Perhaps the most contentious relationship in Gene’s life is that of his son. His son (Andrew Leeds) was separated from her for most of his life while pursuing an acting career, but miraculously grew into an emotionally mature adult without his father’s help. He and Gene have made a lot of improvements over the last two seasons, but all that work can be destroyed in a single moment.
Cousineau goes berserk with paranoia after Barry’s arrest. He fears Barry’s retaliation, but what really bothers him is most likely his guilt for blackmailing the killer and talking to the reporter. Whatever the reason, his fear leads him to a cabin in the forest. Forgetting that he asked his son to bring him an expensive takeaway, he mistook his own child for an intruder and shot him.
Gene’s selfish guilt drags him into the woods, making him believe that someone is following him, and his son pulls the trigger. It may have been a mistake, but it’s hard to see Gene’s morals – or his happy family – coming back from that.
“I have a metaphor that Gene is the kind of bug that hovers on water and never gets wet,” Winkler told Inverse. “So it’s in a well and it flies into the sun and it lands on the rocks around the well and then its wing breaks and it falls back into the well and I don’t know if it drowned.”
He may aim to do the right thing, but Gene is drawn back into immorality forever by his ego. It looks like the “Barry” characters are getting further into toxic cycles in season 4. Can Gene break his mold before the series ends?
“Barry” airs Sundays at 10 PM ET on HBO and HBO Max.