#19 Gravity

Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity is an incredible cinematic experience. The film’s special effects are nothing short of breathtaking. I was utterly convinced from the first minute that the two main characters, played by Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, were in space. Cuaron has crafted a technical masterpiece of stunning beauty. He is able to immerse the viewer into the haunting loneliness of space, capturing this feeling through the use of long takes. The film’s patient cinematography adds weight to its themes of isolation and mortality.

Sandra Bullock gives the performance of her career as Dr. Ryan Stone, a woman who must fight for her life in space. George Clooney plays the seasoned veteran Kowalski. His expected charisma and self-assured nature make him ideal for the part. The first 15 minutes of the movie quietly introduce the viewer to these characters. The audience becomes acclimated to the silence of space. Before long, Kowalski and Dr. Stone are caught in the middle of a horrendous accident caused by debris. This disaster claims the life of the rest of their crew. From this moment on, the film is a proper, white-knuckle thriller until the credits roll.

Gravity does not overstay its welcome for a second longer than it needs to. At 90 minutes, it’s an efficient, emotionally driven, harrowing suspense film, the likes of which I have not seen this year. Every chunk of debris thrown Bullock’s way is a believable threat to her life. Every hurried breath she takes seems like it could be her last. I found myself gripping the edge of my seat almost constantly as I watched her struggles play out.

Sandra Bullock won an Oscar for her performance in The Blind Side, but that film is Batman and Robin compared to Gravity. Bullock deserves a second Oscar for her heartbreaking performance in this film. As the movie goes on, we get to know the tragic details of Dr. Stone’s personal life. Bullock goes to some extreme emotional places towards the third act, which I was not prepared for. I was touched by the honesty and simplicity of her acting. Tears did indeed stream down my face more than once.

If there’s any fault to be found in Gravity, it’s that some of the dialogue falls flat. Certain attempts at levity are obviously inserted to relieve tension from the audience. Occasionally, awkward dialogue will take away some of the impact of an otherwise pulse-pounding scene. These are minor quibbles to be sure; the rest of the film is pretty much flawless.

Gravity is a film that demands to be seen on the big screen. Cuaron’s poetic imagery should be seen in IMAX if possible. However you watch it, Gravity is a nail-biting, emotionally powerful piece of art that will grip audiences everywhere. Gravity is one of those movies that makes me happy to be a film critic. It’s the best movie I’ve seen all year. Alfonso Cuaron has restored my faith in the future of cinema.

Images courtesy of Collider and Comic Book

#15 Prisoners

In Prisoners, a blue collar worker is forced to operate outside the law when his daughter goes missing. It is an emotionally draining watch. The tension builds carefully over 2 hours and 26 minutes. The story doesn’t break any new ground, but the acting and cinematography are first-rate. From the opening shot, Prisoners is a gorgeous film to look at. Every tree, every drop of rain is captured with true artistry by cinematographer Roger Deakins. Deakins’ work lends a moody atmosphere to this somber and realistic drama.

The movie depicts how far Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) is willing to go to find his daughter. We also see a police detective, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, investigate the case. Jackman is superb in a role that demands him to go to dark places. Gyllenhaal is equally compelling in a more subdued role. He is very subtle in places where he easily could’ve gone over the top. This subtlety fits the tone of the movie.

Other actors who stand out are Paul Dano and Melissa Leo. Dano, who first caught my attention in There Will Be Blood, will make your skin crawl here. Dano’s character is a creepy suspect with the intelligence of a young boy. The script is really dependent on these actors to deliver. Without the right performers, this film could’ve become dull exploitation. Thankfully, Prisoners treats it subject matter with realism and respect.

I respect director Denis Villeneuve for allowing the film to breathe and play out normally. The editing is crisp and focused; this film doesn’t feel the need to use quick cuts to create suspense. Despite all the talent behind and in front of the camera, the movie can’t quite achieve greatness. One of my problems with the film has to do with some logic leaps towards the end. Obviously, I can’t spoil them for the purposes of this review, but I found a major reveal at the end of the film to be a bit contrived. See the film and judge for yourself. What the movie does, it does quite well. Like I’ve said, it’s powerfully acted, aesthetically rich and emotionally honest. I may have a quibble some aspects of the plot, but the actual ending concludes on just the right note.

Before you see it, expect a long, slow and dark movie. Going in with the right expectations, you will enjoy Prisoners. You may even love it.

Images courtesy of Slate, Collider

#14 Breaking Bad-Ozymandias

Before I get into the recap, I’d like to point out that the director of this episode is Rian Johnson. Johnson is perhaps most known for his time travel thriller Looper, but he’s also directed two other episodes of Breaking Bad. He brought us “Fly” (maybe the show’s most divisive episode) and “Fifty-One.” Now, he directs “Ozymandias.” It’s his finest episode yet. The episode’s title comes from a sonnet by Percy Bysshe Shelley. The poem is about the inevitable downfall of kings and their empires. In this episode, Heisenberg loses his meth empire, most of his money and a member of his family.

Director Rian Johnson (AV Club)

An unexpected flashback opens the episode. We see a close up of bubbles rat-tat-tatting in a flask, echoing the sounds of gunfire from last week’s desert shootout. This is a clever move on the part of Johnson, because he knows that viewers expect to see the shootout continue right at the beginning of the episode. Anyway, Walt is teaching Jesse how to cook properly inside the infamous van. This is supposed to take place around the time of season one. We know this because Walt has hair and Jesse is still acting like Walt’s student.

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After lecturing Jesse, Walt walks away to be alone. He’s coming up with what may be his first Heisenberg-related lie. He rehearses his lines, changes some of the phrasing and decides on a story. Walt will tell Skyler that his boss “has a bug up his butt.” These were such innocent times for Walter White. Walt gives Skyler a call. In those days, Skyler’s main concerns were pizza and making $9 on eBay. Skyler suggests a name for her baby: Holly. This scene foreshadows Walt’s later actions in the episode. It also reminds viewers how far these characters have come. Jesse, Walt and the van all fade away, showing us a vast and empty desert.

(hardinthecity.com)

The quaint tone of the opening scene doesn’t last for long. We return to the empty desert, which is now replaced with trucks full of bullet holes and loud gunfire. The Nazis momentarily cease fire. What follows is almost too heart-wrenching to imagine. Hank’s leg has been wounded. He’s slumped against the back of a car, breathing heavily. His eyes are full of adrenaline and fear. His partner, Steve Gomez, lies dead in front of him. In a last ditch effort to save himself, he crawls to reach Gomey’s shotgun.

(breakingbad.wikia.com)

As Hank inches toward the weapon, we know his efforts are futile. The Nazis can be seen approaching him as he trudges along in the dirt. I have to commend Rian Johnson’s brilliant direction of this scene. By the time Hank has reached the shotgun, Uncle Jack is right behind him. It’s just horrific to see a beloved character like Hank be so easily trumped by a villain. In an unbearable few minutes, Hank is left alive as the Nazis chat.

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Todd has lost sight of Pinkman, momentarily sparing Hank. Dean Norris’ unbelievable performance just crushed me. Uncle Jack raises his gun and points it at Hank. Hank’s eyes flinch as he prepares for his death. From the car, Walt hears Uncle Jack cock his gun. Walt begins to violently protest Hank’s murder. Cranston’s acting is so genuine that it’s uncomfortable to watch him beg for Hank’s life. “Don’t kill him! Don’t kill him! Don’t kill him…” Walt pleads.

