"Dogs" is the fourth episode of the first season of the American comedy-drama television series The Bear. It is the fourth overall episode of the series and was written by Sonya Levitsky-Weitz and directed by Christopher Storer. It was released on Hulu on June 23, 2022, along with the rest of the season.
| "Dogs" | |
|---|---|
| The Bear episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 4 |
| Directed by | Christopher Storer |
| Written by | Sonya Levitsky-Weitz |
| Featured music | "Check It Out" by John Mellencamp |
| Cinematography by | Andrew Wehde |
| Editing by | Joanna Naugle |
| Production code | XCBV1004 |
| Original air date | June 23, 2022 |
| Running time | 31 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
The episode received positive reviews, with several reviewers praising the episode's humour.
Plot
editCarmy and Richie cater a children's birthday party for Cicero. Carmy creates homemade Ecto-Cooler, which is accidentally spiked with Richie's Xanax, causing the children to fall asleep in the yard. When Carmy tells Cicero about the Xanax, Cicero responds that he actually doesn't mind the quiet. Meanwhile, Sydney butts heads but eventually bonds with the restaurant staff and begins to earn their respect. Marcus becomes passionate about his new chocolate cake program.
Production
editWriting
edit"Dogs" was written by Sofya Levitsky-Weitz.[1]
Casting
editMick Napier, Sue Salvi, and Paul Grondy are actors from the Chicago improv scene who appear in the episode.[2]
Music
editThe songs featured in the episode are "One Fine Day" from the 2008 Everything That Happens Will Happen Today album by David Byrne and Brian Eno during the donut montage, the Today! version of "Help Me, Rhonda" by the Beach Boys, the 2016 "Loved by You" single by Kirby Lauryen, and "Check It Out" by John Mellencamp.[3]
Regarding the use of Mellencamp, Chris Storer told Steven Hyden of Uproxx in 2022, "This is hyper-specific, but growing up in Chicago in the mornings before school, I remember you would hear the local Fox station with the traffic report, and for whatever reason the bridge of 'Check It Out' was always played over the traffic report. And I was like, 'Why is this John Cougar Mellencamp song on this?' There was really something about this team coming together as a family for the first time, and all feeling exhausted for different reasons, but also feeling like they got to know each other a little bit better in this very strange turn of events. And something about it just felt right when we put it on—they're eating ice cream and cake and listening to John Mellencamp."[4]
Reception
editCritical reviews
editThe Vulture critic appreciated this lighter episode full of "heart and grit," but thought it went heavy on the "Chicago" references, for instance pushing the regionalism excessively with a cloying reference to the death of Chicago native actor-director Harold Ramis.[5] The New York Times, on the other hand, thought the Ramis nod was a nice "deep cut" nod to the city's vibe.[6] Collider described "Dogs" as a "comedic break" based on a fish out of water premise as Carmy and Richie do a catering job serving juvenile customers in a suburban milieu.[7] Screen Rant deemed it "one of the show's funniest episodes" and "one of the funniest episodes of any show ever made."[8]
Accolades
edit| Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series | Oliver Platt | Nominated | [9] |
Retrospective reviews
editIn 2024, The Hollywood Reporter ranked "Dogs" as the third-best episode of the first three seasons produced.[10] The same year Variety deemed it the fourth-best episode of the series to date.[11] Screen Rant named "Dogs" the funniest episode of the series in 2023,[12] and 11th out of the 28 episodes produced through the end of season three, calling it one of "the most compelling and hilarious episodes" of The Bear.[13]
In 2025, Vulture ranked "Dogs" as 17th-best out of 38 episodes of The Bear, describing it as "an almost too cute episode."[14] Collider placed "Dogs" at number 8 on its 2025 list of top 10 episodes of The Bear, deeming it "still one of the show's funniest episodes to date."[15] Esquire magazine listed "Dogs" at number 9 on its 2025 list of top 10 best episodes from the first three seasons of The Bear, writing that the episode is "spiritually the closest The Bear ever comes to feeling like a traditional sitcom. But its darkly comedic A-story...with a heavier B-story rooted in growth and respect makes for a contrast few shows can pull off."[16]
References
edit- ↑ "The Bear - WGA Directory". Writers Guild of America West. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
- ↑ "The Bear: A Well-Done Restaurant Drama". Solzy at the Movies. August 1, 2022. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
- ↑ "Experience the sounds of The Bear – Music – Season 1". The Bear. FX Networks. 2022. Retrieved January 3, 2026.
- ↑ Hyden, Steven (July 11, 2022). "Inside The Delightful Dad Rock Soundtrack of The Bear". UPROXX. Retrieved May 3, 2026.
- ↑ Eakin, Marah (June 3, 2024). "The Bear Recap Rewind: Who Puts Ketchup on a Hot Dog?". Vulture. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
- ↑ Cannariato, Nicholas (July 26, 2023). "What The Bear Gets Right About Chicago". The New York Times Magazine. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
- ↑ Butt, Thomas (June 3, 2024). "The Bear May Not Be a Comedy, But This Season 1 Episode Is Hilarious". Collider. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
- ↑ Sherlock, Ben (January 8, 2025). "The Bear's Biggest Criticism Doesn't Make Sense (and This Episode Proves It)". Screen Rant. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
- ↑ "75th Emmy Awards Complete Nominations List" (PDF). Deadline.com. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
- ↑ Wigler, Josh (July 8, 2024). "Every Episode of The Bear, Ranked". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
- ↑ Shanfeld, Ethan; Hailu, Selome (July 2, 2024). "The Top 10 The Bear Episodes, Ranked". Variety. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
- ↑ Nguyen, Jessie (June 29, 2023). ""Two bites brings sadness." 10 Funniest 'The Bear' Episodes, Ranked". Collider. Retrieved January 6, 2026.
- ↑ MacArthur, Greg; Lealos, Shawn S. (June 30, 2024). "The Bear: All 28 Episodes, Ranked from Worst to Best". Screen Rant. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
- ↑ Eakin, Marah (June 27, 2025). "Every Single Episode of The Bear, Ranked". Vulture. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
- ↑ Richardson, Jennie (June 30, 2025). "These 10 The Bear Episodes Are Bangers From Start to Finish". Collider. Retrieved October 10, 2025.
- ↑ Francisco, Eric (June 4, 2025). "The 10 Best Episodes of The Bear, Ranked". Esquire. Retrieved November 6, 2025.