Yes chef: ‘The Bear’ drops surprise prequel episode, ‘Gary’
Fans waiting for the fifth season of The Bear to arrive can now enjoy a surprise prequel episode, which was uploaded to Hulu on May 5th.
The new episode, titled Gary, follows Richie, played by Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Mikey, played by Jon Bernthal, on a trip to Gary, Indiana. The events take place before the plot of the main series commences.
The Bear creator, Christopher Storer, directed the episode, which Moss-Bachrach and Bernthal co-wrote. The pair have an ongoing creative collaboration, and are currently starring in Dog Day Afternoon on Broadway.
Moss-Bachrach took to Instagram to announce the special episode, writing in a post, “Making this was a dream come true. Thanks to the beautiful people of Gary, Indiana and as always Chicago, Illinois.”
According to the official description, the new episode aims to shine a light on the pair’s “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 1 — adding emotional context that reframes their story from the very beginning.”
The fifth season is expected to premiere at some point this summer, in keeping with the trend of the last four seasons, which have all premiered in June.
The Emmy-winning series is likely to end with the forthcoming series. Jamie Lee Curtis, who stars as Donna Berzatto, the matriarch of the Berzatto family, previously shared with Entertainment Tonight, “Everybody knows it’s the end of the show. I’m not breaking any news to anybody. It’s the end of the show — they’ve said it from the beginning.”
Originally, Storer had envisioned a four-season arc for the beloved show. However, lead Jeremy Allen White has shared previously that FX Productions picked up a fifth season a week after the June 2025 premiere of season four.
The high-pressure series earned 21 Emmys in its first three seasons; season four will compete in this year’s Emmy race, and the final season will be eligible in 2027.
Never Miss A Scene
The Far Out Film Newsletter
All the latest film news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.