How to Write Antihero Characters like 'Barry'

After everything he has done, can Barry be forgiven, can he be redeemed? If you just finished watching the climactic, intense ending of season three- morally speaking, that answer is probably a resounding “no” as it seems his character is well beyond the point of no return. But from writing perspective, what can the show do to make us root for or at least regain some sympathy for the character throughout season four? And what makes the character of Barry so compelling?
SPOILERS, for Barry as well as Breaking Bad and Bojack Horseman
#Barry #VideoEssay #Emmys
Watch HBO's Barry created and starring Bill Hader on HBOMax.
KZbin, this video is for television and film lovers, people who watch video essays on tv and film analysis.
Alternate Title: Can Barry Be Redeemed? | Barry Character Study
Barry season 3, Barry season 3 review, Barry analysis, Barry video essay

[@poleslaw4916]

big fan of putting barry clips in 4:3 and making them look like they belong in a wes anderson movie

[@ComeWatchTV]

Thank you!

[@stankyknutz]

@@ComeWatchTV didn’t know why I looked so cool at first till dude pointed that out lol, nice editing style you deserve more subs

[@wyattrussell7496]

Barry sits down to talk to his lawyer. It's Saul Goodman

[@ComeWatchTV]

W

[@evanohlsten7814]

He's beating these charges for sure 🙏

[@evillink1]

I think at this point, Barry graduated from antihero to full blown villain.

[@thehonorroll2383]

No he’s a really good guy. Just a little confused 😢

[@gavinstringfellow5881]

Yeah just like Walter white went antihero to villain

[@jacobfromallstate4963]

*spoilers* *spoilers* *spoilers* Barry in the last season had made progress. Barry couldn't take Gene's life seeing his family, while earlier Barry would have. He went to turn himself in and at the very moment of his possible partial redemption, his life was taken and his sins fell onto Gene who could have saved his own future if he embraced forgiveness (I don't think I could either have if I was him).

[@tedarcher9120]

He was always an antivillain

[@tedarcher9120]

@@jacobfromallstate4963 He didn't kill Gene not because of family, but because he wanted Gene to replace Fuches

[@CraigVisnovec]

If only Aaron Paul was in Barry, then we’d have a perfect trio in the show comparison part.

[@mr.derpcat6479]

I think Barry can be redeemed even after all he’s done I believe that if a human has genuine remorse for their actions and are willing to change they can in fact be redeemed.

[@tedarcher9120]

Not really, it's because he didn't know what else to do

[@mochasucculent]

Awesome essay!! I agree on nearly everything, though I think the one point I see differently is Albert. I personally don't see Albert as a good person, one of the first scenes we see with him shows him celebrating the deaths of two strangers who may have just been innocent civilians. To me, the only reason Albert is the one to offer Barry any form of sympathy or forgiveness in-show is that he's similar to Barry in a lot of ways. They have shared trauma, but in addition, I think Albert excuses Barry's actions for selfish reasons much the same way that Barry take responsibility for the death of the biker at Sally's hands. They both have an emotional connection with the other person involved and don't want to sever that relationship. If Barry didn't save Albert's life and was just a random person who killed Chris, I'm sure Albert would have no problem arresting him. It's only because of their history and Albert's emotional stock in Barry that he lets him go, sacrificing his responsibility to "catch the bad guy" for personal reasons. I think Albert is an interesting character and I hope to see more of him in season 4, though I think he similarly has a lot of questionable morals, and that scene raises a lot of fascinating questions about forgiveness and who it's actually for and what it means. Again great work on the essay! Love the comparisons with Walter and BoJack, it's always fascinating to dig into why a morally reprehensible character is still worth rooting for. That capacity to change even if it's deeply unlikely feels very human.

[@ComeWatchTV]

Thank you! I think your take on Albert is sound-- he definitely isn't without his evils.

[@PurpleSlime474]

If Negan can be redeemed, lil Barry can too lol.

