‘The Bear’ Returns to the Past in Its Surprise Episode, ‘Gary’ 

Unexpectedly, on May 5, The Bear released a surprise standalone episode titled “Gary.” The episode was directed by Christopher Storer, with the script written by stars Jon Bernthal (The Punisher)  and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Fantastic Four: First Steps), who reprise their roles as Mikey Berzatto and Richie Jerimovich. This episode served as a sweet surprise for fans, but not one without The Bear’s emotional complexity. 

“Gary” follows Richie and Mikey as they venture to Gary on a mission to deliver a taped-up box for Uncle Jimmy (Oliver Platt, Chicago Med). It acts as a flashback to a time when Mikey was still alive, and Richie still had the deep sense of “purpose,” as he calls it, surrounding him. He was still married to Tiff (Gillian Jacobs, Community), with his daughter Eva not even born yet. 

“Gary” sticks closely to the show’s familiar formula: a skillfully chosen soundtrack layered over scenic cinematography, long stretches of conversation masking deeper emotional wounds, and tension simmering beneath even the quietest moments. But this episode introduces stakes in a different way. Less kitchen chaos, more personal stakes. 

In the opening montage of Richie getting ready for the day with Mikey, the two seem genuinely happy — a bittersweet glimpse into their lives before the collapse viewers already know is coming. Before leaving, Richie stuffs a gun into the back of his jeans, an action that immediately feels like a classic Chekhov’s gun. Once it appears, the audience spends the rest of the episode waiting for the inevitable moment it comes back into play. 

That gun quietly elevates every scenario Mikey and Richie stumble into. Whether they are entering restaurants separately, yelling out the car window to people off camera, or Richie wandering toward what he vaguely describes as a bar while the audience still cannot fully see what he is walking into, every moment feels unstable. The episode constantly teeters between comedy and danger, which is exactly where The Bear tends to thrive. 

But in absolute The Bear fashion, time plays a vital role in the story. Mikey and Richie spend the episode waiting for the exact time to meet the man for their drop-off, Richie needs to be home by 5:15 (the oddly specific time Tiff is convinced she will go into labor), and without even realizing it, Richie is also running out of time with Mikey. His eventual death looms over the episode in a way only the audience fully understands. 

Eventually, the gun does go off — not literally, but metaphorically. What first appears to be a source of physical danger instead opens the door to something more emotional and telling, peeling back another layer of who Mikey really was before his death. Beneath all the yelling, joking, and recklessness, “Gary” reveals more about Mikey, demonstrating that he was a person who loved and was loved, and was already starting to unravel. 

The episode serves as a bittersweet return to Richie and Mikey’s relationship, giving fans more time with a dynamic that has haunted the show since its very first episode. It was not necessarily an episode the series needed, but it absolutely felt like one that fans wanted. 

The surprise release also arrived alongside the announcement that The Bear will return for its fifth and final season on Hulu on June 25. As sad as it is to see a show this strong come to an end, there is something refreshing about watching a series choose to finish while it is still creatively sharp instead of dragging itself beyond recognition. 

“Gary” works as both a reminder and a setup: a reminder of the grief that shaped Richie long before season one began, and a setup for what may finally come next for him. If this episode proves anything, it is that Richie’s search for “purpose” is far from over, and hopefully, the final season will continue on that path.

The Bear ‘Gary’ is now streaming on Hulu and Disney+