Joker (2019)

Just watched this movie and it was *chef's kiss*. I got chills watching the Joker come to life right before my very eyes, over the course of two, riveting hours. So excited to learn that there's a sequel coming later this year - what great timing!

What I love best about this movie is how it takes a cartoon villain, turns it into a believable (and sympathetic, to a point) real life villain, without losing the style or spirit of that character. Watching the riots, in the back of my head I'm picturing Tim Burton's jesters cartwheeling through the streets and I'm thinking, that could totally be a cartoonified version of the realistic events we're seeing in this movie. It's uncanny. And so satisfying to watch the different pieces click together until finally we witness the birth of the Joker. I think the filmmakers hit a bullseye with this one.

Waco (2018)

I just watched the Waco miniseries on Netflix (the one starring Michael Shannon as an FBI hostage negotiator), and it was amazing. One of the best things I've watched this year. The Waco siege is one of those events that occurred while I was growing up, but was too young and uninterested in current events to care. So it was interesting to learn more about it. The series is definitely sympathetic towards the Branch Davidians, and I would not be surprised if it gives them too much credit (the series never addresses, for example, the question of why they had illegal firearms to begin with) - I devoured the Wikipedia entry after finishing the series - but on the other hand, I have no doubt that the government acted egregiously and with overreach. But regardless of what you believe about this modern-day cult, as a piece of entertainment, this series was incredible. Taylor Kitsch is phenomenal as David Koresh.

Halloween 2017

I'm a little out of practice, but here's what I watched for Halloween this year:

The Void (2016) - a Lovecraftian horror with shades of Silent Hill, Hellraiser, and creature effects that would do justice to John Carpenter's The Thing. You never know what you're going to get when going into a horror film - a stylistic tour de force or a cheap 'b' flick. While seeming like the latter, this fortunately leans more toward the former. A group of small town nobodies is besieged in a local hospital by hooded cult-like figures. But rather than a routine run-around hack-and-slash, themes of occult medical experimentation, dark gods, and dimensions to alternate realities are the rule of the day. Recommended.

The Babysitter (2017) - A geeky adolescent finds his courage as he struggles to survive when a night with the babysitter turns unexpectedly homicidal in this campy horror-comedy that was (to my disappointment) more suburban slasher than Satanic ritual. Nevertheless, it's got the style and the humor to be a throwback cult teen movie. Samara Weaving nails the hot-to-trot babysitter with a heart of gold (and also a dark secret), even if she doesn't make as convincing a baddie. For people who prefer fun over scary movies for their Halloween viewing.

Cabin Fever (2002) - Eli Roth (of Hostel fame)'s cult classic tongue-in-cheek horror about the outbreak of a flesh-eating virus in a backwoods setting, starring Rider Strong (Boy/Girl Meets World's own Shawn Hunter). Irreverently self-aware, this movie pokes fun at many horror tropes, while competently bringing the gross-out (no surprise there, given Eli Roth's reputation). I've never been prejudiced against "gorror" movies, but I do have to admit that I'm losing my stomach for them, and I have to say I was easily distracted while watching this one, and lost a lot of interest as lunch time loomed near.

American Fable (2016) - Good, in spite of its flaws. Tries to be a surreal, "modern day fairy tale" (think Pan's Labyrinth), but is too rooted in reality to get its feet off the ground (it wasn't really the movie I thought it was going to be from reading the description). The plot, however, is as compelling as it is a damning portrait of the lows to which its farmers stoop to save their lifestyle from urbanization (or something). The acting is a little wooden, and some of the characters are unrealistic caricatures (perhaps this was intentional), but young Peyton Kennedy is a vision of radiance and worth the price of admission alone.

Mindhunter (2017) - Not a movie, but a series, and a Netflix original, at that. Was introduced to it from a blurb in Time magazine of all places. It sounded interesting, so I gave the first episode a watch, and was instantly hooked. It's fantastically written, acted, and directed, based on the experiences of the guy who literally wrote the book on criminal behavioral science and (I'm guessing) invented the term "serial killer". The series depicts upstart FBI agent Holden Ford's crusade to redirect the bureau's efforts from trying to hunt inscrutable evil (and always staying one step behind), to learning to predict deviant behavior by studying the criminal mind first hand - by interviewing convicted killers, some of whom are disturbingly captivating. Also costars Anna Torv, formerly of Fringe. I cannot recommend this series highly enough.

