10 TV Shows With No Redeemable Characters
5. Barry
The characters of Barry are commendably complex creations. The show’s concept, a reluctant hitman looking to reinvent himself as an actor, doesn’t sound the most fresh, and the world of wannabe actors feels as though it’s been mined dry, but through deeply fleshed out writing and universally terrific performances, it breathes new life into several worlds.
No one, however, is a particularly good person. On one extreme, of course, you’ve got the likes of Barry Berkman, Bill Hader’s protagonist. He’s a scarred and traumatised ex-Marine, groomed to kill, but kill he certainly does, without flinching. Then there’s the defacto villain, Fuches, Barry’s handler, a man without scruples.
More subtly irredeemable, though, are the depictions of the Hollywood hopefuls. The more we learn of these actors, the deeper we get to the core of their dishonesty, their naked ambition that trumps everything else. Henry Winkler’s Gene Cousineau is obliquely self serving, but even the vulnerable and damaged Sally is an individual clearly motivated by her own desires and ambitions at the expense of those around her.
Barry’s two seasons thus far have shown amazing ability to dig ever deeper into the core of its creations, and as the show’s ambitions rise, no doubt it’ll only go further in the future.