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Walt reveals that Hank is family. Uncle Jack could care less that Hank is Walt’s brother-in-law. In fact, he thinks he did Walt a favor by preventing Walt’s arrest. “You weren’t supposed to be here!” Walt reminds him. I suppose one reason why this scene is so hard to watch is because the violence committed didn’t need to happen. Walt tried to prevent it. This is what happens when you work with Nazis. Walt is at his most desperate. He begs Hank to walk away and forget this happened.

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Uncle Jack sees that Hank isn’t cooperating and once again raises his gun. Walt screams like a lunatic for him to stop. He reveals that his money is buried out here. “$80 million! And all you’ve got to do is let him go,” Walt cries. Uncle Jack ponders whether or not he should let Hank go. Hank is as defiant as ever: “My name is ASAC Schrader and you can go f*** yourself.”

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Walt’s tearful pleading is useless. Hank locks eyes on Walt: “You’re the smartest guy I ever met, but you’re too stupid to see…he made up his mind ten minutes ago.” He pauses a moment, faces Uncle Jack and says, “Do what you’re gonna do.” BANG. The gunshot rolls and echoes throughout the desert. Hank is dead. Silence. Walt collapses to his knees as the sound cuts out. He sobs on the ground, just like Gus Fring once did in season four’s “Hermanos.” Walt’s sobs are disquieting. Perhaps even more haunting is Uncle Jack, who has no reaction to killing Hank.

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The Nazis dig and dig, collecting all of Walt’s barrels. In the hole where Walt’s empire was buried, Hank and Gomey are laid to rest. Breaking Bad hasn’t disturbed me this much since Walt and Mike put Drew Sharp in a barrel. At least Uncle Jack has the decency to give Walt a barrel of his own money. That’s Uncle Jack’s version of justice. Todd offers his condolences: “Sorry for your loss.” Walt is freed of his handcuffs and stares off in the distance.

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Uncle Jack and Walt make a momentary peace. Walt is a broken man. He shakes Uncle Jack’s hand with all the humanity of Gus Fring. As Uncle Jack walks away, Walt utters the name Pinkman. Walt has spotted Jesse, who’s hiding under a car. After the death of Hank and Gomey, I didn’t think Jesse had much of a chance. Nevertheless, it was sickening to see a gun cocked behind Pinkman’s head. This time, Walt gives Jack the OK to pull the trigger. It looks like Jesse’s life has come to an end…

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Until…Todd interrupts Jesse’s execution with a thoughtful suggestion. Todd’s logic is that Jesse might have some information about what the DEA knows, considering he was in their custody. Jesse stares despairingly into Walt’s cold stare. Right now, Walt’s only mission is to make Jesse suffer. He believes Jesse is responsible for Hank’s death. Without blinking an eye, Walt tells Jesse: “I watched Jane die. I watched her overdose and choke to death. I could’ve saved her, but I didn’t.” Walt has ruined everything Jesse has ever cared about. The Nazis take Jesse away, leaving Walt behind in the dust trail.

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I usually hate having to sit through commercials, but I really needed one after the first few minutes of the show. The scene was a masterwork of acting, editing and writing. But, boy was it hard to get through. Now, Walter sits in his car and takes in what has happened. We needed a moment to breathe along with Walt. His car quickly runs out of gas; a bullet has grazed his gas tank. Walt is forced to roll his barrel full of money up the desert. Upbeat, whistling Western music lend to a surreal quality to this scene. Awesome Easter egg: Walt passes his pants from the pilot episode as he continues to roll the barrel.

(ibtimes.com) Notice his pants in the left hand corner!

The use of music here is outstanding. The Western tune manages to be lonely, ironic and blackly comic. It sums up everything Breaking Bad is about. The song also shows Walt to be nothing more than a lonesome cowboy who’s lost everything. Walt eventually reaches the home of a poor Native American man. He hands the man a wad of cash and buys a rusty old truck.

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After spending half the episode in that godforsaken desert, we finally switch locations. Marie arrives at the car wash to talk with Skyler. Symbolism note: Marie is wearing an uncharacteristic black, while Skyler remains clad in white. Sadly, Marie still believes Hank is alive. She tells Skyler that Walt has been arrested. This is Marie’s last effort to help out Skyler. Marie still has hope for her sister. Skyler is quietly breaking down as Marie demands Flynn be told the truth.

(breakingbad.wikia.com)

Meanwhile, Jesse is lying on the floor of a torture chamber. He’s grotesquely bloodied and bruised-his cries for mercy are massively unsettling. We have seen Jesse reduced to such a state. Todd pulls him up and sends him to the lab. Here, Jesse is chained up, a slave to the Nazis’ demands. Jesse can’t even move without sliding his chain forward. A picture of Brock and Andrea has been taped to a pole for Jesse to see. Whether or not the Nazis plan on harming them is irrelevant. Jesse now has a reason to cook for them, an incentive to live. This is incredibly dark, even for Breaking Bad.

(hardinthecity.com)

Back at the car wash, poor Junior has been told the truth. “You’re completely out of your mind!” he screams at Skyler. He can’t believe what’s going on. For the longest time, Junior has been the only character to remain innocent. He has been in the dark this whole time. He still doesn’t even believe the story can be true.

(whatculture.com)

Walt is simultaneously packing his family’s things. Skyler, Junior and baby Holly are on their way home. “If all of this is true and you knew about it, then you’re as bad as him,” Junior tells his mother. Walt is running around trying to get his things together as they arrive home. Junior wants to know what is going on, but Walt pushes him inside. “Walt…why are you here?” Skyler asks. Walt won’t answer her questions. “Where is he? Where’s Hank?” she demands.

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Walt, with tears in his eyes, looks at Skyler: “I have $11 million in cash right outside. We can have a fresh start.” Skyler is shaking. “You killed him,” she breathes. “No, no no! I tried to save him!” Walt answers. Everything comes out. Junior knows Uncle Hank is dead. In the middle of the chaos, Skyler reaches for a knife. “Get out of here…now,” she commands.

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Walt approaches her and she swings the knife, slicing his hand. The two wrestle for the knife in a nail biting scene reminiscent of Hitchcock’s Rear Window. Junior is forced to tackle his father. “What the hell is wrong with you?!? We’re a family!” roars Walt. Then it hits him. The family he’s supposedly been fighting for all along is now destroyed. Hank is dead. Marie hates him. His son, who looked up to him, is now defending Skyler from him and calling the police. “We’re a family,” Walt mutters again. Quiet piano keys accompany this scene. This is Walt’s ultimate downfall. He’s lost his family.

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Surprisingly, I feel bad for him. Cranston’s performance gave me goosebumps.
The police are on their way and Walt knows he has to leave. On his way out the door, he takes baby Holly with him. Skyler slams on the car window and chases Walt down but to no avail. The truck has taken off. She collapses in the street. Perhaps, Walt is trying to hold on to some piece of his family. Holly is the only one who doesn’t, or rather can’t, see Walt for the monster that he is.

(o.canada.com)

Walt is changing Holly’s diaper in a bathroom somewhere. He smiles at her but all poor Holly can do is cry “mama.” It will break your heart. Walt realizes that he can’t keep her any longer.
The phone rings in the White house. The police are inside, along with Skyler, Marie and Junior. Walt is on the line: “Are you alone? No police?” Skyler demands to know where Holly is, as Walt unleashes a furious rant: “…This is your fault…I warned you for a solid year, you cross me there will be consequences…Maybe now you’ll listen…You were never grateful for anything I did for this family…” he spits.

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Upon closer inspection, this “rant” is actually exonerating Skyler of any guilt. Sure, Walt may want to say things to her that have always bothered him, but ultimately Walt knew the police were on the line listening to the call. Walt actually made yet another sacrifice for his family. He alone holds responsibility for his actions, even though we know Skyler is an accomplice. As he continues to scream into the phone, tears stream down his face.

