Warning: Major spoilers for the season 3 premiere of Barry
After a three-year hiatus, HBO show Barry has finally returned for season three. But, more importantly, Anthony Carrigan’s NoHo Hank is finally back in our lives.
The beloved character is doing better than ever, too, because he’s officially in the arms of Cristobal (Michael Irby).
While there was a lot to take in throughout the season three premiere of Barry, NoHo Hank’s relationship reveal was among the best. Up until now, fans could only speculate on his sexuality, but even so, he was still dubbed a queer icon. Now, he told TV Guide, that status is,
“Confirmed, right? It’s official.”
NoHo Hank is, without a doubt, a fan favorite. In fact, Carrigan plays the character so well that the show’s creators, Bill Hader and Alex Berg, completely reworked season one after seeing him in the role. Originally, NoHo Hank was supposed to be killed off in episode one. Obviously, Hader and Berg realized how lovable the character was, and now they’ve finally given NoHo Hank the love story he deserves (which is especially timely, given that his best friendship with Barry is on the rocks).
The pairing seems to have gone over well with fans, too (I mean, how could it not?). One quick look on Twitter and you’ll find a sea of tweets celebrating the love between Hank and Cristobal. You’ll also find a good percentage of them humorously threatening the safety of Barry writers if they dare to break our beloved NoHo Hank’s heart.
started at the bottom and now he’s here!!!
noho hank finally got that 50-50 with cristobal!!!!! #Barry pic.twitter.com/KWCuvIUOAp— tomstar gregco | barry spoilers 🔫 (@tomwambsgays) April 25, 2022
When asked how he feels about his character’s relationship with Cristobal, Carrigan seems to share fans’ enthusiasm over the sweet love affair. He told AV Club,
“What can I say about that? I’m just so grateful that my character has been given this opportunity. You get to see what Hank is like behind closed doors [in season three]. You get to see what Hank is like in this in this new dynamic.”
In an interview with Complex, Carrigan explained that not only is he happy for NoHo Hank as a character (as we all are!), but he’s also really appreciative to have the opportunity to portray this relationship as an actor. He said,
“It was really rewarding to be able to explore this new side of Hank… It’s the same Hank, but it’s a different Hank as well.
He continued,
“As an actor, it’s just wonderful to be able to see this character in a new light and see him in these new scenarios where you can see even more vulnerability, even more sweetness and innocence.”
After three Barry-less years, it’s so nice to have the dark comedy back on our screens in general, but the fact that we also get Hank and Cristobal is the cherry on top. There’s no telling where this season will take us (it’s always a ride full of casualties with this show). But if this new relationship is the only good thing we get, then a lot of fans will still be very happy with the season.
New episodes of Barry season 3 drop on Sunday nights at 10:00 EST on HBO and HBO Max.
