Barry Season 2 Episode 1: The Show Must Go On, Probably? Review

For our review of the last season of Barry, click here.

Synopsis: Barry tries to convince Sally and the rest of the class to go ahead with a performance, despite the absence of teacher Gene Cousineau, who’s grief-stricken after the disappearance of Detective Moss. With Goran gone, Noho Hank and Cristobal’s new partnership faces growing pains and jealousy issues. Back in Cleveland, Fuches learns that replacement hitmen don’t come easy. (HBO)

Writers: Alec Berg and Bill Hader

Director: Hiro Murai

Rating: TV-MA

Running Time: 34mins

Airs: Sundays at 10pm on HBO Canada (Canada)/HBO (United States)

The show must go on.

The episode started with a man answering a door while oblivious to the fact that he was pointing a shotgun at him all while arguing with his friend about the TV. The man with the shotgun killed both men and struggled to open their safe. He was the new assassin that Fuches hired to replace Barry. The client who hired Fuches presumably wanted something from the safe but didn’t think anyone was going to get hurt which Fuches of course failed to communicate. The assassin found his way back to Fuches’ hotel room but also attracted the cops who shot and killed him while the client jumped out the window and landed on top of a cop car.

Barry arrived at the acting class in costume, thinking that the show must go on, but he was alone as no one else was interested in going on. Cousineau had a nervous breakdown and left. They couldn’t continue without a director so Barry volunteered himself. They were opening tomorrow but Sally believed everyone needed time to process what had happened.

Barry went to Cousineau’s house but the police were there as well. Cousineau was upset that they were not working hard enough to find Moss. They appeared to have hit a dead end with their investigation. Barry wanted Cousineau to come back to help with the play, however, he was only interested in Barry getting a prop gun from under his bed. He had been contemplating suicide.

Hank and Cristobal were working well together and was truly happy. Little did he know, he would be called to a meeting with Cristobal who was speaking to their competition about entering the heroine trade. Hank was apprehensive of entering into a relationship with the Burmese and was a little off put by them, however, a deal appeared to be done. He later got a bullet in the mail from the Chechens who have put a hit on him for working with the Bolivians instead of finding Goran’s killer.

Sasha was upset with Barry who was using an accent while they were working in the same clothing store. Hank told the Chechens that the Burmese mafia killed Goran and wanted Barry to kill the head of the Burmese mafia in order to keep the Chechens off of them but especially Hank. Barry was not interested. Meanwhile, Fuches was grandstanding while being interrogated by the police for which he would unintentionally give them his DNA.

As the play was about to start, Sally was worried about Barry who insisted that he was fine. The others were worried about Cousineau who showed up to cancel the play. He would give them a speech before announcing that was ending the class as he was still upset over Moss. Cousineau got Barry to talk about the first person he killed in the war. A few classmates acted out Barry’s story as he told it and became emotional. This show of emotion was enough for Cousineau to continue the class. Sally was proud of Barry for opening up.

The episode ended with Barry confronting Hank outside the class. Hank was upset after the way Barry treated him and gave him an ultimatum which was to perform the hit or Barry and his friends would all die. The police matched a tooth found in Goran’s garage to Fuches who was in Cleveland. Loach connected Fuches to Barry and presumably Barry to Moss’ disappearance.

Overall, The Show Must Go On, Probably? was a good season premiere episode of Barry that would rock Barry’s world once more. It saw different characters in different places, at least initially, before inevitably bringing them together arguably a tad too soon. Fuches was trying to do his own thing but he can’t continue without Barry. Barry needed the class and would save it by opening up in what was an emotional moment which would bring Cousineau out of the dumps. Hank was happy before his self-preservation and jealousy caught up with him. Who knows what that final scene will mean but it surely won’t be as clear-cut as it seemed?

Score: 8/10

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