Angel Heart (1987)

Now this is an old-fashioned horror movie. It starts with an intriguing premise - a 1950s era private investigator (Mickey Rourke) hired by a thinly-disguised avatar of the devil (Robert De Niro in a creepy portrayal, if somewhat more by-the-numbers compared to Al Pacino in The Devil's Advocate) to track down a crooner who sold his soul for success, and then wound up a vegetable following his service in the war, precluding the devil from collecting on his contract. But what really sells the film is the atmosphere it exudes, right from the steaming New York City alleyways in the opening shot, to the voodoo-laced streets of New Orleans where the detective eventually ends up. Kudos also to this movie for not holding back, and crossing a particular line few ever dare to cross (even in horror movies that are supposed to be "messed up"). But as with most mysteries, the less I say about the plot, the better. "How terrible is wisdom when it brings no profit to the wise?" Suffice to say that it's an excellent movie worth taking a couple hours out of your schedule sometime to sit down and watch.

Thoughts on Breaking Bad - Season 5 (Part 2)

I hadn't realized when I watched this season that it was actually split in half (although now I regret not seeing it when it aired, and being part of the cultural excitement about catching the last episodes and finding out in real time what happens next), but in hindsight that makes a lot of sense. And since it's a longer season (16 episodes instead of 13) - and being the last season, there's lots to talk about - it made sense to split this review in half, too. Here's the final part!

Spoiler Warning: This post is going to discuss - and therefore contain major spoilers from - the second half of the fifth and final season of Breaking Bad. The ending to the series will be covered. You have been warned!

S5:E9 "Blood Money"

I couldn't help noticing Bryan Cranston with the director's credit for this episode. Very cool. The X-Files used to do this in its later years, giving its lead actors an opportunity to get some directing experience.

What a haunting opening scene. Presumably taking place after the season opening flash-forward. Walt returns to his house, now all boarded up, to retrieve the poison he hid there. Such suspense. What all went down to get him to this point? Where is his family? How did he escape fate? Where is he headed now, and what is he going to do with that poison, and all those guns? (Also, it's amazing how the swimming pool has become a sort of character in and of itself, framing a lot of the intense, emotional moments of this series).

This is it. Finally. All this time, Hank never [seriously] considered the possibility of his own brother-in-law being a crime lord. But there were moments. The stolen chemistry equipment. The initials in Gale's lab notes. Hank had this image of Walt that precluded the possibility of seeing him in this way. That's why he could so easily brush off the tiny details here and there. But now, with the Walt Whitman book, and the damning connection it makes between Walt and Gale, whether he believes it yet or not, or wants to believe it, it's going to force him to consider Walt in a new light. And I think that the more he thinks about it, the more the pieces are going to fall into place. This will finally be the ultimate end for Heisenberg, as it always should have been. But how will it go down?

Oh, shit. Walt confronts Hank about the tracker on his car. Now Walt knows Hank knows, and Hank knows Walt knows he knows. He doesn't know how to respond, but you can see the heartbreak in Hank's face. I didn't think it would happen this fast. I thought they'd play it out for a while before the confrontation. But this is great. No pussyfootin' around. Now it's a battle of wills, not wits.

The whole scene is tense, but understated. We're not talking, like, explosions and things. I mean, yeah, Hank punched Walt, but they're barely speaking over a whisper. Yet the emotions...I feel buzzed just watching it. All the anticipation has been leading to this. I want to know what happens next. I don't want this episode to end - I want to watch the next one! This show hasn't been so exciting since I'd gotten into the habit of expecting its usual high quality. I feel like I'm watching the first season again.

"I don't know who you are. I don't even know who I'm talking to."
"If that's true - if you don't know who I am - then
maybe your best course...would be to tread lightly."

Spoken like a true Heisenberg. You think he's going to spin another lie to save face - the way he used to do to Skyler before she figured everything out. But no. No games here. Just pure ego.

Shit, I'm watching the scene again. Right now.

...

I have to say, for a scene I've been anticipating this whole series, it completely delivered. I wouldn't have predicted it'd go down quite like this. I wasn't even expecting it to happen so fast - and surely this is just the calm before the storm. But this is it - the confrontation between Hank and Walt when Hank knows that Walt is Heisenberg. And it is fantastic. Kudos also to Dean Norris for bringing it in this scene. As Hank Schrader, he's been a fun character, but kind of in the background. Here he goes head to head with the great Bryan Cranston, and possibly even comes out on top! I can't wait to find out what happens next.



S5:E10 "Burned"

Aftermath! Hank confronts Skyler, thinking she'll help him out (ha!). But she's concerned for herself (and rightly so). Things are spiraling out of control for Hank. He has no idea how deep this thing goes.

That's rich - Walt getting offended at Saul's suggestion to off Hank. Like he has any moral standing left...

Marie confronts Skyler. Emotions are running high. I'm totally digging this atmosphere. Hank's been hunting Heisenberg all this time, but there's no joy in finally finding him, because he's lost family in the process, and that's just devastating. All that's left is the cold desire - the need - to catch this monster. Somehow.

