Barry: Past Equals Present x Future Over Yesterday

April 14, 2019 9:20 PM - Season 2, Episode 3

This week on HBO's flagship Sunday night show: As part of a class project, Gene tasks Barry with revisiting his past, and Sally reflects on her own history; Barry offers to provide training to Noho Hank's men; Fuches finds Barry in an unexpected location.

Adam Chitwood interviews Bill Hader at Collider: Bill Hader on ‘Barry’ Season 2 Episode 3 and Not Having a Master Plan

posted by JimBennett (2 comments total)

I have mixed feelings about the flashbacks structure; yes, war fucks people up, but that's not particularly original ground to be treading?

There's often a slight whiff of smartest-guy-in-the-room arrogance to Barry; that he maybe believes that his hypercomptence at one specific thing carries over into everything else? Did he really believe that nobody would recognize the Braveheart speech?

I think we're heading towards a reveal that Sally's truth is also unreliable.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 11:42 AM on April 15, 2019 [2 favorites]

There was a little "inside the episode" clip, where Alec Berg and Bill Hader talk about this episode focusing on how people re-create the past that they want when they tell stories. Taking that in mind, it's less "smartest guy in the room," I saw Barry's Braveheart monologue as him being generally uncreative.

Is he trying to be an actor because this is what Sally likes, so if he does what Sally likes, they can spend more time together? Or is it his attempt to find a way to be human and funny, while hiding his past and recent activities? Does he enjoy being someone else, as long as that someone is not violent? Or is he just continuing to do a thing that is kind of fun, and spend time with people who like him, not because he's a great sniper, but because he's a pretty good guy? His best acting was after he shot his army buddy.
posted by filthy light thief at 11:52 AM on April 16, 2019 [4 favorites]