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“Walt…where is Hank?” Skyler begs. “You’re never going to see Hank again,” Walt answers taking the blame for Hank’s death. Marie knows, just from Skyler’s reaction, that Hank is dead. I lost it in this scene. I can only imagine how Junior feels.

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As for Holly, Walt leaves her in a fire truck with his address taped on her chest. A fireman finds the sobbing child in her car seat. In the closing scene, Walt sits at Saul’s pick up location. He is trying to disappear, like Jesse did in “Confessions.” The pick-up car arrives. We see Walt’s face in the rearview mirror as the car drives off into the sunset. Just like that, he’s gone.

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Now we know why Walt has a new identity in the future. I can only assume he has the M16 in his trunk to get revenge on Uncle Jack. I wonder if Jesse will make it out of the series alive. He’s probably going to die in the next episode by Walt’s hands. I can’t believe there are only two episodes left. Apparently, these last two episodes will be 75 minutes long. I’m not sure how much more I can take. All this bloodshed and death is wearing me down. “Ozymandias” had to be the darkest episode yet. I say it every week, but this show keeps getting better and better.

#12 Breaking Bad- “To’hajiilee”

Continuing on from the cold open of “Confessions,” Todd is cooking some crystal meth for Uncle Jack and Lydia. The Nazis eye Lydia up like a piece of meat. We’ll see Todd do something similar later in the scene. Lydia is worried that Todd’s product isn’t blue, while Uncle Jack is just impressed that the meth purity is now 76%. “Blue is our brand,” she stresses. Uncle Jack isn’t what you’d call a details person. “If it catches the light just right,” Todd can see “a touch of blue.” Neo Nazi #2 dubs the batch aquamarine.

After his presentation, Todd brings Lydia a cup of tea and apologizes for messing up his latest cook. As they talk, Todd moves closer and closer to her, eventually touching her shoulder. We know that Todd has committed some heinous crimes, so it’s an unsettling moment. Lydia keeps her cool and walks away unscathed. She leaves her tea cup in Todd’s hands. Todd is left standing alone, until he gets a call from Walt. We hear the conversation from “Rabid Dog,” played out a bit longer. Walt makes it clear that his target is Jesse Pinkman. Todd continues to be completely apathetic about murder. He takes a sip of Lydia’s tea, right where she left a lipstick stain on the cup. This is Todd’s warped version of a first kiss.

Jesse leads Hank and Gomey to Huell, who’s in a safe house under DEA supervision. Gomey suspects Huell will try to “lawyer up”, but Hank has a plan to keep Huell in the dark. Hank produces what appears to be a cow brain and pours the bloody contents all over his kitchen floor. “You’re up,” says Hank to Jesse. Speaking of Huell, Hank and Gomey visit him inside his safe house. As part of Hank’s elaborate scheme, he reveals all of his knowledge about Heisenberg to Huell. Huell has a convincing poker face.

Hank figured Huell wouldn’t spill the beans about Walt, so he tells Huell that they’ve been tapping Walt’s phone. According to Hank’s story, Walt was overheard threatening to kill Jesse, followed by Huell. Hank goes on to say that Goodman has betrayed Huell and Kuby has gone missing. Huell still seems unconvinced, until Hank shows him a photo of a “dead” Jesse. Huell freaks out and tells the two about Walt’s barrels full of money. Hank urges Huell to stay in the safe house, but he is technically free to go. “How long you gonna be?” asks a concerned Huell. Hank and Gomey may never come back…

To keep up tradition, Walt politely meets with Uncle Jack before ordering a hit on Jesse. Walt seems almost reluctant to do so. He shoots down rumors that Jesse is a rat. “He just won’t listen to reason,” says Walt, casting an angry look towards Todd. Todd appears to be wearing a Freddy Krueger style t-shirt, as though this whole situation is a nightmare for Walt. “Jesse’s like family to me,” Walt admits. He wants Jesse’s death to be “quick and painless, no suffering, no fear.” Walt has broken his own rule of keeping family out of his business by pushing for Jesse’s execution.

Uncle Jack can see Walt’s point: “I respect that, there’s too many savages out there.” That’s an ironic statement if I’ve ever heard one. Pitch black comedy at its finest.  Unlike the previous job, Uncle Jack doesn’t want money from Walt. He wants Walt to cook for them. Walt would rather triple his price than help improve Todd’s meth batches. Walt looks tired and beaten down, like every word out of his mouth is draining more life out of him. “One cook, after the job is done,” says Walt reluctantly, shaking Uncle Jack’s hand.  Walt is going to regret that handshake.

We transition from the blackest depths of human depravity to young Brock happily eating breakfast. I didn’t think Brock or Andrea would ever appear on the show again. Walt knocks on the door and greets Andrea with a smile. He slips inside under the guise of being Jesse’s friend. Had Andrea been aware that Walt poisoned her son, she wouldn’t be so keen to let him in. Walt greets Brock, who shyly munches on his cereal and keeps quiet. I don’t think Brock is aware that Walt poisoned him; he’s just awkward around strange adults, like many kids. This moment is meant to illustrate how despicable Walt is to return to Andrea’s home like nothing happened.

Walt starts to manipulate Andrea, telling her that Jesse is “using again.” He also hasn’t been returning Walt’s calls, so Walt says. Andrea gives Jesse a call, telling him that Walt has come to visit. Walt does seem like the devil in this scene, entering someone’s home under false pretenses and lying through his teeth.

From his car, Walt sees two Nazi hit men waiting outside Andrea’s house. Walt’s assumption was that Jesse would rush over once he discovered Walt was near Brock again. Andrea’s voicemail is picked up by Hank, who proposes a new plan to Jesse and Gomey. He’s figured out, based on Huell’s testimony, that Walt probably buried the money somewhere in the desert. There was no GPS tracker on Walt’s money van, but “Walt doesn’t know that.” Both Hank and Walt appear to be out-planning one another in this episode.

On the lighter side of things, Skyler is teaching Junior how to work in the car wash. It seems like a normal day for the Whites, until Saul Goodman walks in. Skyler becomes wary, while Junior won’t stop smiling at Saul. He remembers Saul from his “Better Call Saul” commercials. Saul has some advice for Junior: “Don’t drink and drive, but if you do, call me.” That’s got to be one of Saul’s best lines. “Have an A1 day!” waves Junior.

Saul’s getting his car washed to remove the excess cocaine Jesse left inside. Since Huell has gone missing, Saul has taken to wearing a bulletproof vest. Saul worries that Walt’s plan won’t work on Jesse, who is smarter than Walt thinks. As Walt and Saul talk, behind them is a “Better Call Saul” billboard. Their discussion shows us the reality of Saul’s character. Differing stories are paralleled in this episode, as Saul and Hank blame two different people for murdering lackeys.  In both cases, the supposed victims are still alive.

Walt looks out the window of the carwash, feeling the gun in his pocket. He glances over at Skyler and his son, perhaps taking his final glimpse on them. The faintest hint of a smile appears on his face. Then he is back to business.

He gets a picture on his phone of an open barrel full of money. Walt panics. He believes that his “Buried” treasure has been found. His phone rings. “Got my photo, bitch?” Jesse says he’s found the other six barrels too. Walt runs out of the car wash, not even having the time to make up an excuse for his leaving.

