Bill Hader (of Saturday Night Live fame) stars (and also directs, even receiving a Primetime Emmy for this role) as a hitman (returning from Afghanistan a damaged Marine, depressed and unsure of what to do with his life as a civilian), lingering in emotional uncertainty in the Midwest while Stephen Root sends him to different locations to kill “marks” (he stays a little longer which irks Root because of the “extra expenses”). L.A. is the next stop, with Hader sent to execute a gym instructor (wanting to be an actor, of course) but accidentally roped into a theater troupe, all struggling to “make it” in Hollywood. But being on stage, thanks to the very mark he was supposed to kill (!!!) needing a “standin”, Hader realizes that there is potential in “turning his life around”. Winkler (who has his best role in years, also having won an Emmy) is the beloved “old pro theater director”, a mentor (with a price tag, of course) for outsiders arriving in ‘Wood looking to become the next big star. Winkler “encourages” those attending his classes/studies to reach within themselves to find the part, getting on his stage with authenticity instead of “faking it”. Hader discusses the chance to act, interrupting Winkler as he is about to leave to tell him about his own personal life…for which Winkler believes is nonsense! But Winkler sees that while the previous day Hader was just a block of stone on stage, his opening up about his past (again, for which Winkler believes is just an acting piece to impress him!) offers potential, insisting he come to class in order to hone his craft…it’ll cost, of course.
Hader is a revelation as Barry Berkmen, a Midwestern
ex-Marine riddled with emotional dissonance and searching for a “purpose” (Root
put this in his head to keep him killing for him), while Root tries to keep him
in line, hoping he just continues to kill when called on. Root, eerily, is
looking over Hader when sleeping, with a new mission to go to LA, and later
visits him in Hollywood, so you definitely feel as if the man who prepares his
killer for executions is almost always around somewhere nearby. Root’s
discouragement of Hader to grow as a human being instead of being a positive
influence is obvious, particularly when it comes to the Chechen mob needing
tasks taken care of.
The direction really punctuates Hader’s increasing emptiness
and there is no polish or extravagance in his role as a hitman. There aren’t
any glossy, epic hitman action sequences or characters that function as flashy
stereotype villains with particularly colorful names or menacing heavies who can
take steel pipes to the faces without flinching or blacking out. The episode
opens after Barry has executed someone, morosely moving about the place
afterward as if he were leaving behind an assembly-line factory job at the
sound of the horn. His apartment is a mess, disheveled, and days are mostly
waiting for the next assignment while playing video games and sleeping. When
he’s on stage, however, after stumbling on an actress (the incredible Sarah
Goldberg) practicing lines outside the building on the steps, there is a sudden
“fever” (the “acting bug”, I guess) that emerges…and he wants to experience
again. Killing could be his “moonlighting gig” while Hader searches for truth
as an actor. Root, obviously, doesn’t like this. And soon the mark Hader was
meant to execute is killed by the mob pissed at the gym instructor for fucking
the wife of one of their own with the hitman forced to take out several of them
when they draw on him. The ending is quite a setup for the remainder of the
series. How does Hader avoid detection and keep his past hidden from the actors
he will certainly congregate around? How will Root respond to Hader’s killing
those involved with the mob who hired them? Is Hader romantically interested in
Goldberg? There is that sequence where Goldberg is dancing with her friends in
a club and slow motion encapsulates her sex appeal…a lot of HBO shows do that,
I have noticed. Goldberg, who was a pitiable, teary-eyed mess as Winkler
reduced her on stage for “not bringing it”, after she kills it (reciting from a
film she was familiar) all is right with the world. Her enthusiasm is
infectious, and you can see Hader gleaming from her that desire to pursue the “truth”
she speaks of. I always enjoy those scenes where hopefuls and dreamers in
Hollywood reach into the films of the past to incite a dialogue amongst
themselves. Hader, silent and unable to contribute, is nonetheless accepted by
them. I think this show fits my tastes to a tee. 4/5
-----------------------------
Hader trying to figure out how to circumvent his reasons for being called to LA and his desire to stay put so he can pursue an acting career are the crux of the second episode of Barry, Use It, as he attends the funeral of his mark, Ryan (the gym trainer who was having an affair with the wife of Chechen mobster, Goran Pazar (Glenn Fleshler)), urged by fellow actress, Sally Reed (Sarah Goldberg, who continues to be a great find for this HBO first season series), to help her participate in a scene from the Meryl Streep/Philip Seymore Hoffman drama, Doubt (the scene where he’s trying to keep her from telling others about child molestation) as a tribute to their dead colleague. Goran wants Barry to kill a Bolivian rival so he could save Fuches (Stephen Root) from assassination—to prove their seriousness, Goran has one of his thugs “file” Fuches’ teeth!—but it isn’t without resistance.
