The series follows Barry Berkman, a hitman from Cleveland who travels to Los Angeles to kill someone but finds himself joining an acting class taught by Gene Cousineau, where he meets aspiring actress Sally Reed and begins to question his path in life as he deals with his criminal associates such as Monroe Fuches and NoHo Hank.
The episode received universal acclaim from critics, who praised the performances, writing, character development, surprises, action sequences and ending scene.
For his performance in the episode, Stephen Root received an Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series nomination at the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards.
Meanwhile, Hank (Anthony Carrigan), Mayrbek (Nikita Bogolyubov), and the Chechens have taken Esther's monastery and prepare to fight the Bolivians and Burmese.
Fuches manages to reconcile all three gangs and Hank with Cristobal (Michael Irby), although Esther (Patricia Fa'asua) remains suspicious.
"[2] Barry's reaction after killing Mayrbek was done to achieve a sense of discomfort, with Hader explaining "Even though we put in those drums and had the rain over it and all that stuff to give it an atmosphere, it's sad.
[3] Hader admitted at the time that the writers hadn't yet planned out the repercussions of the revelation, as they wanted to test their ability to write themselves in a corner.
Club gave the episode an "A" and wrote, "A stellar finale written by Alec Berg and Bill Hader, 'berkman > block' caps off a great season of television by masterfully tying off every loose end, even ones that were tossed off or buried, and seamlessly connecting the series' two worlds, thematically and narratively.
On the contrary, the airtight writing only amplifies the emotional messiness, illustrating how the characters' actions can't be reduced to psychologically pat explanations.
In the Season 2 finale of Bill Hader's existential HBO comedy, the eponymous hitman-turned-thespian tries to plug up a release valve that's been opened on stage and won't stop flowing off of it.
Over the course of eight episodes, Barry spoke his truth to his acting teacher Gene Cousineau, confessing to the worst thing he's ever done, with the intention of never repeating the same mistake again.
"[9] Darren Franich of Entertainment Weekly gave the episode a "B" and wrote, "The finale decided, in gory detail, that Barry couldn't leave his past behind.
After watching Barry blow away multiple dangerous people, then walk down that hallway where the lights briefly flicker, then shut off completely, that seems impossible.
"[11] Nick Harley of Den of Geek wrote, "Though not as explosive as the Season 1 finale, 'berkman/block' is a more satisfying on a thematic level and an exquisite finish to a phenomenal sophomore outing.
"[13] Stephen Root submitted the episode in consideration for his Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series at the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards.