There's nothing subtle about season 3 of Barry, especially given the implosion of NoHo Hank and Cristobal ("NoHobal") and the dissolution of Sally and Barry, but that doesn't mean eagle-eyed fans haven't delighted over the hidden details that continue to fill every frame. The series has routinely seemed to revel in subverting fan expectations, whether focusing on characters in the foreground at the same time something significant happens in the background or having multiple characters talk over each other in Robert Altman-style frenzies, leaving vital pieces of intel for the inevitable rewatch.
Whether it's props, clever pieces of dialogue, or noteworthy callbacks, Barry is full of hidden gems that make it a nuanced and multilayered dark comedy series. It's very accessible for new fans, but die-hard fans will appreciate the complexity and care given to every episode of the HBO hit.
Barry's Broken Controller
When Barry moves in with Nick and Jermaine in season 2, there are several scenes where the two roommates are playing video games, and one of them is clearly having problems with his controller. By season 3, Barry leaves his acting class friends behind to move in with Sally, but seems to have inherited the buggy controller.
This becomes a focal point after Barry blows up at Sally and she instinctively buys him a new controller, hoping to placate him. The faulty controller becomes a metaphor in a way for Barry being incapable of controlling his emotions. Eventually, he can't control Sally's response to them, either.
Barry's Grocery Shopping Fantasies
In season 1, Barry has several fantasies about what life would be like if he was in a relationship with Sally; from barbecues at home talking with famous actors over hot dogs, to strolling down a grocery store aisle with nothing but "soup" in it, they're wholesome and slightly out of touch, much like how Barry comes across in the first season.
By season 3, Barry has become unmoored, trying to win Sally back (and recapture his fantasies) any way that he can. When he goes to the grocery store to buy art supplies, fans will notice he's in the aisle adjacent to the "soup" aisle. This is not only a nice callback to his naive fantasies from season 1, but shows how he's slowly migrating away from everything he wants.
Yoshinoya Beef Bowl (& Other Stefan From SNL References)
NoHo Hank is responsible for some of Saturday Night Live. They're a nice homage to the early work that made Hader such a beloved comedian, and no doubt paved the way for projects like Barry.
The first reference occurs when Hank mentions that he's in the mood for a "Yoshinoya beef bowl", featured in a Stefan skit with John Mulaney, and the second when he's on the couch with Cristobal and says, "Yes, yes, yes, yes," one of Stefan's catchphrases.
Barry Eating A Dessert In The First Two Minutes Of Season 3
Some fans might have thought it curious that season 3 begins with Barry absently munching away on a sprinkled donut, especially given that he's right in the middle of a hit. But as with everything in Barry, there's a reason for that bit of irreverence.
During Sally's meeting with the heads of BanShee, she learns that "if viewers see someone eating dessert within the first two minutes of the episode, they almost always finish the entire season.” Barry eating his dessert within the first scene of season 3's first episode now makes a whole lot more sense.
Kurosawa Reference
During a briefing from the LAPD, Gene Cousineau calls Detective Moss on live television to congratulate her on cracking the case. During their entire conversation, one of the officers goes into detail about how the Chechens and Bolivians turning on each other reflects the plot of Yojimbo, one of the best Akira Kurosawa movies ever made.
In classic Barry fashion, fans will focus on the conversation between Moss and Cousineau, but on a rewatch, will be able to hear the officer go into a long, rambling synopsis of Kurosawa's movie for the benefit of the press who asked a simple question.
Akhmal Getting Shot In The Same Place
One of the reasons that Barry continues to be one of the best ongoing dark comedy shows is that it manages to make its violence so entertaining. From Barry's hits to firefights between rival gangs, there's an element of whimsy about the chaos, especially if Akhmal is involved.
NoHo Hank's hapless right hand man manages to get shot in the left shoulder several times in the series, beginning with after trying to shoot Barry, and most recently after the Bolivian raid on the Chechen green house. It's one of many running gags that fans watch for, even if it's bad news for Akhmal.
Episode Titles
While the episode titles in Barry might appear to have a lack of cohesion, viewed in the context of their respective seasons, they begin to make sense. Season 1 features actual chapters from Gene Cousineau's acting book, giving Barry structure.
In season 2, when Barry is coming into his own as a person with a new lease on life, they're standard episode titles. By season 3, when Barry has lost all sense of formality and purpose, the titles are bizarre, random assortments of words with no capitalization.
"This Is What I'm About Collage" From Thief
Season 3 features a stand out moment where Barry makes a collage of all the things that represent him as a person, hoping that the attempt at vulnerability and openness will be enough to mend his relationship with Sally. Movie buffs might notice that it resembles another scene featuring a tough guy making a collage in Thief.
Speaking with behind-the-scenes Barry fact fans might not know about the episode; "I we [Bill Hader and Duffy Boudreau] were in high school watching “Thief” and when James Caan said, “This is everything I care about,” and he took out that collage, we started dying laughing...So if you look at it, the picture of Willie Nelson in the collage is the same picture of Willie Nelson in the “Thief” collage."
The Tribute To Road Warrior
Along with his references to Thief and Yojimbo, Hader likes to lift cinematography from films he appreciates if they make sense for the situation. Fans might have noticed that the shot where Batir films the raid on the Chechen greenhouse strongly resembles one in Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior. It's part of what gives Barry its cinematic quality.
In the same interview for The Wrap, Hader states, "I was watching ‘Road Warrior’ and there’s the shot of Mel Gibson where he’s watching the raid on the compound at the beginning of the movie and he’s got the big telescope. And I thought ‘Oh, it should be this. What if it’s Batir with his phone looking down and saying look at what we have here to the elders, and you do the whole sequence like that?’”
Immersive Audio Engineering
Fans enjoy the attention to detail found in every shot of Barry, but some scenes are improved upon with exceptional audio engineering, a point that's sometimes revealed by accident. This allows for an incredibly immersive experience and puts fans in the middle of the chaotic environment the characters often experience.
Redditor ronnyproxin noticed that after wearing headphones and watching the episode where Akhmal takes shots at Barry from the roof across from Sally's apartment, "the sound of the bullets when Barry is facing his laptop zip past behind him, from the left earphone to the right, where they hit the wall. After Barry turns to look at the bullet holes and another bullet is fired, this time while his back is to the window and the viewer is looking at the wall from behind Barry, the sound seems to come from behind the viewer's head."