The remaining minutes of the episode are perfectly done. Walt speeds down the highway as Jesse rattles off all the false information he’s been given by Hank. Jesse promises to burn $10,000 of Walt’s money for every minute he’s not there. “Don’t you touch my money!” screams Walt. Walt’s enraged moans don’t stop Jesse from seemingly burning his cash. Walt switches gears and tries instead for sympathy. “Jesse, I’m dying. My cancer is back. You’re not hurting anyone but my family!” Walt wants this money to go to his children.

“Oh, you’re going to talk about kids,” Jesse says. Walt apologizes for Brock, but Jesse doubts his sincerity. “YES I AM SORRY ABOUT BROCK!” he yells. Bryan Cranston’s face becomes twisted with fury and desperation. “But he’s alive, just as I planned it!” Walt says. I felt the same adrenaline Walt was feeling as he flies down the road. This scene is a major turning point in the series, because all of Walt’s accidental admissions of guilt are being recorded for the DEA.

Walt continues his rant, as Jesse continues to taunt him. “Open your eyes! Can’t you see that I needed you on my side to kill Gus?!?  I ran over those gangbangers! I killed Emilio and Crazy 8!” Walt has admitted to all his crimes, quite clearly. My heart was pounding hard throughout this scene. Walt pulls up to the desert, but can’t see Jesse anywhere. Gun drawn, he leaves his car. He realizes he’s been duped. Walt’s desperation is so brilliantly captured by Bryan Cranston, who is the standout performer of the episode.

Walt takes cover on a cliff until he sees some dust flailing up in the distance. He runs down to ground level and hides behind a rock. The remaining twenty minutes of the episode are some of the most suspenseful in the show’s history. It’s remarkable how long Breaking Bad is able to sustain sequences of tension. Dave Porter’s score adds extra levels of heart-racing adrenaline to the proceedings.

Walt calls the Nazis and gives them his location. He tells Uncle Jack that Jesse is after him, probably with back up. “You get here right now as fast as you can,” Walt orders. Uncle Jack is still on the line, waiting for some more details from Walt. Walt won’t answer because he’s caught sight of Hank and Gomey. He didn’t expect anyone but Jesse to be there. Walt’s face is full of pain and anguish. It’s the end of the line for Heisenberg. He knows it. “It’s off, do not come,” he murmurs to Uncle Jack.

Detective Schrader and Gomey scan the area with their guns raised. “Walt, come on out!” Hank hollers, his voice echoing through the desert. The camera pans in slowly on Walt’s defeated face. Tears are in his eyes.  To me, these tears represent Walt’s realization that Junior will find out what he’s done. Walt is also the type of guy who doesn’t like to lose.

You can hear a pin drop as Hank keeps screaming for Walt to show himself. Jesse is wide-eyed and anxious, even with the protection of Hank and Gomey. Finally, Hank spots Walt, who emerges peacefully from behind the rock. Walt drops his gun and raises his hands in surrender. Walt raises his arms in defeat in the same way that Gus once raised his arms to show his fearlessness. Heisenberg walks calmly over to Hank for what seems like an eternity. Even though it’s completely illogical, I thought Walt might have a bomb on him or some sort of trap to stop Hank. It turns out Walt is not as infallible as he thinks he is.

After seasons of watching Walt slowly work his way into the criminal underworld, it’s appropriate that we see him methodically place his hands behind his head and follow Hank’s orders. As Walt is cuffed, Jesse has a beautiful look of relief and disbelief on his face. He almost can’t believe what he’s seeing. Great actors can astound you without any dialogue. I’m looking at you, Aaron Paul. Nice work.

Hank can’t resist taunting Walt a little bit: “How’d you like my barrel photo, huh? Took it in the backyard by the barbecue grill, where we used to cook out with the family.” Jesse’s plan worked after all. He was right to assume that Walt’s greed would be his downfall. Walt just couldn’t resist losing any of his hard-earned money. Hank smirks victoriously. He asks Walt to take them to the real location of his money. Of course, Walt won’t say a word. Hank assures him that a DEA search team will find it eventually.  He reads Walt his rights, but Walt just stares venomously at Jesse. Walt calls his former partner a “coward” and Jesse spits in his face. Walt deserves to be spit on by Jesse after all the things he’s done to hurt the guy.

The two partners in crime have a scuffle, which is quickly stopped by Gomey and Hank. Walt needs to be put in time out. He takes a seat in the car, momentarily separated from the rest of the group. Hank is so proud of his accomplishments that he gives Marie a call. Marie is disgusted to find a brain in the trash can, but Hank’s not so concerned about that. “Hey, baby. I got him,” Hank beams. Marie is overjoyed to hear this.  She’s crying with joy. “I gotta go. It may be awhile before I get home. I love you.” Judging by the end of this episode, this may be Hank and Marie’s final conversation. It’s an unusually poignant scene for Hank.

Just when everything is looking up for Team Schrader, Walt sees two mysterious cars approaching from inside Hank’s car. My jaw dropped as I realized what was going to happen. Uncle Jack and the Nazis have ignored Walt’s orders to stay behind. What’s approaching Hank is nothing short of a small army, complete with heavy artillery. Any Breaking Bad fan will tell you that their heart was beating furiously at this point. My stomach was churning. I knew what was coming.

Walt frantically tries to warn Hank through the window. Jesse knows something is wrong. “Jack! Don’t do it!” Walt repeatedly screams. This is the most tense standoff in Breaking Bad history. The relentless suspense and masterful editing make this scene outstanding to watch.  Uncle Jack and Hank lock eyes. Walt screams on, to no avail. The Nazis begin raining hellfire on Hank and Gomey. Slow motion is used to show the force of their firepower. Gomey appears to be wounded, but Hank continues to fire.

The battle rages on. Watching it, you feel as though you’re in the midst of this chaos. The frenetic gunfire seems unstoppable. When will this ever end?!? Surely Hank and Gomey will be killed. Walt writhes around in the floor of the car, until his glasses fall off. The sound cuts out and the episode is over. It feels as though this was ended abruptly on purpose. This is certainly the most nail-biting cliffhanger in recent memory. Some felt cheated by the sudden cut to black, but I felt it was a powerful way to end the episode. You’re still in a headspace of chaos and death even when the credits roll.

“To’hajiilee” was declared by The Daily Beast to be “the finest episode of Breaking Bad yet.” While I’m not quite ready to place that moniker on this episode, it was definitely the highlight of this season. I can’t think of another TV show or movie in recent years that has captured so well this level of non-stop tension. Ben Affleck’s Argo came pretty close, but Breaking Bad still takes the cake. Interestingly enough, both Argo and Breaking Bad have one thing in common: Bryan Cranston. Without Cranston, this show never would’ve been as successful.  With 3 more episodes left, it’ll be hard to top this one. Then again, I’ve never been disappointed by a Breaking Bad finale.

#11 Breaking Bad-“Rabid Dog”

Walt pulls up to his house and sees Jesse’s car. His face becomes twisted with pain and fear. He sneaks around back with a gun, moving quietly through the bushes. The scene is pulse-pounding and intense. For me, Jesse’s life was very much at stake. Walt walks through his kitchen stealthily and sloshes through gasoline on the carpet. He calls out for Jesse to show himself, but gets no reply. Walt methodically searches every room, every corner of his house. He comes to the last door and carefully turns the knob. No Jesse. He returns to the front of his house and looks inside Jesse’s car. Inside is a CD dusted with what appears to be cocaine. Hmm…

Jesse’s gasoline antics sure made a mess. For the moment, however, the White house is standing. Walt needs to clear the gasoline out of his house as soon as possible. The majority of the gasoline is sucked out through large blue tubes coming from carpet repair trucks on Walt’s driveway. Walt is worried about his family’s safety with Jesse on the loose. He tells Huell to keep an eye on Junior at the high school, while Kuby is watching the car wash.

