Season 2 Review: Barry season 2 takes what was great about the first season and makes it even better. The blend in tone, performances, writing, directing, cinematography, comedy, character work, everything works so well. Bill Hader is just such a talent in front of and behind the camera. He's incredibly creative and brings a unique feel through his directing that perfectly complements his writing. This season is bigger than the last, with multiple storylines going on with different characters and Barry involved in each of them to varying degrees. The way his character is used in all of these different places strikes a really good balance. I also really warmed up to a lot of the characters I didn't love in the first season. Characters like NoHo Hank came off as far too silly for me early on, but in this season I really warmed up to his character and his humor is one of the best parts of the entire series. Characters like Sally and Gene also got much better this season, and I was genuinely interested in their own arc and stories. The performances from literally everybody are so good, with Bill Hader leading the way once again. He absolutely sells this more reserved man who wants to be good but who can become genuinely scary when he gets angry. The nuance in his performance is phenomenal. The supporting players have plenty of moments to shine as well, such as Sarah Goldbergs, incredible monologue in episode 7. Every character is written with such depth and nuance and each of virtually all of them are compelling, as is their relationships with one another. This show also manages to balance pure entertainment with strong underlying themes. On one hand you get pure comedic and entertainment gold such as episode 5 (which is one of the absolute funniest and best single episodes of television I have ever seen), and on the other hand you get themes themes such as PTSD, obsession, abuse, and more which are conveyed with great complexity by all of the characters. The first two seasons of Barry also still manage to maintain a somewhat optimistic tone. Barry reminds me of Breaking Bad in some ways with its structure and storytelling. And just as watching Walter White break bad is compelling, it is also compelling to watch Barry attempt to break good, but eventually fail. Everything comes together in a truly insane and devastating final episode with an unhinged Barry who crosses a point of no return. The finale comes to an incredible head full of intensity and emotion, again, leaving me eager for more. My one complaint is that some serious moments sometimes feel a tad hollow because of the strong emphasis on comedy which sometimes undercuts the tone, but these moments are few and far between.
Review by Justin NumerickBlockedParent2023-05-05T16:31:50Z
Season 2 Review:
Barry season 2 takes what was great about the first season and makes it even better. The blend in tone, performances, writing, directing, cinematography, comedy, character work, everything works so well. Bill Hader is just such a talent in front of and behind the camera. He's incredibly creative and brings a unique feel through his directing that perfectly complements his writing. This season is bigger than the last, with multiple storylines going on with different characters and Barry involved in each of them to varying degrees. The way his character is used in all of these different places strikes a really good balance. I also really warmed up to a lot of the characters I didn't love in the first season. Characters like NoHo Hank came off as far too silly for me early on, but in this season I really warmed up to his character and his humor is one of the best parts of the entire series. Characters like Sally and Gene also got much better this season, and I was genuinely interested in their own arc and stories. The performances from literally everybody are so good, with Bill Hader leading the way once again. He absolutely sells this more reserved man who wants to be good but who can become genuinely scary when he gets angry. The nuance in his performance is phenomenal. The supporting players have plenty of moments to shine as well, such as Sarah Goldbergs, incredible monologue in episode 7. Every character is written with such depth and nuance and each of virtually all of them are compelling, as is their relationships with one another. This show also manages to balance pure entertainment with strong underlying themes. On one hand you get pure comedic and entertainment gold such as episode 5 (which is one of the absolute funniest and best single episodes of television I have ever seen), and on the other hand you get themes themes such as PTSD, obsession, abuse, and more which are conveyed with great complexity by all of the characters. The first two seasons of Barry also still manage to maintain a somewhat optimistic tone. Barry reminds me of Breaking Bad in some ways with its structure and storytelling. And just as watching Walter White break bad is compelling, it is also compelling to watch Barry attempt to break good, but eventually fail. Everything comes together in a truly insane and devastating final episode with an unhinged Barry who crosses a point of no return. The finale comes to an incredible head full of intensity and emotion, again, leaving me eager for more. My one complaint is that some serious moments sometimes feel a tad hollow because of the strong emphasis on comedy which sometimes undercuts the tone, but these moments are few and far between.
9.1/10 -- Excellent