If I had a nickel for every time the second episode of the fourth and final season of an Emmy-winning HBO series referenced The Eagles’ classic “Desperado,” I’d have two nickels. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice.
The shows in question are Barry and Succession, and their “Desperado” references aired within weeks of each other. Succession‘s came first, with the release of “Rehearsal,” the second episode of Season 4. The episode sees Connor Roy (Alan Ruck) wallowing in misery before his wedding. He persuades his siblings Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Shiv (Sarah Snook), and Roman (Kieran Culkin) to go to karaoke with him, where he asks the fateful question, “Think they have ‘Desperado’ by the Eagles?”
“I would imagine they do,” Roman says, before adding, “longest night of my life.”
Luckily for Roman, Connor does not perform the Eagles’ hit about a lonely “desperado” figure who is afraid to settle and find love. Instead, he opts to sing Leonard Cohen’s “Famous Blue Raincoat,” which ends up being much worse for Roman. (“Guantanamo-level shit,” he calls it.)
“Desperado” only gets a quick mention in Succession, but it’s a perfect character moment for Connor. Of course he would try to sing a deeply sad, soft rock song at a karaoke bar — one of the absolute worst choices you could make at karaoke. The gag fully encapsulates his self-indulgent melancholy, while his siblings’ reactions to the proposed song capture their own discomfort and exasperation with the entire scenario.
HBO’s “Desperado” shenanigans continue two weeks after the original airdate of “Rehearsal,” with Barry‘s “bestest place on the earth.” (Also episode 2 of Season 4.) Turns out that Succession‘s “Desperado” name drop was just a teaser for the “Desperado”-related ridiculousness Barry unleashes.
Desperad-oh no.
Credit: Merrick Morton/HBO
Said ridiculousness revolves around acting teacher Gene Cousineau (Henry Winkler). After helping turn Barry Berkman (Bill Hader) in for the murder of Janice Moss (Paula Newsome) at the end of Season 3, Gene promises Janice’s father Jim (Robert Wisdom) that he won’t speak to the press. Neither wants to turn her death into a media circus.
However, Gene can’t resist the call of publicity for his heroism, so he devises a way to tell his story anyway. He brings Vanity Fair writer Lon O’Neil (Patrick Fischler) to his old theater, where he performs an absolutely cringe-worthy one man show about his time with Barry. The song that plays when Lon first enters the theater? “Desperado.”
But not just any version of “Desperado” — Gene chooses the Langley School Music Project’s cover(Opens in a new tab) of the song. A simple piano accompanies a lone child’s voice, creating a haunting, earnest effect. That effect immediately reaches peak hilarity when juxtaposed with Gene’s show. It’s already such a self-serving, egotistical act, but the addition of this cover of “Desperado” nudges Gene’s performance right into the sweet spot where it’s so overly serious and dramatic that it loops back around to comedic brilliance. Hader, who directed the entirety of Season 4, chose the song while planning out the season in July 2022.
Two nods to the song in two of HBO’s highest-profile shows within two weeks of each other is one mighty strange coincidence. Even stranger? “Desperado” also links back to HBO’s biggest show of the year so far: The Last of Us.
The much-raved about third episode of The Last of Us is titled “Long, Long Time,” after the Linda Ronstadt song of the same name that plays a key role in the love story between Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett). Ronstadt recorded a cover of “Desperado,” but the connections don’t stop there! The original members of the Eagles first met while playing backup for Ronstadt.
I know there’s likely no ploy from HBO to engineer a “Desperado” renaissance, but consider: The Last of Us airs first, making us think about Linda Ronstadt. (And perhaps…her backing band?) Then, Succession mentions “Desperado.” Not long after, we finally get a version of the song in Barry! Has all of HBO’s 2023 programming been leading up to this moment? Will “Desperado” pop up in True Detective: Night Country or House of the Dragon Season 2? Or am I just sitting alone in front of my “Desperado”-HBO yarn wall, grasping at straws? You and I both know it’s the last one, but as far as niche TV trends go, this has to be one of my favorites.
Succession is now streaming on HBO Max(opens in a new tab), with new episodes airing at 9 p.m. ET Sundays on HBO and HBO Max.
Barry is now streaming on HBO Max,(opens in a new tab) with new episodes airing at 10 p.m. ET Sundays on HBO and HBO Max.
Season 1 of The Last of Us is now streaming on HBO Max.(opens in a new tab)