But the threat of Fuches’ death is enough to convince Barry to commit to the job. Meanwhile, Barry tries to ply his craft with help from Sally as Ryan’s “funeral”—at a favorite drinking hole, while acting coach, Gene Cousineau (Henry Winkler) inspires the troupe to give it their all…even postponing a session, but maintaining the fee they pay him, of course. Fans of Hader know that he is often over the top on Saturday Night Live, but this role as Barry has really brought out a side of him (subtlety and measured reactions) quite impressive. Like when he is feeling emotional response other than apathy and misery (obvious enduring angst due to killing people as a profession without much else), particularly when in the presence of Sally.
My favorite scene has Sally coming to grips, in shock, that after Ryan’s “wake”, as Barry walks her to her door he doesn’t make an effort to fuck her. He just pleasantly accommodates her when approached with being her partner for the Doubt “rehearsals”, not comfortable with the subject matter, (considering the scene inappropriate for a wake, although Sally felt because it was her last with Ryan, it was) but nonetheless agreeable, despite a walkout after Ryan’s dad offers a warm tribute to those who lovingly portrayed film scenes for their fallen friend. Hader’s direction includes Barry outside a hotel room while Fuches is trying to ward off Goran’s men, including his right hand, NoHo (Anthony Carrigan) inside the room, the camera catching both simultaneously in a framed shot. Hader is skilled at capturing ordinary lives in LA without the glamorous side, as fresh faces, enthusiastic about their craft, use films of the past in order to reach within (Sally even recommends Barry to add his emerging overwhelming reaction to Ryan’s dad’s weeping, and the loss of a father for his son, as “paint for his toolbox” to use for acting roles when needed) in the hopes of evolving as actors. Barry does seem committed to this, trying (and failing) to shoo away Fuches so he can stay behind, the betrayal of a hit done incorrectly his reason for doing so (when it was actually Barry wanting to satiate this acting bug he now has) as explained to his handler.
Then Fuches is held hostage while Barry goes ahead and returns to acting with Sally until the details for his next hit are sent to him. Paula Newsome is introduced as Detective Moss, working on the Ryan murder case, which included the executions of Goran’s men who had attempted to kill Barry. NoHo leaves behind a camera accidentally which provides details of the evening to Moss! The investigation at the police station (which includes Moss betting on a detective’s badly ending marriage resulting in a nice payday and two tech guys wasting time getting to evidence needed to hopefully resolve her case by watching YouTube videos!) is where the show yucks it up the most with its comedy as the officers are presented as quirky and peculiar. Moss tries to crack a code needing to access evidence, setting off a virus the FBI will need to be notified about! Meanwhile, Barry seems to have something with potential as Sally appears to have interest in him, confused when he won’t come in (even startled that he doesn’t make a pass at her as is typical with men who show interest in her). The theater world, for me as a viewer, is a lot of fun. Include a hitman who pretends to be a struggling actor dedicated to making this a success, with all the unexpected entanglements that might result, and I'm quite invested! 3.5/5
--------------------
Make the Unsafe Choice
Barry is frustratingly trying to alternate between killing a mark whenever Goran and NoHo give him the word (a bullet must arrive in Bolivia to Goran’s rival before Barry kills their associate in LA, Paco) and being there for Sally as she practices for a part (televised version of I Bought a Zoo), needs a lift to get to the audition, and requests comfort after it all goes awry (an actress from the past she once performed with in a roller derby show that fell prey to bad timing due to the Boston Marathon bombing). Goran doesn’t expect a sent veteran hitman from Chechnya, Stovka (veteran comedian Larry Hankin), to blow his brains out with his father’s rifle when left alone with worrying Fuches (overhearing and intensely watching Goran explain to Stovka his duties to kill both Fuches and Barry).
