‘Gary’ will have you ready for ‘The Bear’ Season 5
‘Gary’ will have you ready for ‘The Bear’ Season 5
The one-off special isn’t really about cooking, but it does what ‘The Bear’ has consistently done best.
If “The Bear” Season 5 is the main course, then “Gary” is the amuse bouche that readies the palate. The special flashback episode that Hulu dropped with no advance warning earlier this month follows Jon Bernthal’s Michael Berzatto and Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s Richie Jerimovich on a day trip to Gary, Indiana.
The set-up doesn’t sound like much of anything consequential, and that’s by design. But once I finally sat down and to watch “Gary,” I couldn’t take my eyes off it. The episode reminded me exactly why I crave new episodes of “The Bear” every time the show is about to return, and it was my favorite stream of the week.
“Gary” takes place roughly five years prior to Season 1 of “The Bear.” It follows Mikey and Richie as they attempt to deliver a parcel from Chicago to Gary, Indiana, as tasked by Uncle Jimmy. What seems to be a straightforward task predictably gives Richie an overinflated sense of importance, and has Mike feeling… well, a lot.
From the first scene, “Gary” reminds us of who these characters were before the events of “The Bear.” Richie is always searching for meaning in his life, and Mike is tormented by his inner demons at every turn. From the second Richie gets in the car, he finds himself having to manage Mike’s volatile emotions, giving the viewer a hint at exactly what kind of day they’re in store for.
Bernthal and Moss-Bachrach’s work together is magnetic. The pair is incredibly convincing as best friends who have seen a lot together and done plenty of stupid things along the way. As the day progresses, and Mike and Richie make increasingly bad decisions, the viewer is left with a feeling of both helplessness and inevitability, which is a credit to the episode’s writing and acting. In addition to starring in the special episode, Bernthal and Moss-Bachrach also wrote the teleplay as well.
At its most basic level, “Gary” is little more than an intimate character study done fantastically well. Viewers get even more context into the everyday struggles Mike experiences, thanks to untreated mental illness and substance abuse. His death serves as a catalyst for the entire series, but for all that, viewers have only been offered relatively brief glimpses into who this character really was.
“Gary” gives viewers the best look at Mikey yet, and the shocking ending of the episode reveals that Ritchie is still living in the past to a large extent — perhaps even a fatal one. Let’s just say for those who haven’t watched “Gary” that at least one screening is in order before you sit down to “The Bear” Season 5.
Be prepared to sit with discomfort while watching “Gary.” Director and “The Bear” showrunner Christopher Storer has never been afraid to make his audience squirm with portrayals of human interaction that may hit close to home for viewers, and “Gary” has plenty of such moments.
But those moments when the audience sees something they recognize are part of what has made “The Bear” so irresistible over the years — at least for me. Watch “Gary” on Hulu with any subscription plan now to see if you come to the same conclusion.
Hulu
Hulu is a video streaming service that gives access to thousands of full seasons of exclusive series, hit movies, kids shows, and Hulu Originals like “Only Murders in the Building,” and “The Handmaid’s Tale.”