Ice Chips

This show isn't about the kitchen, it's about the people who run it. Someday you are going to be a dad or a mom and you are going to feel what she was feeling if you are from a dysfunctional family and how much you want your child to not grow in such an environment. You will freak out because you will feel you will be never enough for your daughter or your son because your mother wasn't there for you in your tough times and how much it will hurt. There is a line and it isn't a spoiler "he did not wanted to come out". I was bawling my eyes out and when that line was spoken. Obviously there will be people who are complaining or say it's boring, for me this episode was everything I want the bear show to be, it's a study about humans not the kitchen!

How many times have we seen childbirth depicted in movies and TV series? A hundred? More? Less? There was always something that wasn't quite right about how childbirth was shown on screen. This episode FINALLY got it right. Jamie Lee Curtis and Abby Elliott hit all the right notes. Going through labor is an experience that most women can tell you every detail about what transpired to them. It is the most personal of times and yet, there is universal emotion that is shared by almost all. Thanks to "The Bear" for showing a slice of our lives that is full of joy and the best of memories (and well as a whole bunch of physical pain that we mostly forget about).

Jamie Lee Curtis delivers an absolute master class in acting in this episode. She's always been amazing, but this was beautifully perfect. Much like the Seven Fishes episode. She's just an amazing actress killing it these past few years on top of her already epic career.

The emotion, subtly, and love for one another that exudes from these characters and underlies everything they're doing is incredible and I'm happy to be on the journey with them all.

This show gets better and better and better, just when I think it might stagnate, it keeps building up and becomes closer and closer to my heart. Brilliant.

I've seen every last role that Jamie Lee Curtis has performed, and purposely meaning a few years ago, I went on IMDb and found anything I hadn't yet seen or hadn't seen in a long time, just to be able to say I've seen everything she's done. Of course when actors and actresses start out, they haven't yet developed a lot of range. Through everything she's performed that wasn't basically a cameo, you can almost see her growth in real time, and in this episode it is CLEAR, at least to me, that this is her greatest performance. She doesn't take you on a roller coaster ride of emotion, she IS the roller coaster. I really enjoyed her performance in the "7 fishes" episode and she was barely in the season 2 finale (can't think of the episode name). After witnessing this performance in "Ice Chips", I finished it thinking 'there's literally no one else that could have played that role THAT good, not Meryl Streep, not Sally Field, not Sissy Spacek, NO ONE". Like I said, I've seen everything she's been in, and I'd put this up against any other role.

Half the complaints on here are moaning about this not adding to the story or narrative. If this is your issue I don't even know how you've made it this far in the show?!

Yes, this is a standalone episode that doesn't particularly move the cogs along for the main plot, but overall "The Bear" is a character driven show. Last years "Fishes" episode showed us the family dynamic, so we already knew the relationship between Nat and Donna here, but that allows us to care about their rare shared loving moments in this episode.

Forget about overarching plot elements and enjoy the drama! I may be coming across as pretentious here but this show is all about family dynamics, mental health, self worth and what success is to each person. Whereas I do want the series to be wrapped nicely in season 4, for now- just enjoy each episode for what they are. And in my opinion- Great.