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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Stuart Heritage

Barry finale review – farewell to the true best show on television

Going out with a ‘wow’ … Sally (Sarah Goldberg), Barry (Bill Hader) and John (Zachary Golinger) in Barry.
Going out with a ‘wow’ … Sally (Sarah Goldberg), Barry (Bill Hader) and John (Zachary Golinger) in Barry. Photograph: HBO

Well, that’s it. The best series on television has ended. Since 2018 it has towered above its rivals, thanks to its highwire ability to mix incredible comedy with the sort of intense drama that leaves your stomach in knots for days. And now it’s over. Four seasons and done. Succession? What? No. I’m talking about Barry.

Barry has concluded with “wow”, an episode of television that pulled off the remarkable job of creating a definitive ending and leaping forward a decade (for the second time in a month), while still managing to be the bitter Hollywood satire it always was. It was an extraordinary achievement, and you can’t help but feel that it deserved far more than to play second banana to Succession.

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