Barry (Season 4)

⭐ 10.0/10

(Originally written by Tim)

In its final season this show solidified itself as my favourite show of the last 5 years, definitely in my all time ranking. It is hilarious and unique and dark and scathing. It feels incredibly modern, but will hold up over time, and will go on to inspire other shows I am sure. Bill Hader is a genius and I will officially watch anything he makes.

The plot of this season is definitely in the endgame, and I love the arc each character takes. Gene in particular, as he repeats the cycle of pridefulness leading to humility leading back to pride when Daniel Day Lewis is mentioned. All these arcs are tragic, but something about using this loveable actor in real life and putting him through this is incredibly effective.

The same could be said for Sally, who I think is going to have a career made out of this performance. I was pleased to see that a moment that scarred me last season has also scarred her, and her depressive state feels so true to character, so true in fact that she literally plays a character for most of the season. The depth of her trauma plays out in these haunting dream-like sequences which let Hader (who also directed every episode) flex his auteurist talent. Seriously, even the action scenes in this season are like nothing I have seen before.

Then there is the tragedy of Noho Hank. The way Cristobol yells his name at one point feels attached to my soul now, and even despite possibly the darkest arc he still gets all the laughs. An all-time TV character for me.

I feel like I am taking this show super seriously, but part of the magic is that it still manages to have a ton of humour! The way it has made fun of Hollywood and the entertainment industry feels so accurate and of-the-moment. Bill gets to tell this thematic story, but also wrap it in a love of movies and tv and how the industry destroys peoples' lives. The depth of this show is actually amazing, especially for 8 30-minute episode seasons. It's whole runtime is like a season and a half of Succession!

Like The Sopranos or Breaking Bad, I can totally see myself watching this again in a few year. I think it is a timeless piece of art that will inspire many shows to come. It doesn't glorify violence or evil in any way, but still finds a way to make the characters likeable. The Barry arc, where he is trying to poke holes in the lives of historic figures to justify his own mistakes, is both funny and sinister, and the way he uses faith as a paper shield for the consequences of his actions was disturbing to me, but also so funny. A show like this introducing religion this late in the game could be a disaster, but it aligns with what we know of Barry, and is a stark reminder of the way faith has been Americanized, or I guess I mean it has become transactional.

I haven't even mentioned the time jump! This show has one and I always like the reset.

There are a million shots from this season I would love to share but can't for spoiler reasons. Trust me that this is one of the best made shows, maybe ever, and well worth your time. I'll miss this whole cast!

Oh before I sign off, this show nails the landing as well. The final five minutes don't leave you feeling good, but I did laugh.