WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS ahead for The Bear.

Summary

• Even after the release of The Bear season 3, Season 2, Episode 6 "Fishes" remains the best episode.
• Season 3, Episode 1 "Tomorrow" is one of the most cerebral and cinematic new additions of The Bear.
• Season 3, Episode 6 "Napkins" was the clear highlight of the new season.

The critically acclaimed television series The Bear currently has 28 episodes across three seasons, and its numerous Emmy wins show how outstanding some of the episodes really are. Debuting in 2022 on Hulu, The Bear is led by Jeremy Allen White as Carmy, an acclaimed chef who takes over his deceased brother's sandwich shop in Chicago. The Bear features an exceptional ensemble of Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ayo Edebiri, Lionel Boyce, Oliver Platt, and Abby Elliott. Most notably, The Bear fearlessly tackles challenging subject matters thoughtfully and profoundly.

The Bear season 1 offers a relentlessly quick pace that equally exhilarates and exhausts, replicating the authentic grit and tense stakes of owning a small restaurant. The Bear's cinematography presents an inescapably claustrophobic feel with its frequent use of close-ups and fluid cameras weaving throughout a tight service kitchen with a sea of loud voices bouncing off the walls. Season 2 changes course and expands the backstories of several characters, allowing for more divergent yet artistic scenes, while season 3 continues its experimental approach and focuses more intently on ing characters such as Tina and Neil Fak.

28 “Legacy”

Season 3, Episode 7

Sending an expecting Natalie to go get the C-Folds from a supplies store was basically telling the viewer that her water was about to break, which is how the episode ends before the brilliantly uncomfortable "Ice Chips."

"Legacy" is arguably the worst episode of The Bear not because it's necessarily bad but it's one of the first times when the series actually felt predictable. Sending an expecting Natalie to go get the C-Folds from a supplies store was basically telling the viewer that her water was about to break, which is how the episode ends before the brilliantly uncomfortable "Ice Chips." Carmy's al-anon meeting was incredibly forgettable compared to the impact he made in previous sessions, although seeing Carmy listen rather than speak was a strong albeit not entertaining point. The Faks are featured a bit too much and while the nod to Sweeps' baseball backstory is appreciated, the episode feels somewhat aimless and drifty, even as Sydney starts to get recruited by Shapiro.

27 “Brigade"

Season 1, Episode 3

The first few episodes of each season of The Bear have consistently gotten off to a slow start, typically establishing the foundation for things to take off mid-season. Each episode presents something of quality that shifts in tone frequently enough that the viewer might not know what to expect at the beginning.

The Bear season 1, episode 3, "Brigade," tackles the traumatic dynamics that can take place between coworkers in a high-stress work environment. "Brigade" is instrumental in establishing the initial dysfunction and eventual hierarchy between The Bear characters as they figure things out.

However, the constant yelling and intensity throughout make it a draining watch. In the episode, Carmy suggests he and Sydney form a new plan for running things, and it doesn't go well for the crew. The episode goes a long way in showing how chaotic things get in the restaurant and the disconnect, but it struggles to match up with the rest of the series.

26 “Apologies”

Season 3, Episode 9

The penultimate episodes of The Bear seasons 1 and 2 are some of the greatest in the show's history, but "Apologies" is one of the weakest entries of season 3 and the series at large.

The penultimate episodes of The Bear seasons 1 and 2 are some of the greatest in the show's history, but "Apologies" is one of the weakest entries of season 3 and the series at large. After spending all of episode 8 trapped in a hospital room, "Apologies" had a great opportunity to pull viewers back into the grind of what makes The Bear so great, which typically revolves around a season-long goal. In season 1, it was to raise enough funds and resources to start a new restaurant and in season 2, it was to prepare for the opening of the new restaurant. Season 3 seemed like it was going to be about The Bear earning a Michelin star before it shifted focus to a critic's review, but ultimately "Apologies" fails in setting up an impactful season 3 finale because there are virtually no stakes or tension driving the plot forward.

25 "Hands”

Season 1, Episode 2

"Hands" offers the first glimpse of Carmy's former life as a Sous-chef working at one of the world's most prestigious and highly functioning restaurants. The opening scene reveals some of the verbal abuse he received while working at the highest level of cuisine, making it uncertain whether Carmy was happier there or scrubbing floors at The Beef.

Carmy's obsession with food is explored more in "Hands," as well as the psychological trauma he faces but mostly keeps to himself. Richie is also given more depth in "Hands" as the audience learns that he has a daughter whose mother he is no longer with.

"Hands" plants many essential narrative and thematic seeds that pay off in later episodes of The Bear. The episode is a harsh and important look at Carmy's past before arriving back at The Beef. However, it is more to set up what happens in later episodes and, as a standalone episode of The Bear, it doesn't quite hold up as well to scrutiny.

