It’s been over a decade since three bears walked into a San Francisco food truck scene and changed Cartoon Network forever. Honestly, looking back at We Bare Bears Season 1, it’s wild how much Daniel Chong got right on the first try. You have Grizz, Panda, and Ice Bear—a grizzly, a giant panda, and a polar bear—literally stacked on top of each other, trying to navigate a world that doesn’t really want them there but desperately wants their Instagram engagement.
The show premiered in July 2015. At the time, we were all obsessed with vine culture and the early era of "influencer" cringe. Watching it now, the first season feels like a time capsule of 2010s tech anxiety mixed with genuine loneliness. It isn’t just a kids' show. It’s a series about the immigrant experience, the struggle to be "viral," and the basic human need to belong, even if you happen to be a 500-pound apex predator.
The Stack That Started It All
The Bear Stack is more than a gimmick. It’s a metaphor. In We Bare Bears Season 1, the stack represents their unity against a society that views them as outsiders. They move through the Bay Area as a single unit because, individually, they’re vulnerable.
Grizz is the engine. He’s the oldest brother, voiced by Eric Edelstein, and he is relentlessly, almost pathologically, optimistic. He wants friends so badly it hurts to watch sometimes. Then you have Panda, voiced by Bobby Moynihan. Panda is every one of us who has ever refreshed a dating app profile twenty times in an hour. He’s the soul of the group, albeit a very neurotic one. And then there’s Ice Bear. Demetri Martin’s deadpan delivery turned Ice Bear into an instant icon. He’s the muscle, the chef, the polyglot, and the one who sleeps in the fridge with an axe.
The chemistry was there from the pilot, "Our Stuff." That episode basically sets the tone for the entire series. They lose their bag at a basketball court and go on a noir-style investigation that ends in a high-speed chase. It’s absurd. It’s fast. It’s deeply relatable because we’ve all felt that blind panic when our phone goes missing.
Why the Bay Area Setting Matters
Setting the show in San Francisco wasn’t a random choice. The Bay Area in the mid-2010s was the epicenter of the tech boom, gentrification, and food-truck culture. We Bare Bears Season 1 leans hard into this. The bears live in a cave in the woods, but they spend all their time in the city trying to get artisanal lattes or go viral on "Everyone's Tube."
This creates a constant friction. They are literal animals in a hyper-civilized, tech-obsessed urban environment. In the episode "Food Truck," they realize they can't afford the trendy food everyone else is eating, so they open their own truck. It fails. Why? Because they don't understand the "scene." They just want to eat.
Memorable Episodes and That Catchy Theme Song
You can't talk about the first season without mentioning the music. British singer Estelle (of "American Boy" fame) performed the theme song, "We'll Be There." It’s soulful, upbeat, and perfectly captures the "us against the world" vibe.
There are 26 episodes in the first half of the season (or 52 if you count the full run as some streaming services do), but a few stand out as essential viewing for anyone trying to understand the show’s DNA:
- "Chloe": This is where we meet Chloe Park, the child prodigy who becomes the bears' closest human friend. Her relationship with the bears is one of the show's most grounded elements. She’s a Korean-American girl who is academically brilliant but socially isolated. The bears are her bridge to being a kid.
- "Burrito": If you want to cry over a piece of foil-wrapped food, this is the one. Grizz becomes obsessed with a giant burrito. It’s played for laughs until the flashback reveals why he’s so attached to the shape and warmth of that burrito. It’s our first hint at the tragic backstories of the bears.
- "Jean Jacket": A simple premise—the bears find a denim jacket that brings them good luck. It turns into a Shakespearean tragedy about power and greed.
- "The Road": This is the first "Baby Bears" episode. It takes us back to when they were cubs in a box, trying to find a home. These episodes are the emotional anchors of the season. They explain why the stack exists. They were born into a world that didn't have a place for them.
Dealing with the "Viral" Obsession
Nom Nom is arguably the best antagonist in modern animation. A koala who is a massive internet celebrity but a total jerk in real life? It was a scathing critique of influencer culture before that was even a mainstream talking point. In We Bare Bears Season 1, Nom Nom represents everything the bears think they want—fame, money, respect—but he’s miserable.