It does afford Fuches the chance to work some influence over Goran while NoHo becomes more and more ignored and disregarded. Barry just wants to kill Paco and get this all over with while Fuches is receiving “perks” (food at Goran’s table, an ear listening to his propositions about offering Barry’s services) while held at Goran’s. And needy Sally obsesses over her former actress friend’s receiving a lead in the show she was desperately hoping to secure a major role in (a mother who lost her child in an ape pit), blowing the audition because of her conflicting emotions and rattled discontentment.
It does lead to Sally and Barry involved in intimacy, even grocery shopping and sleeping together at her place. Barry does have to strangle Paco in a struggle, hurried and harried due to Sally’s barrage of emotional complaints after the audition went disappointedly. Gene working on Barry during a stage “performance” (trying to get him to imagine a scenario where he’s in a grocery store and his communicating his feelings about the experience, such as how he feels about soup), hoping he’ll open up and explore any creative energies that might exist inside so he can be a better actor is my personally favorite scene because it just doesn’t seem to be working…the frustrations of Gene as he even looks into his congregation of actors for help to jerk Barry out of his stuck indifference is understandable.
Barry hasn’t achieved much as an actor thus far and Gene seems to have his work cut out for him. Meanwhile Detective Moss interviews Gene’s class because they were close to Ryan, hoping to find anyone suspicious. Barry, among them, gets through the process like a pro (his best acting job yet!). The Chechen mobsters, Goran and NoHo, are presented as hapless goofs in need of advice all the time, appearing to be in over their heads. Barry having to deal with these folks leaves him obviously annoyed while Sally demands more and more of his time. So the old adage of “complications ensue” is apt for this series. Winkler as this Strasberg wannabe, his book detailing a falling out with Swayze that resulted in his disbarring from the actor's funeral and a failed attempt to get a part on Full House due to carrying a loaded gun on set (!) offer us a parody perfect for a series about struggling actors looking for whatever advice they can get, even if they are more than likely being shafted, better suited perhaps to look for expertise elsewhere. 4/5
-----------------------
Commit...to YOU
The veil comes down in a lot of ways for several of the characters in this episode. Sally never receives confirmation from Mike Hallman (Robert Curtis Brown) to be her agent official, learning later that a "joke" about being a regular fuck (determining who will be a client or just a lay) costed her an audition. More on that in a bit. George Cousineau auditions for "man in back of a bus", confirming to us that, much like the students who admire and look up to him, he's competing for less-than-attractive parts in the 'Wood. And despite his efforts to quit Fuches, Barry realizes that "getting out" of the contract killing life would jeopardize his ongoing pursuit of a career.
No matter how hard she tries, Sally seems undermined by the entanglements of Hollywood life, unable to shake her ties to former actresses and current industry "big shots" who can derail efforts to audition much less convince those on productions to give her a chance. Barry sees her as a serious romantic love interest, while Sally appears not all that interested in anything relationship-wise. With attempts to secure parts evasive, Sally isn't particularly interested in Barry's laptop gift (when the troupe gather for a party at one of their own's house) nor his efforts to assert his place as her "man" when she talks enthusiastically with an actor named Zach who worked in a motion capture part (his face nor voice will be seen or heard in the film...but his name will be in the credits!). Sally's focus, her drive and devotion, is set on acting and making it in the industry. And she's not especially happy with Barry trying to "claim her". Barry doesn't see it that way, but Sally is independent and vocally not about to have it. Trying to survive in this world is exhausting even to a viewer like me who, as an outsider peeking into their world through Hader and company's open lens, is only an observer and doesn't worry about what it takes to try and outperform so many looking to achieve the same dream. But even more ironic is that George's ego really only gets its true boost from the younger actors struggling to make it much the same way as him...he's out there trying to continue to work despite competing just as they are against a city of actors hoping for just brief screen time.
