We expect to see cops in police procedurals, doctors in medical shows, and dragons on dragon shows.

But what happens when a TV series jumps its genre guardrails and goes rogue?

This scenario happens more often than you’d think, especially with shows taking a supernatural twist.

It’s so common there’s even a name for it: The Paranormal Trope.

Wait … Did You Hear That??

TV shows often feature a supernatural episode for Halloween, which makes sense.

It’s a time of year when spooky shenanigans can be enjoyed and easily explained away (or just never mentioned again).

A “true” supernatural aspect buried in that holiday’s fake trappings blurs the line between a show’s established reality and how much that reality can stretch to accommodate a detour into the paranormal.

This often manifests as “help” from a ghost that turns out to be real or a prophecy that turns out to be true.

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A lot of times, it’s tied to an object or item of clothing that gives the wearer access to the spiritual realm or takes them to a different time period.

The “Halloween” episode of My So-Called Life is a high school textbook example of this, where a vintage costume brings Angela (Claire Danes) into the ghostly orbit of Nicky, a student who violently died at their school’s Halloween dance in 1963.

And if you thought Happy Days was done with oddball episodes after jumping the shark, check out Season 11’s “The Spirit is Willing.” 

In this one, Fonzie’s latest classic car restoration project makes him wish it was “1955 forever.”

Little does he know that the car comes factory-installed with a gorgeous ghost determined to make that happen.

These Halloween episodes are one-offs, though.

They feature events that are on the more plausible end of the supernatural spectrum.

They also do not permanently alter the show’s main world.

There’s Got to Be a Perfectly Logical Explanation

Departure episodes of this type aren’t confined to a specific holiday, and their supernatural aspect doesn’t have to be scary. 

A great example is Castle’s “Time Will Tell” episode where a time traveler from the future tries to prevent a disaster and it’s ultimately left ambiguous as to whether he and his mission were real or not.

Shows that skew toward the supernatural in the first place have their own version of the Paranormal Trope, just in reverse.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer did this with the Season 6 episode “Normal Again,” where Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) wakes up in a mental institution, and it is insinuated that the entire series has been a hallucination.

Showrunner Joss Whedon has stated that “Normal Again” was a bit of a fake-out and that he believes Sunnydale and the rest of the series were always “real,” but this one outlier episode gives viewers the option to consider that everything they’ve watched for years has been just a dream. 

The best of these supernatural episodes do exactly what “Normal Again” did:

They leave a show’s canon intact while calling its overall reality into question, should viewers choose to entertain that possibility. 

But what happens when a show’s supernatural turn isn’t a mere blip but a full-on change of direction?

Tell Me You’re Seeing This, Too

The original run of Roseanne (1988 – 1997) featured a complete U-Turn out of reality in its then-final ninth season (the series was revived years later in various forms).

Praised for its realistic depiction of blue-collar life at a time when sitcoms seemed to only feature wealthy white-collar professionals, Roseanne began its ninth season by having the Conner family win the lottery.

Giving millions of dollars to the perpetually broke Conners was a departure in itself, but that was just the beginning of increasingly bizarre episodes featuring Roseanne on classic TV shows or Darlene giving birth to Satan.

The series took yet another turn in its final episode by attempting to explain what we’d been watching all season:

Roseanne was writing a book to deal with her grief over a death in the family, so everything we’d seen in Season 9 – and possibly the entire show – was fiction.

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This series ending was deeply unsatisfying rather than comforting and marred the legacy of a truly great ’90s show.

Even though Roseanne’s format change spanned an entire season, it has more in common with the “It Was All a Dream” trope than an unexplained genre diversion.

This Might Sound A Bit Far-Fetched, But …

A more recent example of true genre-jumping is My Lady Jane, a Prime Video series that is a loose retelling of how the actual Lady Jane Grey became Queen of England for nine days in the year 1553.

It pretty much goes without saying that a historical series will take liberties with available facts.

Still, Prime Video completely buried the lead that My Lady Jane is actually a historical paranormal romance.

As in, some characters can turn into hawks, bears, and horses, which is startling when it happens out of the blue in an otherwise realistic first episode. 

This development upends our previous expectations for the show and introduces an entirely different genre.

Of course, it’s not as if the show suddenly transported its characters and setting into outer space, but this turn to the supernatural is permanent and creates an alternate history where the established monarchy persecutes shifters.

A dramatic change in a show’s direction can be either delightful or disturbing.

What’s tolerable in a one-off episode can become polarizing when series-long expectations are undermined.

In My Lady Jane, the (literal!) shift in tone occurs early enough to let viewers exit the ride without wasting much time. It also helps avoid the kind of betrayal some viewers experienced when Roseanne shifted gears eight seasons in.

My Lady Jane’s cancellation after one season indicates the danger of keeping genre shifts a surprise.

We’ll never know how big of an audience the show might have had with more descriptive marketing. 

We’ll Cover More Ground If We Split Into Two Groups

Supernatural departure episodes can be just as divisive as longer, more permanent turns for a series.

Few would call Barry realistic, but Season 2’s “Ronny/Lily” episode stretches fully into the absurd.

This is the one with the little girl karate master who can jump on roofs and may not be entirely human. 

The episode is gory even for a famously gory show, but it’s the seriously disturbing images of this otherworldly little girl leaping around defying gravity that give it a peculiar tinge of horror.

Fans of the show seem to either love or hate this discordant episode (full disclosure: right here is where this author tapped out on Barry), proving once again how powerful these supernatural episodes can be.

Wait… Didn’t We Already Pass This Way??

The Paranormal Trope is a time-honored TV tradition that allows shows to play around and have fun. 

Even the cheerfully calm show Ted Lasso explored this territory with “Beard After Hours,” a fever dream homage to the Scorsese film and one of the most hated episodes of the entire series.  

In it, Coach Beard rides the train home by himself after a match during a blue moon.

He quickly loses his wallet, his pants, and all sense of direction as he spends the evening bouncing from one hyper-absurd scenario to another in his quest to get home.

Viewers may have had more tolerance for these experimental episodes when TV seasons were much longer, and the individual stakes weren’t as high.

Still, it’s fascinating to see how much controversy they can generate today.

What are your favorite supernatural episodes of otherwise realistic shows? Let us know in the comments!

The post When Reality Went Rogue: ‘Normal’ Shows That Took a Supernatural Turn appeared first on TV Fanatic.

According to Variety, the series will conclude with its fourth season on the premium cabler.

The news has been heavily rumored for months and is now official. The final season premieres on April 16.

Co-creators Bill Hader and Alec Berg decided that the show would end with Season 4 when they were writing the fourth season.

"It was very much in the writing and the storytelling," Hader told the outlet of the decision.

"I mean, a lot of people after last season were like, 'Why are you doing another season? It should have just ended.'"

"But to me, there are still so many questions with the other characters, and with Barry — and there's so many things unsaid."

"What happens in Season 4 is structurally radical in some ways, but it made sense for what I think the characters needed to go through," he added. 

"And what I think the whole show is always kind of headed towards," he said.

"You realize, well, we could pad a lot of stuff, and just make story. But if we're going forward, it ends in Season 4."

HBO renewed Barry for Season 4 in May 2022.

In addition to Hader, Barry stars Henry Winkler, Sarah Goldberg, Anthony Carrigan, Stephen Root, and Sarah Burns.

The official teaser for Season 4 picks up following the aftermath of the third season. Check it out below.

Barry is the latest HBO series to announce it is ending.

The creator of Succession recently announced that the series would wrap with its upcoming fourth season.

It's rare in today's TV landscape for series to end on their own terms, but HBO is out here giving creatives the space to decide when the shows should end.

It's nice to know that it's a possibility.

What are your thoughts on the end of Barry?

Are you ready for the end?

Hit the comments.

45 Characters Getting Coal for Christmas

Open List

The post Barry Coming to an End at HBO After Four Seasons appeared first on TV Fanatic.

