Braciole (The Bear)
Braciole | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Television episode |
| Known for | Eighth and final episode of the first season of The Bear |
Braciole serves as the eighth installment and the finale of the inaugural season of the American comedy-drama series The Bear. Crafted by series creator Christopher Storer alongside executive producer Joanna Calo, and directed by Storer himself, this episode was made available on Hulu on June 23, 2022, simultaneously with the release of the entire season.
The narrative follows Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto, a celebrated chef from New York City who comes back to Chicago to take charge of his deceased brother Michael's struggling Italian beef sandwich establishment. In this concluding episode, Carmy confronts his history while endeavoring to bring stability to the restaurant.
Receiving widespread critical praise, the episode notably secured Jeremy Allen White a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his portrayal.
Plot
Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) is tormented by the lingering echo of Michael's (Jon Bernthal) voice. At an Al-Anon meeting, he delivers an extensive seven-minute monologue that unveils their mutual love for cuisine, Michael’s concealed substance abuse, and the strained relationship that resulted in Carmy being cut out from The Beef. Following Michael's passing and inheriting the eatery, Carmy contemplates whether restoring The Beef might serve as a means to heal their fractured connection.
Marcus (Lionel Boyce) visits Syd (Ayo Edebiri), tasting her dishes as they talk about their recent decisions to leave The Beef. Carmy announces a temporary closure of The Beef to host a bachelor party. During this gathering, an altercation breaks out; Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) steps in but inadvertently inflicts serious harm on one individual, leading to his arrest on charges of aggravated assault once the victim regains consciousness. Carmy subsequently posts bail for Richie.
Marcus returns to The Beef after accepting Carmy's apology. When Carmy accidentally ignites a stove fire due to distraction, he contacts Syd to apologize and invite her back to the team. Richie delivers a letter from Michael found behind employee lockers: one side bearing the message "I love you dude. Let it rip," offering encouragement; the reverse side contains a family spaghetti recipe specifying Michael’s preference for small tomato cans.
While preparing food, Carmy discovers cash concealed inside tomato cans. The staff uncovers additional cans filled with money. Syd agrees to rejoin the crew. Carmy announces that The Beef will close permanently with plans underway to launch a new restaurant named The Bear. The episode concludes with Carmy sharing a meal alongside the team, imagining Michael’s approving smile.
Development
In May 2022, Hulu confirmed that episode eight would be penned by series creator Christopher Storer and executive producer Joanna Calo, with Storer directing. This represented Storer’s fourth writing credit and fifth time directing an episode, while Calo earned her second writing credit. The title references the Italian dish Braciola, though The Wall Street Journal interpreted it as symbolizing doubts about Carmy's leadership and his capacity to revive the family business following his brother’s death.
Casting
Gillian Jacobs made her first appearance as Tiffany, Richie’s ex-wife, with her uncredited voicemail recorded remotely from Marseille.
Costuming
Tina swaps her "Mrs. Always Right" apron, originally given by Mikey, for the blue Bragard apron provided by Carmy, thereby matching the uniform style of the rest of the team. Carmy observes that her outfit now resembles Syd's.
Set decoration
The set of Carmy's cooking-show nightmare is adorned with various cookbooks, including Mastering the Art of French Cooking, two copies of The Joy of Cooking, Jeff Smith's The Frugal Gourmet, Ceil Dyer's Best Recipes from the Backs of Boxes, Bottles, Cans and Jars, Hilaire Walden's The Great Big Cookie Book, and Michele Urvater's Cooking the Nouvelle Cuisine in America. These selections are noted as titles unlikely to be owned by a professional chef like Carmy, as they cater more to home cooks seeking shortcuts than to those pursuing advanced culinary mastery.
Writing
Storer drew inspiration for the idea of concealing money in tomato sauce from real-life accounts of drugs being hidden similarly. In a 2022 interview with IndieWire, he explained:
The initial opening sequence showed Carmy on a cooking program alongside a female celebrity chef, whom he mistakenly identified as his mother and embraced emotionally. Due to confusion over this scene, the actress withdrew, necessitating a rewrite.
Sydney, absent throughout most of the episode, makes a late appearance to retrieve her final paycheck. When she locks eyes with Carmy, they immediately synchronize their plans to establish a fine dining restaurant, finishing each other's thoughts.
Regarding the closing scene, Storer remarked, "They won't lose all the charm of their restaurant. Season two will delve into improving profitability and streamlining operations—perhaps even starting anew now that they've found each other within this flawed system." He highlighted how their newfound kitchen family serves as a cornerstone for rebuilding. Allen described this moment as a "beautiful family meal," symbolizing Carmy's willingness to connect and open up.
