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Fishes (The Bear)

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"Fishes"
The Bear episode
Episode no.Season 2
Episode 6
Directed byChristopher Storer
Written by
Cinematography byAndrew Wehde
Editing byJoanna Naugle
Production codeXCBV2006
Original release dateJune 22, 2023 (2023-06-22)
Running time66 minutes
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
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The Bear season 2
List of episodes

"Fishes" (titled "The Berzattos" on-screen) is the sixth episode of the second season and 14th episode overall of the American comedy-drama series The Bear. With the rest of the second season, it was released on June 22, 2023, on Hulu. It was directed by series creator Christopher Storer and written by Joanna Calo and Storer.

The episode notably features numerous high-profile guest stars, most of whom were not announced as part of the cast prior to the season's release. At the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards, "Fishes" gained nine nominations, winning four, including Outstanding Guest Actor for Jon Bernthal and Outstanding Guest Actress for Jamie Lee Curtis.

Plot

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Approximately five years before The Bear is set to open, Carmy returns from Copenhagen to spend Christmas with his family and friends. Present at the Berzatto household are Carmy's mother Donna, his siblings Michael and Natalie, his cousin Michelle and her boyfriend Stevie, Richie and his pregnant wife Tiffany, the Fak brothers Neil and Theodore, Uncle Cicero, and Donna's on-and-off boyfriend Lee. Michael and Carmy warn Natalie not to keep asking their mother Donna, a temperamental alcoholic, if she is "okay."

Donna drunkenly prepares a meal based on the Feast of the Seven Fishes, even though Carmy claims no one ever eats it. Michael, Richie, and Stevie tell Carmy that they recently ran into Claire, his childhood crush, and "put in a good word for him." Carmy and Michael later have a moment together where Michael reassures his brother that he genuinely wants the best for him. Carmy gives Michael a framed sketch of The Bear restaurant that he wants to open with his brother.[a] Michael is moved by the gift, but displays mental distress the moment Carmy leaves the room.

Richie tends to Tiffany in Donna's bedroom, and the two share a delicate moment discussing their upcoming parenthood. Richie then asks Cicero for a job to help support his child, which Cicero later grants him after Tiffany unwittingly thanks him for the job. Michael entertains the group with a travel story, but Lee cuts him off, chastising him for repeating the same stories to everyone while failing to follow through on any of his business ventures. Natalie's boyfriend Pete arrives with an additional seafood dish that he playfully dubs "the eighth fish" to the group. This infuriates the Berzatto siblings, who remind him that an eighth fish is a symbol of bad luck and will send Donna into a tailspin. Natalie hastily trashes the food before Donna can see it. Michelle encourages Carmy to stay with her in New York to pursue his career, noticing how the dysfunction in his family weighs on him.

While the rest of the group awaits dinner, Carmy tends to his mother in the kitchen; Donna laments the effort she makes for her family while saying she receives little appreciation in return. Carmy attempts to comfort her, only for Donna to admonish him to return to the table. Donna begins crying to herself as soon as Carmy leaves. At the dinner table, the family debates the origin of the Seven Fishes tradition. Lee offers his interpretation, but an intoxicated Michael repeatedly throws forks at him. The tension between the two mounts until Donna finally joins the table. Stevie says a heartfelt, impromptu grace calling for the family to be kinder to one another, after which Donna breaks down. Despite being explicitly told not to, Natalie asks Donna if she is okay, much to the visible chagrin of everyone in the room. Donna berates Natalie for asking and has a profane outburst at the family before leaving the room. Michael throws another fork at Lee when he scorns Donna's behavior and a fight nearly occurs, only to be interrupted by Donna crashing her car into the living room as Carmy and Natalie stare in shock.