It's hard to imagine that TV once featured a landscape without HBO, considering its impact on the television landscape. HBO boasts some of the best talents in television; this can be seen in the number of awards they have been nominated for and won throughout the years.

They have delivered many iconic TV shows with significant cultural impact. Their one-time slogan of "It's not TV, it's HBO" said it all, and their success can be attributed to delivering a solid roster of well-written, acted and produced shows.

We have compiled a list in reverse alphabetical order of 50 of the network's best shows that everyone should watch in their lifetime. It can be a starting point when deciding the next thing to watch or gathering knowledge in the case of an HBO trivia event coming your way.

The Young Pope and The New Pope

One would think that the Vatican is the most boring place on earth. I mean, nuns and priests?

These two shows prove them wrong. In the Young Pope, the Vatican gets a new young American pope. With his age and where he grew up, he has modern and fresh ideas on how to drag the papacy into the 21^st century.

The shows give a fresh perspective on one of the world's oldest institutions and humanize it by showing it as another human establishment with its own set of challenges.

On The New Pope, a sequel to The Young Pope, there's a new pope in town, as the title suggests.

This pope doesn't really want to be here, so he does things without care after the Young Pope goes into a coma.

The show's beauty is found in the final episodes when the Young Pope wakes up and gives a speech that resonates with everyone in St Peter's square.

The shows are largely successful, with creator Paolo Sorrentino and talents such as Jude Law and John Malkovich behind them.

The Wire

Some people hail this as the best HBO and best show ever. It might be true.

Set in Baltimore, the show follows everyone associated with the drug culture of the early 2000s. From the dealers and the cops who arrest them to their families and lovers who die because of them, it leaves no stone unturned.

It captures the 2000s, from fashion and music to the politics and social-economic state of the world then. It is a tale that will take the viewer on an unforgettable journey.

The White Lotus

This was a surprise hit for HBO. They had initially planned it as a limited series, but after it was a hit with audiences and critics alike, they decided to make it an anthology series.

The show follows rich people on vacation in the prestigious White Lotus resorts worldwide.

It has great writing and acting, but the sticking point is its characters.

The characters search for an escape on vacation, but their baggage follows them and the people they are with. Everything starts easy, but things come to a head when it all becomes too much. Each season ends with a murder.

Westworld

This ambitious show is set in the near future and dives into the rise of artificial intelligence and consciousness.

Seasons vary in setting, but it is mainly focused on a theme park where humans indulge their darkest fantasies with intelligent machines.

The best thing about it is the care that goes into every detail.

It has some insane plot twists that have the viewer questioning what they are watching and even their reality.

We Are Who We Are

This limited series comes from the director of the critically acclaimed film Call Me by Your Name.

Luca Guadanigno's style usually focuses on identity and coming of age. The show is not any different.

It follows Fraser and his military upbringing coming into the teenage hood and figuring out his sexuality. It has some outrageous scenes, but overall it is a nice commentary on growing up while being an outsider.

Watchmen

Everyone loves a good superhero show. Many of them toy with the idea of fighting evil, but they do so broadly. Watchmen is based on a graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons.

It follows Angela Bar, played by Regina King. Angela is a black superhero who dresses up as Sister Night and fights racists while still grappling with the legacy of former vigilantes in her niche.

It is a limited series that will leave you begging for more.

The Vow

It might not be believable, but even in the 2020s, cults are still a thing.

The Vow follows a documentary-style narrative as it chronicles the experiences of people in the inner circle of the group NXIVM, which featured Smallville's Allison Mack walking in tandem with its leader, Keith Raniere.

This group outdid itself when it was charged with a myriad of charges, including sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy, brought on its top-ranking members, including Keith Raniere, its founder.

Veep

Politics are a dirty game, and when you are one of the first female Americans to get to sit in one of the highest offices in the land, it's even messier.

Premiering in 2012, Veep follows Selina Meyers, a Vice President of the United States. Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays Selina

Veep received critical acclaim and was nominated for multiple awards, with its cast also being nominated for several during its seven-year run. Selina and her team get sidetracked by the day-to-day politics as they try to make a mark and leave a legacy.

True Detective

True Detective is an anthology series that features a new storyline every season, all following detectives as they investigate crimes spanning decades.

The series is known for bringing movie starts to TV with incredible pairings, most notably Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson for True Detective Season 1.

The series received critical acclaim, was nominated for multiple awards, and earned high ratings for HBO.

It premiered in 2014 and has been renewed for a fourth season as of 2023.

True Blood

Alan Ball's vampire drama is one not to miss.

It is adapted from a series of novels about Sookie Stackhouse, a human girl who falls in love with a vampire.

The show does a great job of imagining a world where vampires are real and walk into society. It tackles all the drama and politics that might arise from such a society.

The best thing about it is that it presents vampires in the classic sense, where they are bloodthirsty, cold-blooded killers who make no apologies — mostly — for what they are.

Succession

This hit show follows a mega-rich media conglomerate family and all their issues.

It breeds great drama due to its unfiltered nature and has spawned many arguments about whether it's truly a drama, a dark comedy, or something fresh merging the two. We go with the latter.

The writing and acting are stellar, but it's the characters, their souls laid bare for everyone to see, that have led to Succession's critical success, often dominating during awards season.

The Sopranos

Some people hail this as the most popular HBO show. This, too, might be true.

It follows mob boss Tony Soprano who, apart from the stress of being a boss, also suffers from mental and family problems.

It is a saga that spans many seasons and storylines. Despite continuing the previous, each season feels like a fresh one.

The best thing about it is how it makes subtle or not-so-subtle commentary on 2000s America and American culture in general.

Six Feet Under

Alan Ball kept the lights on at HBO in the early 2000s. Six feet under is a creation of his that premiered in 2001 and ran for five seasons.

It follows the Fisher family, who run a funeral home in Los Angeles. It also looks at the lives of the Fisher family's friends, lovers, and clients.

It has been lauded by critics and audiences for its story, writing, and acting. It was nominated for multiple awards and is regarded as one of the greatest television series of all time, with arguably one of the best finales ever produced.

Sex and the City

Before HBO was the giant it is today, it was relatively unknown. This changed in 1998 when Sex and the City premiered, following the lives of four women in New York City as they navigated myriad issues, some uncommon for the time. It helped popularize HBO as a network.

It ran for six seasons and received widespread acclaim and criticism alike. It was nominated for many awards throughout its run and cemented itself as a culture-defining moment being referenced later in shows set in the time, like 2019's Pose.

It spun a sequel called And Just Like That… that premiered in 2021 and follows three of its four central characters.

Real Time with Bill Maher

America's late-night and commentary shows are divided along political sides, with objectivity almost impossible to attain. Not on Real Time with Bill Maher.

With 22 seasons in as of 2024, Real Time sets itself apart by having informed people on all sides of the political spectrum debate current issues in front of a live studio audience.

It is hosted by comedian Bill Maher and is genuinely one of the funniest political shows. Guests don't have to censor themselves, this being HBO, so it sometimes gets heated.

Real Sex

The name gives it away. Before street interviews became a thing during the social media age, Real Sex did it first.

It is a documentary-style show that features honest and uncensored depictions of sex over multiple segments per episode.

For those of us who happened to wander past the channel without knowing what was on tap, it proved to be a stunning education in short order but quite moving, as well.

The show began in 1990 and concluded in 2009, having aired thirty-three episodes.

The Plot Against America

Sometimes, we all wonder what could have been. And David Simmons, most known for The Wire, also did.

The Plot Against America is an alternate history mini-series that premiered on HBO in 2020 and followed a Jewish working family as they watched the rise of a xenophobic populist to becoming president.

It is based on Philip Roth's novel and stars Winona Ryder, among others.

Perry Mason

This is a remake of a hit 80's show about a lawyer who uses unorthodox methods to find evidence for cases he's working on.

Many of the cases he takes are not as straightforward as they appear, and his ultimate goal is to uncover the truth no matter who it might end up hurting.

It starts slow but culminates in big reveals towards the season's end.

