‘The Bear’ Drops Prequel Episode With Jon Bernthal, Ebon Moss-Bachrach

Ahead of The Bear’s fifth and final season, the FX series that streams on Hulu has dropped a surprise prequel episode revolving around Jon Bernthal and Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s characters.

Titled “Gary,” the episode accompanies Bernthal’s Mikey and Moss-Bachrach’s Richie as they embark on a trip to Gary, Indiana. The episode precedes the first season of The Bear, which takes place after Mikey’s death by suicide.

According to the episode’s synopsis, “Gary” follows “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.”

“COUSINS!  PRIMOS!  CUGINI!!! Get ready for GARY!!!! We are so excited to finally share this little adventure with Richie and Mikey,” Moss-Bachrach wrote on social media. “Written by me and [Bernthal].  Directed by the one Christopher Storer.  Making this was a dream come true. Thanks to the beautiful people of Gary, Indiana and as always Chicago, Illinois.”

As of now, the episode exists outside of Hulu’s The Bear hub; viewers must search “Gary” on the streaming service to watch the surprise episode.

Outside of The Bear, Bernthal and Moss-Bachrach have appeared together in Netflix’s The Punisher series as well as their recent turn on Broadway in Dog Day Afternoon.

The Bear’s fifth and final season is expected to premiere this summer, Variety reports.