Barry (TV Series) tricky legacies (2023) User Reviews

THIS IS REALLY HAPPENING

[rxckne · 8/10 · 9 May 2023]

This whole season I watched these scenes with the mindset that they were just in Barry's head, especially with the scenes of him and Fuches being out in a land with nothing but sand. But the longer this episode went on the more I thought that this is actually real. I was so confused when Sally was going under a different name and why we were seeing her at this cafe. Then it started to hit. At the end of the last episode I was so confused when Sally said "let's go." I thought she might've meant it as in "get out" but she ACTUALLY went with Barry and fled. Now they have a child and are hiding from the rest of the world because Barry is likely one of the most wanted people on earth. That's why Sally's working and he's not. And I feel terrible for that kid. He has to deal with abusing parents, not being able to have friends, watch things a kid would watch. And Barry literally having him watch a kid get murdered in a freak baseball accident? Making him terrified of a game kids regularly play? It's such a tough episode to watch and props to Bill Hader for making me so uncomfortable watching this character.

This to me was the Granite State of Barry. Left in a house in the middle of nowhere but instead he has Sally with him and now a child. Spoilers for Breaking Bad but this is essentially what Breaking Bad would've been if Walt actually did take his family, but the thing is that was the penultimate of the series. There are still 3 episodes left in the final season of Barry, leaving so much more on the table. What the hell happened to Gene? I thought it was just for laughs but did he actually kill his son and just flee? What's Hank up to now? Is Fuches still in prison? I have so many questions but this episode just turned the entire series on its head. I respect the writers for pulling this bold of a move with 3 episodes still to go in the final season, and it really makes me look at the last episode a lot differently as it was an end of an era of some sort. We just didn't know it until now.

What an Agonizing Episode to Sit Through!

[MamadNobari97 · 9/10 · 8 May 2023]

Jesus Christ this was one of the most cringy episodes of TV I've ever seen! It's like if you stretched that "Happy Birthday" scene from Breaking Bad or when Jesse was invited to dinner in Walt's house into 20 minutes of non-stop cringe daggers into your brain.

This episode reminds me of Better Call Saul's Waterworks where we see how Kim's life was after the events of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. I'm 99% sure Bill Hader took inspiration from Better Call Saul for this episode.

I do feel like an idiot for only realizing now after half the season is gone, that these future scenes in the desert are actually happening and aren't "possible" futures or Barry just dreaming. I guess I should've figured it out that since the flashbacks of him as a child meeting Fuches for the first are happening in the same desert, and them actually happening, that these flashforwards, therefore, are real too. I don't know how I didn't put two and two together. It's not like I was 100% completely thinking that they're not real, I just wasn't sure if the intention is to say they're real or not. I guess he would've chosen to show this on a beach since that represents the dream state and we've seen that happening in the third season if I recall correctly.

Now, there still might do a 180 degree and say this isn't actually what happens and it's just one boring possible future that might happen, but I'm not sure. Because now that I think about it, it makes total sense that they would skip into the future (8 years apparently), and show what happens next. The plotline of NoHo Hank is clearly done and I don't remember that having any loose ends after Cristobal's demise. Barry and Sally decided to gtfo in the previous episode so it makes sense that they would go to the country and start a new life. And with Barry gone from the lives of Gene Cousineau and Monroe Fuches, there's not much to show from them since nothing probably happened.

So while it makes sense in hindsight, I doubt they would just go into the future where Fuches and NoHo Hank are presumably out of the picture and they would just focus on Clark wanting to kill Gene Cousineau. And we still have 3 more episodes left! I seriously doubt we're stuck in this hellish future.

As for the episode itself, like I said, at the least, the first half of it was excruciating to sit through. Barry has always had cringey moments here and there and probably mostly when Sally was on screen. But this episode just takes it to another level and the writers probably went "Hey, remember all the brief cringey scenes we did in some episodes? Why not make a whole episode like that?"

The scene of Emily and her coworker guy - which I forgot the name of - sitting in the dinner must be one of the most excruciating scenes of media to sit through. I'm pretty sure force-watching this scene is gonna be used as a method of torture in Guantanamo Bay, and is gonna be against The Geneva Conventions.

At the same time, this is probably one of the funniest episodes of Barry I've seen. It's probably because there are so many cringe-inducing things happening, that a small funny scene makes me laugh harder to forget those scenes happen. The whole relationship Clark has with his son and the things he teaches him are sad and really funny at the same time. What Clark did after he found the baseball mitt is one of the funniest things this show has done. And his monologue about Abe and Gandhi is hilarious too.

