wow

Barry has always been a show that avoids conventional approaches. After the finale, we can safely say they stuck to that technique until the end.

I don't think anyone was expecting a happy ending to this show, even before season 4 came out, but the conclusion we did receive was even more chaotic than I expected. Once again, Barry keeps me on my toes for the better part of an hour and keeps me guessing until the last second.

Although I am obviously disappointed with how things went, I have to think that that's the point. The seedy world of Hollywood has always played a part in this show, and I'm not surprised it's twisted the ending into its favor. I was wonderfully sad- because that's what this show has always done best: tragedy. This is a no spoiler review, so I won't go into specifics, but almost nothing worked out the way I wanted. And I wouldn't have the show gone any other way.

The cinematography is as always top notch and expertly done. Look for symbolism everywhere and you'll probably find it. I'm sad to see it go, as this was one of the tensest and most creatively produced shows I've ever watched. Farewell, Barry! We loved ya!

Last episode left us with so many unanswered questions and many thought it would be difficult to tie up all lose ends in just one episode. But the writers have done it again. They continue to surprise and make us laugh until the credits roll. A very fitting ending for this show. Every character's arch has been completed. Have we ever witnessed a finale like this before? Unpredictable and funny.

It's funny while also being serious. The characters decisions make sense and everything that has happened the past four seasons has led to this. Was there any other way it could end? Not this show. A great ending to a very unique show we have had the luxary of enjoying these past years.

It's always nice to see a show with a vision end on its own terms. Barry's final episode felt like the culmination of the entire show in a well crafted, tightly paced 35 minute finale that wrapped up all the loose ends and reminded us why this story was so amazing in the first place.

Barry is about A LOT, despite it's somewhat paint-by-numbers premise of an assassin trying to "get good" and embracing acting classes to restart his life. This show could've gone in so many directions, but the one it chose was, in my opinion, the right one. Barry is a tale about morality, about the human capacity (or lack thereof) to change, about justice and fairness. It's about Hollywood and how it acts as a magnet to attract the most selfish and narcissistic amongst us.

Barry is also a story about characters and this season represents the reckoning for all of them. Every character is embroiled in some sort of interesting moral dilemma that tests their character. Sally, Hank, Cousineau, Fuches, and of course Barry, are all put in situations where they can make a choice to do what's right or do what's expedient for them. Their actions have consequences and it's amazing to see these characters - many of whom started off as comedic and stereotypical (on purpose) grow and mature to become so complicated and fleshed out.

This season is also amongst the most visually, narratively, and cinematographically interesting of the show; it elevates the material with interesting storytelling and visual choices, a slow pace that the show knows when to snap out of, perfectly timed comedy, and a zany (but not over the top) vibe that straddles the line between comedy and tragedy.

I do prefer Season 3, which I contend is still Barry's best. The season does seem to run out of narrative steam at a point and doesn't have as much of the plot building that the last season had. But honestly, this show ended about as greatly as it could've.

When it was announced that this was going to be the final season for "Barry," and that it would premiere on the same day as the finale of "Succession," I immediately prepared myself for a day that would come with a lot of force. "Barry" is a show that didn't initially catch my interest, but which quickly became one of the most entertaining parts of my week, especially as the season's grew stronger and stronger. This hasn't been the strongest season, but this was exciting. And it went out like it began; as a show that subverts expectations to make the best result it could.

If there was any doubt that this was the finale, it was erased pretty quickly. While the real meat of what happens doesn't come before later in, the silhouette of Barry walking out of a department store with two guns on his back in a sign that something is definitely coming. He's at the point-of-no-return and everything has lead him to this place, and the brilliant thing is that his climactic fight never happens. Instead, his character is offered an opportunity of redemption in this episode, but whether he's able to take it or whether he'll continue in his ways is something that's not so easily answered. But the episode attempts anyway and it leads to a very cathartic answer for Barry. The ending to his arc felt very deserved and earned, especially considering that the events of the season had been starting to paint him as a martyr, which may or may not still have been the case by the end. A lot has also been made about the final moments of the episode, and while I do see both perspectives, it felt like a weirdly satisfying way to finish off this show and it puts Barry in the light that he has always wanted to be seen in. However, there is an argument to be made that it doesn't feel all that earned and that it puts the entire show in a weird perspective, but for whatever reason, it worked for me and felt like a satisfying conclusion to an absolutely great show.

"wow" is an episode that is in tune with the rest of the show, continuously subverting our expectations and sending off our hero with style. It's certainly not without its criticism and the ending is a big point of division, but for me, it landed quite well and proved what the show has always been about.

Barry leaves with narrative satisfaction. Strong acting & writing from start to finish. You walk away asking the question that has lingered on the subconscious throughout the show: who was I rooting for & why? A show that never once became predictable or subject to cheap tricks. Raw, messed up, dark, ominous, funny, goofy. NoHo Hank remains an all-time character on tv. Bill Hader should be able to get any acting/writing/directing job he wants from here on it. Dude crushes it. Henry Winkler's best role. It feels designed for him. All things considered, a gripping & earned finale to tie a bow on a consistently fresh & unique show.