It takes a psycho

Plot

Warden Reynolds orders the guards to rough up Fuches, blaming him for Barry's getaway. While Barry is still loose, Hank and Cristobal beef up security around their crew's hideout and set up a game room as a perk for the workers. Tom and Leo stash Gene in a remote cabin to keep him quiet with the press until his trial; later, Gene hears Barry escaped and loads his revolver. On the set of the superhero flick Mega Girls, directed by Sian Heder, Sally coaches Kristen through her lines. Kristen panics when she blanks on a line; Sally follows her, missing a call from Lindsay, then feeds Kristen the line but tries to pitch it directly to Heder to steal the part. Heder shoots her down. Kristen's agent, Mark Staffordshire, offers to help Sally restart her acting career if she keeps coaching Kristen, warning she'll likely never land big roles again because of her reputation. When Sally meets with Kristen, she's rattled to learn Barry is on the loose.

At the prison cafeteria, Fuches shuffles in bruised and bloody and sees the other inmates now respect him for sticking by Barry even after the betrayal—they wait until he starts eating before they dig in. Jim tails the cops as they bust a Dave & Buster's, thinking it's the crew's base. Hank leads his crew to a sand silo, lures them inside, and buries them alive; he just manages to pull Cristobal out after Cristobal ignores his order to step clear. The Chechens take over the compound, and their boss Andrei lets Cristobal live because of his bond with Hank. That night, Gene hears a knock, fires at the door, and runs—not realizing he shot Leo, who was bringing him food. Back home, Cristobal tells Hank he's a psychopath and not the man he fell for. Hank argues they'd have been betrayed or killed by the Chechen elders anyway. Cristobal leaves despite Hank's warning that he knows too much. Hank breaks down crying inside, then a Chechen thug shows him that assassins have gunned down Cristobal. Sally gets home, unaware Jim has been watching her place. She calls out for Barry, who emerges from a dark room and asks to crash. To his shock, Sally insists they both need to get out.

Production

The episode "it takes a psycho" was given its title in April 2023, with Taofik Kolade writing it and Bill Hader directing. It was Kolade's second writing credit and Hader's fourteenth as director. Hader wanted Hank to attempt tough-guy moves that would lead to Cristobal's death, though he was sure Hank would never kill him directly. The writers instead created a conflict from Hank making a major decision for them both. Hader compared it to Chris's death, saying Cristobal had to die to push the season and Hank's arc where he needed a massive mistake. Michael Irby, though heartbroken, felt it was necessary and noted the relationship was always damaged, driven by human hope. Anthony Carrigan hoped viewers would see the events tracking, with Hank's choice to harden being the wrong one, making it tragic yet compelling. The final scene was a time jump, conceived during writing when Hader wondered what would happen if characters got what they wanted. He wanted to explore Barry's recurring daydreams. Sarah Goldberg explained that Sally runs to Barry because he makes her feel seen, loved, and free from humiliation and trauma; she would rather escape with him than pursue her acting dreams.

Reception

The episode drew 0.303 million viewers and a 0.08 rating in the 18-49 demographic, a 45% jump from the prior episode’s 0.208 million viewers and 0.03 rating. Critics universally praised "it takes a psycho." On Rotten Tomatoes, it scored a perfect 100% approval from six reviews, averaging 9.7 out of 10. Matt Schimkowitz of The A.V. Club awarded an "A," noting that helicopter noise dominates the background of this Barry episode, which lacks its title character. Alan Sepinwall of Rolling Stone described his first viewing as jaw-dropping, saying the story seemed an unlikely direction for Barry and Sally. Ben Rosenstock of Vulture gave a five-star review, remarking that while Bill Hader’s tight storytelling usually works, some arcs could use more development, but the episode’s lurching is thrilling and devastating. Steve Greene of IndieWire gave an "A–," calling the episode a long misdirect after three episodes focused on Barry’s psyche; Barry is barely present but still looms large, especially through Hank. Josh Spiegel of /Film praised the episode for crafting a mid-season cliffhanger for many characters, leaving their fates unresolved.