HBO's "Barry" With Bill Hader

[Mojochi]

Well, I just finished the finale, & I actually quite enjoyed season 1 of this show. I'm fairly fond of Bill Hader, & I've found some of his abilities as a comedic actor to be really impressive. So, while I never expected him to do anything I could take seriously, this seems like a good fit

They infuse their dark comedy with an insanity that makes it rather realistically believable. Every character is a parody but they don't necessarily play it for laughs, & in truth, the real people these parody stereotypes are based on actually do act very much like them. It's not so over the top.

The actors play them so convincingly & earnestly, & the production slides quietly into the drama so nonchalantly, that you can buy it being real. In the world we inhabit today, it just isn't that big of a leap to think something so completely off the rails, as the people & events of this show, is possible, & they do a good job of presenting what should be total madness to an audience as though it's plausible lol

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I've seen probably half of the season including the finale. I think it's okay but it doesn't really compel me to watch more if it's not directly in between two of my favorite shows next run.

I feel like it's not quite funny enough or not quite well written enough to make me root for murderers, and I think its take on morality is a little too simplistic. But it is funny.

 

[Mojochi]

I feel like it's not quite funny enough or not quite well written enough to make me root for murderers, and I think its take on morality is a little too simplistic. But it is funny.

Yeah, I don't root for murders either. In fact, in the case of the finale, I don't think we should've been. I actually don't think the show intends for us to root for murders, like the darkest of dark comedies might. They happen, & in that, we have dramatic context & some comedic context too

It's quirky. It's like Dexter set to the tune of Fargo, in that respect, but I'll admit... not quite as good as either of those shows' best work yet.

It's the cast I'm enjoying the most, for sure, & when you say its take on morality is simplistic... I can see that, but that take is presented through the characters, & frankly, these characters are parodies, & parody is very base. So, complex morality is probably not in the cards for them. I mean most of the characters are based on some of the most shallow & superficial types of people there are, who's idea of "Generous" is not stealing a scene from their acting partner lol. I'm not sure they have anything BUT simplistic morality hahaha

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I guess, I just think a show has to check at least one box for flaws to be ignorable. It can be REALLY funny, it can have REALLY great writing or REALLY fun characters.

It is just kind of above average in all those categories and because it isn’t just amazing in at least one of them, the flaws really jump out.

 

[RPOW0614]

Good show. Bill Hader is excellent in this. I don't like his love interest, she's a little boring. Henry Winkler is awesome as always.

 

[Mojochi]

Good show. Bill Hader is excellent in this. I don't like his love interest, she's a little boring. Henry Winkler is awesome as always.

It isn't just that she's boring. She's shallow, much like some LA actor types are, & that makes for some boring stuff as the female lead. With the way the finale played out, I suspect she won't have the luxury of continuing to be. She's got to get embroiled in this, & then you get to see what the character really is. She's got growth coming. It's inescapable

Henry Winkler is a lot of fun, albeit superficially. Stephen Root is a wonder to watch as well

 

[Turd Ferguson]

I like Bill Hader and Henry Winkler, but I think the standout is Anthony Carrigan as NoHo Hank (which he is also great in Gotham as Mr. Zsasz)