User Reviews

This was absolutely amazing. I have never seen anything like it. How do you even write an episode like this? How do you direct it, film it? Let alone act in it? However, it helps of course that some of the greatest actors are at work here. Can we please shower Jamie Lee Curtis with awards for this?

I have been critical about the show, but this episode truly is a piece of art. Basically a short film within the show, which makes all the more sense if you watched the show from the beginning.

I love that it explains so much about the characters we are already familiar with, without being heavy-handed or too on the nose. Like that Carmen basically follows in his mother's footsteps, cooking for everyone, while nobody makes "anything beautiful for him" (which, it seems, is about to change with Claire in his life). It explains how Carmen can handle the noise, the shouting, the stress in the kitchen - because he grew up with it. Wonderfully done. Impeccable.

Congratulations to everyone (!) involved in this.

It's a masterpiece.

I cannot believe what I just witnessed.

This episode was a masterpiece.

I wanted to finish the season before writing any proper review on any of the episodes but I couldn't resist. Going in I thought of the possibility of things getting a little hectic, but I did NOT see this coming.

To start I'd like to touch on some of the more quiet scenes that I enjoyed. The first scene with all the siblings standing outside before entering the storm was a nice moment between the three that was necessary, that also had great foreshadowing of the question that ignited the flames in the end of the episode that I'll get to shortly. Another scene I loved was of Richie and his wife Tiffany. I'm curious of what made their relationship not as strong as it was here, but it was wholesome seeing them happy together, as well as doing the tongue out face their daughter did last episode to show the bond the three have.

I also loved the scenes with the Fak's, Unclr Jimmy, Stevie, and Michelle. Stevie was definitely one of my favorites in this episode and I loved the brightness he brought in comparison to some of the other characters. But an important scene that meant a lot to me was Mike and Carmy in the pantry. Mike asking him about his life was so wholesome and it showed that Mike genuinely cared, and so did Carm with the gift he gave him of the picture. Even before opening it Mike still insisted on knowing more about Carm's life and insisted on 3 things about what his life's been like and that means so much to me knowing he genuinely wanted to know more.

But with that being said, let's get to the peak of this tragic masterpiece. Firstly, GIVE JAMIE LEE CURTIS AN EMMY! Her guest performance in this episode stole the show. The tension she brought to the house could be cut with Carmen's (now T's) knife. My anxiety was so high every scene and her performance deserves to be recognized. And it doesn't end there.

BOB ODENKIRK AND JON BERNTHAL. YOU TALENTED MF'S. I ranted about Jamie being phenomenal but then these two come out of nowhere and took the spotlight as well. Both men who have already perfected some of the greatest roles in TV come back to steal the show in a role they've barely portrayed and it was stunning. At first I thought Bob as Uncle Lee was going to be a bit of comic relief blended with some seriousness but instead we got some season 4 Jimmy McGill level tension with a flare, and that might even be an understatement.

I don't think I've ever been so nervous about a damn FORK in TV history. A UTENSIL had me on the edge of my seat, and if any actor could make me feel that way it's Jon Bernthal. Every time this man picked up another fork I was frightened, and with Lee pushing on it only made things that much more hectic. But then DONNA walks in and everything seemed to be relieved. Hilariously Stevie ended up doing the prayer even though he didn't want it, but there couldn't have been a better man to do it. His words about a Bear were beautiful and it was exactly what needed to be heard. I genuinely thought at that moment that things would end well, but I couldn't have been more wrong.

"Are You Ok?" The question that ironically made everything not ok. One of the first things discussed in this episode ended up being the turning point. My heart dropped when Natalie asked that question and things immediately went to flames. And after that, I thought things legitimately couldn't get worse. UNTIL IT DOES

MICHAEL THROWS THE FORK AT LEE AND ALL HELL BREAKS LOSE. I was going to end this review with the funny line of Stevie at the end of the prayer saying "and for gods sake let's hope Micheal doesn't throw the fork" because I thought it was not only a hilarious moment, but I didn't think he'd actually end up doing it. BUT THEN HE TOOK THE FULL MEASURE (or should I say Fork Measure aha I'm sorry) and threw the fork. Now don't get me wrong I understand Uncle Lee had a point, but there's a time and a place and that was not it. He tried to defuse the situation and while Michael wasn't justified in doing so, Lee should've known better.

But just as things seem to be at the worst, Donna DRIVES A VEHICLE THROUGH THE HOUSE. And at that moment, I was able to sympathize with Carmen more than ever before. Him seeming so timid at times and seeming like he's one push away from losing it, when we had no idea about the depths of his family that we saw portrayed here. Him and Natalie have been victimized to some awful things, and I see them through a new light after this episode.

I adore episode 7 of season 1, but this takes the cake. At least until I finish the final 3 episodes of the season but nonetheless this chaotic Christmas dinner was a masterpiece in television. Give Jamie, Jon, and Bob their Emmy's. Or at the minimum the nomination. I don't care just let people know how phenomenal this was, not just from them but all around. I have no more words.