Walt leaves Jesse a voice mail, which will come into play later. He thanks Jesse for not burning his house down and tells him that he wants to fix things. Yeah, yeah, yeah we’ve heard this before. Jesse can’t sleep this one off, as Walt suggests. On his way inside, Walt talks to a man and stresses that his house have the same keys as before, despite the break in. Walt realizes that Skyler would notice the locks had changed.

Meanwhile, cleaning up the remaining gasoline on Walt’s carpet proves to be damn near impossible. Walt wants the carpet emergency workers to completely erase the smell of gasoline in his house. He offers them extra money to no avail. One of the workers interrupts Walt explaining that until he gets new carpeting, the smell is going to stay. Well, if Walt can’t buy people off, his next natural move is to make up an elaborate story!

Cut to: A close up of Walt getting down to his tighty-whities. Thank you, AMC. Walt has a gun tucked into his underwear, just like the old days. As the wheels turn in his head, he begins to douse some of his clothes in gasoline. What to do with the empty gasoline container? This story’s got to be convincing. First, he disposes of the gasoline in his own garbage can. Then, he decides it’d be better suited in his neighbor’s garbage can. But wait, he also feels compelled to pour some gasoline on his own car seat. Walter White: so calculated, yet so indecisive.
Skyler arrives home and notices a fan in Walt’s front seat. It’s clearly a prop left by Walt to lend credence to his story. Skyler instantly smells the gasoline and comes home to find Walt scrubbing away at the floor. Here comes a ridiculous story! According to Walt, he was at a gas station and experienced a “pump malfunction.” See, the reason there is gasoline in the house is because he accidentally covered himself in the stuff at the gas station. Even by Walt’s standards, this is a pretty weak cover story.
Skyler clearly sees through Walt’s charades but doesn’t call him out in front of Junior. It’s Junior who actually speaks up first and asks Walt to “just please tell the truth.” Junior suspects that Walt fainted at the gas station and it’s his cancer that caused this recent gasoline episode. Walt plays along with Junior’s perception of events. He admits to a new truth that is still a lie, but one that is more plausible to his son. Due to the gasoline smell and Walt’s paranoia, it becomes clear that the White family is not safe in their home. Walt proposes that they have a family vacation, at a nice hotel, to the excitement of Junior.

Later that night, Walt meets up with Kuby and Saul in the hotel parking lot. Saul has had it with Jesse, who’s left a potential scar on his face. “I never should’ve let my dojo membership run out,” laments Saul. Kuby reports that Jesse still hasn’t been found. He’s looked everywhere, even with Badger and Skinny Pete. “Keep looking,” Walt urges. Once Jesse is eventually tracked down, he plans to talk Jesse out of his rage.

Saul makes a fair point. Maybe Jesse is “not in the mood for a nuanced discussion of the virtues of child poisoning.” To Saul, this is an “Old Yeller” situation where Jesse is a rabid dog that needs to be put down. Walt mocks Saul’s “colorful metaphors” and leans in close, saying, “Do not float that idea again.”The lighting of this scene is dark and evocative. At some points during the conversation, Saul is almost completely shrouded in shadow. Walt is portrayed in the same light. This is a style of lighting frequently used in The Godfather. The cinematography on display shows how corrupted Saul and Walt have become. Even so, Walt still has a soft spot for Jesse. Walt, over the course of the series, has slowly corrupted all of the main characters. Everyone has broken bad because of him.
Walt returns to his hotel room and talks with Skyler. “How’s Saul doing?” she asks. “You were just out talking to him in the parking lot.” Walt becomes Heisenberg in a moment: “I’m sorry. Were you spying on me?” Skyler reveals that she knew his pump malfunction story was a lie and demands to know the truth. Walt has a funny way of explaining things. He tells Skyler that Jesse is mad at him for something he did. Skyler quickly understands that Jesse tried to burn their house down. “That…was…probably, for a brief moment, his intention, but obviously, he changed his mind,” Walt awkwardly admits.

Walt further explains that Jesse “has a tendency to fly off the handle,” but he has never hurt anyone. We know Jesse killed Gale, but it suits Walt’s interest to keep that information secret. Skyler seems to be the only person Walt can’t lie to very well. She is in Mrs. Heisenberg mode: “So what’s your course of action here?” In a chilling moment, Skyler orders Walt to kill Jesse. “We’ve come this far, for us. What’s one more?” I was blown away by Anna Gunn’s performance in this scene. My jaw was hanging open for the entirety of the scene. Now, both Skyler and Saul have suggested killing Jesse.
Speaking of Jesse, we flashback to his raid of the White house. He snorts cocaine off a CD and pounds his hands on a steering wheel, amping himself up. Jesse runs inside and douses the place in gasoline. We’ve seen this scene already. Just before Jesse can drop his lit match, Hank bursts in and points a gun at Jesse. Jesse looks half-crazed and he’s crying. “He can’t keep getting away with this!” he wails like a child. Hank tells Jesse that if he wants to bring Heisenberg down, he’ll need to cooperate with the DEA.

Jesse seems to calm down and gets in Hank’s car. As Hank and Jesse drive away, Walt pulls up to the house. This means that Walt missed Jesse by a moment in the opening scene. Hank’s been following Jesse “since Goodman’s.” The two are on the way to the DEA, but Jesse points out what happened to the last few DEA witnesses Walt knew about. Oh yeah, ten guys killed in prison in under two minutes.
Marie is just as shaken about Walt as Hank. She’s taken to researching untraceable poisons and staying up late. She is in therapy at the moment, but it doesn’t seem to be having much effect. Marie can’t really divulge all of what’s going on to her therapist, even if it would make her feel better. The therapist seems to be worried that Marie will do something violent. “Don’t worry, I wouldn’t hurt anybody.” Marie assures him.“…It just feels good to think about it.” Walt’s corrupting influence appears to have broken crazy eyes Marie as well. This scene is well acted but seems unimportant to the overall story.

Just as Marie arrives home, Hank is trying to usher her out the door. This scene echoes Skyler and Walt’s relationship. Where the White’s relationship is built on secrets and lies, Hank and Marie are mostly honest with one another. Marie’s not leaving and Hank is forced to tell the truth. Jesse is passed out in the Schrader’s guest bedroom. Talk about bringing your work home with you! Hank is worried that if he brings Jesse in “Walt’s gonna find out in five minutes.” He can’t afford to lose another witness to Heisenberg.

Hank explains his reasoning, but that’s not what Marie needs to know. “Is this bad for Walt?” she asks. It’s very bad, he assures her. Marie agrees to let Jesse stay, but she’s still not leaving. Just then, Hank hears Jesse’s phone ring and listens to Walt leaving a voicemail. This is evidence that could connect Walt and Jesse.

Walt can’t sleep and he’s sitting next to the hotel pool. It seems like whenever Walt has to scheme he finds a big blue pool to sit by. Junior joins him by the pool. Walt Jr. is still the only major character who’s unaware of Walt’s criminal empire. When Walt tells Junior he’s thinking about business, Junior just assumes he’s talking about buying a second car wash. Poor Junior is upset and worried about his father’s cancer. Walt tells him not to worry: “You think I came all this way just to let something as silly as lung cancer take me down? Not a chance.” Junior embraces his father and buries his face into Walt’s shoulder. This hug is heartbreaking and echoes Walt and Jesse’s hug in the desert.

