An Ode to Barry’s Noho Hank, the Most Underrated Character on TV Right Now

From wearing double-popped collars to donning a gigantic sun hat while having his soldiers train in the desert, there's no denying NoHo Hank is a tried-and-true fashionista. His best moment? When he shows up to Lululemon to harass Barry dressed in a purple Hawaiian shirt and a wig inquiring about a pair of teeny-tiny women's running shorts. He also sports a Nike headband at one point, and frankly, he's one of few people who can pull off the look.

When it comes to terrorizing his enemies, NoHo Hank does it by the book. After previously hiring Barry to kill off a Bolivian drug lord named Paco, Hank puts the hit on hold so he can send his rival a bullet to "send a message." And yes, of course it's hilariously unnecessary. He also goes above and freakin' beyond to kill Barry in season two by hiding on a nearby rooftop with a sharpshooter who has highly questionable talent. Naturally, the plan is foiled when the sniper misses and Barry wounds him in response. What do they say about the best-laid plans, again?

This mob boss has proclaimed that he's "a man of his word" in the past, and he's not wrong. Other than trying to get Barry killed, the Chechen honcho is up front with the hitman as far as his missions go, whether it be delivering a hit or teaching his gang to shoot a gun properly. Moreover, when Barry confronts him about his failed murder attempts, he owns up to it. He also doesn't hold back when he's agitated. After one of his men interrupts a serious conversation he and Barry are having by playing an accordion, Hank swiftly replies, "Are you f*cking serious?" and proceeds to rip him a new one. You've got to love the honesty.

Hank isn't one of those old-school criminals who screams that he's going to kill you; he just states it with a shrug and a smile and moves on with his day. And frankly, that makes the show that much funnier. For example, after Barry guns down an entire Bolivian stash house, Hank shows his then-boss Goran Pazar (Glenn Fleshler) the aftermath as he steps around half a dozen dead bodies, saying, "Ooh, watch your step here. Hey, you know if we knocked down that wall, it'd really open the place up."

He also cuts to the chase when it comes to giving orders. After tipping Barry off that Goran is going to have him killed, Hank has no problem telling Barry that he's "not asking but telling" him to kill Esther. Apparently, Hank has absolutely no time for disrespect.

Far and away Hank's most likable quality is the fact that he has absolutely zero chill. Although endearing, he's consistently blowing his cover as a seasoned criminal. Between doing everything in his power trying to befriend fellow drug lord Cristobal — he gives sorority girls a run for their money — or baring his all about "deceiving" his men about being a "ruthless gangster" after getting captured and tied up on a school bus, he isn't afraid to show his soft side. In the same conversation, Hank also admits he's always wanted to be an optometrist. (Oddly enough, I can imagine him thriving in that career.) Somehow his men are still loyal to him despite showing weakness, which just goes to show even mob bosses can be big piles of lovable mush.