By Josh Nason
If I asked most people what they think of first when it comes to Bill Hader, it’s probably a gif of Stefon from Saturday Night Live. That’s a shame because the brilliantly comedic actor is also a hell of a dramatic actor and I’m not talking about Cat in a Hat.
What I am talking about is Barry, an HBO series that ran for four seasons and 32 episodes from 2018-2023.
In this Should You Watch, I’ll cut to the chase. You should watch this show and this is why.
Should You Watch Barry (HBO Max)?
How many seasons?
Four.
How many episodes?
32.
What type of show is it?
Dramedy.
What year(s)?
2018-2023.
Where can I currently find it?
HBO Max.
Who is it for?
People that love dark comedies that deal with some serious sh*t.
What’s the main plot in a sentence?
A former military man turned mercenary explores his dream of becoming an actor but his old way of life doesn’t want to let him go.
What’s the commit level?
Around 16.5 hours total but most of the episodes are around 30 minutes which makes this very bingeable. If you skip whatever preview HBO adds plus the credits, you can cut just over an hour of total time.
Is there a bailout episode?
I’d suggest giving this 2-3 episodes.
Any interesting background in the show’s creation?
Not a lot. It got a pilot order in January 2016 and a full season order six months later. It was co-created by Hader and Alec Berg of Seinfeld and Silicon Valley. Whenever I hear his name, I think of how Jerry Seinfeld pronounced it on the show. Anyway, Hader directed all of season eight.
Are there actors the average TV watcher would recognize?
Bill Hader, Stephen Root, Henry Winkler
What was the reaction?
Tremendous on Rotten Tomatoes with a 98/89 split for the series average while it has an 88 score (universal acclaim!) on Metacritic for the series average with s3 and s4 scoring the highest.
Hader and Winkler each won Emmys (Hader won two) with the series winning several Creative Arts Emmys along with wins for other lesser known awards. The show also got dozens of other award nominations during its run but never a best comedy series Emmy win which is a shame.
In total, 47 Primetime Emmy wins & 205 nominations total. Yes, 205.
What’s the rewatch factor?
High. This is worth at least one rewatch during your lifetime.
If you like these shows or movies, you’ll like this:
Curb Your Enthusiasm, Better Call Saul, Widow’s Bay
Is this a first or second screen show?
First, first, first, first.
Should you watch Barry?
100%.
Barry hits all the marks for a great modern TV show: HBO Sunday night prestige, notable stars, great production team, short, funny and full of action. It’s near perfect.
I can’t write enough words about how much my view on Hader changed after this. Comedians/funny people moving into serious roles are hit and miss, but Hader killed it playing Barry Berkman, an incredibly complex character who adds more complexity in his life while also trying to simplify it. I couldn’t see anyone else playing Berkman and I wonder if this was his apex when it comes to serious roles. Hopefully not.
It’s also great to see Winkler continue to show people he is more than just The Fonz from Happy Days. He’s got the comedic chops to play the eccentric drama teacher that befriends Barry and his story becomes an integral one for the overall story. And then, there’s Root who is Berkman’s intense father figure and mercenary handler who doesn’t like his charge’s new turn in life.
The key members of the supporting cast, while small, are so important. Sarah Goldberg’s Sally Reed is Barry’s love interest while Anthony Carrigan’s NoHo Hank is a friend/antagonist/wolf in sheep’s clothing/good guy/not so good guy that you’ll never forget. The Barry/Sally relationship is one to behold and has its own twists where the intentions of the characters are muddled.
So, that’s that. Barry is must watch TV and the second N’Ace Award winner, aka my version of Certified Fresh, joining Station Eleven. I should probably get a page going for that, huh?