Fuches won't go away...that alone is a nightmare for Barry to endure. Barry just wants to act, but in order to do so Fuches has to be satisfied (or dead). Fuches will arrive at a party of Barry's actor friends in order to position himself as someone to be treated with kid gloves. Fuches enjoys this, too. When Barry tells Fuches to fuck himself on a golf course, Fuches just pays him no mind...because Fuches understands that he has the control. When Marine friends from Barry's past (locating him thanks to Facebook due to Sally's efforts to give him a social media identity; this was before Sally had a falling out with him and realized Mike was interested in fucking her instead of agenting her). Taylor, friend of Chris (Barry's friend from Afghanistan), figures out that Barry (due to his wad of dough and ridiculous claims of being in "auto parts" as a job) is a hitman...he wants in on a Bolivian stash house massacre. Barry reluctantly agreed to the mission because Fuches would out him in front of his acting troupe. The Marines that arrive at the party are a bit physical and rowdy, horseplaying in the actress' house, needing to leave due to being a nuisance.
Things just aren't going Barry's way. But George appears to be winning over Detective Moss (who finally gets a codebreaker assigned to her department to unlock NoHo's lipstick camera), when she agrees to dinner and eventually admits to liking him. But can the acting instructor and cop build a relationship considering his troupe could very well have a killer she'll need to arrest? 4.5/5
___________________________
I'd hate not to mention, almost forgetting to, two big Winkler scenes. When he's trying to impress Detective Moss, George shows her a trick where he can tear up and go emotional immediately. The napkin reveal, just good stuff. When George is infuriated with Barry over his Glengarry Glen Ross scene on stage, he takes him to task for being a pushover, a put-upon lackey, a patsy. It shows George at his best, not willing to watch someone working against himself, an actor not willing to reach his real potential. He might be doing this for the money and its perks in satiating his ego, but George wants the best his students can offer.
Sarah's given great moments to shine. Her reaction to Mike when he basically propositions her, raging and weeping in her car after Mike's betrayal regarding her referral at the audition, unloading on Barry for trying to dictate hands off to Zach where she's quick to diffuse any misunderstandings of their relationship, and her embarrassed realization at the audition that Mike didn't come through because she didn't. Her belief in Mike, even during a reading for a military part Barry could have assisted her with, is shattered.
-----------------------------
Hader trying to figure out how to circumvent his reasons for being called to LA and his desire to stay put so he can pursue an acting career are the crux of the second episode of Barry, Use It, as he attends the funeral of his mark, Ryan (the gym trainer who was having an affair with the wife of Chechen mobster, Goran Pazar (Glenn Fleshler)), urged by fellow actress, Sally Reed (Sarah Goldberg, who continues to be a great find for this HBO first season series), to help her participate in a scene from the Meryl Streep/Philip Seymore Hoffman drama, Doubt (the scene where he’s trying to keep her from telling others about child molestation) as a tribute to their dead colleague. Goran wants Barry to kill a Bolivian rival so he could save Fuches (Stephen Root) from assassination—to prove their seriousness, Goran has one of his thugs “file” Fuches’ teeth!—but it isn’t without resistance.
But the threat of Fuches’ death is enough to convince Barry to commit to the job. Meanwhile, Barry tries to ply his craft with help from Sally as Ryan’s “funeral”—at a favorite drinking hole, while acting coach, Gene Cousineau (Henry Winkler) inspires the troupe to give it their all…even postponing a session, but maintaining the fee they pay him, of course. Fans of Hader know that he is often over the top on Saturday Night Live, but this role as Barry has really brought out a side of him (subtlety and measured reactions) quite impressive. Like when he is feeling emotional response other than apathy and misery (obvious enduring angst due to killing people as a profession without much else), particularly when in the presence of Sally.
My favorite scene has Sally coming to grips, in shock, that after Ryan’s “wake”, as Barry walks her to her door he doesn’t make an effort to fuck her. He just pleasantly accommodates her when approached with being her partner for the Doubt “rehearsals”, not comfortable with the subject matter, (considering the scene inappropriate for a wake, although Sally felt because it was her last with Ryan, it was) but nonetheless agreeable, despite a walkout after Ryan’s dad offers a warm tribute to those who lovingly portrayed film scenes for their fallen friend. Hader’s direction includes Barry outside a hotel room while Fuches is trying to ward off Goran’s men, including his right hand, NoHo (Anthony Carrigan) inside the room, the camera catching both simultaneously in a framed shot. Hader is skilled at capturing ordinary lives in LA without the glamorous side, as fresh faces, enthusiastic about their craft, use films of the past in order to reach within (Sally even recommends Barry to add his emerging overwhelming reaction to Ryan’s dad’s weeping, and the loss of a father for his son, as “paint for his toolbox” to use for acting roles when needed) in the hopes of evolving as actors. Barry does seem committed to this, trying (and failing) to shoo away Fuches so he can stay behind, the betrayal of a hit done incorrectly his reason for doing so (when it was actually Barry wanting to satiate this acting bug he now has) as explained to his handler.
