FX pulled off a genuine surprise on Tuesday, dropping an unannounced standalone episode of The Bear on Hulu weeks ahead of the fifth and likely final season’s June premiere. Titled “Gary,” the hour-long installment follows cousins Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and Mikey (Jon Bernthal) on a work trip to Gary, Indiana — and both stars co-wrote the episode, with series creator Christopher Storer directing.
The episode is set entirely in the past, prior to the events of The Bear — a logical necessity, given that Mikey is dead by the time the series begins. Per the official description, it uncovers “new layers of Mikey’s mental state while offering crucial insight into the man Richie is when audiences first meet him in season one — adding emotional context that reframes their story from the very beginning.”
Moss-Bachrach broke the news on Instagram, capturing the mood of a creative project long held close. “Making this was a dream come true. Thanks to the beautiful people of Gary, Indiana and as always Chicago, Illinois,” he wrote. He noted that the episode appears on Hulu under its own title, “Gary,” rather than within the main Bear catalog.
The drop lands at a charged moment for both lead actors. Moss-Bachrach and Bernthal are currently starring together on Broadway in a stage adaptation of Dog Day Afternoon, and both failed to land Tony nominations earlier Tuesday morning. The surprise release pivots attention back to where the pair first built their on-screen chemistry.
The Bear’s first three seasons collected 21 Emmy Awards, including best comedy series in 2023, with acting honors for Moss-Bachrach, Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri, Liza Colón-Zayas, and Bernthal himself. Season 4 currently sits in this year’s Emmy race, while the forthcoming fifth season will be eligible in 2027.
Production on Season 5 began in January, and recurring actor Jamie Lee Curtis confirmed through a social media post in February that the series is coming to an end. FX and creator Storer have not formally addressed the finality of the season, but the broader creative team has done little to dampen expectations that “Gary” functions as an emotional prelude to the show’s closing chapter.
