‘Tis The Season to Rewatch ‘The Bear’s “Fishes”

O come all ye faithful fans of The Bear. The mood is right, the spirit’s up and the time to rewatch “Fishes” has finally come.

When the second season of Christopher Storer’s critically acclaimed FX series premiered on Hulu in June, it delivered one of the year’s most terrifically tense television episodes. The supersized, star-studded spectacle of family dysfunction can be appreciated year-round. (It recently received love from fans and guest star Jamie Lee Curtis ahead of hectic Thanksgiving celebrations.) But at its core, “Fishes” is a Christmas episode — one deserving of a top spot on your annual holiday watch list.

Those who’ve already marveled over The Bear‘s 66-minute swirl of decked halls, culinary chaos, blaring kitchen timers, family feuds, and heaping helpings of heartwarming and heart-wrenching moments know that “Fishes” isn’t your typical feel-good Christmas watch. And that’s what makes it so essential.

In place of unexpected miracles, romanticized realities, hefty doses of holiday cheer, and a warm happy ending, the sixth installment of Season 2 captures the authentic messiness of a Berzatto family dinner, complete with a Feast of the Seven Fishes painstakingly prepared by matriarch Donna (Curtis), who struggles with alcoholism and mental health issues.

Set five years before the opening of Carmy’s (Jeremy Allen White) new restaurant, “Fishes” follows the chef, his sister Natalie (Abby Elliot), and their late brother Mikey (Jon Bernthal) as they desperately try to survive another holiday at home. Familiar faces including Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), Uncle Jimmy (Oliver Platt), Fak (Matty Matheson), and Pete (Chris Witaske) join in the seasonal celebrations. And jaw-dropping guest stars bring Fak’s brother Theodore (Ricky Staffieri), Cousin Michelle (Sarah Paulson), her husband Steven (John Mulaney), Richie’s then wife Tiffany (Gillian Jacobs), Uncle Lee (Bob Odenkirk), and Donna (Curtis) to life.

In harnessing incessant sound, dense dialogue, erratic camerawork, and honest performances, “Fishes” crafts a cocktail of complex emotions. One minute you’re laughing over kindhearted, albeit deeply misguided Pete showing up with a tuna casserole (aka an eighth fish). The next minute you’re sobbing over a private pantry breakdown or one of many other fragile moments of emotional vulnerability. You’ll find solace in a quiet bedroom escape. You’ll sit in molar-cracking suspense, holding your breath while awaiting the fate of a single fork. You’ll tear up over a story about chocolate covered bananas, and at the sheer suggestion that bears can be both aggressive and altruistic. And you’ll ride this unpredictable emotional roller coaster round and round the Berzatto household until it’s cannoli time — well, sort of!

Through seamless verbal sparring, hushed gossip, somber cigarette puffs, wholesome heart-to-hearts, and refreshing giggle fests, The Bear successfully establishes the occasionally perplexing truth that vastly different dynamics and personalities can, and almost always do, exist within a single family. As you glimpse the simmering grudges, past traumas, and existing demons within the Berzatto family, you may see glimmers of yourself or your own loved ones reflected back at you, for better or worse. When the chaos concludes and the end credits roll, you’ll get a much-needed reminder that holidays aren’t easy, and all families have their flaws. And, at the very least, you’ll emerge from the hour-long extravaganza incredibly entertained.

“Fishes” is an annual must-watch for anyone who has a tricky relationship with their family; for Italians who (like myself) not only grew up avoiding all seven fish dishes at Christmas, but having no clue what the heck they were doing on the table; and for all lovers of prestige, profound, deeply moving television.

While no rewatch can replicate the overwhelming shock, delight, and disorientation you experience during your first “Fishes” viewing, simply beholding the phenomenal feat — its mix of razor-sharp writing, bold creative choices, and powerhouse performances — hits hard every single time. You can find fresh joy from “Fishes” each year by introducing the episode to loved ones, watching together, and bonding over the painful relatability. And when you’re done, you can head right into Season 2, Episode 7, “Forks” as a treat. Sure it’s not a holiday episode, but it definitely brings the cheer! And after surviving “Fishes,” you’ve earned it.

The Bear Season 1 and Season 2 are now streaming on Hulu.