In a show that joyously traffics in food porn, the Very Special Christmas episode of The Bear oddly features none. Throughout the season 2 flashback episode “Fishes,” the food imagery that exists is often utilitarian, swift, and violent. Meatballs angrily plop into a vat of roiling gravy, lobsters are audibly cracked in half, and a greasy artichoke unceremoniously falls to the floor.

In an episode that underscores the indelible connections between emotion, tradition, trauma, and food, the choice to not linger on the dishes feels very intentional. As in much of The Bear, the focus on food is an emotional conduit, providing a platform for deeper conversation.