Television Barry: The Final Season (HBO, 16 April 2023) - Official Trailer

[Greatoneshere]

Almost every good show I've ever watched hovers between 4 and 6 seasons. Less than 4 the show didn't get enough time to blossom and grow if it was good, and more than 6 usually the show has outstayed its welcome. Given how season 3 went and with how fast things have escalated this makes sense.

[Spork3245]

2 hours ago, Greatoneshere said:

Almost every good show I've ever watched hovers between 4 and 6 seasons. Less than 4 the show didn't get enough time to blossom and grow if it was good, and more than 6 usually the show has outstayed its welcome. Given how season 3 went and with how fast things have escalated this makes sense.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

[Brick]

I don't see it ending any other way than Barry dying. 

[stepee]

8 minutes ago, Brick said:

I don't see it ending any other way than Barry dying. 

 

 he’s a monster but he’s MY monster

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

16 minutes ago, Brick said:

I don't see it ending any other way than Barry dying. 

 

That would be giving him the easy way out.

[Greatoneshere]

Gonna be another great season - it's only gonna get worse I imagine.

[SoberChef]

Is there a show airing on Sunday's between the end of TLoU & the start of this final season?

[Spork3245]

2 hours ago, SoberChef said:

Is there a show airing on Sunday's between the end of TLoU & the start of this final season?

Succession

[SoberChef]

9 minutes ago, Spork3245 said:

Succession

That's right, the last season no less. Maybe I should finally getting around to watching that show ahead of the final season, hmmm.

[Spork3245]

6 minutes ago, SoberChef said:

That's right, the last season no less. Maybe I should finally getting around to watching that show ahead of the final season, hmmm.

I just started watching it in January, it quickly became one of my favorite shows.

[TheLeon]

It would be kinda hilarious if this just turned into Oz for the final season. 

[stepee]

3 hours ago, TheLeon said:

It would be kinda hilarious if this just turned into Oz for the final season. 

 

The whole season is Barry putting together a play for the prison talent show.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

[SoberChef]

On 3/8/2023 at 10:13 AM, stepee said:

 

The whole season is Barry putting together a play for the prison talent show.

 

I wouldn't hate to see that either!

[Spork3245]

First two episodes are out

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

6 hours ago, Spork3245 said:

First two episodes are out

 

Judging by the first two episodes, the show has effectively abandoned all pretense of any comedic intent (not that the current situation for most of the main characters has any of that anyway).

[Kal-El814]

On 4/18/2023 at 11:15 AM, Commissar SFLUFAN said:

 

Judging by the first two episodes, the show has effectively abandoned all pretense of any comedic intent (not that the current situation for most of the main characters has any of that anyway).

It’s definitely more serious than previous seasons, but the scenes with Gene taking to the reporter and Hank / Cristobal’s TED talk were played for chuckles. 
 

Sally continues to just be a wildly depressing character. I don’t know that expecting “redemption” for anyone in this show is reasonable but her flaws are just so minor compared to literally everyone else’s that it still feels like the show is really punching down with her, especially when her call out of Gene not letting her know she was in danger with Barry are 100% true. 
 

Speaking of Gene, I suppose the theme of the first 2 episodes is “nobody learns anything.” He’s back to being a self aggrandizing blowhard. Sally is getting back on the saddle with him. Barry is looking for a way out to be with Sally. Fuchs keeps flip flopping. Interested to see where this all goes. 

[Greatoneshere]

On 4/20/2023 at 10:48 AM, Kal-El814 said:

Speaking of Gene, I suppose the theme of the first 2 episodes is “nobody learns anything.” He’s back to being a self aggrandizing blowhard. Sally is getting back on the saddle with him. Barry is looking for a way out to be with Sally. Fuchs keeps flip flopping. Interested to see where this all goes. 

 

This is definitely how I see it as well. People try to change but can't. Also for as much as the show can seem like it piles on to Sally, she's also a victim - her agent says she has integrity. She strikes me as an innocent who has been "corrupted" by the influence of people like Barry and Cousineau, bringing out her worst characteristics and tendencies by bringing all their shit to her door. She doesn't deserve jail or death like Barry does of course, not even close.

 

Also, for the show having become more serious, it's still plenty hilarious. Fred Melamed crashing the car. Throwing the pot through the window and going: "ah shit that was a kitchen in there". The DA talking about how he can't protect Cousineau and should get his own gun. Fred Armisen's hand blowing off. I was laughing a lot. 

 

Also the filmmaking just gets better and better. That transition from the desert to the wedding party going into the dinner party was excellent. Also Hans Zimmer Rain Man theme needle drop. This show is killing it for me so far - 5 more episodes to go.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

 at that opening sequence with NoHo Hank, Cristobal, and "El Toro"

[Greatoneshere]

18 minutes ago, Commissar SFLUFAN said:

 at that opening sequence with NoHo Hank, Cristobal, and "El Toro"

 

The cameo reveal was great. Los Amigos Gadget! It's clear Toro is at least a friend of the tech podcast. 