OZ

Prison is some people's worst nightmare, and with good reason. It is a place of torture and suffering instead of correction and penance. OZ tried to portray the latter but ended up with the former.

OZ is set in an experimental prison unit that aims to correct how prison serves its occupants.

The series launched many careers with its no-holds-barred exploration of a life behind bars and of the people tasked with keeping the prison functioning and on track.

It premiered in 1997 and concluded in 2003 after six seasons.

The Night Of

An accusation can alter the course of someone's life and usually for the worst. Such was the case for Nasir when he was accused of murdering a woman.

The Night Of premiered in 2016 and concluded after eight episodes. It received eight nominations for the Emmys and was critically acclaimed.

Although its run was short, it was talked about for a long time afterward and remains one of HBO's best explorations of the human psyche.

The Newsroom

A lot of work goes into any news production before and after viewers have a chance to view it.

The Newsroom looks into the behind-the-scenes workings of the fictional ACN — a news channel. It mixes real-world events in the background amidst the news crew's personal drama.

It was written by Aaron Sorkin and ran for three seasons and twenty-five episodes, and led to numerous awards nominations and wins, especially for its lead, Jeff Daniels.

Mildred Pierce

Mildred Pierce ran for a single five-episode season. It was adapted from James M. Cain's novel of a similar name.

It premiered in 2011.

It stars Kate Winslet as the titular Mildred, an overprotective mother during The Great Depression. She finds herself separated from her husband, opening a restaurant on her own, and falling in love with another man while trying to earn her narcissistic daughter's love and respect.

McMillions

Every day, fraudsters find new and ingenious ways to scam money out of unsuspecting people. Such was the case in McDonald's Monopoly game between 1989 and 2001.

McMillions is documentary miniseries that chronicles the promotion scam associated with the fast-food giant. In the scam, the company's head of security orchestrated a fake game and recruited other people, making $24 million.

The docuseries is told with incredible wit, making it incredibly entertaining.

It premiered in 2020 and aired all six episodes.

Lovecraft Country

Lovecraft Country premiered in 2020 and was canceled by HBO, sparking an outcry from viewers.

It follows Atticus, Letitia, and George as they travel across America to find his missing father in the 1950s.

They encounter the horrors of the racist white middle America and monsters that could be pulled from a Lovecraft paperback.

The show featured a strong narrative with great performances and visual effects.

Looking

Very few shows focus exclusively on the lives of Queer men and women. Looking is a show that does.

It is an unfiltered look into the gay men living in San Francisco in the 2010s.

The show portrays its characters as regular people while not sacrificing the authenticity of queer experiences.

The Leftovers

In a global phenomenon, 2% of the population disappeared. That was the premise of The Leftovers, which picked up three years after the events.

The show began airing in 2014 and ran for three seasons earning critical acclaim from critics and viewers alike.

It explored the whole emotional range of the human experience, taking viewers on an unforgettable journey to its brilliant conclusion.

Some regard it as one of the greatest series of all time.

The Larry Sanders Show

The Larry Sanders Show is a sitcom set in the office and studio of a fictional late-night talk show.

It premiered in 1992 and ran for six seasons. It featured celebrities playing exaggerated versions of themselves.

It is regarded as one of the best shows ever and has influenced other sitcoms in the same genre, and was nominated for various awards during its run.

The Jinx

The Jinx is a six-episode documentary mini-series that premiered in 2015.

It follows the New York real estate heir Robert Durst, who was suspected of multiple murders and convicted of one. A day before its finale aired, Robert was arrested for first-degree murder.

The show is expansive, featuring a lot of supplementary material such as video footage, interviews, and dramatic re-enactments.

It featured one of the craziest self-confessions ever caught on TV when Durst walked out of the interview room with a hot mike, and while behind closed doors, laid his fears on the table.

Insecure

Insecure is a comedy-drama starring Issa Rae that premiered in 2016, running for five seasons and forty-four episodes.

It follows the lives of two black women from their perspectives as black women. It was highly rated during its run and received critical acclaim.

It was nominated for and won multiple awards.

Industry

Industry focuses on young 20-somethings in the world of finance.

In the 2020s, everyone knows something about money and investments, but even if they don't, the drama is too good to pass up. Sex and drugs are part of this universe, but they are handled in a better way than many shows do.

Every episode is tenser than the last one, culminating in an epic season finale.

In Treatment

A patient walks into a therapist's office and starts to go off. A therapist walks into his therapist's office and starts going off about his patients.

If the first premise isn't interesting enough, the second one is bound to be. The show goes into the psychology of patients, exposing the nature of people and what motivates them to do or not do some things.

The show originally ran for several seasons and got a limited reboot.

I'll Be Gone in the Dark

In this true crime documentary series, Michelle McNamara spends her nights researching and writing a book about the serial killer she coined as The Golden State Killer.

McNamara put so much of herself into the investigation that she required medical attention, and she died of an overdose of various drugs in her search for sleep before she finished the book.

I'll Be Gone In the Dark the series follows Michelle's history, from childhood through her death, showing how she was on the only path that would have ever satisfied her longing to understand the mind of a killer.

The series premiered in 2020 and ran for six episodes, with a final special episode in 2021.

I May Destroy You

Michaela Coel stars in this show as a millennial pseudo-famous social media star. The character she plays is raped, but the full weight of its effects doesn't settle in until later.

In an age where consent is crucial to a sexual encounter, the show dives into how complicated sexual situations can be and does it with unabashed honesty and emotions.

I May Destroy You also touches on race, gender, and sexual orientation and how all they play into consent and sexual assault.

Girls

Inspired by HBO's Sex and the City, Girls also follows four young women who navigate life in New York as young people. It was inspired by the creator Lena Dunham's life after her parents cut off their financial support.

It began airing in 2011 and ran for six seasons and sixty-two episodes.

The show received critical acclaim throughout its run. It was nominated for and won many awards.

Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon

These epic shows are some of HBO's most popular.

Based on books by George RR Martin, they're expansive shows with an incredible narrative breadth. They extensively cover stories from many characters without losing a beat.

Incorporating fantasy, drama, war, and politics in a single show, they offer the best in genre programming.

House of the Dragon is the prequel to Game of Thrones, depicting events long before its predecessor and has quickly found a vast audience.

Euphoria

All Gen-Z routes converge at Euphoria.

Euphoria tackles life as a young person in today's world fuelled by drugs, sex, relationships, and social media.

It centers on Rue, a drug addict, and those close to her. It deals heavily with addiction and drugs in general.

Its biggest charm is its well-written characters, who are so unbelievable. It has inspired memes, quotes, and fashion trends bigger than any show.

Entourage

The show focuses on an up-and-coming actor in 2000's Los Angeles.

The show's biggest charm is its unfiltered characters, especially Ari Gold, who wins viewers over with his flawlessly flawed manner of speaking.

It is a product of its time, but it is overall a great show to watch when reminiscing about the 2000s

The Deuce

For many, it is easy to dismiss porn as immoral and a guilty pleasure. For some, it might be the worst evil.

The Deuce portrays pornography as art. The show details the rise of porn in 1970s New York. It features a myriad of storylines, all of which form a greater narrative.

From the pretty girls with dreams that die upon arriving in New York, family men and women looking to feed their children, entrepreneurs, artists, and the mob, to the misguided, The Deuce gives weight to all of their experiences.

The series never stands in place if it can elevate the conversation. It could have easily turned into a sexually gratuitous show, but instead, it chose a more sophisticated direction.

Deadwood

It is a western drama set in the 1870s.

It began airing in 2004 and ran for three seasons and thirty-six episodes.

It chronicles the growth of Deadwood from camp to town and features the appearance of real historical figures against the backdrop of fiction.

The show was critically acclaimed, having been nominated for and winning numerous awards, and returned with a movie to wrap up unfinished storylines.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

The show is a sitcom created by Larry David and follows a semi-fictionalized version of himself.

