Ask John: Is There a Lost Cowboy Bebop Episode?

Question:
The other day I heard some people talking about a lost Cowboy Bebop episode. They said it was supposed to be the American ending when they originally only showed the first 12 episodes. I was wondering if this was true? Is there a lost Cowboy Bebop episode that was never shown? If so, where can I get it?

Answer:
The only episode of Cowboy Bebop never released in America was “Session XX,” which was broadcast after the end of the series’ first 13 episode run on broadcast Japanese television (before the full 26 episode broadcast on satellite TV network WOWOW). The entire episode consists of video footage from the 13 prior episodes and voice over recollections from the characters. This episode has never been released in America most likely because there’s no new footage in it. It was aired on Japanese television on June 26, 1999, but never released on Japanese home video.

There is also a Session 0, which was actually a limited edition promotional DVD that started the Japanese home video release. All of the content from the Japanese Cowboy Bebop Session 0 DVD was divided up and included as supplemental material spread throughout the 6 disc American DVD release.