Cast

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Main

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Main cast members Ayo Edebiri, Lionel Boyce, and Liza Colón-Zayas are credited as usual in this episode, but do not appear. Edebiri shadowed director Storer in anticipation of directing an episode of season three and is credited onscreen as a co-executive producer of the episode.[1]

Guest appearances

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Production

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Development

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The episode was directed by series creator Christopher Storer and written by Joanna Calo and Storer. It was Calo's fourth writing credit, and Storer's eighth directing credit.[2] According to Calo, there was a discussion about releasing it separately "as a Christmas special because I think there's something so funny about adding that to your Christmas list."[3]

Writing

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Stevie and the Faks discuss "ROI on RBIs" and collectible baseball cards. Although "many of Neil and Teddy's scenes seem like improvised riffing, Matheson insists it is all pre-written by Storer and his team," but the baseball bit was a rare exception.[4] Matheson recounted to Rolling Stone in 2025, "We were like, 'Yo, what if we just started pitching every character to get in on our baseball hustle?' Chris loved it, and it turned into a bit...A lot of that is Ricky [Staffieri]. He changed my life."[4]

Casting

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Jon Bernthal, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Bob Odenkirk (left to right) received Emmy nominations for their respective guest performances, with the first two winning.

"Fishes" introduces a number of new characters played by high-profile guest stars, including Jamie Lee Curtis, Gillian Jacobs, John Mulaney, Bob Odenkirk, and Sarah Paulson; only Odenkirk's casting was announced prior to the season's release.[5] Jon Bernthal also reprises his role as Michael Berzatto from the first season.[6]

Costume design

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Costumer Courtney Wheeler chose several items in the episode to reflect where characters were at this time. Carmy's wearing of a European brand of jeans were intended to be indicative of the character's recent time overseas and "the gateway to liking denim."[7] For the costuming of the character of Donna, Wheeler explained that Jessica Rodriguez, who does the aging and dying for the costume department, would "take [Donna's] stained shirt and pants and match the pasta sauce stains exactly on multiple sets so we could wash the dirty ones and keep filming."[8] Mikey is depicted in a simple outfit of a shirt and jeans despite the event's formality. Per Wheeler, that is all he can manage at this point: "He's just waking up every morning and surviving, at that point...for where he is in his mental state and who he is, it felt like that was where he was at."[7]

Hair styling

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Ally Vickers, head of The Bear hair department, was inspired by Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? for the design of Donna Berzatto's hair, because she's meant to look "pristine on the outside, but she's in the depths of addiction and was coming undone."[9] Curtis wore a wig for the shoot.[10]

Set decoration

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Set decorator Eric Frankel described the look for Donna's house as "Italian Christmas with an '80s twist."[11] The set decoration spotlights the Berzatto family's Roman Catholicism as Donna has "decorated the house with nativity sets and has a crucifix hanging in the kitchen."[12]

Filming

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Unlike the rest of the series, which is shot digitally, this flashback episode was shot on 35mm film.[13] The episode was filmed in a house in Evanston, Illinois.[14] There were four days of filming scenes on the first floor of the house, prior to the longer dinner-table segment.[14]

Star Jeremy Allen White recounted that production of the episode was relatively smooth, and praised the egoless, collaborative environment on set.[15] Ebon Moss-Bachrach said that there was a lot of camaraderie among the guest stars on set, and later went on to praise Jamie Lee Curtis' acting ability and performance in the episode.[16] Chris Witaske, who portrays Sugar's partner Pete, said that the preparation for the episode was more chaotic than the rest of the series, particularly due to the large amount of dual-dialogue in the script.[17]

Witsake noted that, "I got to sit right next to Jon Bernthal, who plays Mikey, that whole day and, man, that was like watching a fucking master class in acting. The intensity and the full commitment that that dude brings was wild to watch."[17] Similarly, in 2026, John Mulaney told an audience in the UK, "We were all at this table for two days filming that scene and it was so funny. Those actors are so good. They're so scary when they're acting. When I'm acting, I'm kind of just I'm saying the lines a little differently than I normally would. These people believe they're the character. These people are crazy. They really are in the scene. I remember...Sarah Paulson said something unscripted to Jamie Lee Curtis, and Jamie Lee Curtis lost it on Sarah Paulson, and just naturally I went 'Hey, hey, hey.' And she went, 'Don't you hey, hey, hey, me.' And I was like, 'Oh no, acting is so scary.'...It was like so funny and intense...I mean inappropriate loud crazy people are so funny."[18] Jon Bernthal commented that the dark energy at the dinner table was real, in part due to "the power of an ensemble, like the power of theater, is you look around that table and everybody is just a thoroughbred. The tension is created in the room. Every time we went and did it, it was completely different—a new person sort of popped up and did this new bubble of intensity or dread. It was super fucking tense in there, because everybody came to play, and everybody really knows what they're doing."[19] Storer revealed that Bernthal was originally given a rubber prop fork to throw at Odenkirk during the dinner argument scene, but that was then later substituted for a plastic fork so that Bernthal could better "whip it" for the camera.[20] Mikey's table flip was not in the original script but Bernthal asked Storer for permission to try a "go crazy" take, knowing that resetting Donna's elaborate table and the food platters would be a big demand on the production team.[19]

