The one-two punch of E6, FISHES, and E7 FORKS has to go down as the best back-to-back episodes in TV history. Audiences wouldn’t be able to get to FORKS if we didn’t get the Christmas dinner serving of FISHES.
Holiday family dinners are always stressful. Competing personalities, kids, alcohol, and so much more can conflict with each other annually. FISHES is a holiday classic because it delves into that topic while showing audiences how the lead characters in THE BEAR become who they are. It’s like watching the birth of family trauma, all through the best guest star performance of the year, Jamie Lee Curtis as the Berzatto matriarch.
As the extended episode continues, we get several additional stars served up at the Christmas dinner table. Outside of Jamie Lee Curtis’s Emmy-worthy performance, it’s nerve-rattling fun to see Jon Bernthal go against Bob Odenkirk amongst all the chaos.
In season two of THE BEAR, Claire tells Carmy, “Because you’re The Bear, and I remember you.” Pack your Xanax and “remember” what this show and the holidays are really about – trauma, stress, and alcohol.
It’s available to watch on Hulu, and I recommend having a cocktail while doing so to help with the stressful viewing.
