Barry finale: The Mask Collector explained
HBOBarry’s finale ends with an incredible punchline to the series: The Mask Collector – here’s a breakdown of what it’s all about and the movie’s cast.
In our review, we wrote: “The endgame has never been clear, but Barry’s finale pulls off an incredible trick: it gives us exactly what we want while leaving us to deal with the consequences, an echo of the show’s incisive torment.”
After eight years apart, the last episode revolves around a three-way collision course between Fuches (aka The Raven), NoHo Hank (who’s captured Sally and John), and Barry. Meanwhile, Gene has found himself on the other side of the investigation into Janice’s murder.
It all leads to The Mask Collector – we’re about to get into specifics, so this is your last spoiler warning.
Barry ends with The Mask Collector
The Mask Collector stars Jim Cummings as Barry Berkman, and follows a soldier who returns home from Afghanistan looking for a job and falls in love with acting under the guidance of his teacher, Gene Cousineau (played by Michael Cumpsty).
Earlier in Season 4, Gene came out of hiding from his kibbutz in Israel after hearing that Warner Bros. was developing a movie about their story. He wanted to put a stop to it, believing it would “glorify a psychopath” and “exploit the memory” of Janice.
The studio insisted it’d proceed with the movie regardless of whether or not they had Gene’s support. He gave into temptation when an agent told him Daniel Day-Lewis was interested in the role of Gene, but it was a sting operation to help strengthen the case against him.
In the finale, Gene kills Barry before he can turn himself in. So, in The Mask Collector, he’s the main villain, portrayed as some sort of secret mobster. The film also stars Louisa Krause as Sally Reed.
At the end of the movie, Barry is killed by Gene after saving his family. We’re then told what happened to their real-life counterparts: Gene is serving a life sentence for the murders of Janice and Barry, while Barry was laid to rest in a military cemetery with full honors.
In an interview with Variety, Henry Winkler said: “Gene would not have cared for the way he was portrayed, that he was merely a prop and a cog in a wheel. He is the wheel.”
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, he was asked if he’s sad that Gene “inherited” Barry’s legacy. “Absolutely. The man was a fake from the minute Gene met him. He just didn’t allow himself to see it. So, it is heartbreaking,” he said.
“Gene put everything he had into this guy, every good bit of teaching. He helped him. He took him in as a son. Now, of course, Gene was also completely misplaced. When he did that one-man show for Lon O’Neil from Vanity Fair, Gene thought that he was the one in control, but he was merely a dangling puppet. He was being kicked around like a soccer ball in the middle of a Premier League match in Europe.”
Barry Seasons 1-4 are streaming on HBO now. Check out the rest of our coverage below:
Barry Season 4 cast | Episodes 1 & 2 review | Episode 3 review | Episode 4 review | Episode 5 review | Episode 6 review | Episode 7 review | What time is Barry out on HBO? | Will there be a Barry Season 5? | How many episodes are there in Barry Season 4?