LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥 鈥淚n every man, of course, a demon lies hidden 鈥 the demon of rage,鈥 says the intellectual brother, Ivan, in Fyodor Dostoevsky鈥檚 鈥淭he Brothers Karamazov,鈥 a theme to which the Russian novelist frequently returns.
It is also a theme central to the HBO series, 鈥淏arry,鈥 whose fourth and final season premieres on Sunday, as the show鈥檚 titular hit man seeks to convince himself and others that he is ultimately a good person.
And while , the co-creator and star of 鈥淏arry,鈥 is reluctant to advertise the influence that Dostoevsky and other Russian authors have had on his series, he disclosed that this kind of exploration of morality played a significant role in his creative process when he set out to make the show.
鈥淚鈥檓 always like, 鈥榊eah, I don鈥檛 watch a lot of TV.鈥 But I leave out that part, that I was reading big Russian books,鈥 Hader laughed.
At the suggestion of his friend, author George Saunders, Hader took an interest in Russian literature and immersed himself in novels like Leo Tolstoy鈥檚 鈥淎nna Karenina鈥 and 鈥淲ar and Peace.鈥
One aspect of these stories which Hader sought to bring to 鈥淏arry鈥 was their contentment in probing philosophical questions about human nature, violence and revenge without necessarily expecting to find answers.
鈥淏arry鈥 is billed as a comedy, though its dark content can preclude some from being able to enjoy its humor. It follows a Marine veteran-turned-hit man (Hader) who tries repeatedly but fails to denounce his profession after he takes an interest in acting.
If the premise sounds absurd, that鈥檚 because it is.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a bad, bad logline,鈥 said Stephen Root, who plays Fuches, Barry鈥檚 handler and old family friend.
But many of the show鈥檚 stars, including seasoned actors like Henry Winkler, sang the praises of 鈥淏arry鈥 for its originality.
Although limited to 30-minute episodes, 鈥淏arry鈥 isn鈥檛 afraid to punch above its weight class, with clear inspiration from lauded cinema and prestige television like 鈥淭he Sopranos鈥 and 鈥淭win Peaks.鈥
Hader, described by his co-stars as a 鈥渢otal cinephile,鈥 relied heavily on his extensive knowledge of film when considering how the series would grapple with weighty questions like whether humans are intrinsically violent.
鈥淚t鈥檚 always been really interesting to me, actually, is inherent violence within people,鈥 Hader said, citing films that have played a role in his meditation on the subject, including 鈥淎 Clockwork Orange,鈥 鈥淕oodfellas鈥 and Terrence Malick鈥檚 鈥淭he Thin Red Line.鈥
Throughout the show, Barry struggles to break out of a ceaseless cycle of carnage, while maintaining over and over that he is not defined by his past.
By the end of the third season, Barry鈥檚 actions have 鈥 either directly or indirectly 鈥 driven nearly every character to the precipice of violence. While those around him frequently describe Barry as 鈥渁 violent guy,鈥 they themselves are almost always willing to pull the trigger when the opportunity for revenge presents itself.
But although Hader wanted to avoid facile portrayals of characters who are purely good or purely evil, he also hopes it is apparent that Barry is not someone he wants audiences to root for.
鈥淚t was weird how people did have sympathy for him. I think the thing was just trying to make him human,鈥 Hader said. 鈥淏ut what I always never want to lose focus of is that, you know, he murders people.鈥
The final season further explores the implications of its characters鈥 descent into crime and punishment, though the line between fantasy and reality is increasingly blurry, prompting the viewer to wonder how much, if any, of season four is meant to be understood as 鈥渞eal.鈥
鈥淏arry鈥 often alludes to its self-awareness in its portrayals of both Hollywood tropes and murder. The horror that Barry鈥檚 former acting teacher (Winkler) expresses in season four at the thought of 鈥済lorifying a psychopath鈥 feels like a kind of nod to the show鈥檚 humanization of a killer.
Barring its bleak subject matter, 鈥淏arry鈥 is very much a comedy whose tendency to get dark is ameliorated by humor, though those moments of respite become increasingly rare and increasingly absurd as the show progresses.
But Winkler said that didn鈥檛 stop their 鈥渇earless leader鈥 from occasionally breaking out of character and into laughter throughout the making of the show.
鈥淵ou鈥檇 see his shoulders bounce up and down because he鈥檚 laughing. You have to remind him, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e in the scene, Bill,鈥欌 he said.
___
Follow Krysta Fauria on Twitter at
