Every streaming service has a few hit shows, and The Bear is definitely on that list for those with a Hulu subscription. The Emmy-winning drama is one of the best shows to watch on Hulu, and folks are emotionally preparing for its upcoming fifth and final season. Fans were shocked when a surprise episode was released, called Gary, and I think it's essential viewing ahead of Season 5's debut this summer.
Gary is a prequel to The Bear, set years before Season 1's action. Written by Jon Bernthal and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, the hour-long episode is a deep dive into the relationship between Richie and Mikey ahead of the latter's death. And anyone who watches the series should take the time to stream this emotional bonus episode.
Gary Offers Major Emotional Ties To The Bear
Gary takes place years before The Bear, where Bernthal's Mikey is still very much alive. The two "cousins" are tasked with driving to Gary, Indiana, and delivering a package for Uncle Jimmy. The road trip's stakes are higher due to Richie's wife, Tiff's pregnancy, and her superstition that she'll give birth at 5:15 PM just like her mother did with her.
Throughout the episode, we get a snapshot of just how close these Richie and Mikey were, as well as the latter character's deteriorating mental health. The pair of buddies laugh, sing, play basketball, and get drunk and high while waiting for Jimmy's contact to show up and take the mysterious package. And it provides some much-needed context for both of the characters.
While it was originally a joy to see how much Mikey and Richie have fun and truly love each other, there's also a darkness that boils over by the time the episode is over. Mikey humiliates his best friend in a bar full of strangers and tells him he's a coward who will abandon his unborn child. It's an emotionally devastating moment that shows just how toxic and mentally unwell Bernthal's character was.
It's also shown that Richie failed to make it home in time for his daughter's birth, which is presumably a big reason why Tiff ultimately left him. His heartbreak over the split is still palpable in The Bear's current timeline, although he proved his late friend wrong and is a great father to Eva. Mikey also opens up about his trauma related to Jamie Lee Curtis' Donna, especially since Gary is set after the flashback episode "Fishes."
Then there's Gary's ending, which might end up factoring into The Bear when it returns for its fifth and final season. In the episode's final moments, we're transported back into the present, shortly before Richie ends up being T-boned by another vehicle. Will he end up seriously injured and therefore unable to work at the restaurant? Only time will tell, but I assume this was included for a specific narrative reason.
Gary is streaming now on Hulu as part of the 2026 TV schedule. The Bear will return for Season 5 on June 25th, so there's a month and change to catch up and prepare for whatever the acclaimed series will throw at us for its final batch of episodes.
