DUBAI: It’s hard to know what to make of “Gary.” This hour-long “special” episode of the (initially, at least) critically acclaimed series “The Bear” dropped May 5 without fanfare and is presented as a standalone episode streaming separately from the rest of the show’s catalogue. It’s a flashback to early 2019, and shows Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and Mikey (Jon Bernthal) taking a 40-mile road trip from Chicago to Gary, Indiana, to deliver a mystery package, which we’re led to believe contains something illegal. Richie’s wife Tiff (Gillian Jacobs) — who’s his ex-wife by the time “The Bear” episode one begins — is close to her due date and convinced she’ll go into labor at 5.15, so makes Richie promise he’ll be back by then. The best laid plans, etc…
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On the one hand, this surprise drop could mean “We’ve got so much great stuff for the final season that we couldn’t fit this in.” Which would be good news. On the other hand, it could mean the creators have reverted to the worst excesses of the disappointing, meandering third season of the show, which would’ve benefited greatly from some heavy editing. This would not be good news. After watching “Gary,” I’m none the wiser. Parts of it are superb. About 10-15 minutes of it could probably have been cut without lessening its impact at all.
