We’re saying goodbye to some incredibly beloved prestige shows this year, including Ted Lasso—at least in its Ted-centric form, spin-offs seem more and more likely—Succession, and Barry, which premieres its fourth and final season on April 16.
The teaser dropped this week, and it looks darker than ever. Barry is in jail now, and it doesn’t look like he’s doing so hot. Sally looks worried, Gene Cousineau is smug, Mr. Fuches is still plotting, and Noho Hank—TV’s best character currently—is reunited with Cristobal, but he looks more stressed than ever. No one is okay!
The Emmys are going to be an absolute car crash with Barry’s and Ted Lasso’s final seasons competing against newer breakouts like Abbott Elementary. People usually pay more attention to the dramatic categories, preserving the drama bias that presumes drama is better and more prestigious than comedy (even though it is way easier to execute a good drama than it is a good comedy. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia would have like, 117 Emmys by now if there was any justice in the world). But this year, the comedies are coming for the Emmys’ throat, especially since they absolutely insist on calling Barry a “comedy” just because the episodes average a half hour. You know what really needs to change at the Emmys, and all television awards?
Classifying dramas as “long” and comedies as “short”. Let’s be honest, Barry is a half-hour drama, and Succession is an hour-long comedy. Determine which is which by the content, not the runtime.