Pinkman! Oh man, I want to see what happens when Hank questions Jesse. I'm riding the wave now!



S5:E11 "Confessions"

Hank: "...make this all go away."

Ha. You can't make this all go away. I was hoping for a somewhat happy ending for Jesse, being that he's the one with the conscience and all. But with everything that's happened, I don't know that he could ever be happy again. Even if he manages to escape legal trouble, he'll still have that stain on his soul - in his memories, his psyche.

"He really did a number on you, didn't he?"

I'll say. With friends like Walter White, who needs enemies?

A confession! How far we've come since the first episode, which was the last time Walt attempted to record a video confession...

You know, I didn't think Hank would be able to crack Walt's defenses, but putting confessing in terms of "stepping up" and "being a man" - how will Mr. Ego respond to that?

Lol, oh man. By trying to frame Hank - that's how. A criminal mastermind to the end.

To the last, I tell you. Walt sounds like he's actually concerned for Jesse's mental state. But I know he just needs to make Jesse disappear, so as not to compromise his plans. It's probably just his sentimental feelings from working with Jesse that prevents him from simply offing him like everybody else.

And, yep - Jesse saw right through it. I'm glad he's finally calling Walt out on his bullshit. Then again, this is beginning to feel like the last we'll see of Jesse...

{expletives deleted} Jesse found out about the cigarette! Will Jesse be the one to finally kill Walt? Dammit, why am I going away for the weekend? I want to watch the next episode now!

It's funny how vague the episode synopses are becoming on Netflix, in order to avoid spoilers. "An unusual strategy starts to bear fruit, while plans are set in motion that could change everything." That sounds like something you might get in a fortune cookie, lol.

You know, I'd been thinking in these flash forwards that it looks like Walt is gearing up for war - but against whom? My first thought was, of course, the DEA. But could it actually be Jesse? All this time, I'd been waiting for the confrontation between Walt and Hank, but what I didn't see coming was the confrontation brewing between Walt and Jesse. Well played, Gilligan.



S5:E12 "Rabid Dog"

Walt with the gasoline - it's like he's spinning another one of his lies from two or three seasons ago. I'm sure Skyler knows he's lying, but at this point she knows better than to ask him for the truth. (Well, at least not in front of Junior). But why didn't Jesse burn the house down, like he was going to?

This is interesting. Everybody just assumes that Walt will eliminate the Jesse threat, but for once, he means to solve the problem without terminal violence. Even I could be accused of thinking Walt would off Jesse earlier in the season. But now we're dealing with a person close enough to Walt that his "moral judgment" (ha!) is kicking into gear. It's not that he'll kill anyone, it's just that there are few people who matter enough to him to warrant foregoing the "final solution". It's like, he's got a moral compass like everyone else, it's just tuned all the way down to "sociopath". It remains to be seen, however, how easily Jesse will flip into the "not sacred" camp as he continues to threaten Walt and his family. Or, if Walt can't make that jump, will that be the ultimate end of him? Is Jesse even capable of that? (Why did he change his mind about the house? Or did someone change it for him?).

"Walt's a bastard. Secret's out. We'll talk about it."

Oh my god! An alliance between Hank and Jesse? A match made in Hell! (Or, since this is an antihero story, and Walt's the protagonist, a match actually made in Heaven?).

It seems poignant that the camera focused on Hank buckling himself and Jesse in before driving away. Something about following the rules and doing the right thing, logic prevailing over emotion. Something like that.

Marie in therapy:

"There is no problem - no matter how difficult, or painful, or seemingly unsolvable - that violence won't make worse."
"I know. I...don't worry, I wouldn't hurt anybody. I just... It just feels good to think about it."

And that's why we're all watching this show, right? But I guess that's where we draw the line between good and evil.

One thing that's ironic is that early on in this show, Hank and Marie were the unlikable people, compared to Walt and Skyler. But they're the good ones - they're coming out on top in the end. Just goes to show, there's more important things than a person's charisma. Then again, the way that we're drawn to charisma...again, that's why we're watching this show, right?

Walt sits by the swimming pool, even at the hotel (nice hotel by the way). Did I mention how the swimming pool is almost it's own character in this show? I don't know if there's some symbolism to it, but even if not, I think that's a great detail that really fleshes out Walt's humanity (what little of it he has). I can totally relate to meditating near water. It has a calming influence.

"You think I came all this way just to let something as silly as lung cancer take me down? Not a chance."

Even though that's what I thought this show was all about at the start, I kinda feel like Walt has a point now. Can anything take him down?

