Spoiler Warning for ‘Barry’ Season 3
“Barry” has proven itself to be one of the most impressive television shows in recent memory. With phenomenal acting, stellar cinematography, and brilliant direction, the HBO powerhouse deserves its 30 Emmy nominations and 6 wins. And with Season 3 just wrapped up (with stellar reception) the ending begs: Where does it go from here?
The finale leaves virtually every character in a drastically different place: Sally is going back to her hometown, Fuches is in the prison loop, NoHo Hank was forced to become a killer, and (here’s the biggie) Barry has been apprehended by the police. There’s truly no way of telling where this show will go from here, with so many people in different places and dozens of potential outcomes. And with the recent confirmation of Season 4, with Bill Hader writing and directing ALL episodes this time, here’s where we think “Barry” will go from here:
Barry
Bill Hader in “Barry” Season 3. (Photo: Alec Berg Productions).
The finale of “Barry” Season 3 came as a bit of a shock. The driving force of conflict this season has been Barry dealing with the relatives and friends of people he’s previously killed, thanks to former mentor Fuches siccing them on him for revenge. Gene, portrayed by Henry Winkler, is confronted by his former girlfriend’s father, who knows that Gene is aware that Barry murdered her. It’s an intense scene, leaving us to question if Gene will break or not. In the next scene, Gene calls Barry, frantic, saying that his late lover’s father must be killed, because he knows what Barry did. Our titular character arrives at the father’s house, gun to his head… and then, cops erupt into the room. Gene, his acting teacher, set him up. Cut to black, the finale ends.
Personally, I think this was a great move for the show to go. One of my favorite parts of the show is how lucky Barry is at times. After a shoot-out or battle, he often simply walks out of the situation. It displays his skill at blending in and how men like him can seem to get away with so much. But after three seasons, the suspension of disbelief runs a little thin, which is why him finally being locked up is a fantastic play. Now, instead of Barry’s comeuppances coming in the form of internal struggle with himself or interpersonal struggles with main characters, it will be on a larger scale. He will be branded as a killer. This opens the show up in huge ways.
An Arc for Barry
I think there could be two ways this will be implemented in the show. The easiest route is to have him go through the prison system. This is a natural next step, as not only will it be a solid punishment for the character, but this allows for him to interact with Fuches in an entirely different setting, which could be very interesting. By the end of the season, I would be willing to bet something will happen for him to be released (either a breakout or yet another case of Berkman luck), but for him to be in prison is the emotional catharsis we’ve all been waiting for.
But frankly, I think a second option would be even more interesting: Have it be a courtroom drama. “Barry” has always had a recurring theme about the human reaction to wild events. Its characters often act almost indifferent or dryly about deaths they’ve witnessed, or crimes they’ve watched Barry do. This theme can continue here, with Barry’s crimes becoming the case of the nation. Hell, with everyone’s obsession with serial killers, maybe Barry’s trial will go viral, with people on his side. I think this would be easily the more creative option, and opening the doors for a significant tonal shift. Either way, Barry is going through the ringer next season.
Sally
A scene from “Barry” Season 3. (Photo: Alec Berg Productions).
Sally’s character was definitely left off at an interesting place. Her arc this season covered her rise and fall of TV stardom, and her emancipation from Barry. By the time the finale has rolls around, she was forced to murder a man who came into Barry’s apartment. He was a relative of one of Barry’s victims, and almost killed him (and Sally by proxy). With no other choice, she had to knock him out, before going into a violent fit of rage and killing him. Now traumatized, Barry tells her to leave and he’ll take care of the body and meet up with her later, but she instead goes on a plane to Joplin, Missouri. Her hometown.
Now, what I thought was implied from that is Sally completely left the show. It would make sense: a failed acting career and a spur-of-the-moment murder would be adequate reason to leave and never come back. But apparently, some people on the Internet took it a different way. After having a taste for blood, she’s returning to her hometown to exact her revenge on her abusive ex-husband, Sam. I hope the latter is true. I think this character has much more to be explored, and this storyline is an exciting and morally turbulent one.
NoHo Hank
Anthony Carrigan in “Barry” Season 3. (Photo: Alec Berg Productions).
NoHo Hank is easily one of the more light-hearted characters in the show. But in this season…well for the most part stayed the same. He’s the same lovable character as always, but it’s fair to say that he definitely went through some darker moments this time around. In this season, he starts to date his Bolivian partner in crime, Cristobal, as the rest of the Bolivian mob gets in the way. By the end of the season, Cristobal is trapped back in his home country, forced to be the head of the family, and Hank is about to be executed by that very family who want to keep Hank and Cristobal apart. Hank ends up escaping, and murdering all the Bolivians before rescuing his loved one. While his actions were reasonable for the situation, I don’t see Hank and Cristobal not being traumatized by these events.
That being said, I think the logical next step is for them to settle down, and start a life away from the mob and violence. Only for their newfound freedom to be upended by Barry’s actions later in the season. This would cause some tension between Barry and Hank, even if the former is behind prison walls. It’s always fun to see Barry get hit by the guilt train at every angle.
Gene
Bill Hader and Henry Winkler in a scene from “Barry” Season 3. (Photo: Alec Berg Productions)
The performance of Gene Cousineau, the washed-up actor turned acting teacher, has always been one of my favorites. Starting off as a fairly comedic character, but then turning very depressed after the murder of Janice, he’s depicted such a range that we haven’t really seen from Winkler before. Gene’s decision to give up Barry at the end of this season — even with the latter’s threats and just overall bad vibes surrounding him — is a major turning point for the character.
As for his arc next season, though, I don’t see it being too crazy. He established his successful show already, and with Barry out of the picture, I think he’ll feel generally free to live his life. And if anybody deserves that, it’s Gene M. Cousineau.
While Season 4 is a long way off, I think it’s safe to say that many fates of these characters are pretty undetermined. Nevertheless, I think these predictions are some good bets. But alas, we truly won’t know until it premieres.
Extras
You can watch a video essay for the show “Barry” by Gryphon Magnus Productions at the link below:
“Barry” is available to stream on HBO Max.
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