Walt’s other pseudo-son, Jesse, wakes up in Hank’s house. He sees a picture of Walt dressed as Santa Claus. It’s a surreal moment, because Walt is so far removed from anything jolly at this point in the series. Hank has set up a camera in his living room so that Jesse can record a confession for the DEA. This is both a tactical strategy and a way to get back at Walt when he is caught. As far as Jesse is concerned, he can talk all he wants but it’ll just be considered hearsay without proof. Hank talks Jesse into it anyway and tells him to start from the beginning. “He was my teacher,” Jesse says. It’s crazy how much Jesse has been through since the start of the series.

Hank and Gomey meet outside after finishing the recording. Gomey “unfortunately” believes Jesse’s story, but he worries that “there is no physical evidence.” Hank shares another voicemail that Walt left Jesse. Walt tells Jesse to meet him at Civic Plaza, where he can explain himself. “I’ll be alone and unarmed,” Walt says. For Hank, this is a perfect opportunity to catch Walt. Jesse will wear a wire and get the evidence the DEA needs. Jesse wants no part of this because he figures Walt is just going to kill him.

Due to Walt’s “zero tolerance policy on threats,” Jesse is more than skeptical. “He’ll do just about anything to protect his interests…except when it comes to you,” Hank retorts. Walt has paid for Jesse’s rehab, saved Jesse’s life and made Jesse a 50/50 partner in the meth operation. He also poisoned an innocent child, who Jesse cared about and allowed Jesse’s girlfriend to die. Jesse tends to remember the bad stuff. “Look, you two guys are just guys. Mr. White, he’s the devil.” Gomey is convinced that Jesse is heading into a trap but Hank doesn’t seem to care. “Pinkman gets killed, we get it all on tape,” he says. In some ways, Hank is just as ruthless as Walt when it comes to tracking down drug dealers and criminals.

Later, the plan is in motion. Hank preps Jesse for the operation inside a van, while Gomey operates a camera to film Walt. The van’s door slowly rolls open as Jesse is forced to confront his fears. From a distance, Jesse can see Walt sitting alone on a bench. Every person Jesse walks by on his way to Walt startles him, whether it’s a crazy homeless man or a runner. With Walt seated on a park bench with his back to Jesse, Jesse is especially spooked by a big, bald guy standing off to Walt’s right. This unfamiliar man is seemingly looking in Jesse’s direction. Jesse thinks this guy is there on Walt’s orders to kill him. Jesse has second thoughts and heads to a pay phone.

Hank and Gomey thinks he’s ditching them. Walt picks up his phone and looks puzzled. “This is just a heads up to let you know I’m coming for you…Next time I’m going to get you where you really live,” Jesse threatens and hangs up. The feeling of paranoia in this scene, even in public, reminded me of the 70’s thriller The Conversation starring Gene Hackman. Walt’s supposed hit man turns out to be just a normal guy waiting to see his young daughter. Walt makes another phone call: “Todd, I think I might have another job for your uncle.” Looks like Walt has been convinced that killing Jesse is his only option.

If Walt does end up murdering Jesse, it will be the equivalent of murdering his son. That will be some truly dark territory to explore, even for Breaking Bad. “Rabid Dog” was a very good episode in my opinion. Sure, it was slower than last week, but it was smartly written and tremendously acted. Anna Gunn and Aaron Paul particularly impressed me with this week. The reveal that Hank stopped Jesse from burning down Walt’s house was a neat twist. I can’t wait to see how far Hank will go in his investigation. Only four more episodes left…

#10 Breaking Bad-“Confessions”

After last week’s massacre, we meet up with Todd and some neo-Nazis inside a diner. This scene struck me as very Tarantino-influenced. You have three guys who’ve just committed extreme violence talking casually as if they spent their day grocery shopping. But unlike most of Tarantino’s work, these criminals are truly unpleasant and reprehensible. They stare creepily at an innocent young waitress and talk about how the country’s going to hell. They seem to have forgotten that they’re covered in Swastika tattoos.

Todd’s looking to establish credibility with his uncle and the rest of the homicidal meth cooking community. With his sunny smile and blond hair, you’d never know this kid was a complete psychopath. He relays the story of the Great Methylamine Train Robbery and laughs. What a fun adventure that was! Except for the part where Todd killed a little boy. He forgot to mention that to his buddies. The lowlifes are impressed with Todd and offer him the position of head cook. This empire is futile, as we know Todd can only cook meth at 74% purity at best. The three head back to Albuquerque listening to Romp and Stomp music. You know, just your average ultraviolent, meth dealing maniacs.

Back in the DEA interrogation room, we see things from Jesse’s perspective. We first see him in close up, out of focus. The DEA officers are blurry and hazy; their movements are sped up to show a time lapse. Jesse doesn’t even look up until Hank literally comes into focus. Even then, Jesse is keen on keeping his mouth shut. Hank is there to talk about Heisenberg: “See, I know he’s my brother-in-law Walt.” This gets Jesse’s attention and seems to wake him up from his stupor.

Even so, Jesse’s still defiant. “Why don’t you try and beat it out of me?” says Jesse. He still has a chip on his shoulder from their last encounter, which resulted in Hank beating Jesse to a pulp. Even after all the harm that Walt has done to him, Jesse still will not snitch. Hank can see the pain that Jesse is carrying with him. It’s the same pain that Walt has caused Hank. “He really did a number on you, didn’t he?” says Hank. Hank tries to appeal to Jesse’s hatred of Walt. You and I, we’re not so different, is the gist.

Before Hank can go any further, Saul bursts in, saying, “Agent Schrader, beat any good suspects lately?” Saul’s fast-talking wit is a huge part of the success of his character. That’s mainly the achievement of Bob Odenkirk, but Saul’s dialogue is always a highlight of the show. Now Saul and Jesse are alone. As you might expect, Saul is finding it hard to chill, considering that Hank knows the big secret. In fact, Saul has a “complete lack of chill.” Bob Odenkirk’s known for being a comedic actor, but he proves in this episode that his dramatic chops are up to par. We haven’t seen Saul this perturbed and desperate before.

At the White house, we find out Walt Jr. is still a character on the show. Where has he been? Walt needs to cover his bruises to talk to his son. He reaches for something to conceal his wounds and ends up caking his eyelids in makeup. Walt Jr. is talking to Walt from another room and tells him that Marie needs his help “with some computer thing.” Walt’s jaw drops. He realizes that if he doesn’t act now, he may never see Junior again. So Walt does what he always does: he puts on an act and manipulates someone. Walt uses his facial bruises to his advantage and reveals to his son that the cancer is back. Walt Jr. is holding back to tears and it makes you sick to know that Walt is using his cancer to control his son. Good to see that R.J. Mitte, who plays Walt Jr. is still part of the show. Early on, he provided some great comedic relief, but now he’s doing outstanding work in dramatic scenes. Walt is lying to the face of his tearful son. Last week I may have had some sympathy for Walt, but now I hate him again. Walt gives a performance around everyone, acting only as he wants to be perceived.

In a brief scene, Hank tells Marie that he put off telling his boss about Walt. Marie is right to be upset about this because Hank is going to be in serious trouble the longer he holds on to the Heisenberg information. Walt is mentally coming to the same conclusion about Hank. He decides that “the only way” for his plan to work is to record a confession. Upon my first viewing, I thought Walt was recording a genuine confession that would somehow benefit him. Boy, was I wrong.

Later, Walt and Skyler meet up with Hank and Marie at a Mexican restaurant. This scene delicately walks the balance of comedy and intense drama, pulling it off as usual. Hank has a permanent scowl on his face whenever he looks at Walt. This is both amusing for the viewer and consistent with the character. Great work again from Dean Norris. Walt starts to lay out his reason for bringing them here, when he’s comically interrupted by an energetic waiter named Trent. This is totally unexpected and hilarious.

