berkman ﹥ block

In May 2019, the episode's title was revealed as "berkman > block" and it was announced that series co-creators Alec Berg and Bill Hader had written the episode while Hader had directed it. This was Berg's sixth writing credit, Hader's sixth writing credit, and Hader's fifth directing credit.[1]

Bill Hader mentioned that most of the final scenes, from the shooting at the monastery to the final scene, were conceived while he was stuck in traffic while promoting a For Your Consideration event for the first season.[2]

As the writers planned the season, they had the idea of Barry killing people at the monastery but struggled with a motive. Hader didn't want Barry to go to the monastery for no reason as he would now be a "mindless killer." Once they decided to put Fuches in the monastery, the writers settled on Barry's motive: "He's there to kill Fuches, everyone else is just in his way."[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. It's a guy disgusted with himself."[2]

Gene discovering Barry's actions wasn't planned in advance, and only came to fruition when the writers worked on the previous episode. They planned to have Fuches not shoot Gene but felt that just leaving wouldn't work, so they added the revelation.[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.[4] Coincidentally, the scene was shot on Stage 19 at the Paramount Studios lot, where Winkler's series, Happy Days, filmed.[5]

The cinematography evoked a meaning for Hader: the first episode of the season had Barry coming out of the darkness and the last scene with Barry involves entering a dark hallway, or "descending back" into darkness. Hader deemed it as "Barry Block is dying and Barry Berkman is taking over."[2]

The episode was watched by 2.21 million viewers, earning a 0.9 in the 18-49 rating demographics on the Nielson ratings scale. This means that 0.9 percent of all households with televisions watched the episode.[6] This was a 18% increase from the previous episode, which was watched by 1.87 million viewers with a 0.8 in the 18-49 demographics.[7]

"berkman > block" received universal acclaim from critics. Vikram Murthi of The A.V. Club gave the episode a "B+" 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. What's most impressive is that it never once feels tidy or closed off. On the contrary, the airtight writing only amplifies the emotional messiness, illustrating how the characters' actions can't be reduced to psychologically pat explanations. People are driven by many conflicting passions, by both positive and negative behavior, by an overwhelming self-awareness and an irrepressible impulse. Berg and Hader go to great lengths to capture the internal contradictions and their unfortunate outcomes."[8]

Ben Travers of IndieWire gave the episode an "A-" and wrote, "Barry Berkman isn't blocked, he's broken — but 'Barry' is only getting better. 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. But in 'berkman > block', Barry did it again, with 10 times the body count."[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. In Sally's story, Barry landed on a darker message: You can change — and people will love everything about the new you, except the truth. Season 2 had its problems, but astounding sequences like that suggest new evolutions ahead. Barry can't change, but I hope Barry does."[10]

Jen Chaney of Vulture wrote, "Since Better Call Saul is a Breaking Bad prequel, we know going in that Jimmy McGill will eventually transform into Saul Goodman. But on Barry, right up until this finale, there was still a thread of hope that somehow he could turn things around for himself. 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. Barry Berkman, formerly Barry Block, appears to be lost to the darkness forever. Then again, this is Barry. Next season, it could surprise me."[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. Series creators Hader and Alec Berg have said that they like to write themselves into corners and try to find their way out, and now with Gene knowing Barry's dark secret, they better get to work on navigating this particularly tricky corner. If everything that's come before is any indication, they'll work it out."[12] Alison Foreman of Mashable wrote, "In the show's season finale, it was Barry who had finally had enough, putting his enemies under the gun in a horrifying and spectacular display of 'fuck this' firepower that rivaled even the most grisly of Sopranos shoot-outs."[13]

Stephen Root submitted the episode in consideration for his Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series at the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards.[14]