Napkins (The Bear)

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.

She goes to the adjacent room to eat; as Richie and Fak (Matty Matheson) play on an arcade, Tina starts crying after tasting the sandwich.

In May 2024, Hulu confirmed that the sixth episode of the season would be titled "Napkins", and was to be written by Catherine Schetina and directed by main cast member Ayo Edebiri.

"[6] The episode featured many songs, including "Get Down on It" by Kool & the Gang, "The Start of Things" by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, "The Morning Fog" by Kate Bush, "Let It Whip" by Dazz Band, "Sabotage" by Beastie Boys, and "Got This Happy Feeling" by Ghetto Brothers.

Club gave the episode an "A–" grade and wrote, "Not only is “Napkins” a much-deserved showcase for the fantastic Liza Colón-Zayas, it also marks the directorial debut of Ayo Edebiri, who began her screen career as a writer before stepping in front of the camera.

Unsurprisingly, she's just as adept in the director’s chair as she is everywhere else: As “Napkins” traces our heroine’s progress through a bleak Chicago winter, Edebiri paints a precisely observed portrait of a middle-aged woman of color fighting tooth and nail to be seen in a world that would just as soon look straight through her.

"[10] Alan Sepinwall of Rolling Stone wrote, "This year’s sixth episode, “Napkins,” not only gives Colón-Zayas her first solo spotlight, but finally fills in this emotional blank.

Or, rather, we knew little else because “Napkins” opens the door wide into Tina’s life, apartment, marriage, and past, giving us a glimpse at how she landed at the Bear.

By the end of the episode, a completely deflated Tina sobs into an Italian beef sub while Richie and Michae argue over a video game in the background, signaling a transition in her life out of the blues of unemployment and into the frenetic energy of the restaurant industry.

Daulerio of Decider wrote, "She was sent to culinary school and elevated from a person who stirs giant pots of beef slop, staying quiet even in the most high-pressured fuck-you-fuck-off meltdowns between the usual front of the kitchen staff, to Sydney's sous chef.

"[13] Josh Rosenberg of Esquire wrote, "Last episode, we talked about all the money the restaurant wasted in its first month of service — and goofed off with a new Fak brother!