Forks (The Bear)

"Forks"
The Bear episode
Episode no.	Season 2 Episode 7
Directed by	Christopher Storer
Written by	Alex Russell
Produced by	Tyson Bidner
Featured music	"Glass, Concrete & Stone" by David Byrne "Diamond Diary" by Tangerine Dream "Love Story (Taylor's Version)" by Taylor Swift
Cinematography by	Andrew Wehde
Editing by	Adam Epstein
Original release date	June 22, 2023 (2023-06-22)
Running time	35 minutes
Guest appearances
Gillian Jacobs as Tiffany Jerimovich Andrew Lopez as Garrett Sarah Ramos as Jessica Adam Shapiro as Ever CDC Olivia Colman as Chef Terry

"Forks" is the seventh episode of the second season of the American television comedy-drama The Bear. It is the 15th overall episode of the series and was written by Alex Russell and directed by series creator Christopher Storer. It was released on Hulu on June 22, 2023, along with the rest of the season.

The series follows Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto, an award-winning New York City chef de cuisine, who returns to his hometown of Chicago to run his late brother Michael's failing Italian beef sandwich shop. In the episode, Richie is sent to an upscale fine dining restaurant for one week, where he discovers more about how the staff operates.

The episode received universal acclaim from critics, who praised the episode's tone, writing, performances and directing, and some named it among the best episodes of 2023.

Plot

Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) decides to send Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) to train at Ever, an upscale fine dining restaurant, for one week. Richie is annoyed at having to arrive at 6am, especially as his job just consists of shining forks all day. After a few days, Richie expresses disdain for his position, getting into conflicts with his supervisor, Garrett (Andrew Lopez). Garrett gets him outside, telling him that the restaurant is built on excellence and respect, and that Richie needs to respect himself as well.

Richie is called by Tiffany (Gillian Jacobs), who informs him that she is now getting married, devastating Richie. Later, he is allowed to leave his position and called to observe the staff, having to wear a suit as a requirement. He discovers their methods and time-saving practices to clean and serve the customers. With the help of Garret and the maître d'hôtel Jessica (Sarah Ramos), Richie gets to understand their jobs and learns more about the meals and the restaurant's history. This uplifts his attitude, and he willingly decides to wake up even earlier to properly prepare for the job. Richie and Garrett talk about the latter's life, revealing that his job helped him overcome his alcoholism. When Richie suggests applying for a definite job, Garrett says it is not up to him.

Richie calls Carmy, accusing him of sending him to Ever just to get rid of him, which he denies. On his last day, a saddened Richie is shining the forks, when he decides to check the place. He runs into the owner, Chef Terry (Olivia Colman), cleaning mushrooms. As he helps her, she opens up about using her own free time to help in the restaurant. After her father died, she felt motivated by his notebooks to finally open the restaurant. She recounts that it was never too late to start, which is echoed in the kitchen's slogan: "Every second counts." As she leaves to help Jessica, she explains that Carmy truly believes in Richie, which is why he sent him to Ever. After she leaves, Richie stare silently at the slogan.

Production

Development

In May 2023, Hulu confirmed that the episode would be title "Forks", and was to be directed by series creator Christopher Storer and written by Alex Russell. It was Russell's first writing credit, and Storer's ninth directing credit.

Writing

Ebon Moss-Bachrach was "deeply moved" by the line "Carmy says you're good with people", explaining "For Richie, it seemed like everything was heading towards this revelation, his need to have some validation." On his scene with Colman, he said, "The point of that, I think, was to trigger some sort of frustration or physical behavior but stay in character. That may not be what the scene with Chef Terry was about, which is coming together, but it did remind me of acting class years ago."

Filming

The scenes at Ever were filmed at a real-life restaurant also named Ever, which is in Chicago. The restaurant has received two Michelin stars, which was changed to three for the series. The restaurant shut down for one week, and also turned off its online reservation system to accommodate the filming schedule.

