Barry Review: The Audition (Season 2 Episode 7)
On Barry Season 2 Episode 7, “The Audition,” significant life choices come upon Barry, threatening to upend the life he’s made for himself.
The episode makes sure to set up a false sense of security. The front is loaded with comedy and compelling emotional beats, but the last stretch lays on insurmountable stakes with Fuches plaguing finality on Barry’s new life.
First, though, comes the fascinating view of how easy opportunity comes to some, simply by being at the right place at the right time and the right height. Sally and Gene’s incredulity over Barry getting offered an audition is one of the more fun parts of the episode.
Gene’s reaction to Barry’s character getting to say the name of the movie is my favorite part of it, as a comment on movies using their title in dialogue (which can, at times, become awkward and shoehorned in), and his reading of it is full of both excitement and confusion.
But it’s also in how hard Sally struggled to get to this point, to finally read for a big-time producer, while Barry simply sitting in a waiting room ascends him higher than her triumph. It undercuts her potential success, and Sarah Goldberg really helps make that bubbling resentment show through.
The scene by the pool, of Sally completely letting loose her frustrations, is emotionally raw and heartbreaking, Sally fighting through all of her insecurities and hopes, all in an endless run-on sentence. Goldberg brings a level of weariness to Sally, where all of the hard work and putting in her dues is not going as planned.
It’s a larger look on acting, a career where unforeseen consequences and factors are at play, completely out of one’s control. Sally’s dedication is remarkable, and wanting to push herself creatively leads her to seeming ungrateful by turning down a questionable role, rather than appearing brave or principled.
Sally’s role on the show has been a fascinating journey, showing the hardships of chasing a dream while just on the cusp of that success.
That “The Audition” ends with Fuches leading Gene to Janice’s car and body, and Gene’s potential death, is a harsh one-eighty from the comedic two-thirds of the episode. It’s gut-wrenching to leave Gene in such a state (with his fate in Barry’s speed to arrive), but it’s a cruel turn of events for Gene to suffer.
There are points where Gene struggles with the disappearance of Janice, like his hopelessness on Barry Season 2 Episode 1, “The Show Must Go On, Probably?,” and his sitting alone at the restaurant at the end of Barry Season 2 Episode 6, “The Truth Has A Ring To It.”
For it to come bubbling to the surface, and right in front of him, Henry Winkler’s performance as Gene is subtle and almost as though he’s in a state of shock. It’s also possible he knows something is up with Fuches, as he’s not looking one-hundred-percent with his messy and wounded demeanor.
photo: Isabella Vosmikova/HBO
Barry Season 2 Episode 7, “The Audition,” is a smart and brilliant look at how Barry can rise so high, but have it all potentially taken away in an instant. His dual life is so separate from each other, and for Fuches to take the nuclear option, it’s terrifying to think of what Barry will be capable of next.
With Hank losing his trained assassins in the process, on top of it all, “The Audition” leaves a lot of questions while maintaining itself as a beautiful character study about those reaching for their dreams, but perhaps flying too close to the sun.
What did you think of this episode of Barry? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Barry airs Sundays at 10/9c on HBO.
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Kevin Lever
Kevin Lever has been following television closely for most of his life, but in starting to cover it, he has grown a further appreciation. He strives to give the blockbusters their due, and give the lesser known shows a spotlight to find more fans.