Emily and Clark's relationship is also really sad and Bill makes it his obligation to hammer this broken marriage home. Emily probably would've had a more exciting life if she stayed Sally and just played small roles in tv shows or did regular jobs being single than living this utterly boring country life with her utterly boring husband who's only interests are history trivia presidents of the United States.

I also love the shot of both of them sitting far from each other looking at their laptops with two huge pitch-black windows over their heads. I thought it was a brilliant composition.

Now like I said before, I know that it makes total sense that this is actually happening and it's the present now, and it makes sense that there would be no more story and plot after Barry and Sally were out of the picture until Gene, or rather Warner Bros. Decided to make a biopic about Barry. But I'm still not sure why they would keep up this flashback flashforward feel of the scenes by showing the desert all throughout. Since the desert around them on the surface and on a technical level has always been there to represent that we are watching a flashback or a look into the future, I feel like we're still not done with the present when Barry and Sally decided to run away together. I just think it's a jarring transition for the audience (or at least for my dumb brain) to fully go into the future and keep it on the desert without establishing before that we are actually watching a real timeline and these are actually happening. I guess Bill Hader thought his audience would be smarter and didn't anticipate my dumb ahh watching this show! Or I just didn't pay attention enough and didn't get the memo.

Anyway, we have to wait and see if this is actually happening or not and if we're gonna go back to the present (technically the past) and see what happens to NoHo Hank and Fuches, or if we're just gonna meet them in this future instead.

I am also not really sure why a biopic would endanger them more than they already are. Their faces were already all over the internet and everybody would've seen them, no? But I guess it's been eight years and nobody remembers them, so a movie about them with their faces on it would definitely put them under the spotlight again and expose them. I guess I just answered my own question! What an utterly useless paragraph to end your review on...

A Great Episode and a Massive Swing from Bill Hader

[ceedubbsentertainment · 8/10 · 9 May 2023]

I'm seeing that this episode is pretty divisive, but it did exactly what it set out to do and I love it for that. Yes, it was a slow episode. That's the point. I love that after the heart stopping insanity of episode 4, we slowed down for an episode to see how these characters were living after that insane time skip reveal. Barry's subtly (and not so subtly) awful parenting and hypocrisy is on full display, this is just meant to be a sad and drab episode to reflect the sad and drab life they live now. Out of context, I guess that's boring, but seeing these characters stuck in this life and continuing to make the same mistakes in completely new ways was fascinating for me. And it's also kind of hilarious. Barry's attempts at parenting and this holier than thou act is really damn funny while also being a shining example of some of his worst qualities. So yeah, this was a great episode. Can't wait to see what comes next.

The Fly episode of Barry

[robotintroverted · 10/10 · 8 May 2023]

This episode is definitely going to be a very controversial one. I'm very interested in how they're going to wrap up Hank and Fuches's storyline's though. An 8 year time jump is a big one to fill in the gaps. This episode definitely feels like a calm after the storm and before the bigger storm. It's a very interesting character focused episode where you try to piece everything together. The cinematography in this episode was beautiful, it gives you a sense of isolation as well a feeling that something bad is going to happen. Showing the effects of what has happened to everyone in the span of eight years was a great interesting character choice. Seeing Sally 8 years later was such a sad sight, and seeing her drinking herself to no end in sight. And the ending... wow that ending makes me terrified for Gene. Like I said in my last review, no one is a good person here. Everyone is awful, but Barry is the person who needs to be stopped. Someone needs to stop Barry. I think this episode is going to be debated upon for years to come. I'm of the opinion that this episode was a great episode, and will be a very underrated one. Great episode, can't wait to see how it continues.

Depends on what comes next, not great in itself

[ChungusAficionado · 10 May 2023]

What I can only assume about this episode, is that it was the part of the season that was deemed 'necessary' to establishing Barry's current situation by the showrunners, so we aren't left completely confused in the coming conclusion - but that also means that, in my view, it is difficult to see what the episode even does without seeing what comes after it.

I think this episode will benefit, in future, when the subsequent episodes are out and the season can be watched as a whole. In itself, though, I think this episode is pretty confusing and doesn't have much merit in itself outside some scenes such as the knock at Barry's door.

"Nippy" and "Waterworks" put together in 33 minutes

[nicbakker-49996 · 10/10 · 8 May 2023]

Frickin brilliant.

Little naive children who only like guns, explosions and force fed information will see this as filler, but they could not be more incorrect on that interpretation.

"Tricky Legacies" is absolutely masterful in what it is going for in showing the depressing, bleak and screwed up world Barry and Sally now live in while also doing a jaw dropping job at progressing the story into our final 3 episodes.

