Audiences love it when male comedic actors play bad people. There’s Bryan Cranston in BREAKING BAD, Bob Odenkirk in BETTER CALL SAUL, Chris Rock in FARGO, and most of the cast in SUCCESSION. This is due to audiences wanting to root for comedic actors because they are so damn likable, regardless of the awful things they do in their respective TV shows. So here we are in the final season of BARRY, and even though the titular character is an awful human being, I’m still rooting for him thanks to Bill Hader’s legendary performance.
BARRY is a challenging show to keep “SpoilerFree.” Since it’s about a hitman, many characters come and go within each episode. Bill Hader’s writing and direction in the final season have never been sharper (and he’s directing every episode of season four). Producers Hader and Alec Berg continue to explore the darker side of humanity and showcase through empathy that “each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done.”
Of the first two episodes, “Yikes” is a fantastic setup, while “Bestest Place on Earth” is hilarious. However, the most surprising dynamic is Barry and Fuches’s (Stephen Root) “RAIN MAN” like love for each other. I was glued to my seat, trying to figure out what twist or turn the two narcissistic men would do next for their friendship or, more importantly, for themselves.
With the loss of BETTER CALL SAUL last year and now BARRY, there will be a void on TV with men behaving badly. Yet, I can’t fault the creators of BARRY for going out on a high versus extending the series to a “life sentence.”
Here’s to one helluva season on HBOMax.