It premiered in 2000 and is twelve seasons in, as of 2023. It occasionally features celebrity appearances, each playing a fictionalized version of themselves.

Most of the dialogue is improvised, with David only outlining the plot and subplot.

The show has received many nominations and awards throughout its run.

The Comeback

Ever wondered what the entertainment television industry looks like from the inside? This show portrays a satirical look into the environment.

It ran for a thirteen-episode season in 2005 before being canceled nine years later. It was later revived for a second season in 2014.

The Comeback suffered ratings because of the time it found itself when sitcoms all featured the same formula.

Chernobyl

One of the worst nuclear accidents happened in Chernobyl in 1986. The show follows the events that lead to the moment and what happened afterward.

It focused on the lesser-known stories, including firefighters and volunteers, and the horror they suffered in the aftermath of a tragedy that could have been averted if government officials had been properly doing their jobs.

All aspects of the show were lauded by audiences and critics alike.

It premiered in 2019 with five episodes and was nominated for and won multiple awards.

The Case Against Adnan Syed

In a now vacated verdict, this docuseries portrayed the events that led to the conviction of Adnan Syed for the killing of Hae Min Lee.

The series aimed to show how the facts of the case were never simple and questioned the conviction.

The Case Against Adnan Syed premiered in 2019 and was broadcast in four episodes.

As of 2023, HBO is following the events of the case with a follow-up documentary planned to look at life after his release.

Boardwalk Empire

This period drama transports viewers to prohibition-era America.

It primarily centers on Nucky Thompson, a businessman and politician who is as evil as they come.

The show stars include Steve Buscemi, Michael Kenneth Williams, and Michael Pitt.

Big Love

Among some of the hotly contested issues in Mormonism is the practice of polygamy. Big Love follows the patriarch of a fundamentalist Mormon family and his three wives.

It premiered in 2006 and ran for five seasons after fifty-three episodes.

It received wide critical acclaim and won several awards.

Big Little Lies

In a quiet coastal town that presents as a calm and peaceful place to raise a family, it's a façade to hide the dysfunctional relationships in certain spaces.

The show brings together some of Hollywood's best female talent and uses them to great effect.

Big Little Lies maintains a tense atmosphere that draws in the viewer, allowing them to connect intimately with the characters.

Barry

A hitman faces a career crisis when he travels to Los Angeles to kill someone and finds himself wanting to become an actor.

Barry premiered in 2018 and stars Bill Hader as the titular character and bolstered by a strong supporting cast that often steals his thunder on screen.

In its third season as of 2023, the series received acclaim for its acting and originality, among others.

It has been nominated for and won multiple awards in different categories.

Band of Brothers/The Pacific

It is a war drama miniseries adapted from a book of the same name.

Premiering in 2001, the show was one of the most expensive miniseries of the time, having cost around $125 million to make.

Its characters were based on the "Easy" Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division. Effectively, it featured a huge cast ensemble.

Band of Brother and The Pacific are regarded as two of the best portrayals of war ever made.

Autopsy

This documentary series follows a real-life forensic pathologist called Dr. Michael Baden. 

It explores the world of forensic science through case studies and photos.

It premiered in 1993 and ran for nine seasons.

Atlanta's Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children

Statistics show that when many African American children are lost, those responsible for finding them never usually bother.

This documentary series looks into new evidence that comes to light in the abduction and murder of approximately thirty African American children over the span of two years in Atlanta in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

It premiered in 2020, and viewers learned about the unrelenting child murders as broadcast over five heartbreaking episodes.

•••••

We always want to hear your thoughts, so don't hesitate to drop below to leave a comment about your favorite HBO series.

The post HBO at 50: Fifty Shows Everyone Should Watch In Their Lifetime appeared first on TV Fanatic.

We caught up with Herse to delve into how he created the spectrum of different looks in this genre-defying murder mystery series.

Read on for the conversation here!

Mary Littlejohn: It seems like you're pretty busy these days. What are you working on right now?

Carl Herse: I just finished shooting the third season of Barry for HBO with Bill Hader. That's been a very long ongoing project. We started prepping it before COVID happened, and then we shut down.

We finally came back this past fall and just did two weeks of reshoots. I've got to color-correct this week, and it's going to air in April (April 24th). That's not too far away.

How exciting! Barry is such a great show.

Let's talk about The Afterparty. As a viewer, it's been so enjoyable to have some high-quality comedy in these times. Even though it's got the dark murder mystery part of it, it's still light and fun. Each episode is so different. Which was your favorite episode to film?

We shot the whole thing out of order, all at once. So on any given day, you're shooting an action movie, a thriller, a musical. My personal favorite is probably the thriller (The Afterparty Season 1 Episode 4), Ilana Glazer's episode because it's a little more subtractive.

What you're doing is not additive in how you do a romantic comedy, with strong lighting looks and backlights, working with everything to create this aspirational environment. In the Chelsea episode, you're just stripping things away.

In the action movie and the musical, you've got more camera movements, more dynamic elements. The thriller is more about reduction, making it mysterious, and being expressive with things like rain, darkness, and shadow. It's really about limiting yourself.

You work a lot in comedy. Do you find that this was challenging then, and did you enjoy getting to do something different?

I feel like I've been lucky with the comedy I've worked on. We don't approach the cinematography like a comedy. A lot of the stuff I do tries to tell a serious story and then mix in comedy elements, little eccentricities.

With the thriller episode of The Afterparty, I was able to play darker and moodier than I had in the past, which was challenging and exciting.

Are there any genres that The Afterparty didn't cover that you would have liked to try?

I think the genre that I would like to do at some point would be a Western film. I don't know how you work that into The Afterparty in its current version, but I'm sure that if I challenged Chris [Miller] and Phil[ip Lord] to the task, they would find a way to work that in!

What films or directors influenced each episode? For instance, "Chelsea" felt very Fincher-esque. Was there a particular film you were trying to emulate for each one, for their overall look?

In early conversations with Chris, we isolated movies and made lists. Looking at romantic comedies, we would list every Hugh Grant movie ever made and then pick one to latch onto.

For the action genre, you can go in a gritty Die Hard direction, a ridiculous Fast and Furious direction, or more of a John Wick style.

With the musical, we looked at La La Land, modern music videos, hip-hop videos, 8 Mile — whatever we could think of that had a musical element.

Once we had a list of references, we would start finding their similarities — filtration, lenses, camera movement, styles evocative of each genre. We made this big nerdy spreadsheet with notes.

For example, rom-com has longer lenses, the camera will do more aspirational crane moves, and have warm color situations with everyone lit cosmetically.

In the action genre, the camera is crazy and moving through space with cooler and more electric vibes, and we tried to channel John Wick by adding lots of neon and colored lights in the background that flared the lens.

Fincher was the reference for the thriller — that dark, brooding tone.

Did you ever use film, or was it all digital? How much of what you achieved was done practically on the set, and how much was post-production?

It's primarily done in-camera. We didn't shoot film, but we did a lot of film emulations. The big thing we had to do was lay out the timelines.

We had the present timeline, with the interviews and everything happening in the present tense, which also had to have its own strong look. We wanted that to have that Knives Out-style, the "locked-room mystery" genre as it's called.

For the different ways of achieving our flashback looks, we would carry four different lens sets to rotate, different filtration, and shooting with different aspects ratios.

Then, from a lighting standpoint, it's all so different. On a day of filming, and again we're shooting everything all at once, my gaffer and I would have to light sets so that you were in a romantic comedy, and then with the push of a button and a few minutes of tweaks, you were in a John Wick movie.

It was essential in pre-production to build all our looks into the set, the moment you're rigging the stages, to plan it out. In the moment, you rarely have much time, so it's really about jumping between looks.

I think that was probably most jarring for the cast because they'd be sitting in a warmly lit room, and then all of a sudden, they're in a David Fincher movie.

Our job was to support them when they had to transition from something broad and bright and funny to something dark and mysterious and gritty, or jubilant like a musical sequence.

