This past week, after five years and almost fifty episodes, one of the best TV shows of the 2020s officially ended as The Bear came to a conclusion on FX on Hulu. Created by Christopher Storer, the series shot out like a rocket when it premiered in the summer of 2022, with eight new episodes chronicling the chaotic experience of a restaurant in Chicago every year since it premiered, a rarity by modern standards. The Bear set a new standard in television (while also igniting a major debate on when a TV show really was a drama vs a comedy). One thing was for sure, though, with 21 Primetime Emmy wins under its belt, The Bear became one of the most decorated and beloved shows of the era, and maybe all-time.
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Now that we’ve had time to fully digest the entire series and its final batch of episodes, though, it’s worth looking at the entire tableau that made up The Bear and figuring out what separates the “good” episodes from the “great” ones. The Bear‘s 47 total episodes all offer something distinct while mostly sticking to the same flavor profile. Much like the difference between one Michelin star and two, the ones that are the best of the best just have that one or two things that really elevate them.
10) Season 5, Episode 1: “Soda”
The premiere of The Bear Season 5 marks a distinct vibe shift for the series. Building off the heartbreaking finale of the previous episode, it not only has to manage the fallout of the reveal that Carmy is leaving the restaurant but also construct the framework for every episode that follows.
“Soda” does this by altering our own perception of an episode of The Bear, starting in the 1.78:1 ratio that it has always had before shrinking down to the more cinematic 2.39:1. Not only does the visual style of the episode tee up the audience to confirm that there’s something different going on, but the music as well, trading in the stylings of Refused’s anarchic “New Noise” for an electronic music score produced by Hans Zimmer.
Though all these differences are used to make it clear that The Bear Season 5 is mixing things up, it also has some of the hallmarks that have made it great, continuing to explore the complicated dynamics between the likes of Syd and Carmy, and of course delivering on Fak-centric laughs.
9) Season 4, Episode 7: “Bears”
The big wedding episode of The Bear Season 4 is an event that the season builds to in a lot of ways, forcing a slew of plotlines to all come to a head and either offer resolution or construct the next step in the story.
Central to it all, though, is the relationship between Richie and Frank (Josh Hartnett), the groom-to-be of Richie’s ex-wife. Marginally antagonistic, but mostly just arm’s length apart up to this point, the two have to come to an understanding in real time about how they will work together in the future after Frank can’t convince his new step-daughter, Evie, to come out from under a table.
The result is a hilarious image as almost the entire cast of The Bear ends up under this table, all discussing what they’re afraid of. Add that to the reveal that Brie Larson guest-stars as the mysterious Francie Fak, plus the reconnection of Claire and Carmy, and you get an episode of The Bear that is funny and heartfelt without as much yelling as the series normally has.
8) Season 1, Episode 8: “Braciole”
The Season 1 finale of The Bear becomes a full showcase for the series, as Jeremy Allen White delivers an unbroken monologue that offers an amazing explainer for the entire basis of Carmy’s personality and psyche in great detail.
At first, it seems like things can’t possibly get worse for The Bear, not only has some of the staff quit, but they’re forced to close for a private event as Cicero’s friends are having a bachelor party (where a punch from Richie lands him in jail). What this episode delivers, though, is a different kind of chaos for the restaurant that isn’t derived exclusively from the personality disorders of the employees.
It goes further, though, reminding the audience why these characters are so drawn to this place as tender moments not only bring them back but also heal friendships. There’s also the surprise reveal that Mikey had been hiding money in the tomato cans, a detail that makes previous moments in the first season carry even more weight.
7) Season 4, Episode 9 “Tonnato”
A key element of the penultimate episode of The Bear Season 4 can be summed up in a word, “vulnerable.” It’s a facet that defines quite a bit of the show itself, as characters try to obscure that they’re feeling this way, only to eventually open up about their feelings.
This comes to a head in a major way in “Tonnato” as Carmy and his mother Donna have an actual conversation for the first time in the history of the series, one that touches on their feelings but has them actually talk to each other like they’re adults; it’s a showcase for Jeremy Allen White and Jamie Lee Curtis.
Given how the actual Season 4 finale largely handles one major plot thread, almost every other storyline has to come to a resolution in this episode, making it a satisfying watch from a dramatic standpoint but also one that still has time for jokes.
6) Season 3, Episode 6: “Napkins”
There are rare times when The Bear will turn back the clock and reveal major story details that happened before the primary events of the show. In truth, almost all of them are here on this list, but the reason “Napkins” has landed in this spot is that it deviates from the formula in two different ways.
The biggest thing that “Napkins” does from the start is put Liza Colón-Zayas’ Tina Marrero front and center. An already pivotal piece of the cast, Tina has long been a supporting player whose time in the spotlight is not wasted in the slightest. Colón-Zayas has always had a layered approach to the character, but there are even more shades of Tina that are revealed in “Napkins.” From her home life to her own personal vulnerabilities that she often tries to hide, it’s a showcase for her as a performer, but also allows the character to take deeper root.
