The Bear team surprised fans across the world on May 5th, 2026 with a surprise drop of a special episode titled ‘Gary’.
Ahead of the final season’s release, Gary took viewers all the way back to life before the events of The Bear – at a time when Carmy’s older brother Mikey Berzatto was still alive.
Across the one-hour special episode, Mikey’s relationship with ‘Cousin’ Richie is put under the microscope as the Chicago duo head to Gary, Indiana to run an errand for Uncle Jimmy.
So what exactly happened?
Here’s everything you need to know – and how it hints at something major ahead of the fifth and final season.
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Who stars in The Bear’s ‘Gary’?
The one-off episode stars (and was written by) The Bear regulars Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Richie and Jon Bernthal as Mikey.
It’s effectively a two-hander episode, although they briefly interact with other people.
Other cast includes:
● Marin Ireland (His & Hers, The Terror) as Sherri
● Gillian Jacobs (Community, Love) as Tiff
● T.J. Jagodowski (Chicago Fire, Shrink) as Bar Patron
● Nation Sage Henrikson (Monster, Shameless US) as Cowboy
● Tory J Malone (Emperor of Ocean Park, Buddy) as Basketball Player
What year is ‘Gary’ set in?
Gary is set in the year 2019 – prior to Mikey’s suicide, where he still owns and runs the Original Beef, and at a time when Richie is still in a relationship with Tiff.
It’s approximately five years before the events of the main series of The Bear.
At the time of the episode, Tiff is heavily pregnant with their daughter, Evie. As he heads off on the delivery with Mikey, she warns him to be home by 5.15pm as she’s superstitious that it’s the time she’ll give birth.
The story takes place across a period of one day.
What happens in The Bear’s special episode, ‘Gary’?
Tasked by Uncle Jimmy to deliver a box to a man in Gary, Indiana, Mikey and Richie hit the road with a specially made burned CD of road trip songs and in good spirits.
When they have to kill a few hours before the delivery, they decide to explore the local area – spending time at a hot dog restaurant and playing basketball.
During that time, Tiff calls Richie to suggest she may be going into labour. Excited at the idea of becoming a father, he and Mikey discuss what name the little girl should have.
Mikey is also proving to be antagonistic to everyone, clearly in a bad head space, dismissing Tiff’s superstitions and trying to spark issues with the guys they play basketball with.
Despite wanting to get home, Mikey pushes Richie to stick around and they head to a local dive bar, where they start drinking and doing cocaine.
Mikey gets close to a woman named Sherri, slowly having deep conversations with her about his mental health and his troubled family life, especially his mother Donna’s erratic behaviour and mood swings. He declares life ‘meaningless’ which clearly worries Sherri.
Richie enjoys time with the other locals in the bar but is conscious of the time and soon tells Mikey it’s time to go. But Mikey flips on Richie, giving a speech in the bar about his best friend, before declaring Richie a coward who is destined to abandon his soon-to-be-born daughter and warning that the “kid’s gonna hate him”.
The pair scuffle but eventually head off to deliver the box – which is revealed to just be filled with plastic pump impellers.
On the drive back, knowing he’s crossed the line, Mikey tries to reconcile with Richie by turning on the CD that he made for the road. Richie responds by throwing it out the window – and as they wait at a train track crossing as a freight train passes, the clock in the truck reveals it’s 5.15pm, meaning he’s missed the cut off Tiff gave to him.
How does Gary affect The Bear season 5?
At the end of the episode, we cut back to the present day, with Richie now sitting alone in his car, looking over at the empty seat that his friend Mikey once occupied.
As he goes to drive off, he isn’t paying enough attention to the road – and is T-boned at an intersection by another car, leaving his future in doubt.
The Bear is available to watch on Disney+ via Sky now.