When Grizz tries to befriend him in "Viral Video," it’s painful. Grizz thinks they share a bond because they’re all "famous" animals. Nom Nom sees them as losers. The contrast between the bears' genuine, messy brotherhood and Nom Nom’s sterile, calculated brand is the heartbeat of the season’s conflict.
The Animation Style of Season 1
The look of the show is soft. It uses a watercolor-inspired aesthetic that feels cozy. This was intentional. Daniel Chong, who worked at Pixar and Illumination before creating the bears, wanted a "hand-drawn" feel that stood out against the increasingly CGI-heavy landscape of the time.
The character designs are simple circles and ovals. It makes them huggable. But the expressions? They’re incredibly nuanced. Panda’s "disappointed" face or Ice Bear’s subtle eyebrow twitch do more work than a thousand lines of dialogue.
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The background art also deserves a shoutout. The way they render the California light, the cluttered interior of the bears' cave, and the sterile glass offices of tech companies creates a world that feels lived-in. It’s not just a backdrop; it’s a character.
Social Commentary Wrapped in a Bear Hug
It’s easy to dismiss a cartoon about bears, but We Bare Bears Season 1 was doing some heavy lifting regarding social issues. Many fans and critics have pointed out that the bears serve as an allegory for the minority or immigrant experience in America.
They are constantly trying to learn "human" customs. They get kicked out of stores for just existing. They try to "pass" as humans but are always reminded that they are different. In "The Bear Stack," they literally have to pile on top of each other just to navigate a crowded sidewalk. It’s a physical representation of how outsiders often have to lean on their own community to survive in a world not built for them.
Even the way they communicate is telling. Grizz overcompensates with friendliness. Panda tries to fit in via technology and trends. Ice Bear remains stoic and observant. These are all survival mechanisms.
The Loneliness of the Digital Age
Panda is the poster child for 21st-century loneliness. In "Panda's Date," we see his desperation for connection through a screen. His struggle with his "Miki-Chan" pillow or his obsession with his phone isn't just a joke about millennials; it’s a genuine look at how technology can make us feel more isolated.
Season 1 captures that specific 2015 feeling where we were all still figuring out how to be "real" people online. The bears are constantly trying to prove they belong in the city, but they always end up back in their cave. And honestly? The cave is where they’re happiest.
Why You Should Rewatch It Now
If you haven't seen the first season in a while, or if you only caught a few episodes on TV, it’s worth a binge. The pacing is incredible. Most episodes are only 11 minutes long, but they manage to pack in a full emotional arc and a lot of visual comedy.
The show doesn’t talk down to its audience. It assumes you understand the internet, you understand social anxiety, and you understand that sometimes, a group of friends is the only family you need.
We Bare Bears Season 1 laid the groundwork for everything that followed: the movie, the We Baby Bears spinoff, and the massive global fandom. It’s a show with a huge heart and a very sharp wit.
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Actionable Insights for Fans and New Viewers
- Watch for the Background Details: The show is packed with Easter eggs, especially in the "Everyone's Tube" comments or the posters in Chloe's room.
- Pay Attention to Ice Bear's Skills: In Season 1, his abilities are slowly revealed—cooking, martial arts, robotics—and it becomes a fun running gag to see what else he can do.
- Follow the Timeline: While most episodes are episodic, the "Baby Bear" episodes actually follow a loose chronological order of their journey to the Bay Area.
- Check Out the Webisodes: There are several "minisodes" produced during Season 1 that focus on small moments like Ice Bear cleaning the kitchen or Panda trying to take a selfie. They're gold.
To get the most out of the experience, start with the episode "Our Stuff" to understand the core dynamic, then jump to "Burrito" for the emotional depth, and "Viral Video" for the comedy. By the time you hit the season finale, you'll realize these aren't just bears—they're us.
Next Steps for Your We Bare Bears Journey
If you've finished the first season, your next move is to track the evolution of the Baby Bears backstory. Look for the Season 2 episode "The Island" to see how their journey continued. You should also check out the official We Bare Bears comic books from KaBOOM! Studios, which expand on the stories from the first season with the same humor and heart. Finally, if you're into the music, the full soundtrack including Estelle's theme and the various "bear-step" tracks is available on most streaming platforms—it's the perfect lo-fi beats vibe for studying or relaxing.