The second thing is that it delivers on something few other episodes in the series manage, revealing how “The Beef” was run while under Mikey’s direction and without Carmy present at all. Not only does it give the audience that chance to see Mikey and Richie’s friendship on display, but exactly how Mikey’s personality became such a magnet for all of the unique characters that populate the restaurant even after his death.
5) Season 1, Episode 1: “System”
There’s something incredibly special about a TV show that not only has its entire premise fully mapped out when the first episode debuts, but also knows exactly who all of its characters are from the very beginning. This is what makes the first episode of The Bear not only so dynamic across the entire television landscape but also why it’s still one of the very best of the series. “System” not only introduces the entire concept of the series to the audience along with all its major characters, but also teases elements and concepts that make a rewatch both necessary and rewarding.
There may be funnier episodes, or more heartfelt ones, or episodes with even more dynamic character development, or episodes that deliver mouth-watering food cinematography, but the first episode of The Bear has a raw energy that few others can match. They not only managed to catch lightning in a bottle, but also used it as a foundation for five incredible seasons of television.
4) Season 2, Episode 4: “Honeydew”
The chaos of a regular episode of The Bear gets flipped on its head completely with “Honeydew,” as Marcus journeys to Copenhagen to learn more about making great desserts. The episode revels in the quiet of Marcus learning not only how to hone his craft but also details about Carmy’s past that reveal a lot more about why he is the way he is.
Across the episode, Marcus learns that being great does not have to come at the expense of your own personal wellbeing, a lesson for everyone in the series, really, but also how life isn’t just what happens while he’s in the kitchen. This proves fruitful because it allows him to begin to find inspiration from everything he finds, not just cookbooks and ingredients.
“Honeydew” is also noteworthy for its introduction of Will Poulter as Luca, who is able to not only add more shades to the unique portrait that is Carmen Berzatto but to present an all-new perspective for the series to explore in his own right as a character.
3) Season 5, Episode 7: “Caramel”
The penultimate episode of The Bear’s final season is also the first of Season 5 to clock in longer than half an hour, wrapping up a slew of its biggest plot points like the arrival of the mysterious Michelin inspector as well as Marcus’ father. What the episode is really doing, though, is a showcase for how far every single character has come from the beginning to now. Carmy not only has a moment where his mistake nearly derails everything, but his blunder is met with understanding and compassion instead of screaming and finger-pointing.
The biggest point of the episode, though, is how Sydney comes into her own completely as the head chef, dictating the pace and personality of the entire restaurant so much that it becomes clear the future of The Bear is in great hands. She also has the gratifying moment of getting to walk through the restaurant and seeing everyone enjoy their food, a first in the series’ history.
2) Season 2: Episode 6: “Fishes”
With “Fishes,” The Bear turns the clock back, taking the series back to a point years before the events of the series, where it goes on to answer some of the key questions of the entire show by showing a pivotal moment in the family’s history: A family Christmas dinner that goes completely off the rails.
It’s to be expected that an episode of The Bear, or “The Berzattos” as this one is stylized uniquely in the opening credits, would be one to thrive on chaos, but on the whole, the episode is defined solely by that trait. There are instances in “Fishes” where the dissaray caused by Jamie Lee Curtis (in her series debut) is juxtaposed with Richie having a tender moment with Tiffany, or Carmy giving his brother a sketch of The Bear restaurant that he wants to open with him. On top of that, Jon Bernthal finally gets to REALLY act as Michael Berzatto, with a range of acting expression that earned him a Primetime Emmy Award.
What makes “Fishes” so memorable is the rhythm that its o impressively maintains. It always knows when to cut to a new scene, when the disorder of a moment has reached its peak, but also when to make things crazy again after an aside.
1) Season 2, Episode 7: “Forks”
The back-to-back nature of “Fishes” and “Forks” is a one-two punch of television that very few shows can manage to outdo. Though “Fishes” works because it’s an ensemble, “Forks” cements its place as the best episode of the series by putting the best character on the show, Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s Richie, center stage for a story that fundamentally changes him for the rest of the series.
Sent to work in the fine dining restaurant Ever for a week, Richie learns that the excellence of the restaurant not only has to be respected in order to work, but it has to start with himself. It’s an incredibly satisfying episode because not only does it balance the delicate moments between characters as things get quiet, but naturally maintains the quick-cut editing and tension that has defined the show to this point, just putting it through the lens of a restaurant that isn’t built on lawlessness. Moss-Bachrach’s performance is one for the ages.
The cherry on top, of course, is Richie blasting Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” while driving through town, a great use of her song after he previously had to confirm to his daughter that, “I love Taylor Swift too. I just needed a break, you know?”
