The Bear Surprise Drops New Episode Gary As Fans Wait For Season 5

Fans of The Bear eagerly awaiting the fifth and final season have been treated to an unexpected gift to tide them over.

On Tuesday, Disney+ dropped the surprise new flashback episode, titled Gary, on its streaming platform.

The stand-alone episode focusses on a road trip Richie and Mikey once took to the city of Gary, Indiana, and is not listed among the rest of the series (meaning fans have to search “Gary” on Disney+ if they want to see it).

Ebon Moss-Bachrach – who won two Emmys for his portrayal of Richie in The Bear – announced on Tuesday that he and co-star Jon Bernthal had written the episode together, with The Bear’s creator Christopher Storer on directing duties.

“We are so excited to finally share this little adventure with Richie and Mikey,” he beamed, adding: “Making this was a dream come true. Thank you to the beautiful people of Gary, Indiana and as always Chicago, Illinois.”

An official press release for Gary teased: “This episode follows Richard ‘Richie’ Jerimovich and Michael ‘Mikey’ Berzatto on a work trip to Gary, Indiana.

“Intimate and revealing, it illuminates 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 one — adding emotional context that reframes their story from the very beginning.”

Season five of The Bear is expected to return to our screens in the summer, though an official release date has not been confirmed, with production getting underway in January.

Last year’s run ended with leading man Jeremy Allen White’s character, Carmy, leaving the show’s central restaurant and signing over his stake in it.

Despite this feeling to many like a goodbye to The Bear, the series was soon renewed for its fifth season, which was later revealed to be its last.