Barry Season 3 Episode 8 Recap & Ending Explained: Season three of ‘Barry’ concluded with an epic finale. The HBO production has delivered another riveting, dark chapter in the titular protagonist’s troublesome life. Bill Hader and Alec Berg have managed to do what few creators can in the television space – surprise their audiences with the same dish. There aren’t a lot of differences between the three seasons in terms of structure and tonality. Yes, initially the third season did start off on a more than usual somber note. The humor was dialed down to make the emotions more real. But this is where Berg and Hader deserve their credit. They never let you feel pulverized in between familiar themes. Creatively enough, they come up with exciting storylines that have the charm of the previous episodes but a rekindled imagination. A gamut of possibilities is now unlocked for a season four, which has been confirmed. Read our review and recap of the finale of season three of ‘Barry’.
BARRY (SEASON 3) EPISODE 8 RECAP:
EPISODE 8 – STARTING NOW
If you thought you had seen the last of the purgatory beach in episode seven, you were wrong. Well, not completely because you only see it here once. But with immense impact. Barry stands facing the ocean with the other people. As he turns back, he notices Sally and Gene standing there. Now with the classification of people on the beach being victims/dead/perpetrators, he gets spooked. He wakes up in the hospital and finds Sally in his house. When you least expect it, the leader of the Motocross group attacks Barry from behind and knocks him out. He almost chokes Sally to death before she is able to stab him in the eye. The guy strangely is more concerned with his appearance and Sally takes advantage to bludgeon him to death.
Barry’s mix of shock, guilt, and conscious turpitude sees him ask Sally to bail and remember the incident in her mind as being done by Barry. We end up at the hilltop from the first episode, where Barry digs another grave. This time, though, Nguyen walks on him. Barry has a nervous breakdown and Nguyen asks him to stop before walking away. That was his way of getting equal and some good deeds that Barry did coming back to save him. There’s a moral lesson for you somewhere around here too. NoHo Hank’s storyline is probably the most brazenly disruptive in the episode. Shocks, one after the other jolt you (and Cristobal, whom Elena wants disease-free, where disease=homosexuality). The treachery includes a panther mauling people to death and then getting blindsided by an insane round of machine gun shooting by Hank. He is reunited with Cristobal and embraces him.
Gene’s gala time comes to a halt when Jim invites him over to his house to talk about Janice. In a provocative scene, he asks Gene about his “love” for Janice. Barry, who now wants to run away from the situation, phones Sally to pack a bag. She is one step ahead of him and is on a flight back to Joplin. Enough with this big city actress’ dream of hers. She has had enough of that cruelty.
BARRY (SEASON 3) EPISODE 8 ENDING EXPLAINED:
Barry takes another phone call. This time from Gene. The befuddled actor tellsBerkman that he is scared Jim will ruin his life and that he wants to “end it”. Fearing that Gene might have to go through a similar fate as Barry if he kills and further feeling obligated to act given his nightmare from the start, Barry races to Jim’s house. He admonishes Gene for even thinking about it and takes the gun himself. Here is the twist. As soon as he is about to kill Jim, a pack of men prevents him. They are police officers. Jim and Gene trick Barry into taking the bait to kill Jim and “save” Gene. It has almost become a toxic trait by now. This “masculine-savior” sub-narrative has found a small corner in the creators’ storytelling. No one can really say if it is conscious or not, but it sure is effective in drawing a contrast between the changing behavior of other characters toward Barry.
Gene uses it to avenge Janice’s death, something he has wanted to do ever since learning the truth. ‘Barry’s ending is pragmatic more than anything. Hader was smart to realize that to keep his viewer satisfied with the logistics of the show’s universe, Barry getting caught had to be a reality. It has happened at the correct time to give ample time to the writer’s room. A thrust of new ideas will usher in the new season, the filming for which will start this year itself.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The expectations from season three of ‘Barry’ were sky-high owing to the unique qualities of the previous two. The offbeat mood could take a turn in any direction. This made sure that ‘Barry’ always had something up its sleeve to spring a surprise. And not just that. The sheer craftsmanship on display aroused high hopes for a similar outcome. Hader and Berg certainly deliver on those promises, and in some regards, even exceed expectations. As someone watching ‘Barry’, the eclectic mix of emotions that you experience cannot be found anywhere else. In more simple terms, the roller coaster ride has a life of its own. Some gasping moments; some, where you dab a tear or two; and some, where you simply don’t know how to stop laughing. That is ‘Barry’ in a nutshell.
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BARRY (SEASON 3), EPISODES 1-7 ARE NOW STREAMING ON DISNEY+HOTSTAR
BARRY TV SHOW LINKS – IMDB, WIKIPEDIA
BARRY TV SHOW CAST – BILL HADER, STEPHEN ROOT, SARAH GOLDBERG, ANTHONY CARRIGAN, HENRY WINKLER
