# Chapter One: Make Your Mark

"Chapter One: Make Your Mark" is the pilot episode of the American dark comedy crime drama television series Barry. It was directed by Bill Hader, who stars in the title role, and co-written it along with Alec Berg. The episode establishes the plot of the series, about an American veteran turned hit man who decides to pursue an acting career after following a mark to acting class. It aired on March 25, 2018, on HBO.
"Chapter One: Make Your Mark" received critical acclaim. For the episode, Bill Hader won a Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series.

## Plot

Barry Berkman (Bill Hader) is a Marine Corps veteran and a hitman based in Cleveland. Returning home after completing a job, Barry is given an assignment for the Chechen mob in Los Angeles by Monroe Fuches (Stephen Root), his handler and mentor who hopes the scenery change will help with his burnout.
In Los Angeles, Barry meets Chechen mob boss Goran Pazar (Glenn Fleshler) and his right-hand man "NoHo Hank" (Anthony Carrigan). His target is Ryan Madison (Tyler Jacob Moore), a personal trainer and aspiring actor with whom Goran's wife is having an affair.
Barry follows Ryan to his acting class at a community center where he encounters a woman (Sarah Goldberg) who chastises him for breaking her concentration while she is rehearsing. Barry follows her inside and sees the woman, Sally Reed, performing brilliantly on stage after being encouraged by the class's teacher, Gene Cousineau (Henry Winkler). Ryan drags a surprised Barry into helping him act out a scene from the film True Romance. Barry blankly reads his lines but experiences a moment of euphoria as he hears the students applaud Ryan.
After class, Sally invites Barry to join the students at a bar, where she and the acting students brainstorm monologues Barry can prepare for class. Barry becomes infatuated with Sally. Afterward, Barry drives Ryan to his apartment, where he gives Barry a copy of Gene's acting book and a hug, the latter of which is seen by Hank and his henchman surveilling the building.
The next morning, Fuches warns Barry that Chechens will kill them if Ryan isn't killed and that acting is incompatible with being a hitman. At night, Barry approaches Cousineau in the community center parking lot and confesses that he is a hitman but wants to turn his life around. Cousineau assumes that Barry was performing an improvised monologue and accepts him into the class. Barry tells Cousineau his last name is Block, an idea proposed by Ryan the previous night.
Later, Barry approaches Ryan's car, preparing to kill him, but discovers that he has already been shot dead. Hank and two henchmen try to kill Barry, but Barry fatally shoots the henchmen and wounds Hank, who flees. Barry, unaware that his actions were recorded on Hank's lipstick camera, hides from police in a nearby diner. Served by a waitress (Melissa Villaseñor) learning lines for an audition, Barry tells her that he is also an actor.

## Cast
### Main

* Bill Hader as Barry Berkman/Barry Block
* Stephen Root as Monroe Fuches
* Sarah Goldberg as Sally Reed
* Glenn Fleshler as Goran Pazar
* Anthony Carrigan as NoHo Hank
* Henry Winkler as Gene Cousineau

### Supporting

* Darrell Britt-Gibson as Jermaine Jefrint
* D'Arcy Carden as Natalie Greer
* Andy Carey as Eric
* Rightor Doyle as Nick Nicholby
* Alejandro Furth as Antonio Manuel
* Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Sasha Baxter

### Guest

* Tyler Jacob Moore as Richard Krempf/Ryan Madison
* Mia Juel as Oksana Pazar (voice only)
* Melissa Villaseñor as Diner Waitress

## Production

In 2014, Hader signed a development deal with HBO and approached co-show runner Alec Berg to help him develop a television series. Barry is Hader's first directing project and first major project after leaving Saturday Night Live. He also stars as Barry.

## Release

The episode was released on HBO on March 25, 2018.

## Reception
### Critical response

The episode received critical acclaim. Charles Bramesco gave the episode 5/5 stars in a review for Vulture. Of Bill Hader's acting in the pilot, Vikram Murthi wrote for The A.V. Club, "Hader’s restrained portrait of depression elevates the winning material in interesting ways, especially in the acting scenes.. Barry might have spoken his lines in a rushed, monotone voice, but the polite applause, though directed at Ryan, was enough for him to catch the bug."

### Awards and nominations

The episode was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards in the Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. The Writers Guild of America nominated Bill Hader and Alec Berg in the Television: Episodic Comedy category.
Bill Hader won a Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series.