Every light we brought to the set had to do many different things and achieve different colors, qualities, and movements. Then we would switch between a dolly, handheld, Steadicam, or on a crane, and briefing the camera operators and everyone on set with, "This is what we're doing right now. This is the intention."

We would share some of our references, for instance, The Lighthouse, doing a black-and-white art-house film, where everything has a single vanishing point and weird framing, and the performances have to be a certain way.

That sounds like a lot to cover in such a short time!

It's the nature of filming where you only have specific locations for a few days. We were only in that gym for about a week, but it was a fun challenge. It was hard but always so exciting.

Lots of times with television, you start with your pilot, and then you're just trying to maintain a look for the length of the show. The Afterparty was so different!

Chris Miller had such a strong vision — he's been working on this for probably about ten years. If I confused myself, he could always give me a point of reference.

What was it like working with Miller and Lord? How much free reign did you get with them?

When I first heard about the project, I perked up instantly. I heard about it through the production designer. The next thing I knew, I was emailing Chris saying, "Hey buddy, what's up, do you have a cameraman?" and that worked out pretty well!

They are incredibly smart. They have a very strong idea of what they want to do, but they're also very collaborative. Chris has the most optimistic energy of anyone I've ever worked with.

If I came to him with ideas, he would just get excited. For the "High School" episode (The Afterparty Season 1 Episode 5), we started looking at movies like Can't Hardly Wait and Y2K-era shows.

However, based on casting and where the high school reunion was at, we realized it needed to be more like the mid-2000s, so we had to shift it a bit and examine what the teen party movie looked like at that point.

The thing that I kept coming across was that found-footage craze, a Project X-type of film. Early in prep, I pitched the idea of adding a found-footage element.

That really excited Chris, so they wrote in the character who's always carrying a little video camera around and then used that to help tell the story as a nod to that era and mix up the visual language further.

Eventually, you start running out of tools, and you have to reach deeper into the toolbox to figure out how you're going to tell this story in a way that hasn't been done in the first four episodes to keep it new and interesting.

What I loved about that episode, in particular, is that it's technically Walt's story, but because you've got so many plotlines, the found-footage element was a clever way to cover all the bases and fill in the story gaps when Walt couldn't be in the scene.

Those guys know how to tell a fun story. It's very refreshing how much joy they have in the filmmaking process.

Do you have any fun behind-the-scenes stories from The Afterparty you can share?

It's funny because we made the show during the worst part of COVID, like January 2021. There were a lot of COVID protocols in place that limited the amount of irreverence that could take place on set.

We were working in a time where you're getting tested constantly. Everyone was wearing masks and face shields, and there was a frustrating amount of separation with your colleagues around you.

A little fun thing was in the musical episode — multiple times, you'd see Ben Schwartz being thrown a microphone from off-camera. Chris Miller was always the one throwing the microphone. He has a pretty good arm. [laughs]

What's your biggest takeaway working on The Afterparty?

When you're working on a film or TV show, you're in a vacuum where anything is possible. I think a lot of times, it's easy to go with what you've done in the past because you know it will work, and it's quick, and you can just shoot and please the producers.

But, in this version, we really had to be aware of all the possibilities and figure that out ahead of time — and also, on the day, be inspired to make choices that stay within the language of the story we were telling.

I think the big takeaway is that the tools you have in filmmaking are pretty limitless, and the ingredients you can put into something are pretty broad.

Did you always want to be a cinematographer? How did you get started?

It's a classic story of a nerdy kid with his dad's video camera. I grew up in the 80s-90s, with not a lot going on in the Midwest. My favorite thing to do was go to the video store, go through the aisles, scare myself in the horror section, and then run over to the comedy section.

From a very early age, I was obsessed with films and stories and did a lot of drawing what I later recognized were storyboards, telling a story in a few panels.

That turned into me with a video camera, telling goofy stories with my brother in the yard, taping a firecracker to his chest for a squib effect — thankfully, no one was injured!

When I was a kid, my mom signed me up for this class at our local public access channel, where people could learn about TV production. I joined it as a kid, not realizing that it would be a far older group of people.

So it was a bunch of (seemingly) adults and ten-year-old me, but I got to write and direct a little thing for my local public access station. That was the first time that I really understood that there was a wide spectrum of people out there doing this as a profession.

I grew up watching Star Wars movies and probably some James Cameron movies I shouldn't have been watching at a certain age, and then finding the makings of those films and seeing crews working.

I became fascinated by that process, and so by high school, that was my full-time hobby.

I started a little film club, and I met a teacher at my school who was a documentary filmmaker, who helped me understand that filmmaking was more than entertainment – it was an art form.

I was introduced to Kubrick and Altman and 1970s cinema — things I didn't know anything about — which gave me a foundation. When I decided to go to film school, I thought that directing was the move.

When I tried directing some plays at my school, I quickly realized that I did not really know how to talk to actors and that maybe I should be assisting the director in whatever way I could.

I studied cinematography in Chicago, started shooting little short films and building a reel, and eventually did the life on a couch in LA for a bit.

Do you ever find that when you watch a show or movie, you think more about the process behind it as you're watching, like how you could achieve this or wondering why certain choices were made?

My impression of a good film is one that draws me in enough with the story that I don't think about that too much. With any good filmmaking, you don't want to be thinking too much about it.

Recently, watching Licorice Pizza, I noticed that Paul Thomas Anderson has reduced the flashiness of his style as his career has progressed.

Like with [The Afterparty's] thriller episode, being able to limit one's self and reduce what you're doing is a sign of maturity as a filmmaker.

To that point, what are some other films or television shows that you've seen recently that you enjoyed or that excited you as a filmmaker?

It was inspiring for me, especially coming out of COVID, to see that we had a Wes Anderson movie, a P.T. Anderson movie, a Coen movie, all in theatres at once. I felt that same excitement I had as a high school film nerd.

What I'm really enjoying right now is PEN15. It's a show that does a great job of not drawing too much attention to how it's made, and you just get pulled into who these characters are, and it's easy to relate to their woes.

Is there any advice you'd like to impart on aspiring future cinematographers?

Chris and Phil are great at surrounding themselves with good people, which I try to do as well.

If you can get everyone — your camera team, your lighting department — excited about what you're doing, it helps you and everybody else because you all achieve it together.

My advice would be to find people that are smarter than you to help you succeed and be very nice to them.

Don't miss the final episode of The Afterparty, streaming on Apple TV+ on Friday, March 4th, 2022.

This interview has been edited for length/clarity.

The post Cinematographer Carl Herse on the Many Looks of The Afterparty appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Thankfully, HBO confirmed Tuesday that the Bill Hader-led comedy series will receive its season premiere Sunday, April 24 at 10/9c.

Fans will have waited almost three years for fresh episodes, and it sure sounds like a lot will have changed.

“While Barry has eliminated many of the external factors that pushed him towards violence, he soon discovers they weren’t the only forces at play,” according to HBO’s official synopsis.

“What is it about his own psyche that led him to become a killer in the first place? Season 3 finds Barry and the other characters trying to make the right choice.”

The cast also includes Henry Winkler as Barry’s acting teacher Gene Cousineau, Stephen Root as Barry’s handler Monroe Fuches, Anthony Carrigan as NoHo Hank, and Sarah Goldberg as Sally Reed, Barry's love interest.

Barry has been a bonafide hit for HBO since its first season, and it sounds like the third season will be a lot of fun.

“Season three, more than anything, shows the ramifications of [Barry’s violence],” Hader told critics at the Television Critics Association’s virtual press tour.

“Even more bad things happen. Mostly bad.”

Adds co-creator Alec Berg, “What’s interesting all of the wreckage of seasons one and two that Barry had to do to keep the plates spinning … all goes back to his decision to become an actor."

"I really enjoy the fact that everything that happens in the show is a consequence of Barry wanting a better life and every bit of that better life he’s trying to achieve has led to all this chaos.”

Barry received three Emmys for its first season last September including Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (Bill Hader); Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (Henry Winkler); and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation. Barry was created by Alec Berg & Bill Hader who also executive produce.

