Barry Review: The Truth Has A Ring To It (Season 2 Episode 6)
On Barry Season 2 Episode 6, “The Truth Has A Ring To It,” each character grasps at their dark truth in order to do the right thing.
The episode is a strong reminder of how how easy Barry can lose everything he’s built for himself. There’s always a force threatening to take away his possibilities, this dark spirit which follows him. There’s damage done, and it’s a fascinating tug of war trying to wrestle him from it.
How Barry chooses to get to the emotional place he needs for Sally’s scene is one of the more effective scenes. The need to use his fog of war, but instead discovering it’s his murder of Janice and the thought of losing his new life that means more, is such a powerful moment.
photo: Isabella Vosmikova/HBO
The sequence also has Sally finding confidence after nearly losing it. She’s finding her voice through Barry’s breakdowns, and while unhealthy for him, it’s doing wonders for Sally. Sarah Goldberg’s vulnerability and confidence shift over the episode is astounding, uplifting to watch.
Barry’s seeking out mentors is a strong part of his being, with how Fuches became his go-to for so long, and now Gene. The season feels like it has been building toward a Barry/Gene confrontation, of the past catching up on them over Janice.
Janice haunts over the proceedings of the episode, with Fuches’ adventure in the woods to find her car, and Barry’s reminders of the worst thing he’s ever done.
It’s been glossed over somewhat outside of Gene’s depression creeping up earlier on the season, but now is becoming large and prominent again, with the Loach situation solved.
photo: Aaron Epstein/HBO
One of my favorite moments of the episodes comes from the press conference about Ronny and Detective Loach. The reveal that Ronny is an Olympian makes the whole battle during the previous episode even more rattling, how easily it could have turned differently.
It also leads to one last prod to Loach’s integrity, about how his wife left him for Ronny. The show can’t help but be cruel, but it’s incredibly funny with its cruelty, and so it can’t be so bad.
Fuches continues to be a glutton for punishment. Over the course of both seasons, he’s endured a worrying amount of damage, while always leaving self-preservation and vindictiveness at the top of his to-do list.
Stephen Root’s whimpers of fear at the unknown sounds as night falls on the woods is another one of my favorite moments of the episode. This episode, along with Barry Season 2 Episode 5, “ronny/lily,” have been standouts for Root to flex his genius comedy talent.
photo: Aaron Epstein/HBO
The repercussions of what Fuches is up to, though, with potentially using Janice’s death against Barry, is a concern for the longevity of the status quo.
But the show loves to do this, placing impossible odds against its characters and making it a riveting journey to keep the status quo.
Barry Season 2 Episode 6, “The Truth Has A Ring To It,” is a fantastic way to set up toward the end of the season. Fuches is looming close to villain territory, and while Barry finds the place of his inner actor, it comes at the cost of digging into the worst parts of his life.
There’s a level of reaching for something far beyond Barry’s control the episode brushes on, and it’s heading down a dark, and likely violent, path. But it’s fantastic in doing so.
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.