From co-creators and executive producers Bill Hader and Alec Berg, the HBO dark comedy series Barry is in its final season, with hitman turned acting student turned really emotionally and morally confused man Barry Berkman (Hader, who also directed every episode of the fourth season) locked up in jail and facing all of his past deeds. Every action has consequences, which not only goes for Barry, but for all the characters in his world orbit, including his love Sally (Sarah Goldberg), acting teacher Gene Cousineau (Henry Winkler), mobster NoHo Hank (Anthony Carrigan), and family friend Monroe Fuches (Stephen Root), and it’s quite clear that they’re not all headed for the happy ending they might have envisioned for themselves, by the story’s conclusion.

During this 1-on-1 interview with Collider, Winkler talked about anxiously waiting to see the final episode, telling exactly the story that Hader and Berg wanted to tell, not repeating themselves from season to season, his character’s journey, how Hader compares to other directors he’s worked with, how satisfying this series has been, and how Gene Cousineau compares to the Fonz.

Collider: We know that this is the last season of Barry, which while it’s sad that it’s the last season, the show is ending on its own terms. What are you most excited about fans getting to see with this last portion of the journey, or should fans be worried about what they’re going to see with this last portion?

HENRY WINKLER: I have not seen episode eight. They’ve not shown eight to anybody. I’ve seen seven episodes, and I’m now on tenterhooks now. I have to wait for six weeks after April 16th to see it. The adult part of me, the producer part of me, understands we had to end it. We were contracted for 12 episodes a year, and we only did eight because Alec [Berg] and Bill [Hader] didn’t wanna have to add to the story once it was told. We were contracted for five years, but only did four. So, I understand that, except I am very sad. I love that bunch of actors, even though I didn’t act with a lot of them. I love that crew. They took such good care of me. It’s bittersweet.

Do you feel like you really had a sense of what would be in store for you with this character, when you signed on to play him? You character, especially, has taken such a big journey from who he was when we met him. Did you have any idea that any of this would be coming?

WINKLER: No. When we read the first two scripts of the second season, I was distraught and so nervous. I was trying to work up the courage to go to these guys and say, “I don’t know.” I made an appointment with them, I went to their office, and they were sitting there, and I went, “Gentlemen, look, you’ve given me a gift. You really have. I’m just so grateful, except I don’t recognize this Gene, from the Gene that I played last year.” And they said, “Don’t worry about it. We understand. We’ll take care of it.” And they did. They also said they were not gonna repeat themselves, and that was so true. Every year has been, “And now we’re in this place, which is so different from what I thought.” It has been a journey. But after everything is said and done, Gene has walked out the door that he walked in.

After everything that’s happened, how satisfying do you think it was for him to say, “Hey, Barry, I got you,” over the phone? Regardless of anything else that happens in the season, what was that moment like for him?

WINKLER: On the one hand, I was saying, “I got you,” in order to protect myself, hoping that he think I’ve got his back. On the other hand, I was saying, “Go fuck yourself,” which was very satisfying, after everything that he’s been through.

How was it to have the experience of Bill Hader directing every episode of this final season? With everybody that you’ve worked with in the past, what most impresses you about him, as a director?

WINKLER: Except for a few episodes, over the years, Bill and Alec have always shared [duties] Each one is very different. They have different styles. I watched Bill grow into this. This was his dream. Saturday Night Live was a detour. He was on a path to become a director. He is thoughtful, he is generous, he is strict, he is clear about what he wants, he is open, and if you make him laugh when you’re acting with him, he starts to break up in the scene. He’ll mouth the words with you, so you have to remind him, “Bill, I’m talking and you’re being my partner in the scene.” With all the jobs that he did – co-creator, co-writer, director, actor – you never felt whatever anxiety he was feeling with the task at hand. The crew didn’t feel it. The actors never felt it. It was like a smooth lake, at five o’clock in the afternoon, when you’re able to go water-skiing.

How did it feel to read that final script for you? Even if you know where something is headed, getting that last script and reading it still must be quite different, actually seeing it all on paper.

WINKLER: I did not know where it was going, and it was jaw-dropping. I am still trying to get my jaw off the ground. I can’t even put it into words. He told me what the end was, halfway through the season. I guess he couldn’t hold it anymore, and then I had to hold it. I couldn’t tell anybody. Not even my wife.

How does it feel to be a part of a TV show that can end when it feels it needs to end and it can go out on top, instead of stretching itself out? With all the different projects you’ve done, I’m sure there are experiences you’ve had where you didn’t get that opportunity. Even though it’s bittersweet, you still get to say goodbye in the way that you all are choosing to do it.

WINKLER: It’s very rare. You have two men at the top who are very, very clear about what they want, and there is no dissuading them. It's very satisfying that I got this gift of Barry and that I was able to do it, and then to do it like this was amazing. What a character.

What will you miss most about him? Is he someone you’ll miss more than other characters that you’ve played?

WINKLER: Yeah, I will. Earlier in my life, I was not the most authentic human being. I’ve learned, over the years, that authenticity is important. People have always asked me about the Fonz. What’s cool? Define cool. Who’s cool? And I finally said that being authentic is cool. It doesn’t matter what you look like. It doesn’t matter how tall you are. That’s what’s cool. People gravitate to that. It’s just amazing that I played that role when I was 27, and I didn’t think I could ever do anything as impactful. And here I am in my 70s, thinking I don’t know if I will ever do anything as impactful again.

Barry airs on Sunday nights on HBO and is available to stream at HBO Max.