As Jesse sits down to be interviewed on camera by Hank (and Gomez - I'm glad Hank's brought him into this, as I didn't like seeing him cut out, and Hank with no allies at the DEA), I want to believe that this will be good for him - that he'll work out some kind of deal or whatever.  But then I remember those Youtube videos I've seen about how it's NEVER in your personal interest to talk to a cop - even when you're innocent. And given how guilty Jesse is, and how crafty and slippery Walt is, Jesse's basically signing his own arrest warrant here if things don't work out the way Hank wants them to, or if Hank has a sudden change of heart about Jesse after learning about his involvement in Walt's misdeeds. (Although if ever his possession of a conscience could save his soul, this would be the time for it - I think that's something Hank could respond to, much as he's already predisposed to hating Jesse).

Once again, great investigative instinct, Hank. He's figured out that Jesse is Walt's weak spot. And not just because of the dirt Jesse has on him. This truly is the making of a great "the taking down of Walter White" story, provided things don't go the way Walt would like to see them go.

What is Jesse's plan? Oh shit, did Walt just put a hit out on Jesse? Well, that took almost a whole episode...



S5:E13 "To'hajiilee"

Hank and Gomez trick Huell to try and track down Walt's only remaining weakness - his money - leading to an epic showdown in the desert.

A living example of "moral relativity" is an ex-con hitman describing other people as "savages".

Walt puts out a hit on Jesse with Todd's uncle Jack, in exchange for agreeing to cook once more, in order to teach Todd to bring up the purity. He can't kill Jesse himself because he's too close to him. But I can totally see him taking out Todd's whole family if necessary. Maybe Todd, too - I don't know.

Oh god, Walt is using Brock to flush Jesse out. He's a madman!

In the desert - Walt realizes he's fucked, and finds out Jesse's working with Hank. What is he going to do now?

Surrender! Is this it?

No! You can NOT end the episode there, right in the middle of a shootout! It's terrible - I even said to myself, Jack's crew are gonna come anyway, and spring Walt, but then I got so lost in the moment - Hank finally arresting Walt - that when they showed up, it was just like, oh shit. Also, Hank's phone call with Marie had a strange poignancy to it that I couldn't quite place. I figured it must have been because Hank just closed the case that's been driving him mad for years, indicating that everything's going to be better in their relationship moving forward. But as soon as those trucks came around, I got this sinking feeling - Hank's not making it out of there alive. Damn.



S5:E14 "Ozymandias"

An eerie flashback to the first day, that emphasizes how much has changed since then.

To think that Walt would offer his entire fortune to Jack to let Hank live. I know he's "family", but Walt never even liked Hank that much. And this is his money we're talking about - the reason he did it all. I wonder if he's got something up his sleeve (he always does). Like, sure, let Jack take the money. As long as he gets out of this, he'll figure out a way to waste Jack and get the money back. Maybe he doesn't even have a plan yet, but is counting on his wits to figure it out later (he'd have good reason to).

"My name is ASAC Schrader, and you can go fuck yourself."

Oh my god, this episode is just filled with bad feelings. It's not even cathartic. Just sad. Ugly. Yet I still love it.

Caged and tortured - this is not the ending I had in mind for Jesse... Although being shot execution style wasn't it either.

> Call for help.

> Take matters into your own hands.

Junior calls the cops on his dad. Walt rushes out with the baby. Skyler runs out into the street after them, helpless. This is the most haunting suburban scene I've watched since Halloween. My terse comments do not do it justice. "We're a family!"

And he's off, with a new identity. All that's left is the denouement - tying up loose ends, seeing the rest of these characters' ends.

I guess this season has been all about not just how Walt will be taken down - but how far he'll go before the end. (Which is what we've all been watching to see).

Surely, Walt's loose ends are going to be killing Jesse - but does he know for sure that Jack's gang kept him alive? He was willing to give himself up when Hank caught him, but now, even when he's lost everything - most of his money, and above all, his family (including his kids) - he's still in it for himself, apparently.



S5:E15 "Granite State"

Lol, I was just thinking, "I wonder if we'll see any more of Saul Goodman." And, sure enough, here he is. This should be interesting, seeing Walt as he is now, interacting with Saul, both of them on the lam.

"No matter how much you got, how can you turn your back on more?" - Todd's laconic wit.

Todd threatens Skyler (and the baby) to keep quiet about Lydia. I love how this show does scenes like this. It's like, we've seen what crime is like from the perspective of a million dramas and documentaries, and it's always these bad people we don't understand, framed in a certain way that we can separate ourselves from the danger. Here, it's like, this is just another part of the daily life of these people. It's fascinating.