Imagine an incredibly momentous and crucial conversation being stopped by Flo from Progressive Insurance. All Trent wants to do is offer his customers some margaritas and guacamole. Poor guy. When Trent leaves, Walt makes it clear that this meeting is about Walt Jr. and Holly. Walt’s latest performance is that of a lawyerly family man. Nothing he says to them could be read as offensive or criminal. Despite Walt’s convincing theatrics, Hank and Marie can see and understand his true depravity.

Hank is on the offensive and he expects Walt to confess. He should’ve known that Walt is far more stubborn and calculated than that. “You have no evidence to support your claims. Why tear this family apart?” Walt asks. No sympathy is provoked in Hank or Marie. Trent the waiter comes back with water, but wisely leaves them alone. Skyler breaks character and says, “It’s in the past,” which acknowledges for the first time that Walt has indeed committed crimes. Immediately after this moment, the scene is fraught with tension.

Walt and Hank get into a heated exchange, ending with Walt asking, “What do I have to do to make you believe me? The most surprising element of this scene is Marie’s attitude towards Walt. “Why don’t you kill yourself, Walt,” Marie suggests. Skyler and Walt appear shocked. Even Hank seems to think Marie has crossed the line. “That is not a solution,” says Skysenberg. “Both of you think you’re just going to walk away from this thing? NEVER. GONNA. HAPPEN!” Hank spits. Walt realizes that he won’t be negotiating his way out of this and slides Hank a copy of his confession.

Hank and Marie return home and watch the confession. This scene is one of most brilliantly written moments in Breaking Bad history. Walt is seen up close through grainy camera footage. “If you’re watching this tape, I’m probably dead. Murdered by my brother-in-law, Hank Schrader.” Walt incriminates Hank as Heisenberg and puts himself in the position of chemist. Walt slowly goes through the entire series and connects Hank to a drug empire. The insane part about this confession is that it makes sense!

Walt is using bits and pieces of reality (Hank took Walt on a ride-along in the pilot) and flips the facts in his favor. He pins the Gus Fring situation on Hank and admits that he had to pay Hank’s medical bills, totaling $177,000. This scene gave me goosebumps, specifically in how many threads of Walt’s story connected. Walter is putting on another performance, this time as a weak and scared chemist. When the video finally ends, Marie is the only one with her head on straight. She tells Hank to show this to his boss, Raimi, before Walt can take further action. But Hank is puzzled about the $177,000 Walt claims to have paid. Walt did in fact pay Hank’s medical bills, under the guise that this was “gambling money.” This isn’t Marie’s fault whatsoever, but to Hank this is “the last nail on the coffin” for him.

With pressure from Hank mounting on Walt, he realizes that Jesse needs to go away. He arranges a meet up in the middle of nowhere with Saul and Jesse. Jesse sees a rogue spider crawling along in the desert, a reminder of the little boy whom Todd murdered. Todd took that boy’s spider and kept it in a jar.

Walt pretends to be a concerned dad around Jesse: “Jesse, will you let me help you?” Both Walt and Jesse have their hands in their pockets in this scene and I was worried that Jesse was going to be killed. Walt proposes that Jesse should leave town and start a family, leaving this life behind him. Walt’s speech sounds so rehearsed and acted that it’s easy to see why Jesse flips his lid on him. “In a few years, this might all feel like nothing more than a bad dream,” says Walt, painting a clear picture of his distorted reality.

Jesse has had enough. “Would you just for once, stop working me?” he pleads. Jesse breaks down and calls Walt on his bluff. He begs Walt to tell the truth and to just admit that he needs a favor. Aaron Paul’s performance is heartbreaking and real. Jesse knows that Walt needs him to leave and if he doesn’t comply he may very well kill him. Walt comes in for the most uncomfortable, disingenuous hug I’ve ever seen. Poor Jesse. He collapses onto Walt’s shoulder and cries.

Meanwhile, Hank is becoming more and more like Walt the longer he holds off telling the truth. He can’t even come clean to his partner Gomey about why he’s having DEA guys tail Jesse. Hank has to remain distant with his right hand man and it’s sad to see Gomey and Hank not get along. Once again, Hank has to reschedule a meeting. His secretary is rightly suspicious. Hank’s going to have to come clean sooner rather than later if he has any hopes of catching Walt.

Following Walt’s orders, Jesse has decided to disappear with the help of Saul’s guy. Saul makes a call and babbles some code into the phone. Jesse’s disappearance has been arranged. Jesse decides to continue his habit of smoking weed in Saul’s office, something that won’t fly with the pick up guy. Saul tells Jesse to hand him the dope, but Jesse is “immune to good advice.” He pockets the weed and is granted a Hello Kitty cell phone before he leaves. Unbeknownst to Jesse, Huell lifts the weed from Jesse’s pocket, a move which Saul later regrets.

Jesse’s on the side road, waiting to be picked up. He notices a pack of cigarettes in his pocket, but his stash of weed is gone. The camera spins wildly as Jesse comes a haunting realization. Initially, I thought Jesse might have accidentally smoked the ricin cigarette, but upon retrospect, that makes no sense. I was just worried for Jesse’s life throughout the episode. He ditches the pick up guy and heads back to Saul’s office.

Jesse storms past a sleeping Huell and barges into Saul’s office. He punches Saul in the face and furiously kicks him in the chest. The camera movements are fast and shaky, perfectly matching the intensity of Aaron Paul’s rage. Jesse’s eyes and veins are bulging and he looks like a man possessed. He’s made the connection that Huell also lifted the ricin cigarette from him in season 4, which would explain a) why Brock was poisoned and b) that Walter White is somehow responsible. This is the tipping point for Jesse, now that he realizes Walt is behind the poisoning an innocent child. A sniveling Saul picks up his phone as soon as Jesse leaves and tips off Walt about the situation.

Walt knows he’s in big trouble and drives up to the car wash to grab a gun. He makes up a nonsense story about a faulty latch on the store’s soda machine to keep Skyler from being suspicious. Walt calmly unlocks the machine and reaches inside, producing a frozen gun that’s loaded with six slugs. Oh, and he just remembered that he has to pick up a prescription! Who does Walt think he’s fooling with these ridiculous lies? Skyler is smart enough to know that Walt can’t be trusted, but maybe she knows better than to try to get the truth out of him.

In the final scene, Jesse storms the White house with a gasoline container. He douses the floor with such relentless ferocity that he appears to be Leatherface from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

And that’s where we end this episode. I thought “Confessions” was the strongest hour of this half-season. It was consistently tense, expertly written and also peppered with comedic gold. In other words, a fantastic episode of Breaking Bad. I do wonder just how much of Walt’s house Jesse will actually burn down, because in the future, the place was not burnt to the ground.

#8 Breaking Bad: “Blood Money”

Over the course of the next eight weeks, as Breaking Bad airs its final eight episodes, I’m going to be recapping and reviewing every new episode. I’ll be spoiling everything up to and including season 5, episode 9 of Breaking Bad. But first, a quick recap of last year’s mid-season finale: Walter White is out of the empire business. He’s killed Mike Ehrmantraut and ordered the execution of the nine “legacy men” and a lawyer, all of whom could’ve talked in jail. While sitting on the toilet, Hank finds Walt’s copy of Leaves of Grass with a note inside from Gale. Hank recognizes Gale’s writing and figures out that Walt is Heisenberg.