Filming
The nightmare cooking-show sequence was the very first scene White filmed after the series received approval beyond the pilot episode.
Carmy's extensive seven-minute monologue was captured on the season’s final day of shooting. White prepared rigorously and felt his rehearsals surpassed his final performance. He commented, "Chris has envisioned this character for about ten years, and I understood how critical this moment was to grasp Carmy's character, comprehend the narrative, and make sense of everything unfolding. The pressure was intense." White stressed that delivering the monologue involved portraying Carmy’s process of realization—striking a balance between memorized lines and genuine emotion since Carmy is not naturally expressive or articulate.
Storer characterized this scene as one of revelation, showing that Carmy's relentless quest for culinary skill might have been misplaced and culminating in frustration directed at his older brother—a manifestation of feeling overlooked or unloved within his family.
Set decoration
This installment introduces Carmy’s initial elevation drawing of the Bear restaurant, which was designed specifically for Mikey.
Food
The episode title, "Braciole," refers to a traditional dish that Mikey frequently prepared using beef. This is featured in the flashback episode "Ceres," where Mikey and Carmy cook it together. According to Food & Wine, braciola is an "Italian-style roulade, a rolled and stuffed meat...also called involtini, or bruciuluni in Sicilian. The meat—usually beef, veal, or pork—is thinly pounded and filled with prosciutto, breadcrumbs, cheese, and herbs. It may be grilled, pan-fried, or braised in sauce." The show's culinary producer, Courtney Storer, developed a recipe requiring 3 pounds of flank steak "butterflied and pounded thin," preferably prepared by a butcher. This recipe features homemade breadcrumbs toasted in butter along with olive oil, herbs, cheese, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
Sydney’s cola ribs also utilize braising; in the pilot episode "System," Carmy explains that bone-in beef must be braised, adding an extra two hours of cooking time.
Mikey’s spaghetti sauce recipe was left on a small 3" x 5" index card that also served as his suicide note. One developer suggested it draws inspiration from renowned tomato sauces by Scarpetta and Marcella Hazan. The recipe calls for San Marzano tomatoes—a highly regarded "paste tomato" variety prized for its flavor and yield—commonly used in sauces and salsas. Although these tomatoes have protected designation of origin status in Italy, most available in the U.S. are sourced from New Jersey. Carmy initially hesitated to use San Marzanos for spaghetti sauce; however, the canned tomatoes could also enhance dishes like braised beef or short ribs.
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Critical reviews
"Braciole" received widespread praise from critics. Alan Sepinwall of Rolling Stone observed, "This satisfying conclusion—and setup for a second season—feels somewhat improvised. Why was Michael hiding money in tomato cans? Won't Carmy simply repay his uncle instead of investing all this cash into transforming Beef into Bear? Still, that family meal felt exactly what Carmy, Sydney, the chefs, and viewers needed."
Marah Eakin of Vulture awarded the episode a flawless 5 out of 5 stars, commending Jeremy Allen White’s powerful Al-Anon monologue as deserving of accolades. Liz Kocan from Decider emphasized the emotional final moment when Carmy announces The Beef’s closure and the opening of The Bear, describing it as a gratifying end to a thoughtfully developed season.
Accolades
TVLine honored Jeremy Allen White as "Performer of the Week" on July 2, 2022, recognizing his nuanced and captivating depiction of Carmy in the season finale. White earned the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for this role, while Jon Bernthal received a nomination for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.
Retrospective reviews
In 2024, Variety placed "Braciole" eighth among the best episodes of The Bear, highlighting White’s portrayal of his cooking show nightmare and monologue as crucial for season two and providing resolution for Carmy concerning Mikey. That year, The Hollywood Reporter ranked "Braciole" 10th out of 28 episodes, praising it as the most uplifting finale where Carmy begins to face his grief and future within the restaurant world, featuring a memorable team pasta scene symbolizing warmth and camaraderie. ScreenRant positioned it seventh among 28 episodes through season three, noting White’s seven-minute Al-Anon monologue as one of the series’ highlights.
A review by BuzzFeed in 2025 reflected on the emotional resonance of a simple spaghetti instruction index card during season one. Also in 2025, Vulture ranked "Braciole" 11th out of 38 episodes, describing it as nearly the series’ best and spectacular. Additionally that year, Esquire named "Braciole" the top episode from the first three seasons, calling it "a wealth of riches sealed deep in the sauce."
See also
- Food featured in The Bear (TV series)
- Cast of The Bear (TV series)
- Episode guide for The Bear
- Season one of The Bear
- Prior episode: "Review"
- Following episode: "Beef"