The Bear's 10 Funniest Scenes That Make A Case For It Being A Comedy

The Bear’s categorization as a comedy at the Emmys has often drawn criticism, but the show has plenty of hilarious moments that prove it is, in fact, a comedy. The Emmys’ categorization of comedies and dramas goes back to the traditional TV model of yesteryear. Back then, TV shows were more rigidly defined. Half-hour shows had wacky characters, ironic storytelling, and laugh tracks, while hour-long shows had deeper themes, darker narratives, and more complex characters, so it was easy to call the former comedies and the latter dramas. But in the streaming age, TV genres have gotten much more nuanced.

Succession is a satire of corporate America jam-packed with witty one-liners and absurd characters, but the Emmys categorize it as a drama because its episodes are an hour long. The Bear, on the other hand, is a harrowing character study examining the destructive psychological impact of a toxic workplace, but since its episodes run for half an hour, it’s categorized as a comedy. But as dramatic as it is, The Bear’s inclusion in the comedy categories isn’t totally outrageous. There are a lot of funny scenes that justify The Bear’s categorization as a comedy series.

10 Richie Holds A Mob Of Nerds At Gunpoint

There was a huge laugh in the very first episode of The Bear: season 1, episode 1, “System.” Carmy is counting on the geek crowd to keep the business afloat. A group of LARPers show up at the restaurant to play their vintage arcade game, Ballbreaker, and Carmy is hoping they’ll buy a ton of sandwiches while they’re there. But when he goes out to get the crowd under control, he gets attacked. Richie comes out with a gun, fires it into the air, and asks the nerd mob, “Any of you incel, QAnon, 4chan, Snyder Cut motherf***ers wanna get outta line now!?”

This was a perfect introduction to Richie as a character. This is what Richie brings to the table. He might not know much about the restaurant business, but his street-smarts have plenty of value. Richie’s anti-nerd rant is one of The Bear’s most quotable lines; he makes four broad generalizations about these LARPers in a single sentence.

9 Sydney Deflects Carmy's Personal Confession

In season 1, episode 3, “Brigade,” Carmy and Sydney have one of their earliest heart-to-hearts — but it’s abruptly cut short with one of Syd’s funniest moments. Syd is mad at Carmy for leaving her with a bunch of work to do while he disappeared for a while. He acknowledges her grievance, but in an attempt to level with her, he confesses to where he was: “I went to an AlAnon meeting. My brother... he was an addict.”

Syd begins, “Chef, that is...” It seems like she’s about to say something supportive or offer some words of wisdom during a tough time. But then, she continues, “...a little too personal, I think.” Ayo Edebiri’s deadpan delivery is pitch-perfect, and Jeremy Allen White’s gobsmacked facial expression makes the punchline land. Carmy and Syd would eventually become close friends, but they didn’t know each other that well yet.

8 Carmy & Richie's Hot Dog Argument

To bring in a little extra cash, Carmy and Richie agree to cater a children’s birthday party in season 1, episode 4, “Dogs.” This is a great comic situation in itself, hilariously juxtaposing Carmy and Richie’s typically foul-mouthed form of communication with a party full of innocent children. At one point, Richie furiously asks, “What kind of a**hole puts ketchup on a hot dog?” to which Carmy dryly responds, “A child, Richie.”

This interaction perfectly sums up their relationship. Any and all discussions can and will turn into a heated argument — even about something as trivial as hot dog condiments. It also demonstrates exactly who these characters are and how their personalities clash for a classic comedic double act. Richie is the blustering loudmouth who doesn’t think before he speaks and Carmy is the deadpan voice of reason.

7 Richie Is Relieved To Be Charged With Aggravated Assault, Not Murder

The Beef hosts a bachelor party in season 1, episode 8, “Braciole,” and when the partygoers get a bit excited, a huge fight breaks out. What could’ve been a good opportunity to bring in some extra money turns into a brutal brawl. The Beef’s staff are holding their own against the bachelor party, but the fight takes a dark turn when Richie beats a guy who hits his head and might die. Richie spends all night in a holding cell waiting to find out if he’s being charged with murder.

All throughout the night, Richie has plenty of time to reconsider his life choices. But as soon as he learns that the man has recovered and he’s only being charged with aggravated assault, Richie sighs with relief. After a night of soul-searching, he goes right back to being who he always was. Richie’s sigh of relief is a great comedic payoff to a really dark dramatic situation.

6 Pete Brings An Eighth Fish To Christmas

The star-studded Christmas episode — season 2, episode 6, “Fishes” — is one of the best episodes of The Bear. It perfectly replicates the feelings of stress and anxiety that come from living with a volatile parent. Christmas dinner is supposed to be a joyous occasion, but Donna Berzatto’s erratic behavior has everyone walking around on eggshells, trying not to set her off. This is in stark contrast with the warm, fuzzy feeling created by most TV holiday specials.