[@nont18411]

Barry succeeded in what Better Call Saul didn’t: holding everyone accountable. Better Call Saul might have a lot of interesting and complex characters but once it reached the end of the story, it ignores the moral culpability of everyone else and cast all the blames on one Jimmy McGill. The characters like Mike, Kim, Chuck, Gus and even Walter are not held accountable for their actions. It’s all Jimmy’s fault and once Jimmy got in jail, every problem goes away. Barry, on the other hand, portrays everyone as who they are: the scumbags. Barry being in jail is essential to the story to show the true colors of the other characters. The problem doesn’t go away after he got in jail. Everyone else remains being flawed and have the own issues to work on. There is one scene that I think is a crux of the whole show. It’s in the beginning of season 4. When Sally yelled at her mom for trying to tell Sam’s (Sally’s abusive ex husband) family about how Sally put his story in her show. Sally was angry that her mom always side with Sam and never protected her from his abuses and what did her mom answer? “Well, the guy in LA is a murderer.” Yeah, Sally’s mom represents characters in this show who is not Barry. Come on, Sam’s abuses of Sally is fine. At least he’s not Barry. Sally’s selfish and narcissistic behavior is fine. At least she’s not Barry. Fuches destroying life and manipulating people is fine. At least he’s bot Barry. Gene being a spiteful and opportunistic man is fine. At least he’s not Barry. Love how the show acknowledges that these are evil people and they are still evil without Barry’s influence. They might think they are so high and mighty but they are damn well NOT high and mighty.

[@theoneman2084]

Awesome comment!!!

[@IsaacVizasLurie]

I'd disagree with Gene. Gene is deeply flawed but still capable of goodness and altruism in a way the others aren't. He's also the only one who realizes he's a bad person and tries to be better. Only falling to his darker impulses after his lifelong dream was offered to him and even then incredibly reluctantly. Something that a fair amount of people would fall for even if they wouldn't admit it. Basically the other characters mentioned are genuinely bad but Gene was merely an imperfect human.

[@randynewmansdeepinsideholl732]

Randy calls this an A+ essay my friend!

[@MadSaez103]

No man is beyond redemption, not even Barry.

[@ArTsticBeAst]

Detective loach has that tape recorder thing where he has Barry confess about Janice’s death when talking to Fuches after realizing it’s too late / a setup. Idk if maybe they’ll use that to convict Barry

[@evillink1]

Didn't Barry sneak into his garage the following episode to steal all the case evidence?

[@ArTsticBeAst]

@@evillink1 wasnt a garage it was his wifes quicenera place but it does show him taking all his files and stuff idk why i didnt catch that

[@evillink1]

@@ArTsticBeAst ok

[@magicfairycome]

this has... 3.7k views??? 2.7k subs??? only 150 likes??? what is going on??????????? why doesn't this have millions of each, this is ridiculously high quality content omg

[@ComeWatchTV]

Sheesh, I really appreciate that, thank you.

[@Skullei]

I think IF he were to ever be redeemed it would be because he turned himself on.

[@AZ-ty7ub]

Is Albert really that good though? He's the one who encouraged Barry to shoot and kill who, in all likelyhood, were probably just Afghani farmers, then loudly cheered when he did so. In a way, Albert could be considered one of the reasons Barry became who he is- Someone who feels his only value is in killing.

[@ComeWatchTV]

That's valid-- but we are given every indication that Albert has changed from that

[@AZ-ty7ub]

@@ComeWatchTV What indications though? He lied to police to commit an act of extrajudicial vigilantism and never expressed remorse for cheering on and encouraging the deaths of probable innocents. He may be a father now sure, and I'm not saying he's completely evil or on the level that Barry is, but what indication is there that's he's changed? Excellent video by the way, I really enjoyed it, you've got another subscriber.

[@ComeWatchTV]

@@AZ-ty7ub Thank you! I guess I just think Albert is a good person outside of his actions tied to Barry-- and to your point of him lying to the police, you're totally right, I was just looking at that from the perspective of him still seeing good in Barry-- even though, yea, it's probably a detrimental decision given what we know Barry may continue to do.

[@kylecook7187]

I mean, he did get caught aiming a gun at a decorated veteran, that alone is enough to put him away lol

[@ComeWatchTV]

Fair enough. I guess I just meant they don’t have anything on official murders outside of Albert seeing him

[@keegisuvakas6847]

great video! can't wait for season 4. though "he's an objectively good person, he's an fbi sentence" is an objectively (hehe) funny sentence lmao

[@VincentVisions]

found this on reccomended. A tier content. inspiring subscribed. keep it up

[@ComeWatchTV]

Glad you enjoyed! Love it when the algorithm helps me out!

