So, the second season of "Barry" has been a long journey through some great moments that made it a joy to watch. It proved to, once again, be great TV (including the fifth episode "ronny/lily" which is one of the best episodes of television I've ever seen), and surprise with the dark depths that it wasn't afraid to go to. It worked hard to make Barry the creation of his own demons and where that was all taken in the finale was someplace that I'm not sure he'll be able to come back from. What a great way to finish up this far superior season.
This season has definitely been about finding out where Barry is coming from and how that darkness will always be a part of him. As the season went on, we saw that Barry really wanted to make a change to his lifestyle, but as the final stretch came in, it was also clear that something will never be able to go away. Barry is the sum total of all the bad decisions he's ever made, and it seems like he'll never be able to make enough good decisions to change his life. This episode wasn't only an intense display of character, but an intense display of trauma. Not only with Barry but with Gene as well, and despite the great fun he's been up until this, it felt like a revelation seeing Henry Winkler go through an entire episode looking extremely depressed. Now there were some inconsistencies with his storyline, but none that took away from the enjoyment of the episode. What this season has also done is amp up the action, and this episode featured an adrenaline-filled sequences that isn't entirely as exciting as what we saw just a few episodes ago, but definitely continues to make this show one of the best action shows on air, which is weird as I thought it was going to be a straight-up comedy. It couldn't be further away from it. It's such a deep show that pulls on all the elements that would make a good drama but twists it in a dark and funny way.
"berkman > block" was a seminal episode in telling the story of Barry Berkman. I can't wait to see where the writers are planning to take these characters in the third season, but I'll be eagerly awaiting a time where I can be excited about seeing a new entry into this world every single week.