Barry - Series Premiere Review

This review of the series premiere of Barry is spoiler-free!

It seems like every week I'm looking into new series that are cropping up, HBO has something coming out that piques my interest. In the past I've talked about how HBO has been the home of some of the best drama series like The Wire, Sopranos, and Game of Thrones. But, one thing I've managed to let slip my mind is HBO's take on the half-hour tv show. The most well known piece by HBO in this department is Silicon Valley, but now we have another series promising to take over. Barry stars Bill Hader, the SNL alum who is by far one of the most memorable members of the cast in recent memory. Promising a different story than what we're used to in half-hour comedies, can Barry live up to the HBO brand?

Barry is about the low-tier hitman Barry Berkamn, who has become depressed and saddened by his daily work. Sure it pays well, but he feels like he's leading an empty life that's giving him no true joy. When he's forced to go to Los Angeles to eliminate a man who is sleeping with a mob boss' wife, Barry stumbles upon his saving grace. While tailing the man he discovers an acting class and is drawn in by the upbeat and hopeful attitude that comes from it. Here he meets Sally, a fellow aspiring actor who tries to push him to become better. While Barry thinks he finally found his calling, his handler Fuches tries to put him back into the work he knows. For a show that promises to be a comedy, there's actually a lot of serious subject matter here. I can see this show following in a vein of Bojack Horseman, a show that is a comedy on the surface, but tackles deeper themes in the longer term. For a premiere, Barry promises an excellent story that won't feel stretched out over it's first season.

So being that we're only one episode into Barry, we don't have that many characters to really talk about. So since this is the case, let's talk about our lead, Barry. Bill Hader plays Barry with a sadness and emotional emptiness that makes you genuinely feel for the situation he has been placed in. Essentially he's been forced into a life that he is good at but gets no enjoyment from, and you can see that every time Barry is on the job. When he discovers the acting world, it's a completely different person we see on screen, and Hader's ability to flip the script and show a character whose full of joy and happiness, but also confusion is powerful for the character and the story. If I were to telegraph other characters who may become major parts of the story, I most definitely expect Sally, the woman he meets at class, to take a major role in the season and Barry's life.

If I'm going to be looking into the future of what I want from Barry's 1st season, it most definitely would focus in on those secondary themes of depression and sadness. While Barry can and will most definitely choose to stay the course as a comedy, I would love the see the overall story focus in on the battling emotions he faces on a daily basis. It's that emotional push and pull that he faces on a daily basis that will make me want to come back every week and see just what is going on with this character. Along with this, I would love to see how Barry's life affects those around him, and how he chooses to handle the mounting pressures of duality in his life.

I see a bright future for Barry through it's first season. Bill Hader's post SNL career promises to be something to watch out for, and this show is a great first step out into the great beyond for him. For those of us who want to watch more half-hour content, this is one show that is a must see and something that definitely can help quell that feeling of emptiness many HBO fans feel while waiting for Game of Thrones. If the show continues to keep up the quality of character development and storytelling that it presented in the pilot, Barry's first season will be stellar. Check out Barry as soon as you can!

8.5/10