Culinary producer Courtney Storer put together a "vision book" as she planned the menu for the episode, which brought to mind "Heartache, vibrance, colors...a lot of red...I'm a visual person, you know, when you think about a bleeding heart...heartache, loneliness, suffering, pain, all those things. And then holidays, Christmas, red!"[21] Photos that inspired her included a 1960s-era Sophia Loren in full glam, presenting an eggplant dish, and "a heaping pot of meatballs in red sauce, a lot of splatter on the counter."[21] Storer wanted a tablescape and menu that illustrated "this stark contrast of, like, presentable beauty, and then what's underneath it. And how could you show that in food? How is that possible when all the candles are lit and all the things seemingly feel and look beautiful? What's actually underneath all of that?"[21]

Donna's "labor-intensive" meal plan involved branzino, lobsters, oysters Rockefeller, artichokes, meatballs, gravy, roasted peppers, potatoes, and bread.[22][23][24][21][25] Coco Storer trained actress Curtis how to rip the heads off the lobsters, which were blanched in advance by Rob Levitt of Publican Quality Meats.[21][26] Chris Witaske quipped in 2025 that the eighth-fish tuna casserole was his "mom's recipe."[27]

B-camera operator Chris Dame filmed "9,000 inserts" of the set for the use of the editors.[28] According to A-camera operator Gary Malouf, "...again, it's that trust of Storer saying, 'Dame, just shoot the hell out of this place. You got it.'...There's this beautiful montage at the beginning of that episode where you get to see what Chris was up to that whole time."[28]

According to Frankel, Jamie Lee Curtis "desperately" wanted to be her own stunt driver "but they wouldn't let her". The crash, filmed in two takes involved a wall on hinges, a prop lamp, and "three live Christmas trees all decorated the same [to destroy]."[29]

Music

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Producer and music supervisor Josh Senior told Billboard, "You'll find obscure tracks from Italian artists in the sixth episode."[30] According to composer Jeffrey Qaiyum, they did some scoring for episode six but it was not used in the version that aired: "The Christmas songs in the background were the perfect bed. It's all about that dissonance. It was already there...Scoring wasn't needed. Anyone who's played in a band with a guitarist can tell you—bro, sometimes you gotta know when not to play."[31]

Reception

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Critical reviews

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GQ described "Fishes" as the standout episode of the second season, praising the ensemble cast.[32] Brady Langmann of Esquire described the episode as "one of the year's best".[33]

The Los Angeles Times praised the episode and Curtis' portrayal of Donna.[20] Various critics called her performance Emmy-worthy.[34][35]

Salon.com critic Melanie McFarland praised the episode's ability to deliver on plot and thematic issues while delivering the show's trademark intensity.[36] Vulture called the episode "absolutely exhausting to watch" and said "[b]oth the writing and the execution of 'Fishes' speaks to how well The Bear is able to walk its dramatic tightrope, and come Emmy season 2024, you just know everyone involved in this episode is going to clean the hell up."[37]

Accolades

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Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
ACE Eddie Awards Best Edited Single-Camera Comedy Series Joanna Naugle Won [38]
Astra TV Awards Best Directing in a Streaming Comedy Series Christopher Storer Won [39]
[40]
Best Writing in a Streaming Comedy Series Joanna Calo and Christopher Storer Nominated
Costume Designers Guild Awards Excellence in Contemporary Television Courtney Wheeler Nominated [41]
Directors Guild of America Awards Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series Christopher Storer Won [42]
Golden Reel Awards Outstanding Achievement in Music Editing – Broadcast Short Form Jason Lingle and Jeff Lingle Nominated [43]
Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Broadcast Short Form Steve "Major" Giammaria, Andrea Bella, Matt Snedecor, Evan Benjamin, John Werner, John Bowen, Annie Taylor, Leslie Bloome, and Shaun Brennan Nominated
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series Christopher Storer Won [44]
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series Joanna Calo and Christopher Storer Nominated
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Contemporary Costumes Courtney Wheeler, Lariana Santiago, and Steven "Rage" Rehage Nominated
Outstanding Contemporary Hairstyling Ally Vickers, Angela Brasington, and Melanie Shaw Nominated
Outstanding Contemporary Makeup (Non-Prosthetic) Ignacia Soto-Aguilar, Nicole Rogers, Justine Losoya, and Zsofia Otvos Nominated
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series Jon Bernthal Won
Bob Odenkirk Nominated
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Jamie Lee Curtis Won
Outstanding Picture Editing for a Single-Camera Comedy Series Joanna Naugle Won
Writers Guild of America Awards Episodic Comedy Joanna Calo and Christopher Storer Nominated [45]

