I am quite surprised that a show such as this has as good a story as it does. From its premise and comedic presentation, I didn't expect such a deep character study of Barry the reluctant hitman, and certainly not to have my emotions wrenched in this rather spectacular finale. Yet, I am more than happy with the outcome, brought to fruition by Bill Hader's excellent performance and the vision of Alec Berg. I definitely think this is the best role that Hader has ever played, though granted I have only seen him in his big screen work and comedies with Seth Rogen etc. The supporting cast are fine, especially Stephen Root and Henry Winkler, but this is unquestionably Hader's show and he drives it well.
After the dramatic climax of Barry's last mission, he obviously reached a point where he had to take serious action to ensure his own peace of mind and even his life. I find the trope of the 'unkillable hitman' who is the master of any situation quite trite usually, it's my main problem with the John Wick franchise, but Barry subverts this by including it as a gag initially and as a curse for Barry towards the end of the season. It's not that he can't get out of a fight, it's that he mustn't get into a fight, for fear of destroying the new life and passions that he has found, and really, that's what the show is about. It's a great balance of comedy from, at first, stereotype characters who you do grow attached to throughout the season, and the drama of Barry's character and the duality of his life. As the story has been leading up to this, the finale shows us the aftermath of Barry severing his ties to his old job (I know we've been shown glimpses of a 'future' where Barry has a child, but I think we still need confirmation on whether all that was a dream or not). Everything seems to be going perfectly, capitalized upon with a hilarious scene with Winkler's Gene Cousineau singing, but the writers cleverly factor in a subtle mention of an earlier scene in the presence of Gene's new police girlfriend that threatens everything Barry has worked for.
I thoroughly enjoyed this finale, and I will soon be delving into the second season. It's clear to see there's a lot more to be said with the story and the new dynamics of the characters, and I have no doubt that that will produce some quality developments. Looking forward to seeing new characters added to the mix, also. Besides that, there's not really all that much to be said without spoiling the finale, which you should watch if you haven't already. I'll see you at the end of Season 2.