I went on quite the journey with HBO’s Barry.
For its first and second season, I was in love with this show. It could make me burst out laughing one minute and then leave me open-mouthed in utter shock at the horrible thing that just happened. When the third season aired, I felt less engaged. What was interesting for me was that the acting and storytelling were still great, but the balance of humor versus darkness felt off to me. I just couldn’t connect with it emotionally even though the story and craft were there.
Still, I wanted to see the final season even if my enthusiasm had waned if for any other reason I knew it would be a comedy series nominee, and I like to see as many series nominees as I can. At first, I was feeling the same as I did with season three, though I did find myself laughing more and becoming intrigued with some creative choices the show was making, especially the time jump. It was an incredibly unexpected and yet remarkably successful idea that opened up new creative avenues for all the characters. Then came the finale, and I will freely admit that how well a show lands its ending really affects how I perceive it as a piece of art.
Barry stuck the landing perfectly.
What really sold it all is that, despite Barry being our lead, this show has always been an ensemble, and every one of the characters on this show boasts a send off that may not be emotionally satisfying but perfectly encapsulates the story these characters were going through. To start, Sarah Goldberg should not only have gotten a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Emmy for her work as Sally Reed, she should have been the runaway favorite to win. Sally’s decision this season to leave with Barry was iffy for me; I was not sold but also not against. Yet watching how that decision affected her life so she barely makes it through the day without booze. Looking back at what she thinks her life could have been was incredibly sad and heartbreaking. Then seeing the fear that kept her with Barry even as it was destroying her. Yet it leads her to finally have the courage to do something good in the end, as well as breaking free from the cycle of abuse that has been a running theme for her for so long, was incredibly powerful. While in a better place, she still is a narcissist about her abilities and work, which felt incredibly true to who she has been yet let her reach even deeper levels than she already had done on this show.
Noho Hank and Fuches both get darker and yet lighter in their final moments. Hank goes deep into denial but still tries to be the “good” man with his great quips and non-threatening demeanor even though he has done terrible things. Fuches tries to give into his darker impulses believing that is what he is, and yet does one good thing and we see that is as well as a delusion he has. Plus both of their gang members’ conversations throughout the show keep the humor up especially after a darker event. Debating watching Fast and Furious to cover up violent killing so as to not disturb Fuches’s girlfriend and her daughter was a stand out. They both get to come to grips about their lives and choices and get proper send offs.
By the end Barry himself is in many ways as happy as he was ever going to get. Being with his son and Sally and keeping that was all that mattered, even when his actions had left everyone broken (including his family). Barry being killed was easy to predict, but the way it was done was masterful storytelling of script and directions. Having Barry’s death coming not from any of the dangerous people he has been around but from Gene, a man whose life he ruined and who Barry (most of the time) generally cared about, was incredibly fitting. Seeing Gene on the floor holding his gun, scrolling through news stories about how he is a criminal, we realize his despondency and isolation. That death is his only way out. Then Barry comes into his house, ranting to Gene’s agent about his family and his own desperation, until he realizes they are gone and he has nothing left but to do the right thing. The air of violence is there but we can never tell where or how it will happen. The tension remains until literally seeing Barry shot dead.
Also that it is Gene, who besides having a massive ego about his desire for Hollywood success over everything else is a decent and the least violent character to this point, is now rotting in prison for what Barry has done. Because of a crappy movie Barry is viewed as a misguided hero lead astray, getting in death what Barry always wanted. The show’s ending is the perfect combination of the phoniness of Hollywood and real violent crime as well as a great send-off for both of the characters.
As a straight up comedy I will admit that, of the nominees, it probably isn’t the funniest. But what it did succeed at better than all the rest was how devoted it was to its characters and the journey they were on all four seasons. There is a lot of sadness to what has happened and a little bit of hope.
Plus, the final season gave the gift of Anthony Carrigan’s line while opening boxes of his assassins’ heads:
“Why am I still opening these? Isaiah, even in death, is still a fox.”
That line alone should get it Comedy of the Year!!