I was really rooting for Jesse to escape that compound, but I guess at this stage - ever since the showdown in the desert - this show is done with feel good developments. It's all about soul-crushing devastation now, and Todd's encounter with Andrea (animals!) accomplishes that like a knife to the gut.

Walt holes up in a cabin in remote (and snowy) New Hampshire. (Why am I thinking of the Smoking Man, lol)? All he's worked for has turned to dust. A perfect representation of the previous episode's allusion to Ozymandias (which I also remember being referenced in The Watchmen) - the king of kings brought low. He can't even get the little (relatively speaking) money he has left to his family. It was all for naught. I guess, in the end, crime doesn't pay, after all. What will be his final move? And what will become of Jesse? What will happen in the final episode? I'm betting it'll hinge on a confrontation between Walt and Jesse.

I think one of the most fascinating things about this series is how it manages to make a villain sympathetic. Walter White is a human being. A despicable human being sometimes - for sure. But a human being nonetheless. Like, I was rooting for Hank to catch Walt (sooner or later), and Flynn had every right to react the way he did when Walt called him after going on the lam (great scene, by the way). But still, I sympathize with Walt because I understand why he did the things he did.

He still deserves to rot in hell - make no mistake about that. Understanding is not the same thing as condoning. That's something that I think a lot of people have trouble with (in the real world). It's like they have some superstition that if they "understand" the reasons why a person does horrible things, it's the same thing as excusing those things. I never understood how or why that conclusion should follow. I mean, shouldn't we try to understand why people do horrible things? Isn't that a better way to prevent and handle those bad things than willful blindness?

I strive to separate emotion from logic in these cases. People who do horrible things can still have something to contribute to society. Like, if a murderer donates to a puppy shelter, the fact that he donated to the puppy shelter doesn't mean that he shouldn't suffer the consequences of committing murder, and at the same time, the fact that he's a murderer doesn't mean that his charity toward puppies is "poisoned" in some way. (In the case of money, I completely understand not wanting to spend so-called "ill-gotten gains", but the point is conceptual - if a bad person does something good, that doesn't mean that the good thing isn't really good, especially when other, not bad people do it).



S5:E16 "Felina"

"If we're gonna go that way, you'll need a bigger knife."

Walt's plan to get the last of his money to his family via a veiled (and coerced) donation by the Schwartzes (of Gray Matter) is (characteristically) brilliant. And Walt's visit to their home is another one of this series' subtly haunting scenes, with Walt just kinda walking into the place (not even breaking in - just walking in) and acting like he owns it (as well as the lives of its inhabitants). Awesome bluff with the "snipers" - it totally had me going. Also, nice surprise seeing Badger and Skinny Pete one last time before the series ends.

Great job shooting Walt in the coffee shop that Lydia frequents. I swear, he was sitting right there, and I didn't notice him until he stood up! Well done.

Well, now we know who the poison was intended for. Walt's tying up loose ends, alright. And working on something big, too. He'll need it to take down Jack's group. I hope this blowout is going to be one last example of Walt's wizardry - like the trick with the fulminated mercury all the way back in the first season.

Walt visits Skyler first. I'm glad that the truth about Hank is being set straight once and for all. I really thought Walt had gone off the deep end when he made that call after running out with the baby, but Saul's explanation suggests that it was just a smart move to try and take some of the heat off of Skyler. As terrible a person as Walt may be, the family deserves to know that he genuinely didn't intend for Hank to be killed. Although some would say that the damage is done. It's certainly too late to turn back the clock.

And then Walt confesses: "I did it for me." This really is the end, isn't it? (Although, I suppose he has to say that, if he wants the family not to question the Schwartzes' gift when it comes, which is the only way he can get any of his money to them)...

And, the final showdown. Jesse strangles Todd (how things have changed since the first season). Todd was one of those odd characters, where I wanted to like him, but then he would do things that made me not like him. Kinda like Gus - except in the end, I guess the worst things Gus allegedly did, Gus didn't even really do. In Todd's case, I can't say I'm sad to see him go. He totally had it coming. As for Jack, I like how Jack's death mirrors Hank's death. Shot in mid-sentence. Then Walt gives Jesse one last mind fuck, but he prevails over Walt's psychological manipulations this time. Not that it warrants forgiveness, after everything that happened, but Walt did save Jesse's life, and gave him his freedom, in the end. Not saying Walt should run for saint or anything, just that...it is what it is.

And then Walt dies surrounded by what he truly loves - in the bowels of a meth lab. And it wasn't the cancer, but a bullet that killed him! I think the one enduring idea that I've taken away from the ending to this series is how we've been taken on this wild ride, and the purpose was to demonstrate, from a more or less sympathetic perspective, how a bad man came to discover his calling in life - being a drug kingpin ("I liked it. I was good at it."). And the fascinating part is the extent to which he's been portrayed sympathetically. No, we haven't always agreed with him, but as I explained above, we've been asked to consider the motivations for his behavior, and they've been largely understandable from the perspective of human nature. Does it mean we should let meth lords do their thing? No, not necessarily. (I mean, you could make an argument, but...).

