“Don’t ask if her if she’s okay”

I’m a sucker for character introductions where they are not even on screen. From the opening conversation between Sugar and Mikey, you get a really good idea of what kind of character Momma Donna Berzatto is. It’s also clear that at some point during the episode someone will inevitably ask her if she’s okay at a crucial moment. Moreso than any other episode on this list, ‘Fishes’ captures the occasionally unbearable anxiety of family gatherings at Christmas. There is a predictability to the chaos of this episode but the execution of said chaos is absolutely second-to-none. There is a kinetic chemistry between every actor here, which is a feat given that 80% of the cast of this episode are appearing here for the first, and as of now, only time. The most stressful kitchen in The Bear‘s run thus far is not that of the under pressure restaurant that Carmy opens, but of a dysfunctional family gathering, and every performance needed to be perfection for each character to be able to have their presence felt in the episode alongside titans like Jamie Lee Curtis and Bob Odenkirk.

It helps, of course, that this is a meticulously crafted script, where almost every conversation is interrupted in some way. Hearing George Harrison’s chirpy ‘Got My Mind Set On You’ and Elvis Costello’s ‘Beyond Belief’ blast through the house in their entirety as these people bicker and scream at each other for about 12 minutes straight. It’s exhausting in the best way possible. Another key component to this winning recipe is the editing. This might just be one of the best edited episodes of TV you could ever watch. From the frantic crash zooms into the cooking timer to the mix of long fluid takes and erratic quick cuts, the episode endeavors to involve the audience. The long lingering shots as Carmy and Mikey have a conversation later in the episode emphasises the awkwardness of their conversation. It also knows when to slow down too, with the interaction between Richie and his girlfriend landing pretty emotionally resonant in a quieter moment upstairs, with the audience’s knowledge of where their relationship ends up enhancing it.

I think the performances that I maybe appreciate the most in this episode though are of Sarah Paulson and John Mulaney who play cousin Michelle and Stevie and are a refreshingly normal presence amidst the dysfunction and craziness. They seem fairly happy and it seems as though it’s always so tempting for writers to max out on the miserable characters. Having two characters that are just kinda normal and nice gives the episode a nice balance and makes it all feel more natural and authentic. Poor Steve is unfortunate enough to walk in on a raging Donna and faces her wrath.

I really want to focus on Jamie Lee Curtis’s electric performance as Donna. It might just be her best ever role, and she has had quite the career. In an episode full of outstanding performances, Curtis shines above the rest in a deeply real portrayal of someone who is clearly intensely troubled and frantic, dealing with some kind of mental disorder whilst also feeling she has to be “okay” and persist through it. Donna is an endlessly hard to read and intense character and Curtis brings it all to life on screen.

The most remembered scene in the episode of course though is the climactic round-the-table argument, which, in case you haven’t seen it, I’m not even going to describe. It’s just legendary TV in the making, and it’s impressive that an episode that came out this year could make it this high on the list. Who knows, maybe next year I’d be tempted to put it a spot higher.