The good thing about binging TV is that you can go straight from the first season to the next where other people would have to wait for years to do that. When I watched the first season of "Barry" in a day, I was so glad that I knew I'd be able to just go straight into the next episode and see where it all picked up after that awesome cliffhanger. The second season premiered about a year after the release of the first season and from the first episode, it's clear that the writers have not forgotten what the hit show is all about.
The episode was written by Alec Berg and Bill Hader, and they seem to have a perfect handle on what the show is all about. It's about the dark aspects of human life and how we can channel that in our profession, and how we stand up to our fears. Obviously, that is all underneath of heavy pound of laughter that is spread throughout the show, but it's still very much in its core. This first episode of the second season could easily be seen as a very depressing half hour of television, but I found it so hilarious. Maybe it's because I'm Danish and my humor has always been a bit dark, but if that is the case, I'm thankful for that. I thought they pulled away a bit from Barry's more serious side and made him a little more energetic in this episode, which is a natural progression to his character, but came on a little strong in the first few scenes. However, they pulled it back straight and managed to go a fine line and make it all feel like where we left off in the first season. I also felt like Gene got a little too emotional over the loss of a girl that he barely knew, but it was clear that he was very much in love with her by the end of the first season, so that's another nitpick I can easily look past. This is a great show, and this return shows great promise for an explosive season.
"The Show Must Go On, Probably?" is a great return to the world of "Barry." It manages to reintroduce all the characters in the places we would expect them to be, but also throw in a few surprised that tease what will probably be a season of great mystery and extreme fun in the end.