As Donna drunkenly prepares a meal based on the Feast of the Seven Fishes, Sugar’s boyfriend Pete comes over with a tuna casserole that gets hilariously dubbed “the eighth fish.” This scene encapsulates the dysfunction of this family; as always, Pete means well, but his kind gesture is viewed as a disaster. John Mulaney’s Stevie says it best: “Hey, Pete, thanks for bringing the fish!”

5 Sugar Asks For Witnesses When Richie Apologizes

Throughout The Bear season 2, The Beef’s staff comes together to reimagine their sandwich shop as a fancy restaurant. During this time, Richie grows paranoid that he’ll be cut loose, so he looks for ways to rectify his mistakes and prove his worth. In season 2, episode 8, “Bolognese,” Richie earnestly apologizes to Sugar for all the trouble he’s caused and promises to do better with the second chance he’s been given.

Since it’s so rare that Richie takes responsibility for his actions and says something straight from the heart, Sugar asks for witnesses to gather around and watch Richie’s apology. The joke is that, if she didn’t have witnesses, no one would ever believe that Richie accepted accountability and did the right thing. This is a great example of a really sweet, sincere moment being undercut with humor.

4 Carmy Gets Trapped In The Walk-In Refrigerator

In season 2, episode 10, “The Bear,” after facing countless disruptions and setbacks, The Beef finally reopens its doors as The Bear for a family and friends night. Sydney has a panic attack; Marcus catches the line cook, Josh, smoking meth in the alley; and Donna has an emotional breakdown in front of the restaurant. But the biggest disaster of the evening arrives when Carmy gets trapped in the walk-in refrigerator after the door handle breaks. This was set up brilliantly over the previous episodes, as Carmy repeatedly put off meeting with the “fridge guy.”

Carmy getting stuck in the fridge is a hilarious comedic situation. It’s the kind of thing that would happen in a straightforward sitcom like Bob’s Burgers. It sets up some devastating dramatic payoffs, like Carmy’s breakup with Claire and his intense screaming match with Richie, but it’s a really funny setup.

3 Richie Pokes The Ceiling & Mold Falls On His Head

A lot of The Bear’s funniest moments involve witty dialogue or subtle tics of human behavior. But in season 2, episode 2, “Pasta,” there’s a really great physical gag involving Richie. At this point, The Beef is still in the early stages of the long, complicated transition from a fast-food sandwich joint to a fine-dining establishment. They’ve just been facing one complication after another, and Sugar comes in to pile on yet another piece of bad news: a mold problem has been discovered in the building.

In order to prove there’s no mold, Richie confidently pokes the ceiling — and then a mountain of mold and dust comes crashing down on his head. Ebon Moss-Bachrach nails the look on Richie’s face as he realizes he was wrong, and now has a head covered in mold to show for it. Slapstick gags don’t always work, but this one is hysterical.

2 Carmy & Richie Unwittingly Drug An Entire Children's Birthday Party With Xanax

Carmy and Richie’s hot dog argument is one of the funniest moments at the children’s birthday party in season 1, episode 4, “Dogs,” but there’s an even more hilarious sequence later on. Carmy creates a homemade Ecto cooler for the party, which is fun for the kids at first — until it accidentally gets spiked with Richie’s Xanax. The Xanax causes the kids to all pass out in the yard, at which point Carmy finally realizes something has gone terribly wrong.

This is a prime example of how dark The Bear’s humor can be (not to mention how funny it can be). What makes this scene even funnier is Cicero’s reaction. Any normal person would be horrified to learn that a dozen children under their watch got drugged with anti-anxiety pills, but Cicero finds the silence refreshing.

1 Sydney Accidentally Stabs Richie

Everyone starts to lose it in season 1, episode 7, “Review.” Richie reads a positive review of The Beef that notes a delicious risotto that Sydney secretly served to the critic. Rather than being happy about the positive press the restaurant is getting, Carmy is just furious that Syd served something off the menu to get herself a mention in the review. The tensions get even worse when Syd accidentally leaves the pre-order function active during the lunch rush, leading to an abundance of orders they can’t possibly fill.

In the midst of the chaos, Syd gets into a heated argument with Richie. During the fight, Syd accidentally stabs Richie. This might not be such a funny sequence if Moss-Bachrach didn’t play Richie’s reaction so hilariously matter-of-factly: “I got stabbed!” This scene is the epitome of the unpredictable anarchy of The Bear — and what makes it such a great comedy.

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The Bear

Set in a Chicago sandwich shop, The Bear follows Carmy Berzatto, a young professionally trained chef who returns to take over his family business after the unexpected death of his brother. At odds with many of the shop's employees due to his culinary training, Carmy struggles to maintain order and keep the shop from failing entirely. Jeremy Allen White stars as Carmy alongside Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Ayo Edebiri. 

Showrunner Christopher Storer