Why 'Barry' deserves to be your next summer binge

Quick question: Why on earth haven't you checked out Barry yet?

Dramedy is a word I refuse to use. In part because it sounds like off-brand motion sickness medication, but mostly because it's very rarely the right word to use. Just because one episode of The Big Bang Theory pulled at your heartstrings and Tyrion Lannister occasionally gets a zinger in after a Game of Thrones massacre, those series aren't “dramedies.” That being said, I'm willing to break my rule for HBO's Barry, the truest dramedy on television and the most underrated show of this past spring.

Alec Berg (Silicon Valley's executive producer) and Bill Hader (SNL alumnus) head up this tale of "a hitman searching for some direction." Hader portrays the eponymous Barry, a former marine turned contract killer who comes to Los Angeles to complete a job for the Chechen mob. While tracking the target of the hit (a fitness trainer named Ryan), Barry stumbles into the world of amateur acting. Within seconds of being on stage, he decides to leave behind his life as a professional killer and pursue his newfound showbiz dream. Of course, leaving such a violent profession won't be easy.

Now, what I've just described is a classic comedy. A dark comedy, but still a comedy. And that's where Barry started out. The first 30-minute installment showcased some tight joke writing and managed to set up a cute concept. There were some moments of moral turmoil for our wishful hitman, but they came in and out of focus. It was pleasant, watchable, and something I'd probably binge when I had nothing else to do. Based on episode 1, I gave it a season. Maybe half if Westworld wanted more time for behind-the-scenes content.

Fast forward a few weeks and HBO is renewing Barry for a second season — only 3 weeks into its 8-episode order. The ratings weren't anything to write home about. Outside of a few Reddit stans, the show was virtually invisible online. If it weren't for the promotional posters papering Manhattan, I would have entirely forgotten it existed. So ... what did HBO know that I didn't?

Upon revisitation, I learned the same lesson about Barry that I had learned years earlier in my first serious relationship. With patience and faith, something you like can become something you love. (If this parallel continues, Barry is also going to dump me before going to college. So, not a perfect metaphor.)

The show is built on Hader's comedic chops, but lays its claim to greatness in its expert command of character psychology. Every week Barry ups the ante for our protagonist, stretching Hader's airtight performance over a masterful slow-burn plot like the skin of a drum. What follows is not the story of a wannabe actor caught in a humorous pickle. It is an unrelenting study on the human ability to rationalize evil behavior in the name of self-preservation.

Supporting performances by Henry Winkler, Stephen Root, Sarah Goldberg, and Paula Newsome show the same depth. The cast is blessed with richly written characters, but they earn their keep by turning on a dime with each masterful comedic/dramatic line.

For Anthony Carrigan, his role as NoHo Hank, a Chechen mobster with the best Bitmoji in existence, is star-making. Carrigan has spoken publicly about the villain typecasting that has come with his alopecia and expressed his excitement to explore more nuanced characters. He told The A.V. Club, "Even with Hank, he's a villain, but he's a really sweet guy."

This kind of 2-in-1 writing is what makes Barry such a thrilling spectacle. Hader and Berg allow their freshman season to explore the duality of genre and character development with the weight and speed of an established HBO crown jewel. Packed into four short hours, Barry's season 1 twists and turns fill each episode with mounting tension that (I promise you) pays off.

Equal parts punchline and gut punch, Barry should be your next summer binge.

How to watch: All seasons of Barry are now streaming on Max.