Metaphorically, symbolically, thematically, this feels EXACTLY like "Waterworks" 6x12 of Better Call Saul. The place Sally goes into is almost identical as how we saw Kim Wexler in those final episodes and i could not be happier while at a same time be more depressed in experiencing these once promising young characters evolving into the worst nightmarish versions of themselves.

Also this episode has one of the funniest scenes like ever with the BASEBALL YOUTUBE VIDEO LMAOOO.

Can not stress enough how frustrated i will be if people don't end up thinking this one will be any good, because folks, it is. It's their opinion, i understand, but like man oh man this show is unreal.

Perfect.

[ivesdobbins · 10/10 · 8 May 2023]

Oh My God. That episode was genuinely a perfect episode. It contained so much substance. There were so many moments where i thought this was just Barry's dream or nightmare or psychotic vision, and i really didn't expect Sally to actually do it, i thought it would have been a double cross. A very pleasant surprise. And an incredibly good thing to end the week on. The acting was also just really top tier. I loved the way that barry reacted when sally called him barry. It looked so genuine. I loved this episode so much. The moment where John finds the war metals. It was really a perfect episode overall, wonderful story.

Time warp

[ossie85 · 8/10 · 8 May 2023]

What a wild ride. One of, if not the, craziest time jumps in TV history. We skip ahead 8ish years, and see Barry transform into a religious nut, adding a new layer of creepy to the already complex character.

Sally's predicament is heartbreaking to watch. Stuck in hiding, while her peers have had great success.

What makes this episode truly remarkable, however, is the great writing and the way it handles the time jumps. I was half expecting the events that unfolded to be nothing but a dream. But in the hands of talented writers, the time jumps add a unique aspect of intrigue to the already complex storylines.

Not a fan of this one

[nathanielknight-05676 · 6/10 · 14 May 2023]

So, we have an 8 or 10 year time jump and now they have a kid and live in the middle of nowhere. And the new plot setup is that after all this time, they're gonna make a movie. Does not really feel great to me tbh. I thought there would be more immediate consequences. Now, all the setup from the previous episodes - heck, the previous seasons - just got severely muddied. Because who cares about some death or torture or whatever from 8-10 years ago? How are you going to bring that sense of urgency back after such a long time skip?

I loved every episode so far, but this one does not sit well with me. Maybe they'll manage to surprise me and turn it into something good, but as far as I can remember, any time there was a huge time skip in a show, it never ended well.

Sure, the cinematography is really well done, but the story is constructed weirdly. Suddenly, things just resurface after a decade of isolation because someone wants to make a movie? And they're gonna kill Gene because of what? Why does he matter? The movie is not made by him, he weasels his way into it apparently. Everything else is known. Their faces, their story, everything. It just does not make any sense to me.

Never Ending Wheel

[tristan_19 · 10/10 · 8 May 2023]

XYZ does something inconvenient, ABC character has to eliminate him. Then ABC settles for a bit, but ABC does something inconvenient and other folks come in to deal with them. No matter what they do, how they want to escape the past or whatever, there will always be a situation to bring them back on the road.

Barry season 4 has a lot of the same feels as Better Call Saul season 6. This episode felt very much like its own Gene Takavic or Waterworks story arc. Gotta say it was done so well. Very unique for sure. It definitely stands out. And there are plenty of fantastic moments.

It's mind blowing. Barry and Sally are living their new life. They're still in hiding after all this time, and maybe Gene should have done the same, but the desire to put it all on film and getting a deal with Warner Bros triggers a Google Alert on Sally's device. It's interesting to say the least and the new situation is really well acted. You feel in every performance what really transpires in our protagonists' minds.

Probably the worst episode of the series.

[facuml-46756 · 7/10 · 8 May 2023]

This was boring tbh.

I don't recall a single time I was bored with Barry. But there's always a first time, sadly.

I didn't know at first if it was a flash foward, a dream or something else. But it looks like it's the future for Barry and Sally... a Dark and sad one.

I was not expecting this direction for the plot to be honest. I think I prefer an ending on the present time, but let's see what happens in the next and last 3 episodes of this magnificent tv show.

A pretty flat episode with only a couple of good moments, but in general I was not entertained by the storytelling of he and his son.

I hope they make a great ending for the show. I believe it deserves a good one when the least.

All new but also the same

[spacerboi · 10/10 · 8 May 2023]

This is one of the darkest episodes of Barry, and that's saying something. The show did a time jump of eight years, Barry and Sally now live with their son somewhere nowhere and we get to see their day to day life.

Barry gets what he always wanted- a kid with Sally, to get to grow old with her, the opportunity leave his past behind him. Behind the cheap facade there lies a dark and sad reality and the weight of their actions.

