We are never at the end of our surprises with “The Bear”. The Disney + series led by Jeremy Allen White has been garnering awards over its seasons since its debut in 2022. The fiction takes place in a Chicago restaurant, taken over by Carmen Berzatto following the suicide of her big brother. Frenetic and chaotic, this creation by Christopher Storer explores the family relationships, personal ambitions and discomfort of its characters with shattering honesty.
This Wednesday, May 6, without prior announcement, an episode entitled “Gary” was posted online on Disney +. As a surprise appetizer while waiting for the fifth and final season of “The Bear” which will be available in France on June 26. This plot in the form of a flashback takes place in 2019 and features Mikey, Carmen’s older brother who was still alive at the time, and their cousin Richie, one of the pillars of the series. These two have to go to Gary, Indiana to deliver a package. They therefore cross the Illinois border, but their destination, which is notably the hometown of Michael Jackson, is only a 35-minute drive from Chicago, the scene of the main fiction. Enough to make the trip anecdotal.
However, this escape takes an unexpected turn when the two men find themselves having to spend several hours killing time on site. At this time, Richie is still married and his wife is about to give birth. She made him promise to return before 5:15 p.m. A time limit firmly anchored in the head of the future father, who nevertheless allows himself to be overtaken by events. Mikey, for his part, will meet a stranger pushing him to confide.
This episode, co-written by the two performers Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Richie) and Jon Bernthal (Mikey) draws on the strengths of “The Bear”: the most joyful but also the most cruel exposure of human relationships possible. The plot thus sheds a little more light on the mental status of Mikey, whose death is the starting point of the series. We had already had the opportunity to appreciate the talent of Jon Bernthal in the skin of this complex man through various flashbacks during previous installments. Here his duet with Ebon Moss-Bachrach sparks and proves once again to what extent “The Bear” is full of talent, well beyond that of Jeremy Allen White.
The creator of the series, Christopher Storer is behind the camera of “Gary”. A part filmed on film, as was the case for the mind-blowing episode 6 of season 2, “Pisces”, taking place during a Christmas spent with the Berzatto family. This gives a specific grain to the image supporting its melancholic tone.
Far from being just a simple parenthesis, “Gary” is a link in its own right of “The Bear” whose storyline could well have direct consequences on the episodes of season 5. Eight parts which will all be available from June 26 on Disney +.
Editor’s note:
« Gary », special episode of the series “The Bear” between seasons 4 and 5, by and with Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Jon Bernthal, directed by Christopher Storer. 1 hour.