It's always terrible when a show unexpectedly ends, even when it's a deliberate decision by the people who make it. HBO's Barry has celebrated a three-season run full of acclaim and awards, but the ride is ending with Season 4. Some fans may see that as a bad thing and perhaps even unnecessary. While I'm definitely disappointed, I also honestly think it's for the best that the show is coming to an end.
It may seem silly, especially given that Bill Hader and Alec Berg made a story about an assassin becoming an actor an amazing show. You'd think they'd want to ride that wagon until the wheels fall off, but they are content with letting it come to a natural conclusion before the viewers decide for them. That's a great idea for more reasons than one.
I Don't Want Barry To Jump The Shark
Barry has some pretty wild stuff happen. Throughout its run, however, it's played out about how I'd expect it to in real life. While Barry got away with a lot of murder for a while, the house of cards came crashing down when he was finally arrested for the murder of Janice Moss at the end of Season 3. Season 4 picks up with him behind bars, and frankly, that's exactly what I want to see.
Had Barry went on for several more seasons, it would've likely had to continue the storyline of him constantly evading accusations of being a murderer. Much like what Dexter showed late in its first run, that premise can get stale. Barry was captured before the series ever had that chance, and now we're headed into Season 4 with Barry adjusting to life in prison.
I won't champion Barry as the most realistic series on television, but it did always tend to ground things enough so that its most ridiculous parts were viewed as such by those outside of Barry's day-to-day criminal activities. Pushing the show further would've run the risk of jumping the shark. Ironically enough, that phrase was coined thanks to Happy Days, in which Henry Winkler's Fonzie jumped over a shark on water skis. It's a good thing Barry is ending before Gene has to do something similar.
Bill Hader Found The Natural Ending For Barry
Bill Hader recently talked about how he figured out the ending for Barry, and while he could've padded things out with more content and storylines, he felt that what he created for the ending is what moved the show forward. That's my favorite argument for ending the HBO series because it's what I've loved about Barry since the very beginning. Should any series just run indefinitely in 2023 just because it can?
Barry shouldn't because that's never how the show has operated. Every single episode of this series has progressed the story forward and featured meaningful development for each character. There's not a single episode you can skip in the series without missing some key bit of information that will become relevant later in the story.
So imagine if Bill Hader had suddenly decided to fluff out the story despite knowing he had the ending ready to go. The odds of fans getting more forgettable and unnecessary episodes would undoubtedly increase, and the show could even take a dip in quality. A terrible final season can tarnish an entire show's legacy, and HBO knows that well enough already.
I'd much rather see Barry end before I'm ready for it to do so, as opposed for it to dip in quality by stretching things out. Of course, there are plenty of shows that have managed to stretch out their endings with success, but few have had as much forward progression as this show. As such, I just don't think it would feel normal for the show to take detours now if it doesn't have to.
Barry Ending Will Allow Bill Hader And The Cast To Make Other Series
As sad as it will be for Barry to end, I'm absolutely ready to see what's next for Bill Hader after it's over. Sure, he's done some voice work and smaller roles, but he has been pretty committed to Barry since its inception. That's worked out pretty well for him, as his portrayal of Barry Berkman has earned him two Emmy awards for Best Actor over two seasons.
The same can be said of Sarah Goldberg, who celebrated a breakout role in Barry as Sally. No doubt her next career move following the show's end will be a big one, as she's given a great and nuanced performance of Barry's love interest. I'm eager to see what she'll do next, and I will definitely check it out.
And while I primarily knew Anthony Carrigan through his creepy role as Gotham villain Victor Zsasz, I don't think I'm going to see him any other way than NoHo Hank going forward. In fact, I'm hoping that while Barry has to end, we'll still get a shot at a Hank-centric spinoff. I guess that'll depend on where things end up for his character at the end of this season.
I'm Still Very Sad That Barry Is Ending
I can rationalize the decision to end Barry and why this is best for everyone all day long, but at the end of the day, I'm still sad to see it go. It's not often these days that we get a show as creative and as unique as this one, and it could be a while before we get another like it again. On the one hand, I will definitely not miss the anxious feelings I had watching Season 3, but on the other, I do wish Bill Hader would've found the ending for the series sometime closer to Season 7.
Season 4 of Barry will premiere on HBO Sunday, April 16th. Now would be a great time to binge the entire series right now, but you'll need an HBO Max subscription to make that happen. I know that I'm definitely going to re-watch Seasons 1 and 2 immediately but I may need to pace myself while going through the chaos that is Season 3 again.