[@FinnedChief]

I love this video analysis! Huge fan of Barry and this gives me a lot to think about!

[@ComeWatchTV]

Thank you!

[@SwaggestNico]

Dude fantastic video!!! Seriously loved your analysis and pacing.

[@ComeWatchTV]

Thank you so much!

[@SwaggestNico]

@@ComeWatchTV ofc dude! Earned a sub, can't wait to see your next video

[@MetoagaYT]

Amazing video essay. Both the script and the editing is perfect.

[@ComeWatchTV]

Really appreciate that!

[@RaulieGonzo97]

You just gained a new subscriber, friend. Well done.

[@ComeWatchTV]

Much appreciated! Welcome!

[@fantappstic3488]

Good video! :) Love this show

[@ComeWatchTV]

Appreciate it! Best season of tv this year imo

[@Super-et4jo]

Great video man.

[@ComeWatchTV]

Thank you!

[@Salamander676]

Now I know why Bill Hader thought barry was an idiot. He should have killed gene but he can’t go through with being a full on bad guy all the time and he tries to be a good guy in the most backwards psychotic way possible after the point of no return and in the end Barry’s guilt and goodness ironically gets him in trouble He can’t be both a hero and villain even tho he thinks it’s possible 😂 I love Barry and without his flaws the show wouldn’t be as compelling and exciting to some degree but his legit lack of social awareness and intelligence and poorly timed empathy is pretty much the whole reason why so many extremely avoidable and dumb situations happened on the show He had 3 chances to stop all the killing and move on truly and he never did. If he killed Fuches and Hank he would have never had more bad influences that pulled him back intro crime and it would have prevented him from ever having to debate killing gene Also Janice’s death could have been easily been prevented cause there’s no way in fuck she would have caught Barry in reality. The way she finds out he’s the killer is beyond forced and unrealistic.

[@imsusaf2038]

Spoiler alert: no he didnt 💀

[@goleer6694]

Great video! Personally I wouldn't compare bojack to walt and barry just because of how much more damaging i think walt's and barry's actions have been, but still an interesting comparison. You deserve more subs!

[@saml302]

he did have to kill them both. other than that good stuff man they both know his face and his name and the service he's offering. theyre a liability left alive

[@ComeWatchTV]

appreciate it, and you're probably right.

[@jerrypastrana8176]

Truth be told, No. Barry cannot be redeemed. Hitman profession aside, Barry killed a man with a wife and child and a police officer in an effort to cover his tracks and those two things sealed his fate, despite the fact that he's killed many before. Both people were innocent and if Barry truly were a good person, he wouldn't have killed the people that didn't deserve it. Barry is a bad person trying to be good, and the show gives you subtle reminders at that. This show reminds me of Breaking Bad and The Sopranos in how they humanize these characters in Walter White and Tony and even get you to relate and sympathize with them at times, but then they bring you back to the harsh reality that these people are murderous psychopaths.

[@brayantgnomez6102]

Im disappointed that i just now realized that there is a third season

[@ComeWatchTV]

you gotta get on that!

[@jaimeherber8353]

Honestly no he can't be redeemed the lives and families he destroyed, he's going to hell. No matter how much he tries there's nothing he can do to fix any of it.

[@gur262]

And ? He knows. He doesn't try to fix anything he tries to change and he kinda succeeded.

[@dominicjarrell283]

Ever since Chris died Barry earned his spot in hell no he can't be redeemed not anymore

[@psychoriot866]

Not even after that, Barry truly lost his chance to redeem himself when he killed that man he thought had shot Albert in a blind rage when he was in service.

[@BlackBoxEnte]

One for the Algorithm. Great Essay.

[@ComeWatchTV]

let's hope! Thanks!

[@esbuenodun]

Love the show. The simple answer is no.

[@__n3ptr_]

fye vid and Bojack S teir show.

[@ComeWatchTV]

Thank you and yes it's top 5

[@LittleDylanJack]

If you haven't seen Barry yet then you should

[@kylecook7187]

Cool video though

[@legojim626]

Oh wow!

[@gur262]

Spoiler. He did change. Then didn't. Then kinda changed his mind again. But facts stand, he didn't actually kill anymore for the last years of his life. That's the most important part, not how we feel about someone but if they do it again.

