‘Gary’ Review: The Bear Wears Indie

Surprise albums, while still relatively uncommon in the music industry, are a fascinating concept. The idea of releasing an entire project while never announcing it beforehand is in many ways a massive risk for almost any artist. On the other hand, surprise episodes or specials pertaining to a show are even more rare and feel even more risky. TV shows, especially the popular ones have at least a few months of heads-up, whether it be a release date or a trailer or in most cases, both. Even specials such as the Punisher special, also starring and written by Jon Bernthal, were announced a year ago and has had a release date for almost 2 months now.

I also can’t say I’ve ever truly heard of any episode where it was never teased by anyone involved, from the stars to Hulu to the producers. It truly was a surprise. In many ways a fitting surprise because The Bear, in many ways, is one of those shows that doesn’t get the biggest marketing campaign. The show came out to raving reviews, but in every way it was a surprise hit.

Gary follows Mikey (Jon Bernthal) and Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) as they go on a 35-mile road trip to Gary, Indiana with the task of delivering a box to someone for Uncle Jimmy. It seems simple enough but in classic The Bear fashion, nothing is ever that simple. They eventually find themselves in a bar where the real fun begins and things go awry.

Gary in many ways, is a pleasant surprise. There’s a world I could see where this was made to be a part of The Bear, perhaps as a season opener even, and I’m honestly glad it wasn’t. While it keeps the heart of the show, Gary does feel distinct, especially within the pacing and the filmmaking approach. It feels much more like an indie film. It feels much more raw and rugged, while The Bear even with its chaos, feels much more controlled. Even the dialogue written by the stars Jon Bernthal and Ebon-Moss Bachrach opts for a more naturalistic approach.

There are a few pit stops made along the way, including but not limited to a hot dog spot, a basketball court to play some pick-up ball with some teens, and eventually a bar. The road trip is fun, and it explores Mikey and Richie’s relationship in an interesting way. Their dynamic feels so authentic and real, which makes what comes later just even more heartbreaking. The bar is where the real meat lies. We meet Sherri (Marlin Ireland), a momentary love interest for Mikey, who he naturally opens up to. We learn more about the nature of his relationship with his mom Donna and get more of an inkling of why he is the way he is. Before that, we do get a bit of fun with a really funny Richie story.

But eventually we find a Mikey that is both drunk and feeling the effects of a line of cocaine he did which leads him to get into it with Richie. Jon Bernthal gives perhaps his best performance to this special and the bar segment in particular. His performance feels so real, which is why it hurts so much. There are moments in this special where he feels like a little kid and ones where he’s as far removed from that as one can be. We’ve seen the highs of Mikey over the years of The Bear, which is why he’s so beloved, but we’ve also seen the lows, but this is beyond a low. It’s a bar he can’t pick back up, and it’s portrayed so well.

There may be some sort of defense for his interactions with Uncle Lee in “Fishes,” but it’s impossible to defend him here. We’re so far removed from learning of Mikey’s death in Season 1, but it still feels as everpresent because of the effect it still has on Carmy and Richie in particular, and this adds another blow.

All in all I thought it was a worthwhile special that does justice to The Bear while adding another layer to Richie and Mikey that, while not necessary, is appreciated. It doesn’t necessarily rank among the best The Bear episodes, but it still cements itself as a worthy one.

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