[Kal-El814]

On 4/24/2023 at 9:22 PM, Commissar SFLUFAN said:

 at that opening sequence with NoHo Hank, Cristobal, and "El Toro"

 

The payoff of the gadget podcasters getting and maimed by faulty gadgets was great.

[Kal-El814]

This was a dense 35 minutes of television. 

[Spork3245]

So... uhhh… time jump?

[legend]

5 hours ago, Spork3245 said:

So... uhhh… time jump?

 

Sure seems like it!

[Greatoneshere]

Likely is a (very ballsy) time jump but it could be a continued hallucination/dream sequence in Barry's head given the surreality of what is in the fridge and the decor in the house. But interesting either way - a lot happened this past episode.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

23 hours ago, Greatoneshere said:

Likely is a (very ballsy) time jump but it could be a continued hallucination/dream sequence in Barry's head given the surreality of what is in the fridge and the decor in the house. But interesting either way - a lot happened this past episode.

 

I'm definitely in the "manifestation of Barry's fractured/deteriorating psyche" camp.

 

Also, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if that's the last we ever see of Gene and NoHo Hank as it genuinely feels like their narrative arcs have concluded.

[Greatoneshere]

12 hours ago, Commissar SFLUFAN said:

I'm definitely in the "manifestation of Barry's fractured/deteriorating psyche" camp.

 

Also, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if that's the last we ever see of Gene and NoHo Hank as it genuinely feels like their narrative arcs have concluded.

 

I agree that might be the last we see of NoHo Hank (despite unresolved issues between him and Barry) but Gene's plot seems still open ended given his renewed connection with Sally and what the ultimate status of his son is, plus you got Jim secretly following everything (also unresolved issues between Gene and Barry as well). Only four episodes left!

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

11 minutes ago, Greatoneshere said:

 

I agree that might be the last we see of NoHo Hank (despite unresolved issues between him and Barry) but Gene's plot seems still open ended given his renewed connection with Sally and what the ultimate status of his son is, plus you got Jim secretly following everything (also unresolved issues between Gene and Barry as well). Only four episodes left!

 

Personally, I genuinely believe that the show would conclude on a stronger note if Gene's situation vis-a-vis Barry remains unresolved.  That would be a poignant metacommentary on life itself as we rarely -- if ever -- get to tie things up with a neat little bow.

[Greatoneshere]

8 minutes ago, Commissar SFLUFAN said:

Personally, I genuinely believe that the show would conclude on a stronger note if Gene's situation vis-a-vis Barry remains unresolved.  That would be a poignant metacommentary on life itself.

 

That'd make a lot of sense - Gene will always be looking over his shoulder too, which would be just about the right ending for him. 

[ort]

Should I watch this? The trailer didn't do much for me... but it seems like people dig it a lot...

[Greatoneshere]

4 minutes ago, ort said:

Should I watch this? The trailer didn't do much for me... but it seems like people dig it a lot...

 

It's an incredibly good show, but very dark at times. It's a must watch, but give it until season 2 if you don't immediately dig it.

[Greatoneshere]

Well, the time jump is legit (8 year time jump), but the surreal feel of it is definitely intentional, up to Barry going: "let's do this [memory] on the swing set instead". He's holding Sally and his son in almost like a prison because they are on the run. Poor living conditions, Sally is totally checked out. This is definitely the darkest timeline, and the final punch line of the episode was worth it. Things are gonna get rough.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

30 minutes ago, Greatoneshere said:

Well, the time jump is legit (8 year time jump), but the surreal feel of it is definitely intentional, up to Barry going: "let's do this [memory] on the swing set instead". He's holding Sally and his son in almost like a prison because they are on the run. Poor living conditions, Sally is totally checked out. This is definitely the darkest timeline, and the final punch line of the episode was worth it. Things are gonna get rough.

 

Yeah, even though the time skip is "real", it's still very much soaked in the "skewed" version of reality that this series inhabits.  I personally found this to be one of the most discomforting episodes of the series to date while still punctuated with a couple of genuinely (twisted) laugh out loud moments, especially the Little League baseball videos sequence.

 

There's no way this thing ends well for anyone - it's just a matter of how bad it will be.

[Greatoneshere]

5 minutes ago, Commissar SFLUFAN said:

 

Yeah, even though the time skip is "real", it's still very much soaked in the "skewed" version of reality that this series inhabits.  I personally found this to be one of the most discomforting episodes of the series to date while still punctuated with a couple of genuinely (twisted) laugh out loud moments, especially the Little League baseball videos sequence.

 

There's no way this thing ends well for anyone - it's just a matter of how bad it will be.

 

Yeah, agreed. This episode, with it's even more No Country for Old Men style filmmaking just felt appropriately depressing and oppressive. Sally's life just looks so fucking miserable it's hard to see or feel any joy in any scene, even presumably heartfelt scenes between father and son. It's all filmed like it's all kind of being staged at the same time, giving everything this forced feel of inauthenticity that makes everything even more discomforting, as you put it. Just excellent filmmaking. 

 

You kind of had to punctuate the whole episode with that final line, and you're like: "here we go".