I mentioned in my review of the season premiere that the creators were setting us up for a major game-changer and LIMONADA paid off big-time, just not in the way I thought it would.
For more than two seasons I’ve watched Bill Hader’s Barry murder countless folks – mostly bad folks, but also people who were just in the wrong place at the wrong time too. And yet, I think we as an audience, myself included, still cheered for him because he REALLY hates the killer he’s been and he’s trying to change. Bill Hader is such a genuine every-man in this role, it’s hard to NOT root for him. But after this week’s episode, I think I’m done…for now. Barry is NOT a good person. We knew that already, but up until now I thought he was capable of change and I no longer believe that. Perhaps my fandom of Bill Hader the actor led me here with rose-colored glasses?
Through all the violence with the Chechen mafia and Fuches, Barry has exuded a very different personality to Sally, Mr. Cousineau & others who don’t know his big secret. The bubble Barry has built outside of his criminal activities as “your average struggling Los Angeles actor” isn’t bursting with a loud bang, but instead collapsing inward from a million little nicks. Watching this play out on the screen is infuriating and sad when it touches innocent bystanders. Sure acting and the whole game of “Hollywood” can be gross and filled with flakes, egos, and backstabbers, but it’s important to remember 99.9% of these people aren’t cold-blooded killers like Barry is.
BARRY isn’t the anti-hero coming to the light side journey after all, and the show is all the better for it. This season is peak-water cooler material and dammit, most of us are still working from home.
New episodes of BARRY air on HBO and stream on HBOMAX every Sunday night.
