Hands (The Bear)

Hands
Company type	Television episode
Industry	Entertainment
Founded	June 23, 2022; 4 years ago
Founder	Christopher Storer
Products	Episode of The Bear

Hands represents the second installment of the initial season of the American comedy-drama series The Bear. Crafted by series creator Christopher Storer, it debuted on Hulu on June 23, 2022.

The narrative follows Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto, an acclaimed New York City chef who returns to Chicago to take over his deceased brother Michael's struggling Italian beef sandwich shop. In this chapter, Carmy discovers Michael’s outstanding debt owed to a family acquaintance while the establishment contends with complications arising from a health inspection.

The episode was commended by critics for its acting, mood, and depth of character development.

Plot

A year prior, Carmy is employed at an upscale New York City restaurant under a tyrannical boss (Joel McHale) who consistently belittles him and questions his competence.

In the current timeline, Carmy addresses the kitchen's unsanitary state, demanding that employees clean thoroughly. After experiencing sleepwalking and unintentionally igniting a fire at home, he is confronted with an unexpected health inspection conducted by Nancy, whose late brother had formerly given the shop passing marks. Nancy uncovers numerous violations—including a pack of cigarettes left inside the stove—and assigns a "C" grade, prohibiting reinspection for 30 days. Carmy rallies his team to rectify the problems, dispatching Richie to repair a hole in the kitchen.

Jimmy "Uncle Cicero," a family friend, reveals that Michael owed him $300,000 and proposes purchasing the restaurant back; Carmy refuses, determined to settle the debt himself. Following Sugar’s suggestion, Carmy contemplates attending Al-Anon meetings. Richie and Sydney clash while fixing the kitchen but eventually connect after Richie opens up about Michael’s history and recent suicide. Carmy elevates Sydney from intern to chef. During a cigarette break, Carmy realizes he left cigarettes inside the stove.

Development

In May 2022, Hulu announced the second episode titled "Hands," penned by series creator Christopher Storer, marking his second time both writing and directing an episode.

Writing

This episode delves deeper into Carmy's history, spotlighting his accolade as Food & Wine's Best New Chef at age 21. Sydney advocates for Carmy's fine dining background at Noma, underscoring the exacting standards demanded in that environment.

Casting

Chris Witaske made his first appearance as Pete in "Hands." A 2025 BuzzFeed article praised Pete's introduction, especially highlighting the dialogue shared between Sugar (Abby Elliott) and Pete.

Joel McHale portrayed a hostile chef from Carmy's past. In 2024, GQ described this character as embodying entrenched industry problems such as abuse, power imbalances, and the toxic heritage of the French brigade system.

Costuming

Courtney Wheeler was responsible for costume design from episodes two through eight of season one, taking over from Cristina Spiridakis who designed for the pilot. Sydney’s distinctive style features a smiley-face and Mount Fuji bandana by Japanese brand Kapital and a silk V141 Color Block scarf in green, red, black, and white crafted by Italian label Viso.

Filming

Scenes involving White’s Carmy and McHale’s Fields were shot during one morning session. Chicago’s three-Michelin-starred Grace restaurant served as the stand-in for Fields’ New York venue, initially suggested to be Eleven Madison Park (EMP) but later retconned to be the fictional Empire in season three. Cinematographer Andrew Wehde replaced pilot director of photography Adam Newport-Berra starting with "Hands."

Music

Tracks featured in this episode include Counting Crows’ "Have You Seen Me Lately?" and Van Morrison’s "Saint Dominic's Preview." Executive producer Josh Senior explained that these selections were chosen to highlight contrasting traits of Richie and Carmy, using music to express vulnerability and differing viewpoints.

Release

The entire season including this episode was released on June 23, 2022.

Critical reviews

"Hands" garnered largely favorable critiques. Marah Eakin of Vulture awarded it four out of five stars, observing that although less frenetic than the pilot, it effectively establishes the difficult path ahead for the restaurant. Mia Sidoti of MovieWeb ranked it seventh among season episodes, emphasizing its insightful backstory on Carmy’s fine dining experience and respectful leadership approach as well as revealing his sleepwalking and cooking habits which add narrative tension.

Retrospective reviews

By 2024, Josh Wigler from The Hollywood Reporter placed "Hands" 23rd out of 28 episodes, praising Joel McHale’s portrayal as a haunting fine-dining chef figure whose importance grows in later seasons. ScreenRant ranked it 25th due to its exposition-heavy nature following the pilot. In 2025, Vulture ranked it 26th out of 38 episodes, describing it as "good not great," yet vital for establishing essential series background.

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