🍽️ “FOR A FEW TERRIFYING MINUTES… FANS WERE CONVINCED THE BEAR HAD JUST DONE THE UNTHINKABLE.” The ending of the “Gary” special left viewers scrambling for answers, with one question instantly taking over social media: Is Richie really dead? 😳 The final moments are so tense—and so carefully crafted—that countless fans walked away believing the series had just changed forever.

Warning: The following post contains discussions of addiction, mental health, and suicide.

The Bear‘s fifth season may have yet to premiere, but stars Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Jon Bernthal deliver a compelling one-off hour of the FX series in the surprise prequel episode, “Gary,” which dropped on Hulu on May 5. Warning: Spoilers for The Bear Special Episode “Gary” ahead!

The installment follows Mikey Berzatto (Bernthal) and Richie Jermiovich (Moss-Bachrach) as they embark on a road trip to Gary, Indiana, tasked with a drop-off on behalf of Jimmy (Oliver Platt). Timed just hours before the birth of Richie and Tiffany’s (Gillian Jacobs) baby daughter, Mikey and Richie’s journey proves to be a pivotal moment and examination of their friendship, while also exploring the aspects of themselves that they haven’t fully shared with each other, particularly when it comes to Mikey’s mental health and addiction.

Set not long after the events of Season 2’s Christmas episode, “Fishes,” this special episode’s spotlighting of Mikey’s destructive viewpoint only reminds us of how long he struggled before he ultimately took his own life. As fans will recall, the holiday-set episode from Season 2 was set roughly five years prior to the current timeline, meaning this road trip depicted in “Gary” was a few years before Mikey took his own life.

FX

The road trip storyline was also something that was incorporated into Season 4’s finale installment, “Goodbye,” which saw Richie recount the happier side of the journey, while talking in the alley behind the Bear with Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) and Sydney (Ayo Edebiri). As fans will recall, the final moments of Season 4’s finale saw Carmy prepare to walk away from the business, leaving Richie and Sydney in charge and with lots of room to adjust.

But the hour of TV titled “Gary” may have fans wondering, will it play into The Bear Season 5? And the episode’s final moments certainly seem to hint at as much. The road trip, which reveals a more erratic and volatile side of Mikey to Richie, dredges up a lot of memories for present-day Richie, who is seen behind the wheel of a car, dressed in his suit and tie, seemingly on the way to the Bear restaurant.

Lost in thought and not fully comprehending the road situation in the rain, Richie inches forward into the intersection, only to get side-swiped by an oncoming car. His reaction to the oncoming vehicle makes the impact that much more devastating as he realizes what was coming his way a moment too late.

But would The Bear really kill off Richie?! It’s a question we can’t help but ask, considering Season 5 is approaching. Would the show present a necessary plotline tied to the upcoming installments in a special and unexpected episode? It’s certainly possible, and whether or not the accident proves to be deadly, we’d assume whatever happens to Richie will somehow be baked into Season 5…. at least we’d hope.

Only time will tell for certain, but let us know your theories in the comments section below, and stay tuned for more on The Bear as Season 5’s arrival approaches.

FX’s The Bear, Season 5 Premiere, TBA, Hulu

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or dial 988. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.