Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide and contains spoilers for Barry season 3.
Barry season 3, episode 1 “Forgiving Jeff” includes a scene that weirdly references a real gun incident that happened back in 2010. This scene also confirms that at least one of Gene Cousineau's stories about rubbing elbows with the Hollywood elite is true, as the note that comes with the gun reveals that Gene does indeed have a shared history with the legendary Rip Torn. Apart from setting up the long-awaited confrontation between Barry and Gene Cousineau, the gun and the note are reminders of a surreal real-life incident.
Gene Cousineau first mentions the gun in Barry season 2, episode 1 "The Show Must Go On, Probably?" Barry tries to console Gene, who is still distraught after his lover Detective Janice Moss has gone missing while staying at Gene's cabin in the woods. Gene, with his usual dramatic flare, tells this to Barry:
“In my bedroom, under my bed, there's a mahogany box, and in that box, there's a pearl-handled .38 Special – screen-used – from the movie Flashpoint, given to me by my former roommate Rip Torn. Do you know how many times today I've actually thought about going in there, and loading it, and giving it one last kiss?”
Barry season 3, episode 1 “Forgiving Jeff” finally reveals this mahogany box and its contents. Apart from the revolver that Gene described, there's also a note with a header that reads, “From the desk of Rip Torn.” The note says, “Couscous, Try Not To Blow Your D*ck Off With This. -Rip (Dictated but not read).” Apart from the 1984 crime and conspiracy movie Flashpoint, the cast of HBO's Barry might also be alluding to a real-life gun-related incident involving actor Rip Torn. On January 29, 2010, 78-year-old Rip Torn was arrested for breaking into a bank near his home in Salisbury while armed with a loaded .22 caliber revolver with an expired permit. Police reports from the incident indicate that Torn thought that he was home, and even left his hat and boots by the door. According to court records, Torn also had a blood alcohol content of 0.203 during the incident. Torn pleaded guilty to the ensuing charges of carrying a weapon without a permit, carrying a weapon while intoxicated, trespassing, burglary, and criminal mischief. This resulted in Rip Torn getting arraigned and being sent to rehab.
Compared to the other twists that kick off Barry season 3, the reveal that Gene Cousineau wasn't lying about his closeness with Rip Torn may seem inconsequential. However, based on the real-life incident that it references, it underscores how Barry is trapped between being a contract killer and being an actor immersed in a decadent industry that enables drug and alcohol abuse. Although Gene has only recently been acquainted with the world of contract killing, he knows Hollywood all too well, and Rip Torn's message and gun is a reminder to both Gene and Barry that actors oftentimes tread a dark path. While Gene contemplates taking his own life or shooting Barry if he doesn't surrender to the police, the fact that Gene's gun was a gift from Rip Torn grounds Gene's dilemma in stark reality. As comedic elements come together for a truly compelling dramatic moment, the 3-year wait between Barry season 2 and season 3's release on HBO Max's April 2022 series roster seems all the more worth it.
Barry's Rip Torn reveal is a reminder that pushing the limits of dark comedy entails digging up uncomfortable truths. On July 9, 2019, Rip Torn died at 88 years old – just months after Barry season 2 – from complications related to Alzheimer's disease, one of the known causes of which is alcohol abuse. Similar to how Gene's dilemma was grounded in reality by Rip Torn's real-life arrest, the Hollywood legend's final fate could foreshadow what's in store for either Barry or Gene Cousineau in Barry season 3.
Barry releases new episodes Sundays on HBO Max.