#Barry: Season Four; Bill Hader Talks About Ending the HBO Series and the Possibility of a Spin-Off

Barry returned for its fourth and final season on HBO on Sunday, and series star and co-creator Bill Hader has spoken about the end of the series and the possibility of a continuation in an interview with Deadline.

Starring Hader, Stephen Root, Sarah Goldberg, Anthony Carrigan, and Henry Winkler, the series follows hitman Barry Berkman (Hader), a former Marine, who decides to change careers and become an actor.

Hader said the following about figuring out how to end the HBO series:

“Well, it does get down to, what do we want to see? We, meaning the people writing it and making it. You’re with the journey, and it’s kind of like, “Where does this story want to go?” As opposed to, “Oh, man. We’ve really got to stick the landing.” I think the only way I can stick the landing, for me personally, is if you’re just true to the story. And if it seems like it’s true to the story, then that works.

I had moments where I did write things, and we actually filmed some things that were much more “fan service.” Like, “Oh, this is something the fans will like to see.” And then you would get into the edit, or you’d read it and go, “Oh man, this is just glaringly wrong. It’s a different show for one scene.” And so you would reshoot it or cut it. And I really thank people like Duffy Boudreau and Liz Sarnoff, the writers, but also our editors, Ali Greer and Franky Guttman, for pulling that sh*t out and saying, “This is kind of lame. Why are we doing that?” [Laughs] It’s like, “You should write this like there aren’t fans. Just write it for the story.” You know, that’s not them saying that to me; that’s me saying it to myself.

You know, I do transcendental meditation, and when you meditate, you’re supposed to have a mantra. And that sometimes becomes my mantra, which is like, “Don’t do it for what you think people want to see. Do what is right for the story.”

As for the possibility of viewers seeing the Barry universe after the series finale, Hader is open to the possibility. He said the following:

“I think the way my brain works, I don’t know if that is interesting, but I never say never to anything. Because if anything, I’ve learned from my career, you have no idea what will happen. I moved out to L.A. in 1999 to be a filmmaker, and then I ended up on Saturday Night Live, you know what I mean? You have no idea what will happen to you. All I want to do is make a movie. I haven’t made a movie yet, so I think that’s why Barry, especially the last two seasons, feel like long movies… So, I don’t know. I could say today it doesn’t feel like it, but then a couple years from now go, “Oh, you know what? That could be really interesting.”

What do you think? Will you be sad to see Barry end on HBO? Would you watch a spin-off if one was ordered?