Content Warning: The following article contains spoilers for the HBO show Barry and discussions of gun violence and abuse.

HBO's Barry has garnered a large, dedicated fanbase since the show's inception in 2018. With SNL alum Bill Hader at the helm, everyone expected it to be funny, but no one expected the dark, gritty, twisted performance that Hader has given viewers for three seasons now.

He plays a hitman-for-hire that becomes infatuated with the world of acting after stumbling into a class in Los Angeles. He then tries to balance his new acting life with his hitman past, which he cannot seem to escape. Because of this, many wild situations occur that cause Barry to commit shameless acts.

Updated on June 14th, 2022, by Hannah Saab: The recent conclusion of Barry's riveting third season shows the titular protagonist in handcuffs, seemingly about to pay for his countless crimes. It's the perfect time to look back at some of the most shameless things Barry has done throughout the course of the comedy-drama series, some of which will likely come back to haunt him in the already-confirmed fourth season.

Became Barry Block

Barry wearing a suit in the HBO show

The Chechen mob is what originally brings Barry to Los Angeles to complete his next hit. His target is the unassuming Ryan Madison, an aspiring actor who is having an affair with a Chechen mob boss' wife. This is what leads Barry to Gene Cousineau's acting class and it ends up being everything Barry never knew he needed. He ends up wanting to give up his life of crime to pursue this career for real and is willing to do whatever it takes to make his new life work.

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He goes about this change in drastic ways and does not care what the consequences of his actions are. Everyone he meets seems to end up experiencing some horrible event, including Sally, Gene, and of course, Janice.

Planned To Go Through With His Hit On Ryan Madison

Ryan, Gene, and Barry on stage in HBO's Barry.

When Barry was hired by the Chechen mob to kill the lover of the mob boss' wife, he was ready to do so without a second thought until he ended up stumbling into his hit's acting class – he even does a scene with him. After that, he's invited out with Ryan and his acting class and quickly becomes part of the group.

Ryan and Barry even hang out after their outing and yet, Barry still plans to complete his hit on the guy after everything. He knew he needed to do that to leave that life behind and start his new acting one. Luckily, the mob had already gotten to Ryan and Barry didn't have to have his murder on his conscience, too. But would it have even bothered him?

Acted With Ryan Madison’s Acting Class After Killing Him

Barry and Sally in Barry

As it is, we aren't entirely sure if Barry would have felt guilty if he had been the one to murder Ryan, but the fact he was able to go to his acting class after, hang out with all of Ryan's friends, and even "grieve" with them all after Ryan's heartbreaking death is kind of shocking.

He even used their performances to mourn their friend as an opportunity to get closer to Sally, the woman Barry has a crush on from the class. He foolishly listens to her advice to use the unfamiliar feelings of guilt her has as part of his "acting toolbox," which hints at the fact that she's not that great of a person either.

Left Monroe Fuches With The Chechens For Sally Reed

Cahracters from Barry sitting together

Early on in the first season, Barry and his handler, Fuches, find themselves in a war with the Chechen mob after the hit on Ryan went awry. This leads to Fuches being kidnapped and Barry with another hit job, but instead of doing everything in his power to get back to him and complete the hit, he becomes involved with Sally.

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He is so concerned with Sally and her need to talk to him that he completely forgets about saving Fuches from the Chechens in a timely manner. It was selfish, to say the least, especially considering that he's ditching his father figure for what is essentially a date with a stranger.

Killed His Friend Chris Lucado

Barry (Bill Hader) and Chris (Chris Marquette) having a conversation in the car in HBO's Barry

Chris was an old friend of Barry's and a fellow Marine veteran. His untimely death through his pal's hands is easily one of the worst things Barry has done. Chris left behind his wife and son and it was a tragedy of great proportions.

It was only because Barry had added him on Facebook and thus, got him involved in his sketchy life, that Chris ended up knowing too much and had to be killed. While Barry did have intense guilt after the fact, the way he carried out the murder was callous and difficult to watch. And he did it to protect himself, more than anything.

Took Out Goran Pazar And His Men

The Chechen gang in Barry.

Pazar is the Chechen mob boss that Barry became reluctantly involved with from the very first episode. Their tenuous working relationship was constantly tense and made it difficult for Barry to move on from his previous life. By the end of the first season, Barry had to save Fuches from Pazar and his men and he took them all out in one fell swoop like the sniper he's known to be.

He did so with such terrifying precision and with little care as to how it would affect his future, underscoring just how shameless the hitman can be. It doesn't matter to him that Hank could be in trouble because of the tip he gave Barry, he only cares about what he wants.