24 “Violet”

Season 3, Episode 4

"Violet" features the second most surprising new guest appearance of the series in Josh Hartnett, who portrays Tiff's new fiancé Frank, who Richie would love to hate but can't for the sake of his daughter, Eva. Adding Hartnett to the ever-expanding extended family tree of The Bear is the greatest triumph of the episode which is otherwise quite tame. The episode features several long scenes, starting with a flashback of a conversation between Claire and Carmy and a scene with Sydney debating her father on why she should move out and get her own apartment. It's great seeing more of Richie's relationship with his daughter, and learning of Sydney's career opportunity with Shapiro which becomes one of the seasons' greatest points of tension, but overall the episode diverts far from what fans have come to expect.

23 "Sundae"

Season 2, Episode 3

One of the most divisive episodes of The Bear, season 2, episode 3, "Sundae," made it clear that the second season would be painted with much broader strokes. Carmy sends Sydney on a side quest to explore food options and find inspiration from different desserts around Chicago for The Beef's new-look menu.

As Sydney samples many dishes around the city, Carmy is finally pulled away from his work after reuniting with an old flame named Claire (Molly Gordon). Fans of The Bear season 1's rapid pace, sharp focus, and consistent collaboration between its main characters might not value the divergence found in "Sundae."

Still, other viewers could appreciate the creative risks taken. When it comes to the episode, this episode really spotlights Ayo Edeberi. While it is a little bit of a sidetrack for the season and series as a whole, it allows her to really delve into her character, which she said she often struggled with in the first season (via Rolling Stone).

22 “Children”

Season 3, Episode 5

"Children" features the most surprising cameo in The Bear season 3 and perhaps of the entire series with the introduction of John Cena as Sammy Fak, one of the several siblings of Neil and Ted Fak. The shock value of Cena walking into The Bear makes it hard to recall what else happened in the episode, although Cena only sticks around onscreen for a few scenes. As the midpoint episode of season 3, "Children" starts to set the stakes of the local critic's review for The Bear, which drives Carmy and Uncle Jimmy's anxiety levels through the roof. It also features Brian Koppelman as The Computer who Jimmy brings in to help with The Bear's budgeting. Outside of Cena's scene-stealing cameo, the episode is pretty forgettable.

21 “System”

Season 1, Episode 1

The Bear's pilot episode introduces the chaotic world, boisterous characters, and frantic guitar riffs inside The Beef's service kitchen. The cold open scene where Carmy stares down a grizzly bear is undoubtedly compelling even as a brief dream sequence, as the roar seems to echo throughout the rest of the adrenaline-fueled episode.

Christopher Storer won the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for the episode

Compared to some of the more grounded episodes like "Sundae," the cinematography and editing styles nearly seem like they're from different shows. The Bear season 1, episode 1, "System," packs an impressive amount of character and style and sets the series out sprinting from the jump.

While it might not stand up as one of the best episodes of The Bear compared to the rest of the series so far, it was still highly praised when it was released. It won the American Cinema Editors Award for Best Edited Single-Camera Comedy Series, and Christopher Storer won the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for the episode.

20 "Beef"

Season 2, Episode 1

The Bear's season 2 opener, aptly titled "Beef," starts completely differently than season 1 did. The series has an added sophistication and unexpected calm that feels less flashy and more grounded in itself from the very first frame. In true Bear style, things start to pick up once Carmy and the crew start planning out how to open a new restaurant in a limited time frame of three months.

"Beef" establishes the biggest stakes of season 2 and instantly places Richie in a heightened existential lens, setting the stage for his significant character development in later episodes. The best scene from the series is clearly between Carmy and Richie, as Richie says he feels lost and without a purpose in one of The Beef season 2's best quotes. This also sets up the crisis for Richie, who seems to finally find his purpose by the season's end with Sydney by his side on opening night.

19 “Sheridan”

Season 1, Episode 5

One of the funniest episodes of The Bear is season 1, episode 5, titled "Sheridan." The banter between Richie and Fak (Matty Mattheson) is some of the best in the series, even though "Sheridan" is one of the shortest episodes of The Bear.

While there are several episodes that easily top this one, "Sheridan" was still critically acclaimed.

The moments of hilarity are also met with an initial deep dive into Sydney's backstory and her first venture into starting her own food service in her parent's garage. We also learn that Marcus's first restaurant job was at McDonald's.

The implementation of the "Brigade" starts to prove effective as the kitchen becomes a more efficient and cleaner place, even with Richie and Fak rolling around on the floor fighting like school kids. While there are several episodes that easily top this one, "Sheridan" was still critically acclaimed. It earned Karen Joseph Adcock an Image Awards (NAA) nomination for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series.