Then Fuches is held hostage while Barry goes ahead and returns to acting with Sally until the details for his next hit are sent to him. Paula Newsome is introduced as Detective Moss, working on the Ryan murder case, which included the executions of Goran’s men who had attempted to kill Barry. NoHo leaves behind a camera accidentally which provides details of the evening to Moss! The investigation at the police station (which includes Moss betting on a detective’s badly ending marriage resulting in a nice payday and two tech guys wasting time getting to evidence needed to hopefully resolve her case by watching YouTube videos!) is where the show yucks it up the most with its comedy as the officers are presented as quirky and peculiar. Moss tries to crack a code needing to access evidence, setting off a virus the FBI will need to be notified about! Meanwhile, Barry seems to have something with potential as Sally appears to have interest in him, confused when he won’t come in (even startled that he doesn’t make a pass at her as is typical with men who show interest in her). The theater world, for me as a viewer, is a lot of fun. Include a hitman who pretends to be a struggling actor dedicated to making this a success, with all the unexpected entanglements that might result, and I'm quite invested! 3.5/5
--------------------
Make the Unsafe Choice
Barry is frustratingly trying to alternate between killing a mark whenever Goran and NoHo give him the word (a bullet must arrive in Bolivia to Goran’s rival before Barry kills their associate in LA, Paco) and being there for Sally as she practices for a part (televised version of I Bought a Zoo), needs a lift to get to the audition, and requests comfort after it all goes awry (an actress from the past she once performed with in a roller derby show that fell prey to bad timing due to the Boston Marathon bombing). Goran doesn’t expect a sent veteran hitman from Chechnya, Stovka (veteran comedian Larry Hankin), to blow his brains out with his father’s rifle when left alone with worrying Fuches (overhearing and intensely watching Goran explain to Stovka his duties to kill both Fuches and Barry).
It does afford Fuches the chance to work some influence over Goran while NoHo becomes more and more ignored and disregarded. Barry just wants to kill Paco and get this all over with while Fuches is receiving “perks” (food at Goran’s table, an ear listening to his propositions about offering Barry’s services) while held at Goran’s. And needy Sally obsesses over her former actress friend’s receiving a lead in the show she was desperately hoping to secure a major role in (a mother who lost her child in an ape pit), blowing the audition because of her conflicting emotions and rattled discontentment.
It does lead to Sally and Barry involved in intimacy, even grocery shopping and sleeping together at her place. Barry does have to strangle Paco in a struggle, hurried and harried due to Sally’s barrage of emotional complaints after the audition went disappointedly. Gene working on Barry during a stage “performance” (trying to get him to imagine a scenario where he’s in a grocery store and his communicating his feelings about the experience, such as how he feels about soup), hoping he’ll open up and explore any creative energies that might exist inside so he can be a better actor is my personally favorite scene because it just doesn’t seem to be working…the frustrations of Gene as he even looks into his congregation of actors for help to jerk Barry out of his stuck indifference is understandable.
Barry hasn’t achieved much as an actor thus far and Gene seems to have his work cut out for him. Meanwhile Detective Moss interviews Gene’s class because they were close to Ryan, hoping to find anyone suspicious. Barry, among them, gets through the process like a pro (his best acting job yet!). The Chechen mobsters, Goran and NoHo, are presented as hapless goofs in need of advice all the time, appearing to be in over their heads. Barry having to deal with these folks leaves him obviously annoyed while Sally demands more and more of his time. So the old adage of “complications ensue” is apt for this series. Winkler as this Strasberg wannabe, his book detailing a falling out with Swayze that resulted in his disbarring from the actor's funeral and a failed attempt to get a part on Full House due to carrying a loaded gun on set (!) offer us a parody perfect for a series about struggling actors looking for whatever advice they can get, even if they are more than likely being shafted, better suited perhaps to look for expertise elsewhere. 4/5
-----------------------
Commit...to YOU
The veil comes down in a lot of ways for several of the characters in this episode. Sally never receives confirmation from Mike Hallman (Robert Curtis Brown) to be her agent official, learning later that a "joke" about being a regular fuck (determining who will be a client or just a lay) costed her an audition. More on that in a bit. George Cousineau auditions for "man in back of a bus", confirming to us that, much like the students who admire and look up to him, he's competing for less-than-attractive parts in the 'Wood. And despite his efforts to quit Fuches, Barry realizes that "getting out" of the contract killing life would jeopardize his ongoing pursuit of a career.