Saved Himself By Killing Janice Moss

Detective Janice Moss (Paula Newsome) with her gun trained on Barry in HBO's Barry

The prime motivation behind most, if not all of the murders Barry carries out after he becomes an actor is saving himself from being caught and thrown in prison. So when Janice Moss, who is both the detective on Ryan's case and Gene Cousineau's new girlfriend, makes the connection that it was Barry who is involved with the Chechens, he makes a decision.

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He tries to talk her into letting him go but it quickly becomes evident that he had planned to kill her all along. This death stings because Janice is one of the few characters on the show who's just genuinely good and really did not deserve to die the way she did.

Comforted Gene Cousineau After Janice Moss’ Death

Bill Hader as Barry and Henry Winkler as Gene talking to each other in acting class in HBO Barry

Gene Cousineau is Barry's acting teacher. He also was a man in love with Janice Moss. When she was murdered, it was thought that she had gone missing, and Gene was inconsolable. He knew something had happened to her and he was determined to find out what.

Barry was right there by his teacher's side the whole time, comforting him and being a friend to him, all while knowing it was his own fault that Janice was no longer on this earth. That is not an easy feat to pull off for a regular person, as where there should be crushing guilt and shame, Barry only had arrogance and questions about their next acting exercise.

All The Times He Threatened NoHo Hank

Barry and NoHo Hank together

NoHo Hank is by far the most entertaining character in the entirety of Barry. He's hilarious and inappropriate and is not the fearless leader the Chechens desperately need after Pazar's death, but he does try. He also wants to be best friends with Barry even though Barry expresses his disinterest constantly. Barry goes further, though, and has threatened Hank on multiple occasions.

Of course, Hank rarely takes Barry seriously, but fans know Barry is fully capable of following through on those threats. Thankfully, Hank has found Cristobal and no longer seems as interested in Barry's friendship.

Went After Ronny Proxin

Ronny in Barry

Detective Loach was partners with Janice Moss before her tragic death at the hands of Barry, which is how he ends up blackmailing Barry into a hit for him. Loach got all the information he needed to put Barry away for good, but he used it instead to send him after his wife's lover, Ronny.

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Of course, Barry didn't know Ronny was a black belt and that he would get beat to hell before he actually could end his life. But the fact he was willing to take another person's life away to save himself shows the true nature of Barry's shameless personality. It becomes even worse when Ronny's daughter appears and rightly beats Barry up for hurting her father. The protagonist doesn't seem too bothered that he took away the young girl's father.

Killed The Chechens He Trained

Barry frowning while standing outside

When Barry uses his fighting abilities to turn members of the Chechen mafia into killing machines, no one could have expected that he would turn his gun on them eventually. They develop a one-sided bond with Barry who they begin to idolize, with one of them, Mayrbek, even admitting that the hitman has given him a new purpose.

None of their admiration and praise seemed to get through to Barry, who still went and killed all of them during his murderous rampage to get to Fuches. His brazen act leaves several dead, including Mayrbek, who passed away with an expression of shock and disbelief still on his face.

Lashed Out At Sally Reed In Front Of Her Crew

Barry Berkman (Bill Hader) confronting Sally Reed (Sarah Goldberg) in season 3 of HBO Barry

One of the most cringeworthy aspects of the series is Barry's romantic relationship with Sally, which has deteriorated along with the protagonist, whose instability has sadly bled into Sally's life. At the peak of her success, Barry barges into the set of her show and begins verbally abusing her in front of her crew.

It's a spine-chilling moment that's even more painful once fans remember that this is the exact situation Sally had to escape before. Barry doesn't care that he's trapping her in an abusive relationship similar to the one she had with Sam. He even downplays the way he lashed out at her as an acceptable fit of rage because he was having a "bad day."

Tried To Kill Jim Moss

Barry Berkman is arrested in the season 3 finale of Barry

No matter how many times Barry promises to stop murdering people "starting now," something always draws him back into his life as a hitman. The truth is he does have a choice to stop killing, but he just doesn't want to give up his freedom. This is why it's easy for Gene to trick him into that position during the finale.

Thinking that his time as a free man is almost up, Barry falls for Gene and Jim's trap and tries to kill Janice's father. It's an audacious action, as he knows how much pain Janice's death has caused the acting class, Gene, and especially Jim. This shameless attempted hit is the one that lands him in prison, as the LAPD finally does something right by catching him red-handed.

NEXT: One Quote From Each Main Character In HBO's Barry That Sums Up Their Personality