Barry – Season 4 Episode 2 ” bestest place on the earth” Recap & Review

bestest place on the earth

Barry keeps seeing visions of his childhood as episode 2 of Barry season 4 begins. We see the first time his father introduced him to Fuches, who seemed like a fun uncle to have. Fuches goes back to the FBI agents and tells them that he no longer wants the deal, as he sees his chance to be Barry’s father figure again.

Fuches has hired Gale Winograde, a successful criminal lawyer with a decorated history of saving guys like Barry and Fuches. He introduces himself as The Raven to the prisoners watching the telly. He tries to hire two guys and then asks Barry how he did. Barry comforts him and Fuches tells him about Gale.

Cristobal goes to Bong, a Chinese crime boss specializing in smuggling. He proposes a business deal but Bong is uncomfortable with the Guatemalans involved in the operation since they do not get along with the Chinese. In a hilarious sequence, Cristobal and Hank have managed to get both groups on the same table in an arcade gaming corner. They go around, each taking their turn to introduce the business opportunity and how working together can benefit both the groups, even giving the examples of Bolivians and the Chechens working together putting differences aside.

Hank has contacted some guy called Toro to break Barry out of prison. Lon finds a mysterious note instructing him to follow other clues to “get the story of his life.” The person putting them up is Gene, of course, as Lon learns when he sees Gene struggling to stick the next note to the car parking meter. Gene calls him to the theatre where he teaches acting.

Sally visits Barry out of nowhere. She wanted to talk about meeting her parents, as Barry profusely apologizes for betraying her trust and putting her in this position. She made him “feel like a human being” and brought his life back on track. When she says she “feels safe with him,” Barry eagerly gets up and confesses her love to Sally, but she leaves without saying anything.

When Cristobal is making a speech to the room full of Chinese and Guatemalans to propose a legitimate business, Hank brings up breaking Barry out of prison, leading to a fight between the two partners. Barry imagines growing old with Sally and leading a quiet, loving life with her. Quite shockingly, he goes to the FBI to take the deal Fuches was offered.

Barry offers up the entire network of gangs in LA, including the Chechens, and requests to bring “someone” with him. Sally is dealt a blow by Lindsay, who leaves her as an agent. Lindsay is genuine in her assessment of Sally’s situation, while Sally has been maligned in the public for acknowledging Barry at the award ceremony. She will probably be successful in a reality show or a podcast but nothing relating to the real drama, which she has fought to do all her life.

Gene tells the story of Barry Berkman to Lon in the form of a self-made theatre act, which intrigues Lon greatly. Gene goes to extreme lengths to be authentic but his ego gets the better of him and he glorifies his part at the cost of making Barry sound needy and repulsive.

Lon agrees to publish the story citing Gene as an anonymous source. Sally shows up at the theatre and presses Gene on why he did not tell her. He flips the accusations on her, saying she stayed with Barry despite seeing signs of his disturbing violence (which she did) and not doing anything about it. She accepts it and Gene proposes she start teaching acting, like he did when his career was over.

Gale assures Fuches he will be able to get both of them out using his “special” legal acumen. When Fuches goes to inform Barry, he finds out Barry has taken the FBI’s deal. Hank tries to defend Barry against Cristobal, saying he “finally understands Barry.” Fuches calls Hank and tells him of the developments, leading Hank to then say to Cristobal, “We need to kill Barry.”

The Episode Review

Some reviewers said after season 3 that “Barry is not a comedy anymore” and they were right – It is much more than that. But perhaps since Bill Hader has taken over the reins completely for season 4, he is trying to put some of it back into the show that was once its foundation. Episode 2 brought out the delightful, dark humour inherently present in these wonderfully complex characters in the most shocking way possible.

For once, episode 2 felt like the old days of Barry again. The Cristobal and Hank show at a table full of Guatemalans and Chinese was full of spice. Barry’s betrayal of Fuches was somehow written in the stars and I am sure neither saw it coming, not even Barry himself. It just goes to show what extent one would go to get back love in their life. This is a huge gamble but given how Barry has managed to slither out of tough situations in the past, one would wager things would work out.

Gene’s spiteful monologue was his shot at getting appreciation and giving him a renewed sense of adequacy. We can finally appreciate the tangent of his character veering towards jollier than melancholic. The irony in Hank trying to break out Barry and him selling his entire network to the FBI positions the plot in season 4 temptingly. It definitely sets them against each other.

Hank will come at him with full force and there are numerous directions the story can go into now!