“The Bear” is really a comedy series. Can we stop debating?

Many people will tell you that The bear is one of the most stressful shows they have ever seen. Chefs have said that watching the show can be triggering due to the painfully realistic portrayal of their industry. Some of the show’s main storylines revolve around tragedy. All of that is true. But yes, The bear is really a comedy.

One of the most popular episodes of The bear is “Review,” episode 7 of season 1. The episode thrives on suspense. As the ticket machine rattles incessantly, the cast is thrown into a wild and unthinkable situation: they must place an impossible number of takeout orders in a ridiculously short amount of time. When Sydney’s knife stabs Richie or Carmy yells yet another curse word, the situation feels like a comedy of errors – one with a fast pace, high energy, and tight comedic timing.

An episode like “Fishes” in Season 2 or “Doors” in Season 3 tells a similar story – one of over-the-top arguments, over-the-top stakes and tense energy meant to serve as a parody of the restaurant industry, family struggles and life. In “Fishes,” it might be the shock of Carmy’s mother driving through the house or the moment when Mikey finally throws down the last fork. In “Doors,” it might be the montage of broken plates, dropped dishes and frustrated tantrums.

Some of the best episodes of The bear will grip you and leave you holding your breath. But the tension is adrenaline-pumping, not heavy and depressing. These episodes are also often insightful and work as satire. (In Season 3, Episode 1, “Tomorrow,” everyone had something to say about Carmy’s non-negotiables. The whole moment feels like a commentary on the stereotypical boss who is impossible to please.)

Effects

But The bear is not only full of friction and sarcasm. In fact, it also becomes a comedy through its discussions of trauma. One of my personal favorite moments in The bear is a dialogue in “Dogs” (season 1, episode 4) in which a man asks Carmy, “Carmen, is that you? I thought you killed yourself.” Carmy then calmly replies, “No, sir, that was my brother.” It’s these kinds of awkward, clumsy, uncomfortable interactions that are a big part of the grieving process in real life.

In Season 2, Episode 9, “Omelette,” Sydney explains that she doesn’t know her late mother very well “because of the whole death thing.” In Season 3, Episode 5, “Kids,” she welcomes Marcus to the Dead Moms Club, mentioning membership fees and monthly meetings in basements. It’s a refreshing, comedic portrayal of the real ways people talk about grief.

The bear consistently finds humor in horrific events. It deals with serious topics, but in surprising and unbiased ways. More comedies should embrace the fact that humor can be found even in times of real conflict. Trauma portrayals that allow the chaos and humor to shine through are essential because they more accurately reflect the real experience of grief. The absurdity of trauma, its irregularity and shock, are sometimes best described through a laugh or a joke.

Last awards season, The bear has won award after award: the Emmy for Best Comedy, the Golden Globe for Best Comedy, the SAG for Best Comedy, you get what I mean. Ayo Edebiri and Jeremy Allen White have also received several major awards for their acting performances in the comedy. But during that time – in addition to the praise for its strong script, intimate exploration of found family and sharp portrayal of workplace toxicity –The bear was also criticized for being placed in the comedy category. Some felt that the show was too dark to be truly a comedy. Others felt that the sitcom elements of the show justified its placement in the category, or suggested that as long as the producers say The bear is a comedy, then The bear is a comedy.

The debate over what constitutes a drama or a comedy is long overdue. Before 2022, the TV Academy followed a simple formula for awards. A half-hour show is a comedy, and an hour-long show is a drama. For obvious reasons, that was unpopular. Running time tells us very little about a show’s content, and shows constantly deviated from that format – like Orange is the new black, The wonderful Mrs. Maiselor The White LotusBut beyond that, great art often blurs the lines between genres, like what is comedy and what isn’t.

In truth, part of the reason The bear shines is that it finds humor in the absurdity of humanity and challenges limiting ideas about what can and cannot be funny.