PRATFALL AND HITMAN

Have you ever wondered what would happen if “Breaking Bad” was shot as a comedy?

“Barry,” Season Two, is the continuation of Bill Hader’s original HBO comedy series about a hitman-turned-wannabe Hollywood actor. But is it any good?

Season One stood out as an unprecedented new take on what a live action comedy series can look like, pairing bizarre absurdist humor with moments of real drama and the meta examination of theatrical performance.

The first season introduced Barry Berkman, played by Hader, as a loner with no purpose in life except to travel from state to state, killing for hire, with his hit coordinator and only friend, Monroe Fuches, played by Stephen Root.

One fateful day, Barry gets a job to kill a young man and during the process of stalking his victim to learn his routine, accidentally gets pulled into an acting class the man is attending. During the course of the class, he suddenly finds a passion, a purpose in his life, and a potential love interest in an acting scene partner (Sarah Goldberg).

Barry decides he can no longer kill his target. But, life as a hitman doesn’t exactly allow for normalcy or any kind of public persona. He’s driven to pursue this new, redemptive career in acting, all the while struggling mightily with maintaining a normal facade and attempting to end his career as a hitman. Things are never that easy, and the local Chechen mob isn’t inclined to just let him go without completing their assigned hit.

 By the finale, it seemed as if things were finally looking up for Barry and his acting career – not to mention his growing relationships with his classmates and acting teacher, played by Henry Winkler. But as any good show is wont to do, the season ended with a massive cliffhanger that set the stage for the next series of episodes.

That first season plotted its comedic moments perfectly, blending “John Wick”-type action, slapstick humor, and a dramatic, Breaking Bad criminality into one bizarrely entertaining package. It knew when to introduce just enough drama and self-examination to really flesh things out.

Thankfully, Season Two continues that tradition, for the most part. Hader, as the co-writer, co-director, and star of the show, has managed to make something entirely original and brilliantly funny with Barry. Its premise alone provides an untouched gold mine of humor, critique, and drama on levels that aren’t present in 99% of TV shows on air.

While Season Two maintains its high comedic standards and subtly brilliant moments of drama and meta analysis, it isn’t without its flaws, however. Characters and situations in the previous season were wacky and absurd at times, but always kept an air of believability. Season Two takes things a bit further, and depending on your taste, too far at times. One mid-season episode in particular stretches the reality of the show to a point that potentially detracts from some of the genuinely serious drama that comes from the writing and portrayal of Barry’s world.

Overall, however, the majority of complaints for this season are nit-picky enough to be negligible. Barry, Season Two is still the most interesting comedy on television and if you haven’t already seen it, it’s a must-watch.