I got you Barry.

The Bill Hader led HBO show, Barry, returns for a fourth and final season, along with a two episode premiere that very well may be one of the best season premieres I have ever witnessed. It’s always amazed me how easily it is to root for the admittedly evil character that is Barry, and it is no different in these two episodes. Let me fill in the gaps on why you should be watching the best unknown show on television and discuss why this premiere got everything just right on Gaber’s Two Cents.

For those who don’t know, let me try and do the most simple summary possible before diving in too deep. Barry, an ex military sniper, does work as a hitman for an old family friend named Fuches. After being contracted to kill an amateur actor residing in LA, Barry stumbles upon a session of his targets acting class. after discovering that his real purpose is being an actor, not a killer, Barry attempts to balance both lives with disastrous results. The initial hook of the show is how disconnected Barry is from conventional social norms and society as a whole. Acting sparks a light inside of him and retethers whatever remaining pieces of a soul that Barry has left. After all Barry has done, he still genuinely believes that he deserves a normal life, and the lengths in which he goes to secure that is what is predominantly explored in the show.

Now that exposition is out of the way, spoilers are ahead down below… you have been warned.

Spoilers Below

Season four picks up directly where season three left off. Barry is in prison after being deceived by his acting coach, Mr. Cousineau, and is struggling to adjust in the one place he thought he would never be. Barry has always looked to Cousineau as a father figure since the show began, even when their relationship is eventually very much one sided, Barry still acted on what he believed to be the right thing to do. Cousineau’s growth since first appearing has been exponential, and to see him antagonistically juxtaposed to Barry is one of the more gripping aspects of the show. Henry Winkler’s work as Cousineau is stellar, and makes me hopeful that he will be able to get more villain roles in the future.

So that’s Cousineau’s deal, but what about Sally? I mean she did join Barry as a murderer last season when fighting off the biker that attacked her. We are given our first look into her home life as she visits her family back in Joplin, Missouri, and we finally observe why Sally shares so much resentment for her mother. Sally has always been my least favorite character on the show, albeit that is the entire point of her character. Barry’s selfless nature contrasts perfectly to the self obsessed character that is Sally Reed. Like her mother, Sally must be the center of attention, which is why Barry and her fit so perfectly. Since Sally is the key to what he sees as having a normal life, no selfish action or harsh comment can dissuade Barry’s twisted vision on what he believes as perfection. This is no different in the premiere as Sally refuses to accept Barry’s call from prison and only visits him when she believes that she might be arrested for her involvement. Sally’s prison is Barry, and Barry’s utopia is Sally.

In who is arguably the true villain of the show, Fuches is a somewhat changed man since we saw him last. Quiet and reserved, something the character is not known for, Fuches is out of his element in prison. With no prospects lined up, or manpower do to his bidding, Fuches has no ears listening to him. This makes the already vulnerable man, realize he brings no real value to the table. That is until spotting Barry in prison. These two go way back, and it seemed that their dreadful setting may have been enough to reform their fractured friendship. that is until Barry pulled a page out of Fuche’s playbook and decides to talk with the FBI in exchange for being with Sally. The one time it seems as if Fuches opened up to someone, he is betrayed on a whim. Ironic in the sense that Fuche’s strongest characteristic is being able to sever social ties with no regret and limited emotion. I doubt this is the end for Fuches, but for the time being he sure as hell got what he deserved.

Alright alright, last two characters to check on are fan favorites, Hank and Cristobal. After having saved Cristobal from the clutches of his drug lord wife, Hank and Cristobal have a plan to go straight and have a financially successful venture that doesn’t involve chaos and murder. However, their happiness is interrupted once Hank learns that his old friend Barry has been arrested. Eager to break him out, Cristobal and Hank have very different views on what to do. That is until Hank realizes Barry is talking with the cops. After finally having the potential of a happy life with Cristobal, it’s obvious that Barry will once again lead a friend to their downfall, a recurring theme throughout all three seasons of the show.

The definition of insanity, is doing the same action repeatedly and expecting different results. Every central character on Barry fits this archetype. No matter what, it seems as if everyone is chasing their own tail without an end in sight. Barry is the same old dog with some new tricks, and it has no right to keep being as stellar as it is. That’s why I have decided to go with this particular Cent Score.

Cent Score: 5 Cents

A creative triumph that has it all, perfection never looked so good.

Thanks for checking out this weeks Film & TV post, feel free to tap that thumb’s up button down below and subscribe if you want to be notified for new posts each week. Check back next week for an all new comic book piece. I’ll see you all next time on Gaber’s Two Cents.