No matter how hard she tries, Sally seems undermined by the entanglements of Hollywood life, unable to shake her ties to former actresses and current industry "big shots" who can derail efforts to audition much less convince those on productions to give her a chance. Barry sees her as a serious romantic love interest, while Sally appears not all that interested in anything relationship-wise. With attempts to secure parts evasive, Sally isn't particularly interested in Barry's laptop gift (when the troupe gather for a party at one of their own's house) nor his efforts to assert his place as her "man" when she talks enthusiastically with an actor named Zach who worked in a motion capture part (his face nor voice will be seen or heard in the film...but his name will be in the credits!). Sally's focus, her drive and devotion, is set on acting and making it in the industry. And she's not especially happy with Barry trying to "claim her". Barry doesn't see it that way, but Sally is independent and vocally not about to have it. Trying to survive in this world is exhausting even to a viewer like me who, as an outsider peeking into their world through Hader and company's open lens, is only an observer and doesn't worry about what it takes to try and outperform so many looking to achieve the same dream. But even more ironic is that George's ego really only gets its true boost from the younger actors struggling to make it much the same way as him...he's out there trying to continue to work despite competing just as they are against a city of actors hoping for just brief screen time.
Fuches won't go away...that alone is a nightmare for Barry to endure. Barry just wants to act, but in order to do so Fuches has to be satisfied (or dead). Fuches will arrive at a party of Barry's actor friends in order to position himself as someone to be treated with kid gloves. Fuches enjoys this, too. When Barry tells Fuches to fuck himself on a golf course, Fuches just pays him no mind...because Fuches understands that he has the control. When Marine friends from Barry's past (locating him thanks to Facebook due to Sally's efforts to give him a social media identity; this was before Sally had a falling out with him and realized Mike was interested in fucking her instead of agenting her). Taylor, friend of Chris (Barry's friend from Afghanistan), figures out that Barry (due to his wad of dough and ridiculous claims of being in "auto parts" as a job) is a hitman...he wants in on a Bolivian stash house massacre. Barry reluctantly agreed to the mission because Fuches would out him in front of his acting troupe. The Marines that arrive at the party are a bit physical and rowdy, horseplaying in the actress' house, needing to leave due to being a nuisance.
Things just aren't going Barry's way. But George appears to be winning over Detective Moss (who finally gets a codebreaker assigned to her department to unlock NoHo's lipstick camera), when she agrees to dinner and eventually admits to liking him. But can the acting instructor and cop build a relationship considering his troupe could very well have a killer she'll need to arrest? 4.5/5
___________________________
I'd hate not to mention, almost forgetting to, two big Winkler scenes. When he's trying to impress Detective Moss, George shows her a trick where he can tear up and go emotional immediately. The napkin reveal, just good stuff. When George is infuriated with Barry over his Glengarry Glen Ross scene on stage, he takes him to task for being a pushover, a put-upon lackey, a patsy. It shows George at his best, not willing to watch someone working against himself, an actor not willing to reach his real potential. He might be doing this for the money and its perks in satiating his ego, but George wants the best his students can offer.
Sarah's given great moments to shine. Her reaction to Mike when he basically propositions her, raging and weeping in her car after Mike's betrayal regarding her referral at the audition, unloading on Barry for trying to dictate hands off to Zach where she's quick to diffuse any misunderstandings of their relationship, and her embarrassed realization at the audition that Mike didn't come through because she didn't. Her belief in Mike, even during a reading for a military part Barry could have assisted her with, is shattered.
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