‘The Bear’ Christmas Episode Is Perfect for the Holidays Because of Its Messiness

cnnradionews staff

Arguably the most stressful episode of the series, The Bear’s famously intense Christmas episode “Fishes” did more than make us forget how to relax our shoulders. It broke the holiday-special norm by defying the warm and fuzzy sentiments of the season and leaving tensions unresolved by the end of the special. “Fishes” presents a irreverent version of the traditional family Christmas dinner, but you’d be surprised at how much the episode has in common with the movies and specials of Christmas past. While it may not be the Peanuts specials or the Rankin/Bass films you were raised on, this Christmas special isn’t the craziest idea for a new yearly holiday watch.

Is ‘The Bear’s Christmas Special Really All That Different From The Original Christmas Classics?

Image via FX

“Fishes” definitely isn’t your grandmother’s Christmas special, but the fundamental ideas remain the same. For example, the children in Frosty The Snowman learned the power of believing with all their hearts, and Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) wholeheartedly believed that he and Michael (Jon Bernthal) could make something great out of The Bear. The episode also holds tight to the concept of learning a valuable lesson. Scrooge learned the consequences of his negativity in A Christmas Carol, while Natalie (Abby Elliott) learned the consequences of her positivity towards her mother.

Between Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and Tiffany’s (Gillian Jacobs) wholesome moment alone upstairs and Michael and Carmy’s conversation in the pantry, there are several touching heart-to-heart moments in “Fishes”. But the episode ultimately maintains a terribly dark tone with an unrelenting sadness that sits with almost every character throughout the episode, which certainly comes as a shift from the bright and magical tones in the likes of A Christmas Carol or How The Grinch Stole Christmas. One rather morbid element of “Fishes,” however, is particularly reminiscent of one of cinema’s oldest Christmas classics. Putting a twist on It’s A Wonderful Life, Donna (Jamie Lee Curtis) believes that no one in her family would miss her if she didn’t exist. But instead of taking an emotional journey to finding that she’s horribly wrong, she has an hour-long breakdown until the entire family coddles her, to which she responds by violently ramming her car into the house. Despite completely subverting the traditional happy ending, “Fishes” doesn’t take away from the importance of presenting uncomfortable issues during the most heartfelt season of the year.

The most obvious attempt at a meaningful Christmas speech in “Fishes” is Steven’s prayer. Steven (John Mulaney) is already uncomfortable with being tagged to say grace, but he really does try to use the moment to de-escalate the tension between Michael and Lee. Where A Christmas Carol’s Tiny Tim left us with, “God bless us everyone,” and where Linus preached literal scripture in A Charlie Brown Christmas, Steven earnestly closes his anxiously grateful remarks with, “May God bless us and keep us safe in the new year… and please give Michael the strength not to throw that fork, amen.”

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The main cast of Berzattos is obviously irreplaceable, so choosing the actors to carry the weight of their home life meant calling in some of the industry’s best players. Each character’s dynamic needed to be incredibly nuanced. Cameo appearances from Jamie Lee Curtis, Bob Odenkirk, Sarah Paulson, and John Mulaney were certainly great for publicity, but these folks clearly had bills to pay. The performances of the guest stars paired with those of the main and recurring Berzatto cast created a believable, uncomfortable, and altogether unforgettable Berzatto family dinner.

Jamie Lee Curtis delivers an impeccable Donna, the emotionally unstable Berzzato matriarch. She sells the character as perpetually beyond disheveled, carrying a hopeless imbalance of priorities and a sense of self-worth on the brink of extinction. Bob Odenkirk brings a tasteful balance of seemingly chipper and outright messy for the role of “Uncle” Lee. He offers a lighthearted air to most situations until he transitions into becoming aggressively annoying about poking the bear who, in this case, is Michael. Sarah Paulson, who is no stranger to the dark side of entertainment, portrays a bold but supportive Cousin Michelle, discreetly attempting to keep the peace among the ranks of her family members. John Mulaney couldn’t have been a better match for the role of Steven. Steven acts as the straight man in the scenario, perhaps possessing the most sanity among the characters in the episode. John Mulaney is excellent at reacting to outlandish situations with a dry, collected kind of rhythm, which proves to be a solid compliment to the chaos of the rest of the family.

‘The Bear’s Christmas Special Is A Perfect Example of The Show

“Fishes” is one extra-long and highly captivating slice of context for much of the characters’ behaviors in previous episodes of The Bear. But even if you aren’t looking for context for the rest of the series, “Fishes” makes for an excellent standalone episode because it predates most of the events that make up the premise of the series. You get all the irreverent snark and claustrophobic energy of the rest of the show, but a festive atmosphere pervades the episode.

Most Christmas specials and holiday movies are led by a homey narrator politely guiding you through the story. “Fishes,” in true Bear fashion, is a haphazard, misguided mess of a story that you’re only going to follow if you’re determined. Although there is an incessant overlap of speech between family members from start to finish, it’s not hard to grasp what’s going on in each scene. The general vibe “all through the house” is tense; no one can really relax for one reason or another. The family’s collective angst is lovingly supported by the sound of Donna screaming expletives after having dropped or shattered something, which is placed in the background of every serious moment that manages to occupy a different pocket of the house. It’s a perfect representation of what audiences will get from the rest of the series (sans the ambience of Christmas music).

FX’s The Bear is available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.

WATCH ON HULU


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