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The Bear has surprised fans by releasing a new one-off episode ahead of the hit show’s forthcoming fifth and final season.
The new episode, which is streaming now on Hulu, is titled “Gary” and is a flashback story that follows Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and Mikey (Jon Bernthal) as they embark on a work trip to Gary, Indiana.
The official logline states that “the two friends’ complicated relationship, uncovering new layers of Mikey’s mental state while offering crucial insight into the man Richie is when audiences first meet him in Season 1 — adding emotional context that reframes their story from the very beginning.”
The episode was written by Moss-Bachrach and Bernthal themselves, who are currently starring together in Dog Day Afternoon on Broadway.
Moss-Bachrach announced the episode on Instagram, writing: “COUSINS! PRIMOS! CUGINI!!! Get ready for GARY!!!! We are so excited to finally share this little adventure with Richie and Mikey. Written by me and [Jon Bernthal] . Directed by the one Christopher Storer. Making this was a dream come true. Thanks to the beautiful people of Gary, Indiana and as always Chicago, Illinois. Search “Gary” in HULU to watch.”
It was reported earlier this year that the fifth season of The Bear is likely to be its last.
Recurring guest star Jamie Lee Curtis alluded to the potential ending in an Instagram post showing herself and co-star Abby Elliott from the set of season five, writing in the caption: “FINISHED STRONG!”
She continued: “Surrounded by an extraordinary crew and group of writers and producers and scene partners on the show that Chris Storer created, completing the story of this extraordinary family that we have all fallen in love with.”
In an interview with Access Hollywood, Curtis was quizzed on whether she had accidentally announced something that wasn’t public knowledge.
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“Everybody’s confirmed the show is ending,” Curtis said. “I don’t understand why that’s such a [big deal]. Unless I’m gonna get a call from all the people saying, ‘You just told [everyone],’ I think everybody understood that it was the last season of the show. If it isn’t, then I’ve completely blown it.”
The series, which follows White’s fine-dining chef who returns to Chicago to run his family’s struggling sandwich shop, premiered to huge acclaim in 2022, receiving Emmys in the Outstanding Comedy Series category in 2023 with White, Ayo Edebiri, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Storer all winning individual awards.
Liza Colón-Zayas won for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2024 and Curtis, who has appeared occasionally as Carmy and Natalie’s mother Donna Berzatto since season two, won Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.
Initially beloved as a dark comedy set in the frenetic and deeply stressful world of chefs, the most recent seasons of The Bear have received more lukewarm reviews.
In his three-star analysis of season four, The Independent’s Nick Hilton said that the series felt “trapped in a loop of its own creation.”