I guess I just really respond to the whole idea of sympathizing with somebody misunderstood. People are so quick to judge and condemn. Again, not saying I condone Walt's behaviors, but is it really so bad to take a moment and try to see where people are coming from? If you're so afraid that realizing that "he was protecting his family" will make you feel like his actions were justified (up to and including murder), to the point that you'd rather not consider it and just focus myopically on the bad thing he did, ignoring the reasons for it, then I fear for your own moral compass. I fear for the moral compass of humanity.

Then again, if there are people like Walter White out there in the world, who can come to justify these behaviors in their own lives... I guess I just like to see the world as it really is, in shades of grey. If things are not so clear cut, I don't want to reduce everything to blacks and whites. I want to experience the full dynamic range of life. And, philosophically speaking, if murder really is bad, then I want to discover the correct reason for that, and not rely on the demonstrably shaky foundations of something nebulous like the concept of "judeo/christian principles".

All this is to say that this is one fucking fantastic television series. But as incredible as this show is, and as crazy as anyone would be to say "I don't want to have more new episodes of Breaking Bad to watch", I really appreciate a story that's not afraid to end, and I'm glad that Vince Gilligan learned from the mess that the X-Files developed into, not to carry the show beyond its welcome. You can't do things like kill Hank and break up Walt's family (for real) until you're in the end game, and those are incredible storytelling events. Otherwise, if you try to keep the show going as long as it's profitable, you end up holding off on those developments indefinitely, and the show becomes something it never intended at the outset.

So, sad as I am not to have any more new episodes of Breaking Bad to watch, I'm really glad it ended when it did. After all, it's such a great series that it's worth watching again. In fact, I'd love to go back and watch it all again with somebody who hasn't seen it yet, just to savor their reactions. Hopefully you've gotten a little piece of that here with these reviews. It's been a hell of a time!

Thoughts on Breaking Bad - Season 5 (Part 1)

Sad but true story: when I started this season, I had planned to review each episode separately (kind of like I did with The X-Files), since I had become thoroughly entrenched enough in the series to that point. But, after getting as much as the first three episode reviews polished and ready to post (I wanted to get a few done first so I knew I'd be able to commit to the format), Blogger up and ate them without warning, leaving me with nothing but the raw notes I'd typed up in Notepad. It nearly crushed my spirit. But I trudged on. And now I'll just have to do this last review like I did the past four seasons...

Spoiler Warning: This post is going to discuss - and therefore contain major spoilers from - the first half of the fifth and final season of Breaking Bad. Reader discretion is advised. :-p

"I won."

S5:E1 "Live Free or Die"

In the season five premiere, we pick up where the last season left off - with Walt gloating over his victory in the face off with drug kingpin Gustavo Fring. But not before being treated to a tantalizing flash forward in which Walt appears to be on the run, and gearing up for a violent confrontation. Also, Jesse hatches a harebrained scheme involving a gigantic "magnet bomb" that's just crazy enough to work.

Walt is definitely getting power drunk. He's threatening Saul, scaring Skyler. I feel like he's finally gone over the deep end. There's no turning back now (psychologically - seeing as Walt's been screwed since the first season). I imagine he's just on a downward spiral now, and it's only a matter of time before things get out of control - even for him. Although, the scene we saw at the beginning of the episode makes you wonder. Will Walt get out of this in the end? Go on the run? Use Saul's contact to start a new life? Where is his family? Or was that not the final end of this story? I guess time will tell.

I haven't watched some of these other "antihero" shows that are popular - like, I don't know, The Sopranos, or whatever. But while I'm definitely seeing Walt finally turning into more of a villain - the sort of guy who gets what he wants, and has no qualms about stepping on people's toes (to put it so lightly as to be offensive) to do it - what's fascinating about him is that, even if he may not be a clone of the average Joe who lives on your street, he still feels normal-ish, in terms of where he's coming from. The high school teacher with a suburban family. He didn't grow up in a gang, or a mafia family, or even amidst a drug culture, like Jesse presumably surrounded himself with. He's no "Godfather". He was just this mild-mannered 9-to-5er, like so many of the rest of us, and now he's this...force of nature. But again, that's what makes this series so original, and so intriguing.



S5:E2 "Madrigal"

This episode's opening segment is like something straight out of The X-Files - with an international business executive defibrillating himself on the toilet. It catches your attention, and keeps you guessing. Gilligan and his team definitely learned a few tricks working on The X-Files.