What are your thoughts on the premiere date?

Hit the comments below.

The post Barry Season 3: Premiere Date Finally Revealed! appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Has adding another pay-TV option to your already overburdened entertainment fiscal responsibilities left you in the dark when it comes to HBO?

Have you unwisely chosen to spend your money on less critically acclaimed and lower quality content to get more bang for your buck?

Well, we have good news for you.

HBO knows you're a captive audience, and they're betting that once you get a taste of their popular and lauded entertainment that you might want to make it a more permanent thing.

Of course, that's my assessment, and I'd recommend HBO in a heartbeat. I have, and I will continue slathering praise on the network that has provided some of my all-time favorite content.

And now, you (that's YOU who don't have HBO), too, can find out why HBO gets so much praise.

To provide some entertainment relief for those doing their part to keep everyone safe and healthy in this time of social isolation, HBO is making almost 500 hours of top programming available to stream for free.

This is a limited time offer available on HBO NOW and HBO GO -– without a subscription -– starting TODAY, Friday, April 3.

The list of free programming includes every episode of nine iconic HBO series such as The Sopranos, Veep, Six Feet Under, and The Wire.

If you've been watching the accolades piling onto the best show of 2019, Succession, you can watch both seasons of that, as well.

Six Feet Under was, without question, one of the best series I've ever watched in my lifetime. And I'm an old.

Another current favorite, comedy Barry, is also available in its entirety so far, and so is the recently finished Veep which netted Julia Louis Dreyfus more awards than her mantle could hold.

When vampires were ultra-cool, there were none cooler than those on True Blood. And I know how much TV Fanatics love their genre television.

In addition to television favorites, there are major Warner Bros. blockbusters from HBO's current catalog like Pokémon Detective Pikachu, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part and Crazy, Stupid, Love, too.

And in a world in which HBO often leads the pack — documentaries and docu-series — you have ten riveting options to choose from including McMillion$ and The Case Against Adnan Syed, both of which we reviewed and recommended here at TV Fanatic.

All of the programming will be available to stream without a subscription starting Friday by downloading the HBO NOW or HBO GO apps or by visiting HBONOW.com or HBOGO.com.

The content will also be made available for free via participating distribution partners' platforms in the coming days.

This is the first time HBO has made this volume of programming available outside of the paywall on HBO NOW & HBO GO.

Viewers can join the conversation and participate in interactive stunts throughout this offering by following @HBO on Twitter and Instagram and sharing the hashtag #StayHomeBoxOffice.

Here is a list of all of the HBO content available to stream without a subscription right now:

Full Television Series

Ballers (5 Seasons)

Barry (2 Seasons)

Silicon Valley (6 Seasons)

Six Feet Under (5 Seasons)

The Sopranos (7 Seasons)

Succession (2 Seasons)

True Blood (7 Seasons)

Veep (7 Seasons)

The Wire (5 Seasons)

10 Docuseries and Documentaries

The Apollo

The Case Against Adnan Syed

Elvis Presley: The Searcher

I Love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth v. Michelle Carter

21 True Crime Shows You Shouldn’t Watch Alone

Open List

The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley Jane Fonda in Five Acts

McMillion$

True Justice: Bryan Stevenson's Fight for Equality

United Skates

We Are the Dream: The Kids of the MLK Oakland Oratorical Fest

20 Warner Bros. Theatricals

Arthur

Arthur 2: On the Rocks

Blinded By the Light

The Bridges of Madison County

Crazy, Stupid, Love

Empire of the Sun

Forget Paris

29 TV Children Who Are Wiser Than Their Years

Open List

Happy Feet Two

Isn't It Romantic?

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part

Midnight Special

My Dog Skip

Nancy Drew And The Hidden Staircase

Pan

Pokémon Detective Pikachu

Red Riding Hood

Smallfoot

Storks

37 TV Characters Who Would Rain on Your Parade

Open List

So, what will you watch first??

We can't wait to find out what you've been hoping to watch and will finally get a chance to see.

Share your excitement in the comments below. Sucker Punch Unknown

The post HBO Offers Comfort Food For Your Quarantined Soul With FREE Programming!! appeared first on TV Fanatic.

And 2019 was no exception.

No matter what you enjoy, there was something excellent to watch.

Narrowing the best wasn’t an easy task, but remember, this is one person's opinion.

Find out what made our list for 2019.

Succession – HBO

Succession Season 1 was a masterclass in unlikeable people living what they thought were their best lives unhindered, but Succession Season 2 doubled down on the personal angst and ethical business decisions.

Kendall got set up to take the fall for his egomaniacal father, Logan. Logan pulled Shiv closer by dangling Waystar/Royco before her. Shiv and Tom’s married life imploded under the pressure.

Eldest son Connor decided to run for president. And darling misfit Roman began to grow up and blossom despite incessant verbal abuse.

Still laugh-out-loud funny, this time around, we found ourselves feeling for the Roy children, and that’s an incredible feat.

Fleabag – Amazon Prime

Phoebe Waller-Bridge deserves her time in the spotlight. Killing Eve is splendid, but what she’s achieved on Fleabag is even better.

No holds barred conversations on sex, grief, and family chaos got even better in the second (and final!) season with the introduction of the hot priest.

It’s a theme that seems far more prevalent abroad than in the US (even Derry Girls went there), but the touching way the story unfolded was delightful.

Better Things – FX

Pamela Adlon has created one of the most moving portraits of a family we’ve ever seen.

She tackles adult topics that others might find too honest to portray on television.

That includes discussions on aging, dating, sex, gender, friendship, and motherhood to name just a handful.

It feels as uniquely personal as it is to its creator and writer, Adlon herself.

Barry – HBO

Feeling for despicable people has become all the rage in entertainment, and Barry goes for broke.

There isn’t a single character who we’d want as a friend, but it’s still heartbreaking seeing their dreams dashed and friends murdered.

All of the characters are memorable and their antics unforgettable, but it’s going to be hard to compare to what happened on “Ronny/Lily.”

We can’t wait for Hader and co-creator Alec Berg to try to top it.

The Crown – Netflix

Even after changing the cast as the Queen ages, The Crown didn’t skip a beat.

Olivia Colman and Tobias Menzies bring their own flair to Elizabeth and Philip, and Helena Bonham Carter and Ben Daniels continue the wild side with Margaret and Tony.

The Crown Season 3 had a more episodic focus that really allowed all on board to shine.

And introducing the monarchy we see in the news every day (hello Prince Charles) makes the Crown even more timely.

On Becoming a God in Central Florida – Showtime

Kirsten Dunst alone makes this show worth watching, but the funny little story at the center of On Becoming a God in Central Florida is different than anything else on television.

It’s engaging in its silliness while still calling to light the darker side of capitalism and surprisingly heartfelt.

Watching will surely touch you if you've ever struggled to make ends meet or considered biting into a get-rich-quick strategy to roll the dice with your future.

But it's the well-developed and layered characters who keep you watching while they otherwise wander into absurd territory.

Chernobyl – HBO

Chernobyl isn’t easy to watch, but such a terrifying event in our shared history shouldn’t bring enjoyment, it should bring enlightenment.

This HBO miniseries reinforces how important it is for a government to be forthright, even when facing one of their greatest disasters.

With an honest portrayal of the historical event, Chernobyl reopened a conversation we needed to revisit.

Fosse/Verdon – FX

Also of significant historical importance is the story of Bob Fosse and Anne Verdon.

Theirs was a tumultuous relationship that didn’t end happily, but their creative endeavors tied them together for life.

Especially in the #MeToo era, this examination of a love and working partnership is a good lesson on power and gender.

The Morning Show – Apple TV+

Apple TV+ launched on the promise that The Morning Show would succeed.

Reese Witherspoon is one of the busiest women in entertainment, and she chooses her projects well.

Partnering with Jennifer Aniston in a story studying women in business, in entertainment, and in love, what seemed more fluffy at the onset took a dramatic turn.