Notes

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  1. ↑ This same sketch is in the pilot episode at 14:52.

References

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  1. ↑ Rankin, Seija (August 9, 2023). "Ayo Edebiri Is Suddenly Everywhere". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 21, 2026.
  2. ↑ "The Bear – WGA Directory". Writers Guild of America West. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  3. ↑ Kuperinsky, Amy (July 9, 2023). "N.J. 'The Bear' director on TV sensation's controlled chaos and Jersey food memories". nj.com. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  4. 1 2 Rodrick, Stephen (June 19, 2025). "The Wild Ride and Long Road Home of Matty Matheson". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  5. ↑ Shanfeld, Ethan (April 26, 2023). "Bob Odenkirk Joins 'The Bear' Season 2 (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  6. ↑ Rankin, Seija (August 22, 2024). "Jon Bernthal's First Scene in 'The Bear' Was Shot in a Producer's Kitchen (Really)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  7. 1 2 Rikhy, Trishna (July 12, 2023). "How The Bear Became High-Key Fashion Television". Esquire.
  8. ↑ Williams, Spencer (August 26, 2024). "Cooking with Style: The Secret Ingredients Behind The Bear's Emmy-Nominated Costumes". The Art of Costume. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
  9. ↑ Rice, Lynette (July 2, 2025). "'The Bear' Crewmember Breaks Silence On Crucial Season 4 Character: Carmy's Hair". Deadline. Retrieved December 5, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Behind the scenes w/ FX's The Bear Hair Department". Tecuane Hair. Retrieved December 5, 2025.
  11. ↑ "The Bear Season 2". EricFrankel.club. Retrieved November 9, 2025.[dead link]
  12. ↑ McCabe, Brigid (July 21, 2023). "In Hulu's 'The Bear,' a little Catholic imagery goes a long way". America Magazine. Retrieved March 9, 2026.
  13. ↑ ""The Bear" Season 2 – A Delicious Conundrum of Chaos, Drama, and Humour". September 4, 2023.
  14. 1 2 Beachum, Chris (July 17, 2024). "Andrew Wehde interview: 'The Bear' cinematographer". Gold Derby. Retrieved November 6, 2025.
  15. ↑ Campione, Katie (July 7, 2023). "'The Bear' Star Jeremy Allen White Talks Carmy's Season 2 Finale Breakdown: "In The End, It's All Too Delicate"". Deadline.
  16. ↑ Rankin, Seija (June 28, 2023). "Ebon Moss-Bachrach on Embracing a Lonelier Season of 'The Bear' and Finale's Big Fight Scene". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  17. 1 2 Eakin, Marah (July 5, 2023). "The Bear's Chris Witaske on Being the Berzattos' Pain Sponge". Vulture. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  18. ↑ TCDPhil (March 24, 2026). Comedian John Mulaney Speaks to the Phil. Trinity College Dublin. Event occurs at 51:22. Retrieved April 7, 2026 – via YouTube.
  19. 1 2 Longeretta, Emily (June 28, 2023). "'The Bear': Jon Bernthal Breaks Down 'F—ing Tense' Dinner Scene With Bob Odenkirk, That Improvised Table Flip and Mikey's 'Ugliness'". Variety. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
  20. 1 2 Villarreal, Yvonne (June 26, 2023). "How 'Fishes,' the most chaotic episode of Season 2 of 'The Bear,' came together". Los Angeles Times.
  21. 1 2 3 4 5 Proximity Media, Paola Mardo (December 1, 2025). What Does a Culinary Producer Do on THE BEAR? – S3E11 (Podcast). Retrieved December 15, 2025 – via YouTube. & "Transcript – Courtney Storer – Season 3 Episode 11" (PDF). proximitymedia.com. December 1, 2025. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
  22. ↑ Pelosi, Dan (December 18, 2023). "Seven Fishes (Not Seven Dishes) for Christmas Eve". The New York Times. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  23. ↑ Valdesolo, Fiorella (December 13, 2023). "We have to talk about the feast of the seven fishes episode in 'The Bear'". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  24. ↑ Veloso-Barrera, Vicky (July 4, 2024). "Compelling chaos, delectable dishes, or why I love 'The Bear'". Philstar Life. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  25. ↑ "Satisfy Your Cravings for the Food From 'The Bear' With These Recipes". Food & Wine. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
