Barry (Season 4), Episode 6: Recap & Ending Explained – Does Barry manage to kill Gene? 

Barry (Season 4) Episode 6 Recap & Ending Explained: In his recent interviews, Bill Hader spoke about how the Breaking Bad universe shaped some of his decisions in writing ‘Barry.’ He wanted to make sure that Barry Berkman isn’t seen as a figure to sympathize with but perceived as a psychopathic murderer, which is what he is. So the new season seems essentially an exploration of the same idea. The sudden time jump through Barry’s fantasied future is a way for the writers to do the same. 

‘Tricky legacies’ followed Barry and Sally’s married life in their new identities. They both embrace Christian values outwardly but struggle to correlate them with their lives. The slippery slope of their crooked morality makes them choose other vices. Eventually, when the news gets out about a movie being made revolving around Gene and Barry’s lives, Barry decides to kill Gene. 

The new episode shows Barry returning to L.A. to silence his ex-acting teacher. While Gene tries to stop the movie production, Sally struggles to fight her internal demons.

*Spoilers ahead*

Barry (Season 4), Episode 6 Recap:

Episode 6: the wizard

Does Barry go back to L.A. to kill Gene Cousineau?

Barry (Bill Hader) is about to leave for L.A. to kill his ex-acting coach, Gene Cousineau (Henry Winkler). He preps Sally (Sarah Goldberg) to assemble a gun in case of need. He doesn’t think John needs any lessons. “Boys instinctively know how guns and cars work,” he bluntly says and reveals his internalized misogyny. She proposes they should settle somewhere else instead, under new identities. 

However, Barry thinks killing Gene is the only way to safe-keep their lives. The proposed movie will reveal tricky details from their past. He does not want any unwanted attention as a result of it. Sally makes him realize that killing is sinful and against the path they decided to walk on. But he does not want these talks of morality to distract him from what he is set out to do. He sees killing themselves as the only alternative. 

Why does Barry want to kill Gene? 

Sally points out that Barry might want to kill just because Gene turned him in. It enrages him. Truth hurts, right? He still decides to proceed with his plan. Before leaving, he tells John Jr (Zachary Golinger) that he is going for some work stuff to L.A. The kid worries whether it means they will have to move again. Barry gives a religious pep talk to make him less anxious. Can such words really be effective in making one feel safe? 

What is Fuches up to?

Back in L.A., Monroe Fuches (Stephen Root) leaves prison after years of incarceration. Two men wait for him with a car outside. Fuches walks out with bravado, without a shirt, and a lot of tattoos. He looks at the guard and signals something. It seems like a part of their inside talk. His swag is undeniable. He also seems assured to take on this new identity of his, named ‘The Raven.’ He asks the Barista at a local café to write the same on it. 

What do Fuches and NoHo Hank talk about?

Fuches walks into NoHo Hank’s (Anthony Carrigan) new office with the earlier barista and the two guards. He notices a statue of Cristobal put into the central hall. He had heard that Hank got Cristobal killed. Then why the statue? Anyhow, he walks inside Hank’s cabin, who greets him with his general enthusiasm and brand of humor. 

Fuches asks Hank for two things – to get him the best house and to get him Barry’s whereabouts. He asks them with an attitude as if the world revolves around him and caters solely to his demands. Hank notes that Barry’s been AWOL for years. Fuches doesn’t care. He just wants to get rid of the snake. Hank assures him to do what he can.

Why does Gene return to L.A.? Where was Gene for eight years?

Gene keeps saying that he stayed under the radar for over 8 years in Israel. Tom (Fred Melamed) shows him his old place. He had moved in there himself during Gene’s disappearance. So, it looks like Tom also suffered as a result of Gene’s actions. 

Tom gets Gene to meet the Studio PA (Annie Chang), whom Gene met earlier. She shares the studio’s plan to make a blockbuster out of his and Barry’s cat-and-mouse chase journey. Gene would be the hero, and Barry would be the villain. 

Why does Gene oppose the studio’s plan for a movie about him and Barry?

Gene would have been ecstatic hearing that in the past. Now, he speaks against the cash-grab opportunity. He says he once was a narcissist. But now, he does not want his and Janice’s fond memories to be messed with in this manner. However, the PA is adamant that the studio execs will make this movie with or without Gene. Gene appears ready to go to the court to fight against it. 

Why did Gene come out of hiding for eight years?

Gene gets called into DA Buckner’s (Charles Parnell) office. Gene justifies his disappearance with his concern about his safety. The DA office couldn’t assure him that after Barry’s prison break. But the question remains. Why did he come out of hiding after all these years? Was it just for a movie? DA asks him. He says that he found the courage to return since he did not want Barry immortalized. 