Steve Carrell took a risk on a role that won’t endear him to many, and Billy Crudup and Mark Duplass thrived in their roles. Jay Carson and Kerry Ehrin created a winner.

Killing Eve – BBC America

Phoebe Waller-Bridge strikes again.

Killing Eve Season 2 went further into the twisted fascination Eve Polastri has with assassin Villanelle.

Sandra Oh’s performance ensured that we’d squirm with each step she took closer to her nemesis, and Jodi Comer thrilled as the brazen killer taking her heart for a spin.

The season ended with a betrayal that could change the entire dynamic of the series and throws Eve’s future into chaos.

——————————————————————-

As someone recently said in a comment for one of our favorites of the decade, it's not a great time for broadcast network television.

But narrowly missing the list included This Is Us, The Good Place, as well as other off-broadcast fare including Dead to Me, Catastrophe, and (don't laugh) A Discovery of Witches. Sometimes you have to vote for sheer enjoyment.

What made your list of best shows of the year? Not just in entertainment value, but with the writing, the performances, and the messages they're trying to send? 

Share your thoughts in the comments.

The post 10 Best Shows of 2019 appeared first on TV Fanatic.

The most crucial element of Barry Season 2 Episode 8 is that Fuches either has a soul or he had such a good shot at Barry that he let Gene live, after pinning Janice's murder on him, of course.

Nothing can happen to Gene Cousineau, although right now he probably wouldn't mind joining Janice.

What Barry did to him might be a cross more horrifying than death.

The pain Barry inflicted on Gene by trying to save his own ass was worse than murdering Gene in cold blood.

Fuches may have delivered the death blow by revealing the secret, but everything points to the fact Barry will always choose himself first, a revelation that can't feel too good to the assassin.

The themes play out similarly across the entire Barry canvas.

Killing Eve Review: Wide Awake

Gene isn't someone you take seriously all the time, but if we learned anything after the death of Janice, it was that he wasn't fooling around when it came to his love for her.

Loving Janice opened up Gene to exploring even more about himself, and that included getting closer to Barry, a man he knows to be a killer (albeit not to the extent we know Barry to be).

Gene's relationship with Barry is just as complex as the one he has for his son. Similarly, what Hank and Cristobel went through was a complicated mess, and nothing could prepare anyone for the intricacies of the relationship between Barry and Fuches.

On the surface, Barry seems to be a simple man whether when he's killing or when he takes the stage. He doesn't overcomplicate things until he believes he has no other choice.

Get HBO via Prime Video Channels for Addictive Dramas, Hilarious Comedies & Hit Movies

Barry's growth as a result of meeting and working with Gene is profound, but when it came down to it, he tossed that aside at the prospect of going to prison.

Murdering Janice was a fight or flight move, but the action caused a tremendous rift in all other aspects of Barry's life. 

Growing closer to Gene all while harboring such a dark secret would have been price enough, but he was also getting blackmailed to stay in his much maligned business by Noho Hank and Fuches.

For every step Barry took forward, someone dragged him back two more.

But, Berkman > Block as the closer Barry got to his emotional side, to escaping years of hit-man torment, and connecting with Gene, the more he wanted to embrace who he wants to be instead of who others want him to be.

Trying to extricate himself from Barry Block put everthing Barry Berkman values in jeopardy.

A Discovery of Witches Review: Madison

But when Gene was on the line for Janice's death, what did Barry do to stop his pain?

Fuches: You know, you could save your little acting teacher. You know that, right?

Barry: I’ll fucking kill you, Fuches.

Fuches: Yeah? All you got to do is turn yourself in, give it all up for him. Yeah, not so altruistic now are you, mother fucker? Now who’s out of moves? Bye bye!

_{🔗 permalink: Yeah? All you got to do is turn yourself in, give it all up for him. Yeah, not so altruistic…}

Fuches had a hell of a suggestion for Barry, but Barry's response was to eliminate the man who exascerbated the problem instead of helping Gene.

Nobody was buying that there was a man named Goulet in the woods with Gene when "Gene" made the call to the police to confess to the crime.

But when you're frustrated, you feel like you have to make a move, even if it's not an ideal move.

Noho Hank's persistence that Barry attend his meeting to help bring around his guys to the realization all was going to be alright proved that trusting Barry has dire consequences.

Fuches in Barry's place was a perfect way to address the audience who might have lost sight of the crazy similarities between all of the interpersonal relationships on screen.

Cristobel: Hank tried to criss-cross me.

Fuches: You and Hank, you’re in a transitional phase, that’s all. You know, people meet and sometimes they lock into each other like two long-sought-after pieces of a puzzle. Now, as time goes on, these pieces they morph and they grow, and they can grow together and become stronger, or they can become two completely different shapes that they don’t have any room for each other. They don’t fit anymore.

_{🔗 permalink: You and Hank, you’re in a transitional phase, that’s all. You know, people meet and sometimes…}

Every duo has been having the same experience although Barry has the advantage of trying to build his puzzle with Fuches, Gene, and Sally. That's too many pieces to shuffle around, molding himself into what fit his role in each relationship.

Sexy, Escapist Blood & Treasure is the Perfect Summer Show

How quickly Barry can turn on someone was indicated not only by the look of relief on a gunman's face at Hank's just before Barry shot him between the eyes, but with how he didn't hesitate to grab Sally by the neck when she got a little too cocky.

The more self-absored you are when you're around Barry, the more likely your pairing with him will end in disaster.

Gene Cousineau has always been a narcissistic man. Even while helping Barry through his dark times, Gene was usually thinking about how the outcome would work to his benefit.

That left him very vulnerable to a man who has made a living fitting into different scenarios to accomplish his mission — a mission that ends in the life of the other person.

Neither Barry nor Fuches killed Gene outright, but he was murdered just the same.

And given how easily the tides can turn when you find yourself on the wrong side of Barry, what does that mean for Gene in Barry Season 3?

Can Gene tone down his narcissism long enough to pretend everything is alright with Barry, or will he leak what he's learned to the detriment of his life?

Or maybe the two men who shared a journey of self-discovery can find a way to move forward knowing they're both, in their own ways, humans still greatly in need of redemption.

19 Scholars Willing To Risk It All For Education

Then again, just because Gene recalled what Fuches said to him doesn't mean he'll allow himself to believe it.

There is a possibility that he'll believe Fuches was pulling a con by trying to turn the wheel of justice away from someone else (like himself) and training it on Barry.

It seems unlikely that Bill Hader is as concerned with keeping a similar dynamic to previous seasons than he is with telling a compelling story, so it's all up in the air, which is exactly where you want it to be to keep the momentum going.

10 Best Shows of 2018

Open List

The post Barry Season 2 Episode 8 Review: berkman > block appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Fuches has his gun trained on Gene as Gene looks into the trunk. Fuches hesitates, a harried look on his face. Sirens blare in the background, he lowers his gun, whispers into Gene's ear and runs off.

Barry arrives to Gene crying miserably, on his knees, beside car. Barry sees what's inside the trunk, goes wide-eyed and slams it shut.

Barry is getting interrogated by Det. Mae who doesn't believe him so much, but she has Gene as her killer, so she's fine to let Barry go.

Barry guns for Fuches.

Noho Hank and the gang arrive at their new home which appears to be a Hindu temple. He finds a fantastic place for a heroin table, and he jumps on the phone with customer service of a furniture website because he can't find what he wants.

He gets a call indicating he's going back to Chechnya, so he calls Barry to help him convince the guys that he's a good arm wrestler and all that.

Sally greets Barry at the new venue. He's not in the best spirits and has no idea where they are.

The others are rehersing thier pieces. 

Det. Mae grills Gene who doesn't want to hear about the Goulet guy. She's trying to figure out what made Gene crack. Gene's response is she was the love of his life. With that, Gene gets arrested.

Hank's guys are working well together, cheering and all that, when Fuches arrives. He thinks Hank's guys are impressive. They look like an army. And he needs an army.