  26. ↑ Selvam, Ashok (June 26, 2024). "The Star-Studded Hollywood Premiere of 'The Bear' Featured Two Chicago Restaurants". Eater Chicago. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
  27. ↑ General Meeting with Becky Sloviter: A Podcast (December 15, 2025). CHRIS WITASKE: On The Bear, Throwing Out the First Pitch at Wrigley, His Sobriety, and Love of Phish. Retrieved January 1, 2026 – via YouTube.
  28. 1 2 Daut, David (Fall 2024). "The Bear – Every Second Counts: A Conversation with Gary Malouf & Chris Dame". Society of Camera Operators Magazine. Retrieved November 6, 2025.
  29. ↑ Daley, Paul (May 22, 2025). "Decorating the Set (Interview with Eric Frankel, Set Decorator on The Bear)". Pod Clubhouse. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  30. ↑ Knopper, Steve (July 12, 2023). "'The Bear' Season 2: The Hardest (And Easiest) Songs to Clear, From Taylor Swift to AC/DC". Billboard. Retrieved January 7, 2026.
  31. ↑ Dreldon (July 20, 2023). "Interview with "The Bear's" Jeffrey "JQ" Qaiyum". ON THE SCORE. Retrieved January 5, 2026.
  32. ↑ "This Is the Standout Episode of 'The Bear' Season 2". GQ. June 22, 2023. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  33. ↑ Langmann, Brady (June 23, 2023). "'The Bear' Season 2's 'Fishes' Episode Left Me Speechless". Esquire. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  34. ↑ Seth, Radhika (August 3, 2023). "Just Give Jamie Lee Curtis Her Guest Star Emmy For The Bear Already". British Vogue. Archived from the original on August 15, 2023. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  35. ↑ Gallucci, Nicole (June 23, 2023). "Jamie Lee Curtis Deserves An Emmy For Her Haunting 'The Bear' Performance". Decider. Archived from the original on July 20, 2023. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  36. ↑ McFarland, Melanie (June 29, 2023). ""The Bear" hides crusts of meaning and trauma in an episode about the Feast of the Seven Fishes". Salon. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  37. ↑ Eakin, Marah (June 22, 2023). "The Bear Recap: The Christmas Guests". Vulture. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  38. ↑ Tangcay, Jazz (March 3, 2024). "'Oppenheimer', 'The Holdovers' Win Top Honors for Editing at ACE Eddie Awards". Variety. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  39. ↑ "The 2024 Astra TV Awards Nominations Have Arrived" (Press release). The Astras. July 8, 2024. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  40. ↑ "'Wicked', 'Hacks', and 'The Bear' Dominate the 2024 Astra Film, TV, and Creative Arts Awards" (Press release). The Astras. December 8, 2024. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
  41. ↑ Tangcay, Jazz (January 5, 2024). "Costume Designers Guild Nominations: 'Maestro', 'Barbie' Land Nods, 'The Color Purple', 'Wonka' Snubbed". Variety. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  42. ↑ "76th Annual DGA Awards Winners" (Press release). Directors Guild of America. February 11, 2024. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  43. ↑ Tangcay, Jazz (January 16, 2024). "'Oppenheimer' Dominates Motion Picture Sound Editors Golden Reel Awards Nominations". Variety. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  44. ↑ "The Bear". Television Academy. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
  45. ↑ Schneider, Michael (February 21, 2024). "WGA Nominations: 'Oppenheimer', 'Barbie', 'The Bear', 'Succession' Among 2024 Nods". Variety. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
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