Why does Barry listen to religious podcasts from pastors?

Barry, who, by then, was trying to walk on the path of God, listens to some religious podcasts. A pastor talks about – ‘What it means to sin?’. Barry intently listens to it but realizes that it does not justify his psychopathic killings until one does. The podcaster Carl talks about different kinds of sins and justifies sanctioned killings as a part of ‘an eye for an eye.’ It conforms to Barry’s beliefs and makes him feel validated. 

Barry goes to purchase a gun. The cashier shows him the pictures that she has been told to show to everyone who purchases one. Barry looks at them, says a polite ‘Thank You’, and leaves with his bag. The cashier does not object to it a bit. Is that what the gun policies have ended up being? The writers do make a point about our absolute irreverence about such non-helpful policies. 

Barry continues to listen to Pastor Carl’s podcast. Carl eventually notes that God would not warrant a man killing anyone he sees fit. It upsets him and makes him bounce onto yet another podcaster. 

At the time, Gene had come to meet his son, Leo (Andrew Leeds). He apologizes for shooting Leo back when he had only come to deliver food. Gene notes Barry’s omnipresent danger made him do that. 

Barry, meanwhile, was driving toward Leo’s house while listening to Pastor Nick Saint Angelo (an unmistakably ranting voice of Bill Burr). Nick says that murder is definitely not a sin. He justifies a murder he committed in the past. Moreover, Nick says how he does not feel minutiae of guilt despite what people say. He adds that he prayed and felt that he got God’s blessing. 

Barry sits outside Leo’s house in his car. Pastor Nick’s words affirm his beliefs. So, he soon walks out, intent on murdering Gene. But then, he notices a school bus pass by, and then Gene’s grandson walks toward the house. It makes Barry resist his urge.

Gene greets Gordon with open arms. The kid, however, hesitates to get closer to his grandfather. Gene tells Leo that he will stay in the city until he feels comfortable. The awkward father-son saga continues. Barry seemed to have filled the hole when Leo was not around.

How does Sally cope with Barry’s absence?

Meanwhile, Sally struggles to stay sane in Barry’s absence. John Jr refuses to eat what she cooked. So, she ignorantly pours down some alcohol and gives him to drink. Is it the writers’ way to show how these bad habits (alcoholism in this case) get passed to the next generations? Perhaps. 

Sally tries to wake up John, who falls asleep on the couch. She goes back to her bedroom and suddenly hears loud voices from the outside. It was probably Bevel, whom she had spoken against before. She walks out to see that all doors & windows are closed. She can’t see anyone outside.

So, she walks back to her room while a person in black follows her. It almost looks like a silhouette with footsteps. She walks into the bedroom to hear it being locked from the outside. Terrified by a stranger’s presence, she starts assembling the gun. 

But it is too late for that. The masked man goes out, gets into his car, and bumps it into the house, which almost topples it upside down. John Jr stays asleep despite all the noises around him. 

Barry (Season 4), Episode 6 Ending Explained:

Why does Hank get angry at Fuches during the dinner?

Hank takes Fuches to a lavish, sunbathes villa with exquisite architecture and a terrific view. However, Fuches is still fixated on killing Barry. Hank assures he will get hold of the AWOL killer despite being unsure about it. 

During their dinner, Fuches says he feels fortunate to have met the barista. He now feels like he has a family with her. It makes Hank painfully aware that he does not have one or that he messed up the chance he once had. 

Fuches soon says that Hank got Cristobal killed. Hank retorts, saying that their business opponents did. It doesn’t change the truth, does it? Fuches points out. He expects Hank to be proud of being involved in the murder to establish his present empire. It triggers Hank that Fuches considers it a compliment. So, he threatens Fuches to leave by the next morning.

Back in Barry and Sally’s desert house, John wakes up from his deep sleep to notice the mess in their house. He sees Sally/Emily sitting by herself, asking Barry/Clark on the phone to return right away. 

Does Barry manage to kill Gene?

At the time, Barry was walking toward Gene’s house. He notices it is slightly open and that Gene is inside. When Barry almost steps in, Jim Moss (Robert Wisdom) catches him and takes him back to his base. Was Gene unaware that the door was slightly open? Or was he working with Gene to get Barry behind bars? Let’s wait for Barry’s final two episodes to learn what’s in store for each of their lives.

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Barry (Season 4) Episode 6  Links – IMDb, Wikipedia
Barry (Season 4) Episode 6 Cast – Bill Hader, Stephen Root, Sarah Goldberg, Anthony Carrigan, Henry Winkler

Where to watch Barry