There have been quite a few crime comedies about hitmen/assassins over the years (Grosse Pointe Blank, Mr. Right, The Hitman's Bodyguard, Jean-Claude Van Johnson, Keeping Up With the Jones, Mr. & Mrs Smith, The Matador, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Killing Gunther, etc.), but for pure comedic value, Barry is far and away the best I've seen.
The series features such an excellent cast. Bill Hader is expectedly perfect for the titular role, but he's also supported by other great comedy actors, including Stephen Root, Henry Winkler and Chris Marquette. However, one of my favorite characters thus far has to be Anthony Carrigan's "NoHo Hank", who absolutely epitomizes the show's ridiculous brand of humor by channeling a scary Chechen gangster through the filter of vapid LA frivolity. For just about all comedies in this subgenre, the richest area of humor is the juxtoposition between a very serious and dark profession with really incongruous characters and situations. And NoHo Hank is just that. At first blush, he looks quite menacing with his shaved head and gang tats, but as soon as you hear him speak (with an almost comically upbeat and innocent-sounding Eastern-European accent), he's transformed from a one-dimensional stock character into an intriguing and surprisingly sympathetic character-despite the fact that he's planning someone's murder. He's the type of gangster who really wants you to like him even as he's threatening your life.
The way that the writers employ Barry's theater training to develop Hader's character and further his inner conflict is also quite brilliant. Sure, it's a very obvious choice given the premise, but the execution is so seemless and natural. Winkler is perfect for facilitating these scenes, delivering very genuine and heartfelt advice whilst punctuating these dramatic scenes with dry humor at just the right times.
My only worry with this show is how it might cannibalize the audience for Jean-Claude Van Johnson. But if both shows get renewed for multiple seasons, then it's a double win for audiences.
The series features such an excellent cast. Bill Hader is expectedly perfect for the titular role, but he's also supported by other great comedy actors, including Stephen Root, Henry Winkler and Chris Marquette. However, one of my favorite characters thus far has to be Anthony Carrigan's "NoHo Hank", who absolutely epitomizes the show's ridiculous brand of humor by channeling a scary Chechen gangster through the filter of vapid LA frivolity. For just about all comedies in this subgenre, the richest area of humor is the juxtoposition between a very serious and dark profession with really incongruous characters and situations. And NoHo Hank is just that. At first blush, he looks quite menacing with his shaved head and gang tats, but as soon as you hear him speak (with an almost comically upbeat and innocent-sounding Eastern-European accent), he's transformed from a one-dimensional stock character into an intriguing and surprisingly sympathetic character-despite the fact that he's planning someone's murder. He's the type of gangster who really wants you to like him even as he's threatening your life.
The way that the writers employ Barry's theater training to develop Hader's character and further his inner conflict is also quite brilliant. Sure, it's a very obvious choice given the premise, but the execution is so seemless and natural. Winkler is perfect for facilitating these scenes, delivering very genuine and heartfelt advice whilst punctuating these dramatic scenes with dry humor at just the right times.
My only worry with this show is how it might cannibalize the audience for Jean-Claude Van Johnson. But if both shows get renewed for multiple seasons, then it's a double win for audiences.