‘Barry’ season 4 rave reviews: Bill Hader’s direction ‘remains a highlight of any series on TV’

On April 16, HBO launches the fourth and final season of its hit comedy series “Barry.” Bill Hader executive produces, directs, writes and stars in the nine-time Emmy-winning show. In the season opener we see Barry Berkman (Hader) call up his acting teacher, Gene Cousineau (Henry Winkler), from prison. Even though Gene is responsible for Barry’s arrest, it’s his forgiveness the sociopathic killer seeks first. 

Season 4 kicks off with rave reviews, holding fresh at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. The critics’ consensus reads, “What began as a macabre comedy is now close to completely shorn of genuine mirth, but Bill Hader’s masterful indictment of stardom closes the curtain with one hell of an encore.” The ensemble cast includes Anthony Carrigan, Sarah Burns, Sarah Goldberg and Stephen Root. Read our full review round-up below.

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Bill Goodykoontz of Arizona Republic laments that this is the last season writing, “Hader, known mostly as a comedic actor after his lengthy stint on ‘Saturday Night Live,’ was not the first actor you’d think of as a stone-cold killer, but his performance is so genuine that you never doubt for an instant that Barry could carry out the hits he does.” Picking up where it left off, Barry has been apprehended to the shock of his friends after being set up by his former teacher. “Hader directs all seven episodes screened for critics, and wrote two of them. His direction remains a highlight of the series — of any series on TV, for that matter. It’s innovative, surprising and sympathetic, while never turning away from the brutality the show demands.”

Clint Worthington of RogerEbert.com writes, “’Barry,’ the impeccable dark comedy from Bill Hader and Alec Berg about a hitman grasping onto normalcy through the absurd dream of an acting career, has only grown more complex as its run has continued—morphing ever so gradually from ‘Get Shorty’ to ‘Breaking Bad’ with each new season. And in its closing chapters, ‘Barry’ grows ever closer to Vince Gilligan’s ruminations on the inextricable links between ego and violence, in ways that may just surprise you.” The cast is praised, especially Hader, before the review concludes, “It’s hardly an original premise, but it’s hard to think of a show that explores it with as deft and devilish a hand as ‘Barry.'”

SEE ‘Barry’ returns for final season: What lies ahead for TV’s favorite tragic hitman?

Ryan McQuade of AwardsWatch says the Season 3 finale “sets the stage for the acclaimed HBO comedy-drama to go down a wildly hilarious yet emotionally cathartic path to a truly spectacular finale season, cementing its legacy as one of the greatest shows of the last century.” He adds, “Goldberg provides her best work on the series to date as she showcases Sally slowly losing herself, as the world that has chewed her up and spit her back out, leaving her completely vulnerable, longing for someone to give her the unconditional love and attention she deserves.” McQuade concludes, “At a time when multiple shows are going out on a high note and ending their series before many expected, ‘Barry’ stands head and shoulders above them all and not only remains one of the best shows currently on television but now can rank as one of the best shows HBO has ever released and one of the best shows of the 21st century. Hader and Berg have stuck the landing with this final season and delivered something special that we will be talking about for years to come.”

Chris Evangelista of Slashfilm praises the dark comedy, noting, “When this final season goes for comedy, it’s very funny. But the pervasive bleakness is always there, and there’s a thick, inky darkness hovering over everything. I don’t just mean in a visual sense — although Hader, who directs the entire final season himself, is adept at embracing dark, ominous spaces that create a tiny pit of dread in our stomachs.” In conclusion, “There’s really never been anything like ‘Barry’ on TV, and while I’ll be sad to see the show go, I’m thrilled Hader and Berg realized that the story has gone as far as it can. It’s time for Barry’s final curtain call, and the results will leave you shocked and speechless on multiple occasions.”

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