[@danielcubillasvaldez1784]

"Ni maíz palomas" I say.

[@iKnowAllo]

nive video

[@uhhcallmejefe]

Ok

[@ComeWatchTV]

Haven't thought about it that way

[@rixx46]

Easy answer, NO. He was irredeemable by the end of season one. He grew even more so in season 2, which is why I STOPPED watching the series. I don't mind a dark series but the TONE of this is ALL over the map. I don't know if the creators know or care WHAT we think of Barry. Even Walter White inspired a more complicated relationship with the audience. There's nothing tragic about Barry - I DON'T CARE if he is redeemed because HE doesn't care. There IS no conflict in the character. He's just a pathetic broken killer with nowhere to go but down. COMEDY? Maybe in the first few episodes, but by the time he killed his friend, I was done with him and the show. I watched the second season because I like Henry Winkler (I worked with him when I used to write for THE REAL MACGYVER); he truly is a prince of a human being. All the more reason I hate to see him on a show that is so self-destructive.

[@ComeWatchTV]

I'm not sure how to approach this. I mean I agree with a lot of what you are saying but I don't quite get how any of it would make Barry as a show unwatchable just because you don't like Barry the character.

[@vernardfields7044]

Yes, Jesus Christ can save anyone!

[@tildoyagins7931]

Morality is not relative. All observations based on the presumption of the relativity of morality are themselves based on the relative assumption of relativity, making them flotsam in a tempest. I do not believe you are equipped to grasp the themes explored in this show beyond your perspective, which is lacking. You must venture forth from your home as a fool and in your foolishness come to know the world. Only then may you return home as a man who can understand the themes explored here.

[@ComeWatchTV]

Got it 🫡

[@andresaguero5880]

What defines morality tho?

[@tildoyagins7931]

@@andresaguero5880 Morality is a metaphysical system (meaning it is emergent). Morality defines the standards by which human culture maintains itself. I.e. one cannot have a civilization where everyone is constantly murdering, raping, or stealing from each other without repercussion among many other actions. It is critically true that one cannot have a civilization without familial structures that perpetuate themselves (i.e. people having kids at replacement rates and then raising those kids so that they may also have kids at replacement rates and so on). If something happens to prevent the replacement of future generations civilizations fall into decay and ultimately ruin. If you are an entirely self centered and self concerned individual (like many modern men and women) and have no regard or care toward the civilization that you are a part of then of course morality will have no meaning to you. But, if you care at all about the perpetuation of that which makes us greater than the sum of our beings (I.e. our ability to collaborate for the betterment of our lives and the lives of the future) Then morality is not only a critical function of the human psyche, it is the very bedrock of civilization itself. If this answer does not sufficiently educate you then I'm afraid you are too far gone to help or be helped.

[@andresaguero5880]

Do you study philosophy? I think that was a good answer, my question was because I have never looked the very definition of morality, so it was a genuine doubt lol. In what I need to be helped if I may know sir?

[@tildoyagins7931]

​@@andresaguero5880 Im glad the answer was helpful. I do study philosophy among many other topics. It is important to note though that philosophy is downstream from metaphysics and metaphysics is downstream from the occult. You will never find the truest nature or meaning of a thing from the definition on the first page of google or in a dictionary. To understand the true nature of a topic, especially one as complex as morality or civilization you must do so from a perspective that takes the totality of human nature (and ultimately the nature of the conscious structure of the universe(AKA god, gods, spirits, demons, etc...)) into account. This is no easy feat and is not something I or anyone else should boast of accomplishing but is more of a goal to strive towards. If you do not believe in the inherently conscious nature of the universe then you must account for a glaring discrepancy, that being how a universe incapable of conscious thought has systems embedded within it that support the natural evolution of consciousness among many other complex formations of matter and energy that comprise the known material universe. I.e. How does a hydrogen atom know to be a hydrogen atom and a water molecule know to be a water molecule. If ones answer to this fundamental question is "It just is" then they take the universe on faith more than any religious person. Thus the study of metaphysics, and ultimately the occult (among other theoretical systems of study like quantum physics), are concerned primarily with the nature of this fundamental immaterial structure that binds the material world. Morality is closer to the material side of things but is still ultimately in the metaphysical family of study. I hope this answers your question.