Every Main Character In Barry Ranked Worst To Best

"Barry" is one of the best shows on HBO right now. Although the series has competed at the Primetime Emmy Awards in the comedy categories, it's hard to call "Barry" a "comedy" anymore. The dark character study of a truly demented man may have a few outrageously funny moments, but it's also very bleak in its worldview. On the plus side, it's allowed Bill Hader to show his true dramatic range, with a performance that is both terrifying and sympathetic.

"Barry" is hardly the first dark comedy about an assassin, but unlike others, it's not a show that pulls its punches. The series pokes fun at Hollywood, the theater industry, and actors' volatile and sometimes dramatic nature, but the satire doesn't detract from the gravity of the material. If anything, it makes everything else hit even harder — and there's no better example than how each of the characters have grown and changed. Here is every main character in "Barry," ranked from worst to best.

Albert Nguyen (James Hiroyuki Liao) has one of the most surprising character arcs on the entire series. He is first introduced during the flashbacks in season 2, which show Barry's service in the military overseas. Albert is among the soldiers who encourages, and even applauds, Barry's murder of innocent civilians. While Barry is shocked by what he is capable of, Albert sees his callousness as cause for celebration. This makes Albert an essential piece of Barry's backstory; he's the type of person that Barry is terrified of becoming. 

If Albert had simply stayed as a memory from Barry's past, he might have ranked higher on this list. However, a rather unrealistic storyline in the third season goes in another direction with the character that isn't quite as compelling. When Albert returns in season 3, we learn that he's become an FBI agent. He travels to Los Angeles to meet with the police investigators looking into Barry's case. 

Albert's reappearance is a great way to show that Barry hasn't left his past behind him, but it seems implausible that Albert would become a totally different person in such a short amount of time. It's impossible to root for Albert during the investigative scenes; even though Barry needs to be held accountable for his crimes, Albert is simply callous and rude.

Following Moss' shocking death at the end of the first season, Loach needed a new partner to work with. Mae Dunn (Sarah Burns) is introduced in a somewhat similar capacity to Moss; her upbeat, hard-working spirit only makes Loach's downbeat depression funnier. However, elements of their relationship feel too similar to Loach's interactions with Moss. It felt like the show was getting repetitive. Although Dunn is charmingly sincere, the investigative scenes in season 2 don't have much impact on the rest of the story. As a result, these scenes are among the few moments in "Barry" that feel like filler.

Thankfully, Dunn is given a more significant role in season 3, which gives her a slightly higher ranking on this list. The police investigation actually becomes a threat to Barry's status quo. It also puts the audience in a challenging situation — should we be rooting for someone like Barry to get away? Dunn reminds the viewer that, despite how charming Barry can be, he's still a ruthless man who has never been held accountable for his crimes.

Gene Cousineau has never been held accountable for his irresponsible behavior, even if his crimes include serial infidelity, and not murder. This is particularly distressing when it comes to Gene's inability to care for his son, Leo (Andrew Leeds). Gene takes it on himself to right the wrongs of his past by reconnecting with Leo, who now has a family of his own. Although Leo initially wants nothing to do with his father, he gradually begins to accept Gene back into his life after he realizes that the older man's efforts are sincere.

Leo is interesting because he is completely unlike his father. He doesn't seek fame or fortune, and he's comfortable living a simple life outside of the Hollywood system. Further, Leo's initial resistance towards Gene's advances makes sense. He has lived almost his entire life on his own, and he's more or less forgotten about the man who wasn't there to raise him. The show does a great job at giving both characters time to heal.

It's particularly powerful to see Leo come to his father's aid when he's wrongfully imprisoned for Janice's death. Leo recognizes that, while his father isn't perfect, he's no murderer. He may have even ranked higher here if he was given more screen time.

"Barry" does an excellent job at steadily giving characters more to do over time. Natalie Greer (D'Arcy Carden) is mostly a background character in the first two seasons, but she plays a very important role in season 3, when she becomes Sally's personal assistant. Although Natalie strives to find success like Gene and Sally, she is not willing to sacrifice her personal ethics in order to further her career. The warmth that Natalie shows to the other actors in Gene's class shows the bonds that grow between performers who are all trying to "make it."

Natalie also shows that she has an informed perspective on her privileges. When Sally is offended by Barry's outburst during an acting session, Natalie explains that no one else in the class can relate to his situation. Barry served in the military and witnessed atrocities that they can't even imagine; perhaps, they could learn from him if they were willing to listen. It's inspiring to see Natalie gain more agency in season 3, especially when she reveals Sally's abusive nature to the press. Natalie has worked hard to become a showrunner, but she hasn't forgotten where she came from.

Janice provides a great example of the show's unique sense of humor. For the plot, it was necessary for Barry to be pursued by some sort of law enforcement officer, but Janice's quirky nature makes scenes that could have been dryly expositional utterly delightful.

Her situation isn't that of a typical cop on a show like this, either. Janice's story takes an unexpected twist when she begins to fall in love with Gene. They couldn't be any more different: Gene is a wild, irresponsible schemer, and Janice is a practical woman who's focused on her career. However, they're both at a stage in their lives when they find themselves wanting more, and their romantic interactions are simply hilarious, compounded by Janice's ethical dilemma as she begins investigating Gene's class. It's interesting to watch her professional and personal obligations clashing as she searches for a happy medium.

Sally's character arc is truly a rollercoaster ride. She's both a victim and an abuser, and can be both kind and cruel. Sally is ambitious and self-confident, and she sometimes goes too far in her attempts to achieve her goals. Unlike the other students in Gene's class, Sally has no sense of loyalty to her fellow performers. However, it doesn't feel like Sally is being cruel on purpose; it's suggested that the only person she is trying to prove anything to is herself.

Goldberg does a great job at capturing Sally's trauma when we learn more about her past in season 2. At one point, Sally is confronted by her abusive ex-husband Sam (Joe Massingill), who attempts to re-enter her life. She isn't ready to address their relationship, and she's uncomfortable about revealing anything to Barry.

Sally is put in a fascinating dilemma at the end of season 2. After her performance in a autobiographical scene becomes a sensation, she struggles to be the public face of female victims. Sally feels both guilty and empowered about taking ownership of her past. It's a complex situation beautifully brought to life by Goldberg's moving performance.

In the first season, Hank is mostly just a funny underling of Goran's who shows some sympathy to Barry. However, Hank is burdened with more responsibility in season 2 when he takes control of the Chechen operation. Even during the most harrowing moments of the series, Hank adds great moments of humor via his upbeat attitude. His relationship with Cristobal becomes much more emotional as the two men realize they don't belong in the world of crime.

Hank would rank high on this list based on his comedic contributions alone, but he somehow becomes one of the most tragic characters in the series in season 3. After Cristobal is kidnapped, Hank travels to Bolivia in search of his boyfriend. It shows that even someone as silly as Hank is willing to stand up for someone that he cares about. When Hank is forced to listen to his fellow Chechens get eaten alive by a panther in "starting now," it's one of the most grotesquely memorable moments on "Barry"; it's a delicately horrifying sequence that isn't funny in the slightest.