Bill Hader’s stunning dark comedy series Barry is set to conclude with its upcoming season 4 and various theories abound around how the story of the assassin-turned-actor will end. Barry first premiered in 2018 on HBO and was created by Saturday Night Live alum Bill Hader and comedy writer Alec Berg. The show follows hitman Barry Berkman as he travels to Los Angeles for a job and finds himself in an acting class which leads him to question his profession and life choices. As Barry heads into season 4, the show looks set to tie up various loose ends and unresolved plot threads.
Various intense changes and surprises occurred in Barry season 3 that increased the stakes and brought Barry closer to danger, even as he tried desperately to be a regular guy. Throughout the season, his relationship with Sally falls apart, Fuches makes several attempts to expose Barry’s identity, and Barry blackmails Gene into staying quiet about his crimes. Ultimately, the end of Barry season 3 saw Gene tricking Barry into getting arrested which leads to his imprisonment in Barry season 4. The trailer for the new season shows both Barry and Fuches in jail, Gene with Jim Moss, NoHo Hank back together with Cristobal, and Sally on the set of another Hollywood production. This leaves numerous options for how Barry season 4 could end. Here are six theories for how that could happen.
6 Hank Breaks Barry Out Of Prison
Of the many scenarios that could occur in Barry season 4, one of the most popular theories is that Barry’s NoHo Hank will break Barry out of prison. This idea makes sense because, if Barry were to get out of prison, the only character who could truly help him do that is Hank. Additionally, Barry and Hank have a pretty close friendship at this point and in Barry season 3, Barry helped Hank by planting a bomb to take out Cristobal’s father-in-law. All in all, if Barry can’t escape prison by himself, it’s likely that Hank will assist him in a potentially epic and dangerous scene.
One particular Reddit theory asserted that perhaps the reason Hank breaks Barry out of jail is so that Barry can help him dissolve the relationship between the Chechen and Bolivian gangs. Throughout Barry season 3, Hank’s relationship with Cristobal has made him desire a normal life, and he may try and recruit Barry to take down the gangs so that the pair can run away from their lives of crime and start a happy life. Considering Barry’s reputation for teaming up with Hank, he would likely have trouble saying no and would help Hank in this theoretical endeavor.
5 Barry Remains In Jail Throughout Season 4
While many believe that Barry will get out of jail fairly quickly in Barry season 4, some theories argue that Barry will remain in prison throughout the entire season. Over three seasons, Barry has miraculously avoided being caught for his crimes, despite some seriously close calls. However, in Barry season 3, his true nature became harder to hide as Gene figured out his role in killing Janice and Sally opened her eyes to his more violent tendencies. Therefore, after all this build-up, it would make sense that in Barry season 4 Barry would be forced to make amends for his actions and face the proper consequences.
In support of this theory, one Reddit user pointed to Bill Hader’s assertion during Barry season 3 that Barry needs to face some real consequences. By keeping him in prison, Hader could explore Barry’s psyche and the effects his crimes have had on him and others. Additionally, Barry has spent so much of the series agonizing over what he’s done, it may give him peace to finally pay the price. Though some believe keeping Barry in jail would separate him from the rest of the cast, this could be exactly what is needed to have an eventual reunion at the very end.
4 Barry Loses His Mind In Season 4
In the teaser trailer for Barry season 4, there is a moment where Barry hallucinates Sally and Gene, leading to the possible conclusion that Barry could suffer a mental health crisis in prison. Barry has had violent visions in Barry and several moments throughout the series where he suffers intense anxiety or feelings of hopelessness, and these scenarios may all culminate in a bigger crisis once he arrives in prison. While these symptoms may hurt Barry as they’re happening, this potential storyline could also lead to Barry seeking help for his mental health and consequently coming to terms with his actions through therapy.
3 Barry Is Forgiven In Season 4
Despite the secrets and lies Barry has told throughout Barry, he still formed important relationships throughout the series, and though his friends have turned on him, there is still a chance for forgiveness in Barry season 4. Although Gene spent Barry season 3 trying to escape Barry’s blackmail and get justice for Janice’s death, his partnership with Jim Moss may go south in as is set up in Barry season 4 in the trailer when the two look to be on uncertain terms. In a similar vein, Sally dumped Barry, however, the trailer shows Sally on the phone looking shocked and upset, potentially when she finds out that Barry is in jail.
Because Barry season 4 needs to tie up the loose ends, it would make sense that the characters would reunite or, at the very least, forgive each other for any crimes and betrayals. Because Gene and Sally got to know the real Barry before finding out about his profession, they may feel bad for him and try to make amends. They may even testify in his favor if he remains in prison, supporting his good character. If this happens, Fuches would be the perfect scapegoat for Barry’s crimes at the end of Barry in season 4, as he was Barry’s handler and in a sense, used Barry when he was at his lowest after returning from Afghanistan.
2 Barry Becomes An Actor In Season 4
One theory that seems unrealistic but would make for a perfect full-circle moment is if Barry becomes an actor by the end of Barry season 4. The series begins with the titular character discovering his love and talent for acting, so it would only be fitting for him to end the series doing what he loves. Considering Barry season 4 starts with him in prison, it’s somewhat unrealistic that Barry would escape unscathed and with the ability to become an actor, but then again, anything can happen. Perhaps Barry will even use his acting skills in surprising ways throughout the season.
1 Barry Dies At The End of Season 4
The most upsetting yet likely theories about how Barry season 4 will end is with Barry dying. Some Reddit users feel that Barry’s Gene Cousineau, Fuches, or others that Barry has betrayed will try to kill him by the end of the series. Thus far, Barry has survived some truly incomprehensible moments, but perhaps this season will show his final stand. It wouldn’t be surprising to see a character death occur in Barry season 4, but killing the main character would be an especially negative way to end the show.
Bill Hader has created some iconic moments throughout HBO’s Barryand hopefully the final season will have the same strange and epic scenes. As a series finale, hopes are high that a happy ending can be found, but when it comes to Barry, the likelihood of that is slim. At the very least, fans can hope that Barry gets the ending he deserves and no one dies along the way.