We are a couple of days away from getting BARRY in our “What’s On” post for the month but we couldn’t wait any longer to tell you that SUCCESSION is not the only show bowing out on HBO; BARRY is right behind it.
Bill Hader, who, of course, plays the title character and created the series alongside Alec Berg, will explain it himself –
“It was very much in the writing and the storytelling. I mean, a lot of people after last season were like, ‘Why are you doing another season? It should have just ended.’ But to me, there are still so many questions with the other characters, and with Barry — and there’s so many things unsaid. What happens in Season 4 is structurally radical in some ways, but it made sense for what I think the characters needed to go through, and what I think the whole show is always kind of headed towards. You realize, well, we could pad a lot of stuff, and just make story. But if we’re going forward, it ends in Season 4.”
That fourth & final set of episodes has Barry in prison for his actions, If you recall it was the mechanizations of his former acting teacher Gene Cousineau (Henry Winkler) and Jim Moss (Robert Wisdom) that got him there. And as the teaser indicates, Barry Berkman is not finished yet. Into the yard phone Barry declares, “So help me God, if I get out of here, I’m coming for you.” Now, there is another question that needs to be answered, just who is Barry coming for? The clip reminds us that all the players are still around. Not only is there Gene C. & Jim M. but Barry has cause to want a piece of Monroe Fuches (Stephen Root) and NoHo Hank (Anthony Carrigan). But it couldn’t be a call-out to Sally Reed (Sarah Goldberg)? I mean, he might want to connect with her, but not in that tone of voice, right?
I must agree that this upcoming season does seem like the logical time to end BARRY. It could have ended with Season Three, but it is nicer to tie up all the plot threads a little neater with this last run. Besides, it’s been told that Hader & Berg had time on their hands during the pandemic to write out the third & fourth seasons before they could get Season Three underway. They thought it through, it all works, and HBO, according to Amy Gravitt, VP of Comedy programming it is all good. She states, “Every decision that he’s made about the story or the jump between seasons, has made sense — so I had to go with his gut on that. Obviously, now that we’re here, we’re feeling sentimental about it. But it really does feel like it’s the right time to finish the show.”
Indeed there are questions to be answered before this story can be wrapped up. We await the final season of BARRY beginning with two new episodes SUNDAY, APRIL 16 (10:00-11:00 pm ET/PT) on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max.
