Chapter Eight: Know Your Truth

In February 2018, the episode's title was revealed as "Chapter Eight: Know Your Truth" and it was announced that series creators Alec Berg and Bill Hader had written the episode while Berg had directed it. This was Berg's third writing credit, Hader's third writing credit, and Berg's second directing credit.[1]

The time jump at the second half of the episode was done in an attempt to trick the viewers into thinking it was another fantasy of Barry, a recurring gag throughout the season.[2] The original ending included a different version. In the original version, Barry bought a house at a midpoint of the series, and Moss would discover crucial evidence when she visited his bathroom. The writers scrapped the plan as Hader deemed it "too pat". Alec Berg then suggested setting the final moments at Gene's lake house.[3]

Regarding Barry's decision to kill Moss, Berg said "At the beginning of the season, he's not fulfilled and he's leading a life of quiet desperation, but he's also not exposing himself to the emotional ramifications of anything he's done, and that has its advantages. So trying to run to the light the way he is, it exposes him to have to emotionally dissect everything that he's done in his life. And it makes his life a hell of a lot harder, not easier."[2] The writers also worked on ways to avoid killing Goran Pazar, but Hader said "every way we looked at it, and we did for days, it just all came back to Barry cannot move on if Goran is alive."[4]

The episode was watched by 0.548 million viewers, earning a 0.2 in the 18-49 rating demographics on the Nielson ratings scale. This means that 0.2 percent of all households with televisions watched the episode.[5] This was a 14% decrease from the previous episode, which was watched by 0.636 million viewers with a 0.2 in the 18-49 demographics.[6]

"Chapter Eight: Know Your Truth" received critical acclaim. Vikram Murthi of The A.V. Club gave the episode an "A-" and wrote, "The hitman path will only bring further pain and acting seemingly requires him to rely on that pain. It's a no-win situation for ol' Barry, a man who just wants to escape but is ill-equipped to do so. But then, about halfway through 'Chapter Eight', something improbable happens. The world conspires to give Barry the fresh start he so desires. A series of betrayals and misunderstandings provide him an out that he never saw coming. In the world of Barry, this counts as something close to a miracle."[7]

Alan Sepinwall of Uproxx wrote, "this season kept surprising me in so many ways, and particularly in how the writing and Hader's performance didn't flinch from the tragedy Barry brings into the world. So I will hope they have a specific — and hopefully short-term — plan for where the story goes next, and will look forward to seeing what that is next year."[8] In a simplistic take, Emily VanDerWerff of Vox wrote, "I almost wish the last moments of 'Know Your Truth' were the last moments of the show, period. We know Barry well enough now to be aware of how blinded he is from who he is, how little he actually knows his truth. 'Starting now—' is a promise he'll never keep to himself. Do we really need to see that unfold, season after season? Or can we just know that failure is inevitable?"[9]

Nick Harley of Den of Geek gave the episode a perfect 5 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "With such a quiet, powerful ending, 'Chapter Eight: Know Your Truth' had me lingering in my seat long after the credits rolled completely stunned by the excellence of Barry's first season. Deeply human, funny, and surprising, Barry is more ambitious and surehanded than any comedy in the last ten years, barring only The Good Place and Bojack Horseman."[10] Charles Bramesco of Vulture gave the episode a perfect 5 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "Barry isn't the story of a criminal struggling to join the light side, or even the story of a fundamentally all right yet passive guy learning to assert himself. It's the story of a lonesome man building a richer existence by filling his life with connections and passions and desires. It's the story of a withdrawn cipher growing into an actor by the basest dictionary definition: one who does."[11]

Emily Yahr of The Washington Post wrote, "Terrific Barry shows how HBO's best dramas are often found in its comedies."[12] Miles Surrey of The Ringer wrote, "The season finale of Barry pushes its hitman-turned-actor protagonist into a corner, and shines a light on the performative nature of being human."[13]