Clearly, Walt's not even thinking about hanging up his hat now. Not that that's really surprising - but there was a time once when he would have relished the perfect opportunity to get out. He's definitely over the deep end now, headed for disaster. Sooner or later.

With all this international intrigue, I feel like I'm watching a James Bond movie, but it's always fun to see Mike at work. He's such a down to earth guy. His police interview was very tense - he knows just how to deal with the cops. It's no wonder he sees that Walt is (to quote Jose Chung from that other series) a ticking time bomb of insanity. But I guess all of this is pushing Mike into needing money so he'll join up against his better instincts with Walt and Jesse (by this point, Walt gets what he wants - one way or another). What a sad commentary on society that people can so easily go into debt - even when they're rich - that they'll resort to such dangerous get-rich-quick schemes as manufacturing illegal drugs. It makes you wonder what the point of honest labor is, beyond some nebulous concept of "virtue". Other than peace of mind, and not always having to look over your shoulder, I guess.

I'm surprised Saul is still dealing with Walt. He's smart enough to know that Walt's bad news. But then, I guess, if Walt's got him in his clutches, there's nowhere for him to go...

There's a great scene in this episode where Hank's superior is discussing Fring's two-faced deception - how he would schmooze with the DEA, and all the while he had this secret double life. You can almost see it through Hank's eyes, the wheels turning in his head. Is he starting to suspect Walt now?

Have to say, I love that Jesse referred to the RV as the "crystal ship". Awesome.

What a haunting ending, with Walt and Skyler in bed. And what a change from season 1. Walt has his family, but he's basically destroyed it, along with his own soul. Skyler is terrified. She looks like she wants to be anywhere else but in that bed, but she's got none of the spunk from before. She has no leg left to stand on, after what happened to Ted. She's like a wounded animal. And Walt - he's like some shadowy beast, sniffing and pawing over his prey. It's not even sexual, but purely a dominance thing. (I almost wouldn't be surprised if he started urinating on her to mark his territory). He's got no humanity left at all, it seems. The transformation we've seen in this series is so fascinating, and it's really feeling like it's going too far. Like the end is growing near. How have we gone this many years as a society and never crafted any media that ever depicted the birth of a sociopath so convincingly before?

(On that note, it's interesting to go back and think about Walt's little "outbursts" in the first season. At first it was cathartic - striking back at the assholes you encounter in day to day life. Then it started getting a little extreme. And now, looking back, you can see it for what it really was - sociopathic tendencies. By the end, Walt doesn't like a guy - he just kills him).



S5:E3 "Hazard Pay"

Mike's in the hot seat, trying to keep the ship afloat. Walt moves back into his house, to Skyler's chagrin (he's got the balls back in this relationship, although now it's a dysfunctional one). And the new team hunts for a new lab.

I gotta say, the exterminator setup is an ingenious idea. If it weren't so damn illegal, it might even work. But I'm thinking right now that there are way too many moving parts (literally!). Something's bound to fall through. And right now, what they need is an airtight case. In other words, it looks like they're building up a new operation, but I can't help feeling like it's just a setup for disaster. (Of course, knowing that the series is coming to an end probably contributes to that, as well),

Skinny Pete is surprisingly good at piano!

Regarding Jesse's relationship with Andrea, why would Walt pump Jesse's head full of those ideas about trust and honesty and whatnot? Does he not realize that Jesse has a conscience? Does he want Jesse to blab about his business to his girlfriend? Maybe he thinks it will cause Andrea to want to leave him. Why does Walt not want Jesse to be happy? Is he really that petty? Or is it just simply that he's completely uncomfortable being reminded of what he did to Brock (that scene on the couch - so much unspoken subtext...), that he wants to sabotage Jesse's relationship (and what a suave way to do it - this guy's a master sociopath), to get them as far away from him as possible, no matter the emotional cost to Jesse? You know what, knowing Walter White, that sounds the most likely.

"Listen, Walter. Just because you shot Jesse James, don't make you Jesse James."

Walt discusses his re-interpretation of Gus' killing Victor in the lab (with the box cutter) with Jesse, subtly hinting that he might do something to Mike for "taking liberties" with their money. Jesse's been like a blind puppy dog for most of this series, loyally following Walt around. Is he finally getting a sense of the man's true nature? I'm kinda feeling like Walt's gonna be the one to screw himself over in the end. No weak link - it's like Scarface, the movie he was watching with Walter, Jr. ("Everyone dies in this movie, don't they" - is that foreshadowing?). Drunk on power, completely detached from reality, believing in his own legend, not even conscious enough to realize when the game's up...



S5:E4 "Fifty-One"

"What are you waiting for?"
"For the cancer to come back."

