Summary

• The Fak family tree in The Bear is complex and pretty massive, which makes it difficult for viewers to keep track of the Faks.
• The show's focus on the Fak family's dynamic and their growing role in the series adds intrigue.
• The introduction of more Fak family throughout the series has led to questions about their relationships and connections, especially where Franie Fak's feud with Sugar is concerned.

how many Faks there are in The Bear's canon, especially as the family's role grows more and more prominent — for better or worse.

By and large, the Emmy-winning Hulu series centers on how, exactly, Uncle Jimmy is connected to Carmy, viewers probably don't have a hard time understanding the core family's relationships. As the ever-chatty Fak brothers nab more screentime, it's hard to ignore the expansive family and their incredibly unique dynamic.

Neil Fak

Played By Matty Matheson

One of the most memorable of The Bear season 3's cast of characters, Neil Fak worked with Mikey (Jon B) and Richie at The Original Beef of Chicagoland. While the character helped sling sandwiches on occasion, he more often served as the restaurant's go-to mechanic. By the end of season 2, The Bear's Neil Fak has handed off (almost) all maintenance duties to his younger brother, Ted, and became a full-time server on Richie's front-of-house crew. Always a chatterbox, Neil has stumbled lately, from walking away with customers' meals to dousing tables in water.

Theodore "Ted" Fak

Played By Ricky Staffieri

Despite appearing in "haunting" in The Bear season 3. The running gag turns into a much more thematically significant story by The Bear season 3's ending.

Sammy Fak

Played By John Cena

Sammy Fak's scene-stealing cameo in The Bear sees John Cena (Peacemaker) turning up out of the blue to lend a hand to his fellow Fak brothers. As the restaurant prepares for a photo shoot with The Chicago Tribune — an under-the-radar food critic stopped by The Bear and now needs some photographs for their review — Cena's Sammy Fak bursts into the former Italian beef hot spot. While some viewers found Cena's casting distracting, others have fully embraced the comedic actor's appearance on the series. If anything, it's great to see Sammy mess with Neil and Ted.

"Uncle Gary" Fak

Neil, Ted & Sammy's Uncle

Although he appears very briefly in The Bear season 3, episode 7, "Legacy," "Uncle Gary" Fak makes an impression. As Neil notes, Gary does share that "particular shape" the Faks have, and seems just as easy to derail as Ted and Neil. Like the other Faks, Uncle Gary is a handyman who shows up at the restaurant to lend a helping hand. Much like Uncle Jimmy, Gary may or may not be a Fak by blood. While there's no reason to doubt his "uncle" moniker, The Bear tossed Uncle Gary into a scene without much additional context for the character.

"Big Neil" AKA Neil Sr.

Neil, Ted & Sammy's Father

Mentioned in name only, "Big Neil" Fak (aka Neil Sr.) is Neil's father. While father Fak has yet to make an onscreen appearance, it seems more likely than not that viewers will catch a glimpse of the Fak patriarch before The Bear ends. After all, the Berzattos and the Faks are so enmeshed that it's almost shocking that viewers have yet to meet Big Neil. Known for taking big swings with every cameo in The Bear, creator Christopher Storer needs to thoughtfully cast Neil Sr. Someone like Wayne Knight (Seinfeld) would be pitch-perfect for the role.

Francie Fak

Neil, Ted & Sammy's Sister

As of the end of season 3, viewers still don't know what Francie Fak did to The Bear's Sugar (Abby Elliot), Carmy's sister and co-owner of the fine-dining restaurant. As it stands, Francie Fak might just be the show's greatest unseen villain. The Bear had previously hinted at an ongoing feud between Natalie "Sugar" Berzatto and Francie; some past incident pushed Sugar to fully resent the Fak sister. Although the show has been scant on details, the Berzatto family and Richie's (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) general disapproval of Francie indicates that her transgression was legitimately not great.

Other Fak Family Mentioned In The Bear

Many Of The Faks Haven't Been Cast Yet

Up until The Bear season 3's ending, viewers are introduced to more and more Faks. This prompts Cicero "Uncle Jimmy" Kalinowski (Oliver Platt) to wonder, "How many f**king Faks are there?" It's a fair question, especially given the way new Fak Family seem to appear out of nowhere. Other Faks mentioned during The Bear's three-season run include:

• Kenny Fak
• Susan Fak
• Frank Fak
• Doug Fak
• Gary Fak
• Avery Fak

The Bear season 3 streams exclusively on Hulu.