Reddit Picks 'The Bear's Most Stressful Episode (It's Really Hard to Watch)
The creators of The Bear know how to stress out their viewers, but they reached their peak in the episode "Fishes." Here's why it's so disturbing.
On June 25, the fourth season of The Bear, one of the best dramas of recent years, was finally released. The previous season saw a slight decline in quality, and the fourth chapter does not seem eager to correct the mistakes made a year ago.
'The Bear' Fans Named the Most Disturbing Episode
Fortunately, we can always return to the first two seasons. The Bear showcases the seamy side of the restaurant world: extreme stress, enormous pressure, strict subordination, and rebellion against it; the high price of every mistake; psychological violence; and frequent nervous breakdowns.
We saw this emotional breakdown best in the show's best and most stressful episode – "Fishes." Redditor Lanky_Chemist_3773 wrote:
“It was too much for me. I had to skip it and then finish it after I watched all the other episodes.”
What Is "Fishes" About?
Five years before the opening of The Bear restaurant, the Berzatto family celebrates Christmas. Carmy returned home from Copenhagen. Donna, Carmy's mother, smokes a lot, drinks red wine, and is overwhelmed in the kitchen as she tries to prepare several dishes.
Relatives repeatedly offer to help and ask if Donna is okay. She yells back that she is tired of stupid questions. A few minutes later, she complains that she has to do everything herself in this house.
Cousin Michelle advises Carmy to move to New York. Later that evening, Michael quarrels with Uncle Lee at the table.
"Fishes" Is a Deep Dive Into the Dysfunctional Berzatto Family
"Fishes" is a rare opportunity to see the entire Berzatto family together and try to figure out why Michael committed suicide and where Carmy got his constant nervousness and anxiety.
It seems that the brothers inherited their psychological issues from their uptight, drama queen of a mother.
The episode not only features wild tension but also a dizzying cast. Sarah Paulson, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Bob Odenkirk appear in the series for the first time.
"Fishes" Is an Extremely Realistic Immersion Into a Chaotic Family Holiday
As viewers have noted, "Fishes" has an amazingly immersive effect, bringing many back to their chaotic – and not always pleasant – holiday dinners. Reddit user Melann89 commented:
“The whole episode was like a highlight reel of all my family holidays and actually left me feeling stressed out after watching it. Definitely true to life!”
"Fishes" proves that The Bear brilliantly portrays the stressful nature of a kitchen and anxiety, and panic-inducing situations. However, no other episode of the show has managed to achieve the greatness of "Fishes."
