Introduction
Fox has certainly cooked up a storm with this fantastic show… With the usual lame pun segue out of the way, The Bear has become an absolute force thanks mostly to some incredible performances from the likes of Calvin Klein heartthrob Jeremy Allen White and everyone’s new favourite Irish person Ayo Edebiri. So with Series 3 coming in a few months and Series 4 reportedly already in production, what better time is there to look back on the best episodes of the Bear? (so far) Anyway, before I get into the list properly, here is some history about the most popular cooking show not involving Gordon Ramsay.
History
The Bear first debuted on Fox in 2022 and is currently awaiting its much anticipated third series in June 2024. The show follows Carmy, played by Jeremy Allen White, a high end trained culinary chef in New York who is tasked with turning around his family’s failing sandwich shop back in Chicago. However, he also has to manage his new and talented sous chef Sydney’s, played by Ayo Edebiri, ambitious nature as well as his jealous and annoyed cousin Richie alongside all the business expenses and maintenance issues. Carmy also struggles with his familial relations, especially his sister Sugar. The show has received both audience and critical acclaim with it notably doing a Fleabag and smashing the Emmy and BAFTA circuits recently. Now with the history done, here are the best episodes of the Bear so far…..
10. Ceres (S1, E6)
A huge recurring theme within the Bear is about how times, people and neighbourhoods can change overtime. That latter issue is illustrated perfectly in this episode as Richie struggles with the fact the neighbourhood has changed so much since the heyday of the family’s sandwich shop. The B plot also revolves around familial issues too as Sugar and Carmy have to tidy the office together in order to try and stop the IRS (The US Taxman) from shutting them down. Whilst that may sound very boring, it is a wonderfully poignant moment which pays off a whole series worth of bonding between the brother and sister. A very solid episode and finale to the first series.
9. Dogs (S1, E4)
Well, this episode gets very barking mad… And surprisingly, it’s nothing really to do with everyone’s favourite canine companions. When Richie and Carmy are asked to cater for their nephew’s birthday party, tensions are already running high. And that’s even before a bottle of pills ends up somewhere it definitely shouldn’t be. Whilst everyone’s favourite double act are out accidentally spiking punch, Tina and Sydney are trying to work together on potatoes whilst the most wholesome character in the show, Marcus, is out preparing doughnuts. Again this is another very solid episode which packs in plenty of character building and dark humour which fans of the Bear have become accustomed too.
8. Bolognese (S2, E8)
Whilst it’s very easy to get distracted by all the very nice food you see the chefs making in the Bear, do not underestimate the amount of tension the show can milk from its script. Case in point this episode. Here, despite the restaurant being only ten days away from opening both Carmy and Sydney are stressing about something else entirely. In this case, their one shot to pass the fire extinguishing test otherwise they won’t be able to open the restaurant as planned. Despite being a very basic plot, this episode does a great job keeping the audience invested until the very end thanks to the usually excellent performances of Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri.
7. Omelette (S2, E9)
What’s that saying about having to break a few eggs in order to make an omelette? Well, this episode’s title is very emblematic of that. Here, the Bear is finally set for a soft opening but behind the scenes the pressure is starting to ramp up. Firstly, Sydney is feeling pressured to impress her father whilst Carmy has to deal with the fact Sugar has invited their mother to the restaurant’s launch. And on top of this, Carmy’s relatability goes sky high as he starts questioning himself and wondering if he’s doing the right thing. A fantastic episode overall which sets the stage for the finale brilliantly.
6. Honeydew (S2, E4)
Remember when we mentioned that Marcus was the most wholesome character in the Bear? Well, this episode is more than enough proof of it as he is away from Chicago in the land of Lego: Denmark. Here he is furthering his love of cake making on his internship with Chef Luca as he challenges himself to create a new series of dishes in order to impress those in the restaurant. Oh and obviously to try and win his dishes a place on said menu but that felt obvious. Anyway, this is another great episode which acts as a character study as well as some great context for why Marcus is so eager to impress Carmy and the rest of the chefs.
5. Braciole (S1, E8)
Speaking of episodes with a truckload of emotional context, the Series 1 finale is full of it as it builds on an episode which maybe will feature later on. Here, it sees the aftermath of a confrontation between Sydney and Richie which ends disastrously for one of the pair. Also, the stress finally seems to get to Carmy as he finally confesses in an Al-Anon meeting about why he decided to get into the culinary world. There’s also a lot of talk about tinned tomatoes and spaghetti which does have a very satisfying payoff for the restaurant. And best of all, the Series ends on a hopeful note for the future of the restaurant. Overall, a very, very solid series finale which builds intrigue for the future.
4. The Bear (S2, E10)
From one series finale to another, the most recent episode of the Bear (currently) is another slam dunk. Here, we see Richie manning the front of the house whilst Sydney finally gets the chance to run the kitchen. However, despite all of the positives, stuff still begins to fall apart slowly. Whether it’s a lack of forks or Carmy and Marcus being forced to assist in the kitchen when Josh is a no show or even the very small problem of the fridge door handle breaking off, the Bear is still not out of rough water yet. Sidenote, do all women suffer from trauma because of men called Josh?
Feels appropriate to mention here on the off chance it’s true… Anyway, this episode is everything that makes the Bear great as it’s full of emotional moments and fantastic performances. Oh and obviously a lot of shouting but that’s to be expected with any episode to be fair.
3. Review (S1, E7)
Well, you could say s**t hits the fan in this episode. Or more accurately the knife hits the Richie (accidentally) Anyway, when Sydney accidentally sets an impossible order bar for the restaurant to clear, things are already on a knife edge. And then the aforementioned knife incident leads to her immediately resigning which is pretty smart given the wrath of Richie. All this is in the background of Carmy finally mentally deteriorating because of the sheer amount of pressure he puts on himself to make the restaurant succeed. And to think this episode started off positively after a very positive review of the restaurant.
2. Fishes (S2, E6)
If you ever wondered how stacked the Bear could get, this is the episode for you as it features an unbelievably stacked cast. These amongst others include Jon Bernthal, John Mulaney, Bob Odenkirk and Sarah Paulson. Anyway, this episode is a flashback to a rather mental family Christmas as the whole family struggles with various addictions and problems, like alcoholism and drug use. So while this is a phenomenal episode for the emotional context it provides to characters like Carmy and Richie, it does have some darkly comedic moments like when Carmy’s mother, Donna, ends the episode by crashing her car through the wall. A fantastic episode which is near faultless in its execution.
1. Forks (S2, E7)
And the best episode of the Bear so far is…. Forks. Also, it’s not just because it features Olivia Colman I promise. It’s because of how it shows how despite what seems like open hostility between Carmy and Richie, this episode shows how deep down Carmy still cares for his cousin. Despite initially hating Carmy for sending him to an upscale restaurant where he has to wake up to clean forks, Richie soon falls in love with the position and even stages a dinner service for them. But the cherry on the cake is the conversation at the end where it’s revealed how much Carmy believes in Richie’s people skills and himself. Honestly an incredibly touching moment and a wonderful episode overall.
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