Barry checks on Gene and learns he's gotten booked for Janice's murder. His performance is going to be very real. He fights crying while he calls Fuches who has a way for Barry to save Gene but he doubts he'll take it.

It's time for the show which has a packed house. The show goes on.

Hank isn't concerned about Fuches and Barry's falling out. They always get back together. As they're arguing the point, Cristobel and friends show up guns drawn. Fuches goes down to greet them. Cristobel wonders if he's on the bluetooth. Nope, he hears his name.

Fuches launches into a discussion about Cristobel and Hank that is more about him and Barry.

Now, the two lovers are reconnecting in front of their groups, melting into each other. Fuches pulls them away from each other and walks off with them as Esther gives them the stink eye.

It's time for Sally and Barry to take the stage. He's laser focused and it's not on the production. Self absorbed, Sally cannot see he's not worried but out of there. As she's begging him to think straight, he grasps her neck. He is focused. He is selling it. She slaps him across the face, and they take the stage. 

Barry is practically on fire. He looks at Sally as if it's the first time he ever saw her, but he remembers his line. His realism makes Sally look like an amateur until she feels what she's doing. When she says they're done, Barry leaves the stage. Sally flounders.

She feels like she panicked in front of the audience. Everyone around her, though, not only feels for her but understands why she turned down the series. Sally inspired the audience with her story and feels everything closing in on her.

Just before taking Gene to lockup, Mae is called into an office by her officers. As Gene stands in the hallway gazing onto what appears to be a wound on the floor, he's set free. 

At a bus stop, Barry tries to get more news about Gene. Calling Gene's phone, he lands Gene's son, Leo, who had the bag of evidence. 

In Janice's trunk was a Chechnyan pin that translates to "the debt has been paid." Mae thinks the Chechnyans did it.

Barry leaves a message for Gene before he gets word th Fuches is with Hank.

Everyone is laughing and having a good time as Esther eyes the heroin table just before Barry storms in. She recognizes him drawing her gun drawing attention to Barry. Fuches screams shit!

Fuches!! Gunfire erupts as Barry kills anything that moves. And if he's good at anything, it's killing. Fuches looks for a way out screaming HELP ME. Guns trained on the door don't trump Barry's skill. Never fuck with a man on a mission.

A thunderstorm makes the lights flash. Someone is actually happy to see Barry before getting shot between the eyes. After all, Hank's guys trust Barry.

The Big Kahuna arrives to find the destruction all around but the heroin still intact. Hank pops up from behind the alter to say Hey Man, before sinking below again.

Barry sees all of the death but no Fuches. Tears of anger in his eyes, he keeps walking.

Leo is helping Gene settle in bed. Gene is a broken man. He remembers all of his happiness with Janice and bolts upright in bed when he remember what Gene whispered in his ear.

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Whether Barry's timing is good or terrible during Barry Season 2 Episode 4 depends on how you look at it.

Barry's journey is significantly changed when he meets Sally's Ex, Sam. But another sharp turn reveals itself that could throw a wrench in his plans again.

The opportunity arose for Barry to use his particular set of skills to right a wrong he finds very unjust.

Very few people would have blamed him if he chose to exercise his options killing Sam, but Barry is working very hard to become a different person.

Just like Barry, Gene has been at a crossroads in his life.

Getting to know Barry and understanding how badly the young man wants to change has been an inspiration to Gene. The closer he gets to Barry, the more both of them change for the better.

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Even so, when Gene's son, Leo, arrives at his house only to share with Gene some strawberries, he finds himself taken aback.

His comments aren't full-on father, and his narcissistic tendencies lend to him sending a shirtless photo to Leo when tries to get him his cell number so they can continue talking over dinner.

Gene isn't the perfect father, but he's making strides. 

At the same time, Barry struggles with his killing Sam.

But he eventually realizes it's not what's best for him or Sally. Sally can handle her own problems, even if she doesn't always handle them to the best of her ability.

Sam: You know, you’re a fuckin’ prick man.

Barry: Alright.

Sam: And don’t forget — I fucked her first. I got her when that shit was tight.

_{🔗 permalink: And don’t forget — I fucked her first. I got her when that shit was tight.}

Everyone is trying to find better versions of themselves, and it might be inevitable that Sally had to deal with Sam on her own.

Like an alcoholic who needs their sponsor when they severly yearn for alcohol, Barry knew he needed to talk out what he was feeling.

Unfortunately, his attempts to contact Fuches were upended when Fuches told Barry never to call him again.

So Barry went to the only other person in his life with whom he's been as honest as possible — Gene.

The conversation between Gene and Barry was Emmy caliber, as are most of the scenes between Henry Winkler and Bill Hader.

The timing of Gene's interaction with Leo coincided perfectly with Barry's cry for help.

What Gene didn't do correctly with Leo, he fixed with Barry.

Sometimes it seems like Gene isn't listening to Barry when he's talking.

But when Barry finally revealed what happened during the war, Gene proved to be the perfect person in which Barry needed to confide.

Gene: OK. So here’s my advice. You never tell that story again as long as you live because basically, you killed somebody and you got away with it.

Barry: See, that’s why I didn’t want to tell you, ’cause you’re gonna look at me differently. You’re gonna look at me like I’m a murderer, like I’m a violent piece of shit.

Gene: Barry? Listen to me. I had a son. I was terrible to this son. I was cruel. I was selfish. And there’s nothing I can do to change that. But I don’t want to be that guy anymore, and I pray that human beings can change their nature, because if they can’t then you and I are in deep trouble.

Barry: OK. How do we do that?

Gene: I think we’re doing it already. You didn’t beat that guy up, did you? You came here. You’re talking about your feelings instead of acting out your feelings. And as for my son, the first time I reached out to him after years and years, I got a big “Fuck you, dad.” But today, today he brought me strawberries.

Barry: Do you think I’m a bad person, Mr. Cousineau?

Gene: I think you’re deeply human. You did a terrible thing. But do I think that defines you? No. That’s why I don’t think you should tell this story in front of the class. Also, they will shit themselves. I mean, they’re children.

_{🔗 permalink: I think you’re deeply human. You did a terrible thing. But do I think that defines you? No….}

That is the best converstion between two men who happened into each other's lives at the right time.

It was raw and edgy, but as deeply connected and personal as they became, Gene managed to be funny to close it out.

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Their hug was everything, even if Gene ultimately decided to charge Barry for a private lesson.

Neither of them realizes that the journey Gene needs to take out of his own ass is a lot farther than the one Barry needs to take from assassin to actor.

It's so dissapointing, then, that Fuches was trying so hard to keep Barry from getting caught by Loach.

Barry had a look of such sadness on his face that a man he trusted was working with the cops. And it was with such excitement that Barry slipped and revealed his truth that it felt like Loach should have given him a pass.

Did anyone see it coming that Loach would turn the tables on the entire discussion by offering Barry a way out?

Given the title, "What?!" I should have known it was going to be a flip of the coin.

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All Barry has to do is embrace the very thing he's trying to escape and it can all go away.

It's ludicrous how terribly screwed up Barry's situation gets by the day.

From NoHo Hank assuring Barry he is, indeed, the most evil person he's ever met and reveling in how sorry he was if Barry didn't know how he felt, to Loach 's pronouncement, Barry cannot catch a break.

He's always begging to be seen as a normal man, but everyone wants to keep him far from everyday.

Barry passed over killing a guy who could probably use it to getting sucked into killing one who probably doesn't — by the very cop who wants to arrest him for murder.

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Or maybe all the discussions between Loach and his wife have always been leading to this. He managed to swing the case he needed to save his marriage. 

Murder has been on Loach's mind for a while, but he needed the murderer to pull off the job. 

If you watched the preview, you know how Barry's going to try to get around killing someone else. It's highly unlikely his best laid plan will go accordingly.

If you aren't watching Barry, you need to tell me why. If you are, then you need to say a howdy do below. Go!!

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