Mikey and Richie Laughing in 'Gary'
Warning! This article contains spoilers about The Bear's special episode,"Gary.
" "Gary," The Bear's newest episode, written by Jon Bernthal and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, was a pleasant yet emotional surprise. "Gary" was a flashback episode that followed Richie and Mikey through a day that felt both significant and innocuous. On the due date of Richie's yet-unborn daughter, he joined Mikey on a day trip to Gary, Indiana, to make a delivery for Oliver Platt's Jimmy.
Richie's energy was high in anticipation of Tiff's soon-to-be-labor, and the delivery itself had a somewhat ominous feel to it, but"Gary" focused largely on the downtime, on Richie and Mikey simply spending a day together. This approach is similar to the season 4 episode"Worms" that followed Sydney on a day off, and is one that often allows The Bear to deliver its most authentic, character-driven stories. The Bear's new secret episode was no exception.
The special episode pulled back the curtain not only on Richie's connection to Mikey, but on Mikey's own state of mind. Jon Bernthal's late Mikey Berzatto has made several appearances in flashbacks throughout The Bear, but his true nature has felt somewhat elusive, just as it must to Carmy, Sugar, Richie, and others who grieve Mikey throughout the series.
"Gary" made a point to depict Mikey's complex, multifaceted nature. In the hot dog shop, he was warm and inviting, as he was when he hired Tina in"Napkins.
" He was playful and lively in a game of pickup basketball. Moments later, he was emotional and sensitive in a bar bathroom. Most significantly, though, Mikey wasn't depicted as perfect. In fact, at times, he was downright mean.
"Gary" Revealed How Cruel Mikey Could Be In His Darkest Moments Before leaving the bar in Gary, Indiana, Mikey gave Richie a toast that started out incredibly sweet, but ended in a tirade of comments like"kid's gonna end up abandoned and alone just like he was,""You wanna do that kid of yours a favor? Just f****** hit the f****** road and do not come back," and"Kid's gonna hate you, Rich.
" He even spat in Richie's face. He knew he was hitting Richie where it hurt, insisting that Richie's fatherhood would be a failure like the rest of his life and calling him a"coward.
" All in all, it was a clear attempt to goad Richie into a fight and push him away. The Bear demonstrated this behavior once before in"Fishes," when Mikey lashed out at Uncle Lee at Christmas. Related Every The Bear Actor & Their Best Episode From Jeremy Allen White to Ayo Edebiri, The Bear is full of great actors, and they each have one episode that gives them the brightest spotlight.
Posts By Ben Sherlock This time was different, though. For one thing, Uncle Lee arguably deserved it, and at a minimum played a part in provoking it. Mikey's outburst in"Gary," on the other hand, felt completely unprovoked and much more hurtful. The scene cemented that the behavior was a pattern in Mikey.
Yet through it all, his pain was clear to everyone in the room, including Richie.
"Gary" Made Richie's Relationship With Mikey Even More Complicated Throughout The Bear, Richie has largely been shown to struggle with the feeling that he failed to protect Mikey, as the one who spent the most time with him. This was certainly some of what Richie was feeling in this episode, but"Gary" revealed that it isn't the whole story. Throughout the episode, Richie tried to be an active friend to Mikey, and his concern for him was evident.
In this scene, though, Richie also hit Mikey twice and fought back tears as he was genuinely stung by his words. In a silent car ride home, Richie rejected Mikey's olive branch, tossing the mixtape he made for the trip out the window. On top of it all, it was implied that Richie missed the birth of his daughter, likely due to Mikey's resistance to leave the bar. The episode ended without a resolution to their tension.
Yet"Gary" never lost sight of Mikey and Richie's mutual love for one another. Rather, it depicted Mikey's mental health as an emotional, hurtful obstacle to their relationship, one that, ironically, everyone was aware of without saying it. Richie knew that Mikey really meant the first, loving part of his outburst and saw the pain in Mikey's own eyes as he began lashing out.
Seeing Richie juggle hurt and understanding in this episode compounds the guilt and grief he's shown throughout The Bear, making his depth as a character even more multifaceted and complex. Even Mikey's Worst Behavior Was A Cry For Help Mikey's pain wasn't lost on anyone at that moment, even the people he'd just met.
A less self-aware scene might have encouraged Richie to respond to Mikey's unwarranted insults, but the patrons of the bar quickly and quietly got between them, all the while regarding Mikey with what can only be described as care. Subscribe for deeper The Bear character analysis Looking for more scene-by-scene, character-driven breakdowns? Subscribe to the newsletter for thoughtful analysis of shows like The Bear — nuanced takes on moments, motivations, and what they reveal about characters' mental health and relationships.
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"Gary" did an excellent job of demonstrating how people were hurt by Mikey's behavior without ever villainizing him for it. The episode made a point to showcase every facet of Mikey's character, including his most vulnerable and honest state, before this moment, priming audiences to embrace the nuance of the scene. This is how The Bear has historically depicted Carmy, and it is one of the things that makes the show so emotionally resonant.
With this layered emotional authenticity and intimate character work, the completely unexpected"Gary" is The Bear at its best. 108 8.4/10 9/10 The Bear 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed TV-MA Drama Comedy Food Release Date 2022 - 2026-00-00 Network Hulu Showrunner Christopher Storer Directors Ramy Youssef Writers Catherine Schetina, Alex Russell, Karen Joseph Adcock, Sofya Levitsky-Weitz, Stacy Osei-Kuffour Cast See All Powered by Expand Collapse
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