Widely raved about for its dark humor and story, Bill Hader’s HBO dark comedy series “Barry” wrapped up its second season Sunday night, leaving us with a rather disappointing episode but a promising cliffhanger.
Many anticipated that Fuches would finally be killed off, but Hader and co-creator Alec Berg decided to stretch that story out, along with Hank’s drug cartel involvement.
The second season of “Barry” was not only slower-paced than the first season, but it seemed to have a different narrative. After murdering his friend and his acting teacher's girlfriend in order to avoid being arrested, Barry Berkman continued living with his guilt and trying to acclimate to a normal life despite his brutal past as an Iraq War soldier and hitman.
Barry focused on his relationships with his girlfriend and fellow acting student Sally. He becomes closer to his acting coach Mr. Cousineau after murdering his girlfriend without his knowledge, deals with the flamboyant mobster Hank and his disloyal and crooked former partner, Fuches.
“Barry” started off as a show dedicated to exerting how Barry was a good person who did bad things, but now it’s a show about how Barry deals with the consequences of those bad things. Still involving many subplots that take up an individual episode, the show is consistently grounded in a central story that is progressing quite smoothly. With more time spent developing the plot for the future, season two offered a bit of a slow streak with one episode in the middle of the season as daring and creative as possible.
Blending a dark sense of humor with a violent plot, “Barry” is best described as a lighter version of “Breaking Bad.” A show that offers wonderful entertainment with a talented lead actor who effortlessly portrays a morally ambiguous protagonist, “Barry” should be on its way to wrap up after its third season, and thanks to season two, we have the framework for an exciting finish.
Final Grade: B+
Dominic LeRose is a staff writer for the Daily Cardinal. To read more of his work, click here.
