Bill Hader’s acclaimed but underappreciated dark comedy series on HBO, a sequel series called Dexter: New Blood, picking up 10 years after the end of the original show, with Dexter’s old life catching up to him, and there’s a prequel series about young Dexter called Dexter: Original Sin coming soon.
Neither Dexter nor its sequel has been able to provide a more satisfying conclusion to the story than the original series, and there isn’t much hope for the next planned offshoot, Dexter: Resurrection. There is a perfect follow-up out there for Dexter fans who want to see more antics from the secret double life of a killer, but it has nothing to do with the Dexter franchise. After leaving Saturday Night Live, Hader teamed up with Alec Berg to co-create Barry, which is essentially a more absurd version of Dexter (and one of the greatest dark comedy shows ever made).
Barry's Hidden Killer Story Made It The Perfect Show For Dexter Fans
Barry Berkman Is A Lot Like Dexter Morgan
Barry revolves around Barry Berkman (Hader), a sociopathic ex-Marine who works as a freelance hitman for his family friend, Fuches (Stephen Root). When he goes to Los Angeles to bump off an adulterous personal trainer for Chechen gangster NoHo Hank (Anthony Carrigan), Barry unwittingly follows his target into an acting class run by Gene Cousineau (Henry Winkler), where he discovers an unexpected ion for acting. Barry wants to quit his job as an assassin and seek a higher calling as an actor, but finds that it’s not so easy to leave his life of crime behind.
All four seasons of Barry received nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series.
This is a more absurd version of Dexter’s premise. Where Dexter struggles to balance his double life as a forensic blood spatter analyst and a vigilante serial killer, Barry struggles to balance his double life as a hitman and a budding actor. In its first two seasons, Barry leans more into the pitch-black humor. But in its third and fourth seasons, as the walls start closing in, it takes on a much darker, more dramatic tone. It’s utterly compelling from beginning to end, and it’s interesting to watch the series evolve with its plot.
Barry And Dexter Were Two Very Different Shows With Similar Premises
They're Both About A Killer With A Double Life, But They Have Very Different Tones
Barry and Dexter both have a very similar premise. They’re both about an unsuspecting sociopath leading a seemingly normal social life while secretly leading a double life as a notorious killer. Dexter’s killing is slightly more justified than Barry’s, since Dexter only kills other serial killers while Barry kills whoever he’s paid to kill, but they’re both murderers that the series daringly asks viewers to empathize with. But their approach to the tone is completely different. Dexter has some dark humor, but it’s primarily an hour-long drama. Barry has plenty of captivating drama, but it’s primarily a half-hour comedy.
In both Barry and Dexter, the tension comes from the protagonist’s worlds colliding.
Both shows use the same technique to build suspense. In both Barry and Dexter, the tension comes from the protagonist’s worlds colliding. Will Barry’s friends from the acting class figure out that he’s a killer-for-hire? Will Dexter’s colleagues at the Miami-Metro Police Department figure out that he's the Bay Harbor Butcher? Barry and Dexter’s double lives keep their respective shows consistently engaging; the question of whether they’ll get caught is constantly hanging over their shows. Dexter fans who enjoyed that aspect of the series will love Barry.
Barry Had The Definitive And Satisfying Ending That Dexter Has Yet To Have
Dexter Keeps Bungling Its Endings, But Barry Had A Great Ending
Showtime has turned Dexter into another Walking Dead. It ed the point where it could deliver a satisfying ending, so now, it just won’t end. It keeps going and going with sequels and spin-offs, resulting in a sunk cost for viewers who have been following the story for years and lost all hope of a proper conclusion. Dexter’s original run had a disappointing ending, then the sequel, New Blood, had a disappointing ending of its own. Dexter still has yet to deliver an ending that satisfies fans, and it probably never will.
Barry Season 4 Episode 8 Ending Explained: What Happened In The "Wow" Series Finale
The Barry season 4 ending wrapped up Bill Hader's hitman comedy in an appropriately profound and ambiguous way. The finale is full of deeper meanings.
Where Dexter keeps bungling its endings, Barry delivered a perfect ending at the perfect time. Dexter went on for far too long, and now, it keeps dropping spin-off after spin-off, each more underwhelming than the last. Barry, on the other hand, knew when to end, wrapped up the story, and left it be. After the first two seasons, Barry’s incredible writing staff started building towards the endgame. Much like the rest of the series, Barry’s ending is totally unpredictable, yet feels completely right for the story and themes it’s dealing with.
Barry
- Release Date
- 2018 - 2023-00-00
- Network
- HBO Max
- Showrunner
- Alec Berg
Cast
Barry Berkman
Sarah GoldbergSally Reed
WHERE TO WATCH
A hitman becomes captivated by an acting class and seeks to abandon his criminal past for a life on stage. As he struggles to balance his new aspirations with his violent profession, the series delves into his internal conflict and unexpected encounters within the world of theatre.
- Seasons
- 4
- Streaming Service(s)
- MAX
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