5 Screenwriting Takeaways from the ‘Barry’ season 3 premiere
April 25, 2022
The end of Barry season two is grim, but the season three premiere is even darker. To refresh your memory, season two ended with Barry (Bill Hader) offing police Detective Janice Moss (Paula Newsome), who happened to become the love of Barry’s acting teacher’s life (Henry Winkler as Gene Cousineau). Barry had to do it to protect his identity, but season three shows audiences a new Barry. This new Barry is contract killing to emotionally cope with depression (and lack of hope for the future) and that’s the springboard for a season that's sure to be both dark and full of surprises.
2. The hard truth. It’s also clear Barry won't shy away from the ugliness of anything it's set up in this season. It’s long made the argument that show biz and offing people for a living are actually not that different, in that it takes a large blind spot to fully achieve success in either profession. As Barry’s girlfriend Sally (Sarah Goldberg) finds success running a show based on the domestic abuse in her life, she becomes blind to some of her own narcissism and the ongoing crisis of the man closest to her. In the season three premiere, Sally instructs Barry to bring her flowers at lunch, but to not stay for the actual lunch itself. When Sally then makes a big show that Barry has brought her a bouquet, all Barry can utter in response is: “I got them at Ralphs” — after he'd quizzed a new client on the meanings of red and yellow while staring vacantly at his choices. Both Barry and Sally seem lost here; but Sally is simply lost in her sea of ambition.
3. Mr. Cousineau. Barry's season opener proposes that Barry’s biggest struggle in this episode will be with Gene Cousineau himself. Mr. Cousineau is the one outsider not in the killing business who knows Barry’s secret. And he’s got a big bone to pick with Barry. This makes for great constant tension between mentor and mentee, actor and instructor, killer and coach. It also gives Henry Winkler a chance to do genuine drama. That does not mean he’s buried his comedic chops. In fact, he’s a tour de force this season, constantly walking the line between distraught and hopeful. He’s perhaps the most fun of all to watch, leaving the writers with a tough dilemma and constant tension. If Cousineau lives, can Barry also survive?
4. A thriving NoHo Hank. Despite the destruction of NoHo Hank’s empire, he’s now thriving. He’s found love with a fellow criminal and is able to start fresh "professionally" with a cocaine-packing plant. This is good news for viewers who can’t get enough of Hank’s ridiculousness and plays as refreshing comic relief. Barry is going to need more challenging kills than what’s available on the Craigslist for hitmen, so a Barry and Noho Hank alignment seems possible.
5. A deeply struggling Barry. Barry has hit high notes in the past when delving into character struggles. Stand out moments have dealt with his PTSD from fighting overseas and how certain killings have haunted him. It would be interesting to see Barry struggling from good, old-fashioned depression, the kind that hits when things are seemingly going really well. It’s unclear yet if that’s exactly what the writers are going for here, but it might be comforting to know that sometimes Barry is just like us — and it would help humanize a man who is literally killing people out of boredom.
Final Takeaway: The world has not checked in with Barry since 2019, and the world is also undeniably in a very different place. With Barry's new darker direction, it seems safe to say the last three years have also affected the show's writing staff. Perhaps that was the inspiration to make people accountable in a world where sometimes accountability does not exist. Either way, Barry still feels thrilling and not much like anything else out there. Welcome back, Barry.
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Written by: Lindsay Stidham
Lindsay holds an MFA in screenwriting from the American Film Institute. She has overseen two scripts from script to screen as a writer/ producer. SPOONER, starring Matthew Lillard (SLAMDANCE), and DOUCHEBAG (SUNDANCE) both released theatrically. Most recently Lindsay sold PLAY NICE starring Mary Lynn Rajskub. The series was distributed on Hulu. Recent directing endeavors include the Walla Walla premiering (and best screenplay nominated) TIL DEATH DO US PART, and the music video for Bible Belt’s Tomorrow All Today. Lindsay is currently working on an interactive romcom for the production company Effin' Funny, and a feature film script for Smarty Pants Pictures. Lindsay also currently works as an Adjunct Screenwriting Faculty member at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. You can follow her work here: https://lindsaystidham.onfabrik.com/
