"Children" is the fifth episode of the third season of the American television comedy-dramaThe Bear. It is the 23rd overall episode of the series and was written and directed by series creator Christopher Storer. It was released on Hulu on June 26, 2024, 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, The Bear staff prepares to welcome a Tribune photographer as they await for the review, while Carmy and Richie receive devastating news.
Plot
Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) helps Marcus (Lionel Boyce) in selling his mother's house and packing her stuff. Later, Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) sends a news article to Carmy (Jeremy Allen White); Chef Terry has surprised by announcing the closure of Ever after 30 years. This makes Carmy question if The Bear can sustain for long.
To help the restaurant, Cicero (Oliver Platt) brings in a friend, Nicholas "The Computer" Marshall (Brian Koppelman), an accountant, to check on the costs and offer some possible cuts. The Computer suggests reducing the amount of meals while also adding one more day to the restaurant's schedule. He and Cicero also state that another possible way to cut costs is to fire Marcus, as the restaurant does not really need a pastry chef. Natalie (Abby Elliott) immediately shuts down the suggestion.
With just one hour before the Chicago Tribune reporter shows up to photograph the restaurant for the review, the team must quickly organize. Fak (Matty Matheson) and Theodore (Ricky Staffieri) are joined by their brother Sammy (John Cena) as they buff the floors. Sammy gets into an argument with Theodore for stealing his SD cards, and Richie tries to get the brothers under control. When the photographer arrives, the staff struggle to prepare a duck dish mentioned in the review, whose ingredients they do not have on hand due to the daily menu changes. Carmy goes to the basement, where he opens a box containing a notebook. It includes photos of Donna and Michael, Donna, and a baby Sugar, and a close up of young Carmy watching curiously.
Production
Development
In May 2024, Hulu confirmed that the fifth episode of the season would be titled "Children", and was to be written and directed by series creator Christopher Storer.[1] It was Storer's 12th writing credit and 16th directing credit.[2]
Casting
The episode features a guest appearance by John Cena, who plays Sammy Fak.[3] According to Matty Matheson, "He was a pro. Showed up, didn't even look at a script, just was fully prepared. Genuinely very inspiring, like, that's how I want to show up on another set."[4]
Costuming
During her conversation with Marcus on the steps of his mom's house, Sydney is wearing a Haiks denim jacket with a "contrast collar,"[5] paired with her white Carhartt overalls last seen in "Beef."[6]
"Dream Little One, Dream" is from the 1955 film Night of the Hunter.[8] The film was directed by Laughton and stars Robert Mitchum as a murderer masquerading as preacher, in an attempt to rob children of a hidden trove of cash.[9] Mitchum's character, ex-con Harry Powell, has LOVE and HATE tattooed above his knuckles,[9] not unlike Carmy's SOU tattoo, which is pronounced like the beginning of soup or sous-chef, but reportedly stands for "sense of urgency," which is a catchphrase used in Thomas Keller restaurant kitchens.[10][11] (The Bear creator Christopher Storer directed a documentary on Keller, called Sense of Urgency.)[12] Laughton's film "sides...totally with the little ones."[13] Film Pauline Kael argued that it is "one of the most frightening movies ever made."[13] The film opens with a monologue about charlatans:[8]
"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."[8]
Critical reviews
John Cena's appearance in the episode drew unfavorable reactions from critics.
Jenna Scherer of The A.V. Club gave the episode a "B–" grade and wrote, "I've gone on record as a hardcore stan of the Fak bros. This season in particular, Neil and Ted have been adding much-needed belly laughs to even the most serious, somber episodes. But in this installment—and I really hate to say it—I officially hit the upper limit of my Fak tolerance."[14]
Marah Eakin of Vulture gave the episode a 2 star out of 5 rating and wrote, "When you see Carmy digging through a box of photos in the basement labeled “DD,” you just know something's coming soon in the pipeline."[15] A.J. Daulerio of Decider wrote, "This show is fully capable and, at times, excellent at showing the dark tunnels grief can create. And it's not just grief for the dead – it's the grief for the living that can feel the most impossible, the most volatile."[16] Brady Langmann of Esquire wrote, "I'm not ready for Sydney to split from Carmy. Really, all I want is to see season 1 of Matter of Fak drop before the next episodes of The Bear."[17]
Critics reacted negatively to John Cena's guest appearance. The Washington Post considered his appearance "distracting",[18] while Ben Travers of IndieWire wrote, "Cena is just... too polished for this clan of charmingly schlubby Chicagoans."[19]Vulture wrote, "there was never a moment when he was onscreen in this episode that I believed that was Sammy Fak."[15]The A.V. Club wrote, "he's got great chemistry with his costars. But the vibe is all wrong, and not just because he doesn't look like a Fak boy. It seems like Storer was so eager to write for Cena that he accidentally let Sammy completely dominate the episode."[14]Alan Sepinwall wrote, "When past episodes brought in notable guest stars like Bob Odenkirk or John Mulaney, they instantly felt like people in this world; Cena's the first one to play as stunt casting."[20]
Retrospective reviews
In 2024, The Hollywood Reporter placed "Children" at 11 on a ranked list of 28 episodes produced to that point, in part due to its successful introduction of Koppelman as the Computer.[21]
In 2025, Vulture ranked "Children" as 36th-best out of 38 episodes of The Bear, commenting, "The Bear has almost always been able to make great use of its guest stars, from recurring figures like Jon Bernthal and Jamie Lee Curtis to occasional surprise players like Bob Odenkirk and Brie Larson. The lone exception is what it did with John Cena in season three's 'Children.'"[22]
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