superstar. And the connection isn’t likely to end, especially given the tease that Tiffany and Frank’s wedding will be shown in the upcoming fourth season. Obviously, they have to pick a Swift song for their first dance, right?
Plus, Richie could probably use another Swiftie scream-singing pump-up session in his car after the chaos he had to put up with throughout Season 3. Throughout the season, he butted heads with his cousin Carmy more than ever before, leading to an unstable work environment where he could barely hold things together as the restaurant’s head of service. He may not be a tortured poet, but he’s definitely tortured.
