Barry
Barry Season 3 Early Review: Bill Hader’s best acting work ever
Early Review: A+. Bill Hader’s acting range in Barry Season 3 is a thing of wonder. Seamlessly transitioning from downright, terrifying rage to laid back, smooth casual. From unfeeling, calculated iceman to crying emotional wreck.
Without revealing too much, at one point this season, you genuinely forget you’re watching a TV series. Barry Berkman’s rough screaming is raw, unpolished, and non-Hollywood. It feels real. You start wondering how many veteran soldiers have been forced to hide & mask their PTSD for acceptance back to ‘regular’ society.
This Barry Season 3 review contains minor spoilers.
The dark comedy satire of the superficial TV & film industry in Los Angeles remains as sharp as ever in Barry Season 3. Props like an iPhone app with a digital red button to set off a bomb straight out of a Looney Tunes/James Bond mashup keep the show fresh, hilarious, and modern. But make no mistake, this is without a doubt the darkest of all three seasons. It’s not even close. In terms of chilling somberness, it’s not even in the same hemisphere as past seasons.
Bill Hader as aspiring actor Barry Berkman in Barry Season 3 Episode 1. Photograph by Merrick Morton/HBOPhotograph by Merrick Morton/HBO
The harder Barry Berkman tries to reintegrate to normal society, to develop into a better human being… The more the past claws him right back to his abyss, pulling him several miles further down than before. Every move to try to fix things with those he sees as his would be saviors from his secret life, backfires.
Bill Hader as Barry Berkman in Barry Season 3 Episode 1. Photograph by Merrick Morton/HBOPhotograph by Merrick Morton/HBO
Barry Berkman’s complete, open desperation and misunderstanding of what he can and cannot say to a Sarah Reed or Gene Cousineau is reminiscent of Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver. In Taxi Driver, De Niro takes his date to a ‘mature’ movie theater if you get the drift, and doesn’t understand why she flees in disgust.
Sarah Goldberg (Sally Reed) and Elsie Fisher in Barry Season 3 Episode 1. Photograph by Merrick Morton/HBOPhotograph by Merrick Morton/HBO
Barry’s suggestions to help Sally Reed in ways that can’t be spoken of in ‘regular’ society channels that. His discussions with former acting class teacher Gene Cousineau are also of this variety.
During one scene, even NoHo Hank is perplexed on why Barry would come talk to him at all, looking for work after the monastery rampage. Perhaps, Monroe Fuchs truly knew best why Barry needed to be reigned in. Like Chuck McGill and Jimmy on Better Call Saul.
Fuchs by the way, reveals a different side of himself this season. Without going into spoiler territory, you’ll be surprised again and again about Monroe Fuchs in Barry Season 3.
Nevertheless, Barry Berkman is lost without a Fuchs-like shepherd or real work. Having no real purpose sends Barry from simple depression & apathy playing Xbox on the couch to total mania. When Berkman starts to imagine seeing blood streaming from imaginary bullet holes on people’s foreheads this season, you know he’s lost it. The other parties are none the wiser, casually speaking and laughing, unaware of Barry’s PTSD.
Emmy Nominations Incoming
Bill Hader and Alec Berg have another winner in Barry Season 3, you can be assured Barry Berkman’s screaming outburst will garner Emmy nominations. Hader’s acting work this season is sensation and is akin to Jon Bernthal’s portrayal as veteran in The Punisher. Expect Sarah Goldberg to gain a nomination herself for Sally Reed, although we can’t reveal why yet.
Henry Winkler as Gene Cousineau in Barry Season 3 Episode 1. Photograph by Merrick Morton/HBOPhotograph by Merrick Morton/HBO
The final scene in tonight’s premiere episode “forgiving jeff” between Bill Hader and Henry Winkler will have you on the edge of your seat. Can’t wait for next week’s episode type of stuff. Don’t miss the darkest comedy on TV when it returns Sunday, April 24 at 10 pm on HBO. Perhaps, Bill Hader’s finest acting work on television.
Barry Season 3 Episode 1 Synopsis
“Barry searches the dark web for jobs; Sally, now the creator and star of her own show, begins to feel the pressures of success; Noho Hank braves his first big test in interrogation; Gene ruminates over Fuches’ crushing reveal.”
Season 3 premiere episode “forgiving jeff” is directed by Bill Hader and written by Alec Berg & Bill Hader.
Barry Season 3 Episode 1 Photo Gallery
Barry Season 3 Premiere Trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yx6AS0zzfGM
Barry Season 3 Cast Members
NoHo Hank (Anthony Carrigan) in Barry Season 3 Episode 1. Photograph by Merrick Morton/HBOPhotograph by Merrick Morton/HBO
Confirmed Returning:
Bill Hader as Barry Berkman / Barry Block
Stephen Root as Monroe Fuches
Henry Winkler as Gene Cousineau
Sarah Goldberg as Sally Reed
Anthony Carrigan as NoHo Hank
Sarah Burns as Detective Mae Dunn
John Pirruccello as Detective John Loach
Michael Irby as Cristobal Sifuentes
Elsie Fisher
Barry Season 3 Premiere Live Stream: How to Watch Online
Monroe Fuches (Stephen Root) in Barry Season 3 Episode 1.
Release Date: Sunday, April 24
Air Time: 10:00 p.m. ET
Episode: “forgiving jeff”
TV Channel: HBO
Barry Live Stream: HBO MAX.
Live Streaming Quality: HD Quality
Episode Length / Running Time: 29 Minutes
More coverage of Barry Season 3:
– Be sure to check our Barry live stream info for tonight’s episode “forgiving jeff”.
– Catch up on last season with our Barry Season 2 Finale recap: ‘berkman > block’ is darkest episode yet
– Discuss your theories with fellow Barry fans on our brand new Barry Forum. There’s a “forgiving jeff” discussion topic to live chat during the S3 premiere tonight. Register today!.
– Read Barry Season 2 Episode 7 review: Outstanding, from satire to tense drama
– Go to the Barry articles section for more news, reviews, and recaps of the HBO TV series.