Both of them were to cowardly to face their fears and deal with their hardships and they now both come to realise, that there's no running away from the truth.

This episode is a slow burner- and lays out a deeply layered path for the characters to go on. I can't wait to see where the last 3 episodes go.

I'm having a hard time dealing with this episode

[imdb-702-986813 · 6/10 · 11 May 2023]

When the assassin came crashing through the ceiling in episode 3 -- a scene that I re-watched a half-dozen times -- I thought, "YES! Now THIS is Barry!"

And when the story leapt into a weird alternate future that was CLEARLY another bad dream ...

Well, at first, I was angry because I thought it was lazy writing.

So they painted themselves into a corner, couldn't figure out how to solve the problems they created, so they resorted to dumping everyone into another universe? What is this, Star Trek? (Except in this case, 8 years of time travel hasn't advanced technology, so ... uhh)

Anyway, I was having an especially hard time dealing with Sally's new future and began to wonder why I'm so bloody attached to these characters. Clearly the writers don't care what happens to them, and this is just entertainment after all. I guess I have to relax.

This show has always done an incredible job of exploring the range of human emotion and I suppose it has to explore life in the middle of nowhere.

And in the end, I can't wait to see what happens in the next episode, so ... I guess they did a good job?!

Uncomfortable to watch and incredibly depressing

[pd-19490 · 4/10 · 15 May 2023]

I get the direction they've decided to go for the show and for the most part I understand it and have been OK with it. This episode though was just too hard to watch. I felt so bad for the poor kid, especially all the hypocrisy and the fact that he has no idea about who and what his parents really are. The scene in the bathroom between Sally and the creepy guy at work almost made me turn it off. I guess I'll watch until the end of the series since I think it only has like 2 of 3 episodes left but I kind of wish there was more comedic relief like in the first couple seasons. It's just gotten so intense and dark that it's becoming too much.

Great episode showing a bunch of changes characteristic

[vqrxbfnrc · 9 May 2023]

This episode was 100% the most relieved episode the whole season. The fact Barry always wanted a perfect life with sally and a kid in season 3 and then got a family in a totally different way was just so well done by bill Hader. Barry manipulating his son to become just like him is so well done. The sense of having anxiety when someone knocked in the door is crazy and just the little details make this episode so good. The camera scenes and the camera angles the way they are shot is amazing and the way bill Hader does it is so good. And the change of the character sally is amazing and she acts more moody because she's been away from everyone for 8 years.

Amazing episode that teaches you about life

[ricardoalmoreira · 10/10 · 11 May 2023]

Despite the negative feedback from some viewers, I found to be an outstanding episode that highlights the repercussions of our decisions. The storyline is emotionally charged and touching, with a strong message that resonates with the audience. The plot was beautifully crafted to showcase the cause-and-effect relationship of our actions, which ultimately defines our fate.

One of the highlights of this episode is its cinematography. Every shot was beautifully composed, with excellent attention to detail. The lighting, framing, and camera movements were all flawlessly executed to enhance the visual experience. The use of color grading added depth and meaning to each scene, which further intensified the emotional impact.

Moreover, the acting performances were commendable. T his an excellent episode that deserves more recognition than it has received. The cinematography, emotional depth, and impact on the audience were all superbly executed. The episode's central message of how our actions shape our destiny is a reminder that we should always be mindful of our decisions and their consequences. I am eagerly looking forward to the next episode and what it will bring to the table.

Wow

[mayroooz · 9/10 · 5 June 2023]

This was my favorite episode of the entire series, great acting, great direction, amazing cinematography, and most importantly what a jump in time, I felt the struggle and the isolation sally and Barry are going through, that boy they have and how missed up he is, That scene when Sally attacking that guy in her work, is a solid one, her character has developed to be this complicated strong character but we saw a hint of her when she was teaching that actress in the previous episode.

I wanted more of this episode, I just would love it if it was made black and white, I think it will add more to it.

This ain't St Elsewhere (or Carry on Barry)

[safenoe · 9/10 · 26 September 2023]

Barry and Sally and their son live on, yes the denouement at the end of the previous episode, it takes a psycho, wasn't a St Elsewhere type ending with the snow globe and the life of Barry and Sally and son being all a hallucination. This episode really sent fans up in arms, and understandably so, because the tone of tricky legacies is quite unsettling for some and understandably son. Gene returns at the end after being missing for eight years, ready to consult on a biopic about Barry himself.

This episode was incredibly atmospheric, kind of like a Terrence Malik movie, and one wonders what's in store with three more episodes till the end.