Moss-Bachrach explained that as Richie is a known fan of Ridley Scott, the episode wanted to illustrate it. The art department compiled some of his works in the episode; posters for Alien and White Squall, and a novelization of Black Rain are seen in Richie's apartment.

Music

Executive producer Josh Senior said that securing "Love Story (Taylor's Version)" by Taylor Swift in the episode was not difficult. He said, "She was exceedingly generous and cool with one of our actors singing along to the song. Those are things that sometimes people just say no to, and that was probably one of the easiest songs to clear."

Critical reviews

Ebon Moss-Bachrach's performance in the episode received universal acclaim from critics.

"Forks" received widespread acclaim from critics. Daniel D'Addario of Variety wrote, "Moments like this, in which two people in the culinary trenches achieve a certain sublimity while their hands are working, are ones of real connection that rely on character, situation and a lightness of touch that The Bear, contra its most attention-getting moments, wears well. More of this, please, chef."

Alan Sepinwall of Rolling Stone named the episode as his favorite of the season and wrote, "It's fascinating to see Richie fall in love with the place so quickly, yet still feel like Carmy sent him there to get rid of him for a while. But it speaks to Richie's pathologically low self-esteem. And in an incredibly charming and relaxed scene to close the episode, the celebrated Chef Terry tells Richie, unprompted, that Carmy believes in him. “He said you're good with people,” she adds. “He's not wrong.” Between those words of encouragement and her “Every Second Counts” motto, Richie returns to The Bear a changed man. He wears suits now. He knows how to manage. He has become a fiend for detail himself, rejecting a potential hostess because she didn't recognize his Princess and the Pea-style gambit with a misaligned place setting."

Marah Eakin of Vulture gave the episode a perfect 5 star out of 5 rating and wrote, "It's a lesson you've got to hope Richie takes to heart, and this episode suggests he will. Sure, he's 45, but he's not dead, and he knows now what he loves and sees the purpose he was flailing after back in episode one. Let's see if he can make something out of the years — and episodes — left to come." A.J. Daulerio of Decider wrote, "What Richie initially thought was Carmy's attempt to get rid of him, as it turns out, was actually a gesture of good faith. Richie has a purpose, and he's needed if The Bear is to succeed."

Alec Smith of Collider wrote, "With the suit on, he feels a sense of professionalism, and the armor, as he calls it, amplifies and demands his sense of respect — respect not only for others but himself as well, something Richie has always struggled with. From this point on in Season 2, Richie continues to show up in a suit, proving just how impactful his time staging was." Steve Greene of IndieWire wrote, "It's the capper on an episode that does everything The Bear does best. It grabs a little musical help. It captures the cacophony of a kitchen humming along as intended. And it situates all that orchestrated chaos within a city and the lives of the people who call it home. “Mangia!” indeed."

Max Covill of Paste wrote, "There's intrigue in these chefs explaining how they came to this business, and why it's so rewarding for them. That's when The Bear itself is at its most rewarding. Richie's personal growth in “Forks” helps to create what is arguably the season's finest episode, and I can't wait to see how Richie continues to let it rip." Liz Shannon Miller of Consequence wrote, "The brilliance of “Forks” isn't limited to its existence as a stand-alone installment — the very best TV shows know how to balance standalone stories with the overall flow of a season, and in the case of The Bear Season 2, this episode follows “Fishes,” a 66-minute descent into the depths of family holiday hell. Surviving “Fishes” creates a deep need for some sort of solace; while at first “Forks” does not seem like it'd be the solution, the catharsis it delivers is profound, all bound up in the most unexpected needle drop of the season, as Richie's path to enlightenment becomes synonymous with (of all things) “Love Story (Taylor's Version).”"

The episode was included in many publications as among the best TV episodes of 2023, including Rolling Stone, Polygon, Entertainment Weekly, TV Guide, and The A.V. Club.

External links

• "Forks" at IMDb