Spoiler Warning: Barry Season 3
HBO Max’sBarryis as emotionally engaging as it is fantastically funny. Created by Alec Berg (The Cat in the Hat, The Dictator) and Bill Hader (Stephen King’s IT Chapters 1 and 2, Saturday Night Live), who portrays the show’s titular hitman,Barryhad amassed a devoted audience over the course of its three weird and wild seasons. It continually challenges said audience’s notions surrounding the morality of murder and the cost of creativity.
Barryseason three left audiences wanting more, as many of the seasons' storylines were left with dramatic cliffhangers. When the series inevitably returnsfor season four, it is difficult to say which character’s on-screen struggle will be the most highly anticipated. However, there is one character whose season three storyline demands a follow-up: NoHoHank. Portrayed by Anthony Carrigan (Gotham, Bill & Ted Face the Music), this Chechen criminal went through the wringer inBarry’smost recently released season. His romantic life was uprooted by a band of Bolivian bullies, who eventually fed his Chechen comrades to a carnivorous cat. NoHo Hank has served as a constant source of comedic relief, even inBarry’sdarkest moments.
Here are some of the ways in which Anthony Carrigan carried the series in season three.
Anthony Carrigan’s Performance as NoHo Hank
First and foremost, Anthony Carrigan is an excellent actor, to the point where his talent literallysaved the life of NoHo Hank. Initially, the character was slated to die in the series pilot. However, when the show’s creators saw the comedic chops that Carrigan brought to the table, they were unable to pull the metaphorical (and likely literal) trigger on the drug dealer’s death.
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Though NoHo Hank was primarily used as a comedic foil toBarry’softentimes morbid subject matter, season three saw its fair share of series moments for the hilarious Hank. As in previous seasons, NoHo Hank often found himself in life-threatening situations. Instead of his usual nihilistic acceptance, however, Carrigan’s Hank, who recently found the love of his life, showed audiences his softer side, utilizing a previously unseen range of emotions that would not be so impactful coming from a less-talented actor.
NoHo Hank Finds Love
In the first few episodes of season three, fans ofBarryseasons one and two were surprised to see that an unlikely couple had emerged from amidst the chaotic carnage of previous episodes. Anthony Carrigan’s NoHo Hank, head of the Chechen crime syndicate, shacked up in a lovely Californian home with none other than Michael Irby’s (Law Abiding Citizen, True Detective) Cristobal. The latter is the Bolivian drug dealer responsible for the Los Angeles sector of the cartel. Though their romance was unexpected,Barryaudiences quickly fell in lovewith the star-crossed lovers.
Related:Barry Season 4: Where Will the Show Go After the Events in Season 3?
Unfortunately, there were countless obstacles in the way of the two drug dealer’s romantic entanglement, be it Cristobal’s murderous Bolivian father-in-law or his estranged wife. In circumventing these challenges, audiences are privy to a new side of NoHo Hank. Only through Anthony Carrigan’s incredible acting can said emotional layers be peeled back.
Harrowing Heroism
Barryseason threewas certainly not lacking in all manner of harrowing storylines. From a motorcycle gang to a former friend turned poisoner, no character escaped the violence of this recently released season. Anthony Carrigan’s Noho Hank was no exception to this rule. His character was routinely put through the wringer.
From the beginning of the season, NoHo Hank’s relationship with Cristobal is constantly on the brink due to outside forces. Season three’s conclusion saw NoHo Hank imprisoned by the Bolivian cartel and his also captured Chechen comrades ripped apart (albeit offscreen) by a panther. Carrigan’s Hank eventually breaks his restraints, slaughters the panther and his captors, and liberates Cristobal, who is tortured by his estranged wife. NoHo Hank had failed to be brave in similar situations from previous seasons. Emboldened by undying affection for his beloved Cristobal, Carrigan’s NoHo Hank can fully realize his potential.
Fortunately for the series' legions of devoted fans,Barrywill be returning for a season four. With the titular Barry behind bars, likely alongside his mentor turned arch-enemy, Stephen Root’s (Office Space,The Man in the High Castle) Monroe Fuches, and Sarah Goldberg’s (The Dark Knight Rises, The Hummingbird Project) Sally Reed jumping on a plane back to her native Joplin, the series' stars, for the most part, have been placed in unfamiliar situations. Only Anthony Carrigan’s NoHo Hank ended the season on anything approaching a high note, though the mental state of his beloved Cristobal is entirely unknown.
No one knows just how season four will go, but long-time fans ofBarrydo know one thing: NoHo Hank is here to stay, and Anthony Carrigan will continue to crush it.
