Possible meanings for Sydney's tattoo
the past, present, and future.
So, obviously, the tattoo is supposed to represent pain and heartbreak. It is the tarot card: Three of Swords.
Still, it is very curious in the context of the scenes it was shown in, what we know about Sydney, and the possible meanings of the tarot card itself. I would like to explore the possible meanings of it all. If I put something in quotes, it means a meaning attributed to the tarot card I found.
Even if "heartbreak" could have a lot of meanings, in Sydney's case, I think it's safe to bet it is about a romantic relationship; otherwise, They wouldn't have shown it in the context of her undressing herself, edited right before a shot of Claire running to kiss Carmy. Carmy was making pasta, something she was doing with her one morning when they were at peace at his apartment, their bond in full motion. But now Carmy is in his apartment with Claire, making pasta for her; in the shot, right before he kisses Claire, Carmy is cleaning the table right before she comes in as if Carmy is trying to erase Sydney's presence from the object and his memory.
The card could be about Sydney, Carmy, and Clare; foreshadowing, its 3 swords 3 people in a love triangle.
"This is likely to be a time of tears, sadness, and heartbreak in your life. If you're in a relationship, this can sometimes point to a breakup, a conflict, or separation. Since this card is a three, it can also mean to a third party, creating trouble in your relationship."
It could be about the turmoil of Sydney and Carmy's relationship:
"You and your partner may face complex problems to remain together. Without clear and respectful discussions and a willingness to work together, the relationship can reach its end."
This last sentence may summarize the entire continuity of Syd and Carmy's connection to this day. Of course, the tattoo does not predict the future, this is still about a love-related wound of her past, but we are talking about the Bear, things have multiple meanings. The fact that she was hurt by someone that Carmy reminds him of in any way, someone she lost over a hurtful exchange of words when Carmy and her have such miscommunications but yet so much telepathic connection...would be brilliant.
3 swords: love triangle, past and present. Sydney is somehow finding herself at the center of multiple love triangles. Marcus-Sydney-Carmy, and Sydney-Carmy-Claire. It would be quite ironic to find out this is something she was involved in before, the reason she got the tattoo in the first place. So, she will be a woman who has lived through 3 love triangles (3 of 3).
A mark of a damaging relationship.
"Your heart has been pierced by the sharp blades of others' hurtful words, actions, and intentions, and they have inflicted intense emotions of pain, sadness, grief, and heartbreak (...) hurt and disappointment".
I don't mean to say she was in a toxic relationship. She has so little tolerance for Carmy's bullshit to tolerate a poisonous partner; she calls bad behavior what it is. But I think it could be a reminder of a relationship that ended badly, that left a scar in her heart, maybe accentuated by hurtful words like "this is all your fault" and "this is why you will never accomplish anything." This meaning could also be foreshadowing about Carmy, someone whose words have hurt her in the past.
It may be about Sydney having a "closed" heart like the swords are interjecting one another in the handles of the door of her heart, closing it forever. This is another meaning of the card:
'If you're single, it may be that past grief and suffering is affecting your ability to date. Past wounds have not yet healed, and it's important to give yourself time before you attempt to find love again."
I like these last two theories the most, and they are not mutually exclusive. It could give us an idea that Sydney has experienced a departure/rejection/abandonment from a loved one that is as traumatic for her as Mickey's abandonment was for Carmy. This will be her "core' wound, what John Truby calls "the character's ghost." Carmy lost his brother after not speaking to him for who knows how long, and she could have lost someone after a hurtful exchange of words, even followed by an abrupt death too.
Little side note, I kinda love that they use the "optimistic character with the darkest past" trope, which is so common in anime, my friend and I used to say "You see that goofy ass making jokes all the time, with colorful clothes, bright smiles that could cure diseases, the one making sure everyone can reach their full potential? yeah that one has the worst past of them all" That is basically Sidney, so much dramatic irony in putting her (and pairing her) with someone like Carmy who is the "boy that looks exactly as fuck up as he actually is" trope.
Her mother's death is a profound one, yes. Still, I doubt that loss could have taught her to be "closed" to love, especially growing up with such a loving father; who reminds her often of how much he loved her mother. If she ever learned to equal love with pain, she didn't learn it from him, because Emanuel seems grateful that the love was there in the first place. He doesn't think, "I wish I never had her because I wouldn't ever have experienced this kind of pain," partially because he wouldn't otherwise have Sydney. Still, it is a response to many people's grief, the regret of the love itself.
I recently read this post; shoutout to @bioloyg for this finding: Sydney doesn't say "I love you" to her father, even after he tells her that the restaurant "is the thing," his approval was the thing that carried her arc in this season. Well, she doesn't "say it" out loud; you can see she "mouths" it. There is a reason why there are scenes when we see Sydney run away from Marcus' forms of affection (Marcus staring at her in conversation in 2x01, and feeling the need to make a joke after seeing Marcus staring at her with heart eyes in their Facetime call after the "I miss you too"). Her heart is closed for business (see what I did there). She has feelings for Carmy already, but maybe she is contextualizing them in the feelings of being abandoned by a friend or "partner." The strength of these feelings is something she has yet to realize. If she ever does, will it be on her own or after Carmy has figured out his feelings for her and starts to show it in any way? In the table scene, it is, to us, the first time she has ever caught him staring at her, and only because of how vulnerable she feels does she have the need to look at him back. My god, just the idea of being afraid to open your wound and "close for business" heart to someone who hasn't learned what healthy love is yet... these two are soulmates that could be so poisonous to one another, yet so deeply healing.
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