Rejoice, The Bear Fans: FX Just Dropped A Surprise Episode Ahead Of Season 5

FX's "The Bear" is an incredibly popular comedy-drama and character study with its fifth and likely final season debut just a few weeks away. And to help stoke the flames of anticipation, the show just dropped a surprise new episode ahead of the season debut. Search "Gary" on Hulu, if it's not promoted on your app's landing page.

It was first announced on Instagram by Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who plays the series regular Richie Jerimovich on the show. The episode was co-written by him and Jon Bernthal, who plays the recurring character Mikey Berzatto, and that writing team is no coincidence: The episode primarily focuses on their two characters.

Set some time before the events of the show, "Gary" follows Richie and Mikey on a work-related road trip from Chicago to Gary, Indiana. In some ways it's a normal road trip, but hints of Mikey's mental health struggles and windows into Richie's background contribute to a building tension that reaches what fans call a powerful ending.

"The Bear" has been a resoundingly popular show, especially among those who work in the food industry. These viewers often appreciate its accurate depiction of a professional kitchen's intensity, as well as the intensity of personal bonds that form — or break — under that kind of pressure. Though fictional, it's a similar raw honesty to what helped propel former dishwasher Anthony Bourdain to culinary stardom.

For consumers, "The Bear" has put a spotlight on Italian beef sandwiches, a Chicago original hailing from the city's Little Italy neighborhood. The show is set in a family-run Italian beef restaurant — just like Anthony Bourdain's favorite spot for this sandwich, Johnnie's Beef, family-owned since its 1961 opening. And the spotlight of this smash series surely made the classic sandwich even more popular.

But if you haven't seen the show and aren't familiar with Chicago's unique cuisine, an Italian Beef is similar to a French Dip, with a few big differences. Perhaps the biggest is that meat for an Italian Beef is cooked in beef broth, then rests in a combination of au jus and reheated broth. It's a sandwich that's made its mark on the Chicago food scene, much like the show is making its own mark on the same.