by Rowan Wood, Contributing Writer
It’s been three years since Barry was last on the air. Back then, the world was pandemic-free, HBO Max didn’t exist, and Bill Hader was only a two-time Emmy winner. Obviously, there’s been quite a shift in circumstances since 2019, but at least one thing remains the same: Barry is still one of the best shows on television. The third season is a perfect reminder of that fact.
Set in a shorter span than real-time, season three deals directly with the consequences and fallout of its predecessor, just as any good serialized show should. All of our favorite (and least favorite) characters are taking big steps in their lives, and I was absolutely thrilled to return to this entertaining world of hilariously heightened reality.
For the uninitiated, Barry began with its titular character (Hader), an ex-military hitman, who pursues a target in Los Angeles, only to get caught up in acting classes taught by disgruntled actor Gene Cousineau (Henry Winkler). Barry’s passion, of course, clashes with his profession, and as he begins to get deeper into each world, he has to make difficult choices that affect not just himself, but those around him.
If there’s anything I need to say to convince you to watch this series — if you haven’t already — it’s a heartfelt recommendation. Barry manages to be the most heart-wrenching, tension-packed, extremely creative, and sidesplittingly hilarious show that I’ve ever seen, and that is a trend that certainly continues in season three. I have no idea how long the people behind the show can keep it up, but this season shows no signs of slowing down. By season’s end, everything has been irreversibly changed, but there’s definitely plenty of story material for the future.
One thing that can’t be said about this season (or any other season of Barry, really) is that, despite treading some familiar ground, season three is not just “more of the same.” Sure, it features most of the primary characters, and many of the themes are carried over and thoughtfully handled, but Barry somehow continues to be fresh and original with every new idea it decides to introduce. Characters like Barry’s mentor Fuches (Stephen Root) and Chechen mobster NoHo Hank (Anthony Carrigan) get rather unexpected storylines, but every direction they go in makes perfect sense for their arcs. If I was able to see inside one writers’ room for any series, it would probably be Barry — the final product is so astounding, I’d be absolutely fascinated to see the roads they traveled to get there.
The gap between seasons only proves to be advantageous as the season goes on. In this way, Barry takes several sharp jabs at streaming culture, popularity, and the entertainment industry, never quite forgetting its roots. Of course, season three is primarily focused on Barry’s past actions and the consequences that he has to face. A variety of characters return from past episodes, most of them unexpected and kept tightly under wraps, proving that the show is still intricately concerned with its own serialization and continuity. This is something that can’t be said for a lot of series, especially to the meticulous degree that Barry sticks with pre-established storylines going all the way back to season one.
If you asked me six months ago what the best episode of television ever made is, I’d say without hesitation that it’s the Barry season two episode “ronny/lily.” Season three not only outdoes that episode, it manages that impressive feat twice — and it’s no coincidence that series star Hader was the director of both episodes. Barry remains his only directing credit to date, but the man is absolutely a force of nature; the day that he decides to helm his own feature film will be a glorious one. “710N,” the sixth episode of the season, not only has the best chase scene I’ve ever witnessed, but also the greatest building of tension that concluded with a payoff I never saw coming. Plus, the finale, “starting now,” is relatively humorless, where everything that’s not depicted visually is much more effective than what actually is. Bring on Bill!
If you want to laugh until you cry and then, in the span of a few minutes, see a performance that will surely warrant an Emmy nomination, Barry is the series for you. Everything comes to a head season three, with irreversible changes and major implications for the series’ future, done in such a way that indicates an ending could be coming sooner rather than later. Now is the perfect time to immerse yourself in this absurd, ridiculous, and downright exciting world of crime, plus the arguably more intense LA acting scene. Barry is no longer the show it started off as, and I can’t express how much I love that.
Score: 10/10
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