Now, we come to the beginning of the end. Let’s dive right into season 5, episode 9: Blood Money. We open on some kids skateboarding through what looks like a skate park. But this “skate park” is actually Walter White’s empty pool. There are some really unique camera tricks used here, like some cool shots from underneath a skateboard. Breaking Bad has shown some real ingenuity with its camerawork throughout the series and this scene is no exception. The White residence is completely abandoned and desolate. It’s now fenced-in and littered with graffiti. We’re returning to the future timeline with 52-year old Walt.

And speaking of Walt…outside the house we see him pull up, looking haggard and unshaven. Walt is there to retrieve the ricin he hid inside an electrical outlet. Who is the ricin for? More on that later. Before he nabs the ricin, Walt sees the name “Heisenberg” written in yellow spray paint across a wall in the house. One is left to ponder whether Walt is proud or ashamed of this moniker. This is also the first indication that the public knows that Walter White is Heisenberg. On his way out, a neighbor spots him. “Hello, Carol,” says Walt, nonchalantly. Carol drops her bag of oranges, Godfather-style.

In the present time, Hank returns from the most mind-blowing dump of his life, clutching Leaves of Grass. He’s understandably shaken up and Dean Norris does a great job of showing Hank as unhinged and paranoid. Hank returns to the table, where everyone is laughing and enjoying themselves. “You are the devil,” says Marie to Walt, but we don’t know what came before it. Nice touch, writers.
Hank feigns illness and attempts to skedaddle, but not before Walt holds open Hank’s car door in an extremely threatening fashion. Some alarm bells seem to be going off in Walt’s head, but his suspicions remain unconfirmed. Poor Hank has a panic attack while driving home. He can’t divulge to Marie the real reason for his panic attack just yet. She probably thinks it’s more PTSD from Hank’s border patrol days.

Once home, Sherlock Hank pulls out his magnifying glass and compares two handwriting samples. One sample is old evidence found in Gale’s apartment after he was murdered. The other is from Leaves of Grass. The two samples are almost identical. Hank has now confirmed that Walt’s book was definitely given to him by Gale.

Meanwhile, Walt and Skyler have got a car wash to run. Walt’s clad from head to toe in squeaky-clean beige and his fake salesman talk gives me a strong Gus Fring vibe. Walt’s car wash is a front business, just like Gus’ chicken restaurant, Los Pollos Hermanos. This is the first of many subtle Gus/Walt parallels in this episode. Walt and Skyler seem to be trying to emanate innocence and purity in their all beige attire. Walt mentions that he’s interested in expanding their car wash business. Though no longer a meth kingpin, Walt is constantly trying to operate at the top of the food chain. While things are going smoothly for the car wash, all is not well in the meth business without Walter White.

Lydia comes to the car wash and informs Walt that the current crystal meth purity is nearly 30% lower than Heisenberg’s best batches. When Lydia implies that she may be in danger if Walt does not help, Walt coldly replies, “None of my concern.” This scene echoes Walt’s talks with Gus inside the chicken restaurant, before Gus revealed himself to be a maniac. In this situation, Walt is Gus and Lydia is Walt. Later, when Skyler asks Walt about Lydia, Walt actually tells the truth for a change. So Skyler tells Lydia to leave the car wash and never come back, defending her cubs. Go get ‘em Skyler!

Over in House Schrader, Hank is growing more and more obsessed with Heisenberg. We are treated to a great Breaking Bad montage of Hank searching through old case files: we see glimpses of Gus Fring, Hector Salamanca and Los Pollos Hermanos. Hank also watches security footage of Jesse and Walt robbing methylamine from a warehouse in season 1. I’m glad someone finally watched this footage a second time, because it always bothered me how easily Walt and Jesse got away with that barrel of methylamine.
And speaking of Jesse…he’s hanging out with Badger and Skinny Pete. The two have a great stoner discussion about Star Trek (“Science, bitch!”). Badger lays out his Star Trek script in hilarious fashion: Pie eating contest on the Enterprise, ending with Scotty beaming Chekhov’s guts into space! This is a perfect Badger/Skinny Pete scene and it provided some levity in an otherwise sobering hour of television. Jesse’s guilt is eating away at him and Star Trek talk could not interest him any less. Solution: Better Call Saul! There’s a full waiting room in Saul’s office and Jesse’s not big on waiting. Solution: He pulls out a joint and starts smoking weed until Saul lets him into his office. Classic Pinkman.

In an attempt to clear his conscience, Jesse wants to give away his $5 million. Half to Mike’s granddaughter and half to the parents of the little boy Todd shot in the desert. Jesse has already made the leap in his head that Mike is probably dead. After Jesse leaves Saul the money, Saul makes a phone call. Now we get a big revelation that many fans were suspecting: Walt’s cancer is back. Saul calls Walt, who’s in chemotherapy.

Walt brings the money back to Jesse and tries to win him over. Jesse explains that he knows Mike is dead, because he would come after Walt if he knew the legacy men were dead. Walt lies to Jesse’s face and says he is alive. “I need you to believe this,” Walt repeats. Jesse pretends to believe him, but he’s heard this all before. Aaron Paul’s dejected face and sad eyes say a lot in this scene, more so than any dialogue could. If Jesse isn’t on Walt’s side anymore, than who is? (Going back to the ricin, I think Walt plans to kill Jesse with it in the future.)

Walt is on edge at dinner and when he hears that Hank is still not feeling well, he’s really suspicious. Walt’s looking everywhere for his copy of Leaves of Grass. In the middle of the night, he inspects the underside of his cars and finds a GPS tracker underneath one. This scene is filled with tension and dread even though nothing really happens.
Now we come to the most awesome scene of the episode. Hank doesn’t appear to have slept in days. He’s grown an ugly, scraggly work beard. Walt confronts Hank about the GPS tracker after what seems like endless small talk. Hank can’t keep up his small talk charade anymore. He’s found Heisenberg. Hank closes the garage door and punches Walt square in the face. This moment is extremely satisfying, if you’re like me and you think Walt is a despicable human being.

The rest of the scene is an acting powerhouse. Walt and Hank are face to face. Walt, being a pathetic, petty little man tries to elicit pity in Hank. “Hank, my cancer is back,” he groans. Hank murmurs, “Good. Rot, you son of a bitch.” The look on Dean Norris’s face as he says this line is just breathtaking. Hank is both haunted and furious at the same time; he can barely get the words out. In my opinion, Dean Norris has never been better on Breaking Bad. In fact, he might as well submit this episode for his Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actor this year. I’m calling it.

Walt keeps trying to play the part of a meek, dying, hardworking family man. Hank is stunned. “I don’t know who you are. I don’t even know who I’m talking to,” Hank whispers. Here comes the boom. Walt retorts, in true Heisenberg fashion: “If that’s true, if you don’t know who I am, then maybe your best course would be to tread lightly.” Cut to black. Walt’s statement started out innocent enough, but it turned into a definitive threat. Those last two words are spoken with such a quiet, sinister edge that contrasts with his calm tone during the rest of the scene. I’m so glad that Breaking Bad showrunner Vince Gilligan gave us the Hank-Walt showdown this early on in the season.

Overall, I liked this episode. I thought it was a solid, if somewhat slow, hour of television. The acting and cinematography were, as usual, first rate. Seriously, this show is better than most movies. The deliberate pace of 95% of this episode was worth it for the killer payoff of the last scene between Hank and Walt. I really didn’t expect this one to be fast-paced and I was right. Usually season premieres tend to set up events for the rest of the year. I’m really looking forward to the rest of this season and I’m confident we’re going to get a fully Breaking Bad-Ass conclusion.