Critical reviews
"Forks" received widespread acclaim from critics. Daniel D'Addario of Variety wrote, "Moments like this, in which two people in the culinary trenches achieve a certain sublimity while their hands are working, are ones of real connection that rely on character, situation and a lightness of touch that The Bear, contra its most attention-getting moments, wears well. More of this, please, chef." [9]
Alan Sepinwall of Rolling Stone named the episode as his favorite of the season and wrote, "It's fascinating to see Richie fall in love with the place so quickly, yet still feel like Carmy sent him there to get rid of him for a while. But it speaks to Richie's pathologically low self-esteem. And in an incredibly charming and relaxed scene to close the episode, the celebrated Chef Terry tells Richie, unprompted, that Carmy believes in him. "He said you're good with people," she adds. "He's not wrong." Between those words of encouragement and her "Every Second Counts" motto, Richie returns to The Bear a changed man. He wears suits now. He knows how to manage. He has become a fiend for detail himself, rejecting a potential hostess because she didn't recognize his Princess and the Pea -style gambit with a misaligned place setting." [10]
Marah Eakin of Vulture gave the episode a perfect 5 star out of 5 rating and wrote, "It's a lesson you've got to hope Richie takes to heart, and this episode suggests he will. Sure, he's 45, but he's not dead, and he knows now what he loves and sees the purpose he was flailing after back in episode one. Let's see if he can make something out of the years — and episodes — left to come." [11] A.J. Daulerio of Decider wrote, "What Richie initially thought was Carmy's attempt to get rid of him, as it turns out, was actually a gesture of good faith. Richie has a purpose, and he's needed if The Bear is to succeed." [12]
Alec Smith of Collider wrote, "With the suit on, he feels a sense of professionalism, and the armor, as he calls it, amplifies and demands his sense of respect — respect not only for others but himself as well, something Richie has always struggled with. From this point on in Season 2, Richie continues to show up in a suit, proving just how impactful his time staging was." [13] Steve Greene of IndieWire wrote, "It's the capper on an episode that does everything The Bear does best. It grabs a little musical help. It captures the cacophony of a kitchen humming along as intended. And it situates all that orchestrated chaos within a city and the lives of the people who call it home. "Mangia!" indeed." [14]
Max Covill of Paste wrote, "There's intrigue in these chefs explaining how they came to this business, and why it's so rewarding for them. That's when The Bear itself is at its most rewarding. Richie's personal growth in "Forks" helps to create what is arguably the season's finest episode, and I can't wait to see how Richie continues to let it rip." [15] Liz Shannon Miller of Consequence wrote, "The brilliance of "Forks" isn't limited to its existence as a stand-alone installment — the very best TV shows know how to balance standalone stories with the overall flow of a season, and in the case of The Bear Season 2, this episode follows "Fishes," a 66-minute descent into the depths of family holiday hell. Surviving "Fishes" creates a deep need for some sort of solace; while at first "Forks" does not seem like it'd be the solution, the catharsis it delivers is profound, all bound up in the most unexpected needle drop of the season, as Richie's path to enlightenment becomes synonymous with (of all things) "Love Story (Taylor's Version)."" [16]
The episode was included in many publications as among the best TV episodes of 2023, including Rolling Stone , Polygon , Entertainment Weekly , TV Guide , and The A.V. Club . [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] In 2024, Rolling Stone listed it as the 38th best TV episode of all time. [22]