This episode was pure chaos and I can understand why it was too much for some people. With that said, I think the whole point of this episode was to show the dysfunction of Carmy's origins, and to get a better understanding of why his mind works the way that it does, and why he pushes himself so hard. He is a product of his environment and childhood traumas. In this regard, the writers did a great job of projecting the anxiety that virtually all of the characters carry with them, on to the viewers. The expectations, self-defeating talk, anger, fear - after getting an inside look on how the matriarch of the family behaved, it makes so much more sense. Many of the family relationship dynamics were familiar: the uncle that everyone wants money or help from, the cousin that moved far away from everybody, the middle child that gets overlooked. All of the actors did an excellent job in carrying out such an exhausting episode. I really enjoyed the wild ride but I probably wouldn't need to take it again.

What a phenomenal episode of TV. Probably the most tense I've felt watching a show since the days of Mr. Robot when it was airing week to week. Just phenomenal writing, acting, and style from top to bottom.

I can't believe that I just sat watching an episode of TV that took an hour. It felt like a whole afternoon's worth of tension and sadness. It really shows how much pain exists for the main characters in the baseline show seeing just a glimpse into one single Christmas.

Lies, Secret Habits, Threats, Screaming, Violence, and backstory rule this Christmas.

The guest stars in this one steal the show and give everyone a burst of energy not achievable without their existence. Bravo to every single person involved in making this episode of The Bear.

Ms. Curtis delivers a breathtaking and absolutely unhinged performance as the family matriarch at the kind of holiday dinner that has kept me in therapy for the last decade and supporting my theory that it isn't really Christmas till the EMTs show up. I don't understand how the Academy categorizes this show as a comedy (and I would sincerely like to know) because this level of pathos is anything but funny. It is heartbreaking and it is horrifying and it is painful to watch for anyone who grew up in an alcoholic family. And it is also incredibly real, thanks to brilliant writing, direction, and acting by the entire cast, but most of all Ms. Curtis. This role could never have been played by the kind of actress that subjects herself to fillers and peels and plastic surgery. No face artificially frozen in time could ever portray the kind of anguish the part demands. I doubt there is another actress alive that could have pulled it off.

Brilliant television. I see some reviewers describing the Berzatto family Christmas as over the top, unrealistic, contrived etc and all I'm thinking about that is "maybe you're just lucky".

For the rest of us who grew up with addiction, mental illness, enmeshment and violence - it's not an unusual scenario. In my family it was always Christmas and trips to the airport: events where everyone's sh¡t bubbles to the surface and boils over. The straw that breaks the camel's back. When you're functioning on such high levels of stress all the time, it doesn't take much for things to erupt.

Thankfully we've never had cars driven through walls, but absolutely the rest of it.

The Storers know what they're doing and they do it damn well - there's not an inch of this show that they don't live & breathe, and it really comes through. The performances of the entire cast are top notch, as is the dialogue, editing- all of it. Also Carmy dissociating in the last moments of the episode really made me need a cigarette lol.

I really felt this whole episode, and am grateful to the Storers for bringing us The Bear. It slaps.

I feel like the 9.7/10 on IMDB for this episode as of this writing is way too absurd.

This was an episode that just insisted upon itself. They tried to tell you it was going to be good, but it really wasn't. You had big name guest stars, but it was just shouting and family infighting. It was entertaining and uncomfortable probably 20% of the time, and the other 80% just annoying.

This will surely result in an Emmy, but that is all it was: Emmy bait. It was just not my cup of tea. I like edgy and uncomfortable moments, but there was way too much shouting and forced intensity than what was actually needed.

I can't believe this episode. I was trying to "relax" and watch another episode of a great series and I can't believe this is what anyone's Christmas Eve would be like. Everyone is screaming, there is non-stop noise and swearing and half the characters seem bi-polar at this point. Crying, Laughing, Screaming, throwing casseroles out the front door all within a 20 second span and the part that is driving me nuts the most is the dirty kitchen. Tomato sauce on a dirty timer, Jamie Lee Curtis with dirty hands touching her wine glass so she is now drinking out of a wine glass that looks disgusting. I love this show, but this episode is driving me to drink myself (from a clean glass) or recommend others to have a valium salt lick before trying to watch this episode.

The acting in this episode was incredible, no doubt at all there.

But i didn't enjoy this episode, i thought it was too much and massively out of sync with the season so far, it seemed over indulged and also a little bit unrealistic, they knew their mothers trigger points, they knew how to avoid pushing the buttons they pushed, yet did it anyway.

Though i felt it was going to induce a panic attack at times and definitely got my blood pressure up as much as se01e01, i personally couldn't wait for it to finish, again though I'll say the acting was incredible by all involved, but not an enjoyable episode.