There’s bittersweet news from HBO HQ this week. The killer-comedy Barry will return for its fourth but final series this April.
The crime-drama first hit TV screens in 2018, with its now signature bold red title-treatment and horn-filled snippet of Charles Bradley’s ‘Change for the World’ announcing its arrival with a bang. What followed–fictional hitman Barry Berkman’s (Bill Hader) somewhat bumpy journey from cold-blooded killer to promising LA actor–proved to be fertile ground for a bleak style of comedy that skewered the toxicity of Hollywood and the tropes of the ‘hitman with a heart’.
Captured perfectly in an Emmy-award winning performance from co-creator Bill Hader, Barry dials into his emotions during his newfound hobby (acting classes) giving him genuine opportunities for introspection and growth. And yet, leaving his old life behind proves to be hard work. The consequences of his actions reverberate throughout Barry’s three seasons, with Hader keen to create what he saw as a “contained epic” in the vein of a Tolstoy novel. The reluctant assassin wants a fresh start, but as Hader points out “as you write it, you go, “Oh, no – I don’t know if that’s gonna happen”.
Returning for the arresting final act is the rejuvenated Henry Winkler as Barry’s acting coach Gene (also an Emmy winner) and the wonderful Sarah Goldberg as his aspiring actress girlfriend Sally. We are also set to see the return of Barry’s ensemble cast of eccentric characters including Chechen mafia-man NoHo Hank (Anthony Carrigan) and old-friend/foe Monroe Fuches (Stephen Root). Yet with Barry behind bars, precisely what this last season will focus on is hard to pin down. What we do know is that this critically acclaimed show will have no problem taking its last steps down a dark path.
You can watch season one to three of Barry on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, or Now TV.
Words by Jeremy Arblaster
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