What I’m Watching: Barry

Barry: Season 2, Episode 4 “What?!” (B+)

Well, a lot happened here. It seemed like Barry was going to go ahead and make a huge mistake with Sam, and it even looked like he was going to burst in and shoot him right in front of Sally, showing her that, undeniably, he is a violent man. The way in which Sam morphed back into the abuser she knew him to be was well-executed, with him first seeming overly friendly when they went for a meal, and then appearing to get over his feelings after Barry saw him storm out of the theater while watching her rehearse. It was only after Sally stopped by and responded to him that she would still be putting on the play that he lashed out and showed his true nature. I like that Barry managed to stop himself and reverse course immediately when he opened the door with his gun drawn and neither of them spotted him. He did, of course, make a far more regrettable error by running to Fuches and refusing to stop talking despite his attempts to warn him. It would have been too easy for Barry just to get caught, so of course there’s the added layer of the arresting detective wanting him to kill someone for him rather than actually put him behind bars, not that I think Barry is going to want to do that. Despite his unfortunate ego, Gene is making surprising progress with his son, which should be interesting to see. I also enjoyed Hank’s appearance in this episode, lamenting the loss of his preferred flavor for Esther’s.