I hate time jumps

[elias-34013 · 7/10 · 8 May 2023]

The season started very strongly in typical Barry fashion with dark humour and many deaths. I figured Barry wouldn't be in prison for the whole season and was kind of relieved when he escaped in the previous episode. However, this episode jumps forward in time by about 10 years. Barry and Sally are living in the desert with their son and have become completely different people. Barry takes the name of Clark, homeschooling his son and becoming weirdly obsessed with Ghandi and Abraham Lincoln, why Sally obtains a southern accent and works at a diner. While last episode featured little to no Barry at all it's supporting cast still managed to make it as dramatic and funny as ever. It's shocking that when the opposite happens this time it becomes very dry and boring.

This was probably one of the most underwhelming episodes of Barry and hopefully the last of its kind as it completely deviates away from the story we've been following for the past 4 seasons. What happened to the other characters such as Hank and Fuches. Hopefully, this episode was a dream of Barry's and we get back to the present day.

Jumping the shark

[barbra-levy · 3/10 · 21 May 2023]

All I can guess is that this whole episode jumped the shark just for the meta-inside joke about Fonz literally jumping over a shark. Did the entire series build up to make this joke? Will Cousineau end the series by saying "Aaaaaye!"? Will Ron Howard direct an episode? Will Scott Baio appear?

Where's the Barry we have come to love? Who is this homeschooling weirdo who thinks like a modern day Clark Kent?

I never thought of Barry as a Happy Days sequel but I suppose it could all end with Fonz waking up from a dream after he jumped the shark. At this point I might prefer that to a Joanie Loves Chachi spin-off.

Eesh

[scarsley · 3/10 · 11 May 2023]

Innovative. Tense. Smart. Funny.

None of these apply to this episode.

This show speeds along and hits beats and makes sure to involve you in the world. I have never been so disappointed in a show taking such a left turn and it's a real left turn... not a bad dream sequence.

There are so many obstacles that would have been great to pursue, the prison break, etc

pedalling backstory To see what happened to Hank or Fuchs- is poor storytelling and this show has never been a bad story.

Original story. Original characters. Layers of world building lost. I feel like all the air has been let out of the balloon.

Cross fingers that I'm surprised by next episode. Here's hoping.

Look, I love Barry..... but...

[kderuy-82422 · 2/10 · 8 May 2023]

I truly love the show that is Barry. But this... this episode.... Is not Barry.

This is some sort of 'future' episode. It shows the life of Barry after the last episode, only 8 years later. The problem is that the whole time, as the audience, you are always thinking this gonna be a mock life, a 'what if', or even a fantasy. You feel this way the entire episode because of one thing. The episode is horrible. It is literally about him becoming a terrible father and no spoilers, but if you think there will be a story, a resolution, absolutely anything interesting. You will be mistaken.

I'm serious when I say this is a waste of time. Because even the color code, the slow dialogue, the emptiness.... It is what this episode is. Just a waste.

2/10.

Just painful to watch

[kevin-k-lewis · 3/10 · 8 May 2023]

This season has been up and down for sure, and that's after a very disappointing-to-me season 3. This episode is the worse so far in the season.

I don't see why I should be interested at all in what's happening 10 years down the road. I want to know what happens with the characters in the present. Is this really their future or just some sort of vision/possibility. Maybe like a dream sequence.

The characters are in no way interesting in these scenes. There's no insight other than the obvious. There's nothing revealed.

They're trying to make it interesting because their lives are inane. It really just feels like filler.

I really don't like the time jump

[willkthewpboy · 3/10 · 8 May 2023]

Yes, kill Cousineau to save your dead boring life with your repulsive psychotic wife that doesn't even touch you, Barry. Someone as impulsive as Barry would've found an alternative lifestyle a long time ago.

The most infuriating part of this episode was that all of it was just building up to reveal that outcome, and the writers literally could've reached the same conclusion without the timeskip. It seems the only real reasons for the timeskip were to introduce the son and to show how successful Sally's friend became. My goodness I'm disappointed with how far this show has fallen in one episode. Worst episode of the season yet.

Worst Episode of the Show

[williedakid · 1/10 · 9 May 2023]

I've had my ups and downs with the show, but it still managed to keep me entertained more than bored. This episode failed to entertain me at all. You'd think an episode this weird would at least be interesting, but it's extremely boring. It seems like this show is meant to only appeal to people involved in film making with all of the poorly paced episodes filled with fancy drawn out shots that are more style than substance and repeated jokes insulting Hollywood as a whole. We get it, but can we also get a consistently good show? I thought the previous season would have ended the show well enough. Did the show really need to return for this?