You and me both, Sky. (Skyler's really starting to lose it, walking into the pool fully dressed. Can't blame her though - she's living with a madman).

Walt's getting too fancy with these cars. What happened to being discreet? The way he put that hat on in front of Walt, Jr. - I almost get the feeling that he's been in this long enough, and he's becoming more confident now about what he's doing - that he's getting tired of hiding. He wants the world (or at least his family and friends) to know who he is. But the tricky thing about "coming out" is that it can have real, serious consequences. Especially when you're coming out as something extremely illegal. Still, I can't deny that there's an appeal there in coming clean - not in the sense of giving it up and admitting your fault, but saying, as the Marquis de Sade once did, "either kill me or take me as I am, for I shall never change."

Leave it to Hank to notice those mismatched shoes. A genius investigator, I say.

About this idea re: putting the kids in "a new environment". It's amazing how well written this show is, that it speaks so well to humanity. I think it's safe to assume that Skyler doesn't want Walt influencing the kids, because he's obviously become a bad influence. At the same time, I can sympathize with Walt, because I know what it feels like for somebody to not want you influencing their kids, while at the same time you think you'd be a better influence than the alternative. I can just see that if I were in Walt's position, and it were my kids, how this could turn into a majorly serious argument. Even monsters have a sense of pride and dignity.

Walt and Skyler are becoming enemies. They've been at odds for a large part of this series, but there was always the assumption of a bond between them, however fraught. But now she's like a trapped animal, trying to escape the lion's den. Walt is being surprisingly civil to her for now, but what will it take before he snaps and attacks her, too? Is the reason he's alone in the season opening flash-forward because he has no family left? Whether it's because he's driven them away - or worse? I kinda feel like if Walt, Jr. ever loses his illusion of respect for his father, that might just be the last straw that strips the last ounce of humanity from Walt. How can you justify your madness in terms of protecting your family when there's no family left to protect?



S5:E5 "Dead Freight"

"I'm not your wife; I'm your hostage."

Walt bugs Hank's computer, right there in the offices of the DEA. God, he's got guts.

"Everyone sounds like Meryl Streep with a gun to their head." Mike with his one liners.

Lol, Lydia suggests train robbery - literally! Mike and Walt are bickering about the train heist, and Jesse is sitting there coming up with ideas - he's really coming into his own. I'll bet this'll be even better than the magnet idea! (It's like a train heist version of Indiana Jones!).

"There are two kinds of heists. Those where the guys get away with it. And those that leave witnesses." Oh god, what horrible foreshadowing... Talk about a hollow victory - what a way to turn success into utter devastation. When shit like this happens, it really makes you wonder what's the point. Is it really worth it? How one chooses to proceed after a tragedy like this is what separates the men from the monsters.

S5:E6 "Buyout"

Wow, I almost thought Skyler was going to blab to Marie there. That would have been the end of it. It's not smart, but when you're desperate, sometimes you become self-destructive, or else you begin to prioritize your emotional wellbeing over the longterm consequences of living a terrible lie. Psychologically, I wanted Skyler to come clean. I know how good that can feel.

Getting back to the fallout from the train heist - I wonder if this is going to be the straw... wait, that's a bad analogy. I wonder if this is going to finally be what breaks Jesse's resolve and blind loyalty to Walt. The murder of that innocent boy to protect their secret enterprise - it's not pleasant at all, but it's such a fascinating conundrum to consider. As the conscience in this story, Jesse has become a more and more interesting character, especially since the Gale incident, and the subsequent reaction to his rehab therapy group. I once had a dream where I killed someone, and got away with it. But the worst part of it - the part that haunted me long after I woke up - was the hollow feeling that comes from knowing that I'd been responsible for something so horrible, so unconscionable. I mean, like, I can sympathize to a point. Even having been involved in something like this, moving forward like Walt wants to do doesn't necessarily mean condoning the collateral damage. A person like Jesse can believe in his heart that what he's doing is wrong, yet still go on, because that's just your basic survival instinct. And I guess we consider (and probably rightfully so) a person to be truly capable of rehabilitation if they seek restitution for their wrongs, which could only occur if Jesse confessed, forgoing his own survival instinct to right the wrong he is at least partly responsible for committing. But I guess that can be a process, too. And it's incredible, but I've never before seen any kind of fictional media - book, movie, or otherwise - that has explored these themes in such a visceral, believable fashion. I don't know, maybe it's me - maybe you have to have certain life experiences to respond to certain things like this in a certain way, and it's only now that I've become receptive to that. But regardless, this series has done an amazing job of it.

There's a perfectly creepy scene in this episode - Jesse is agonizing over the kid's death, and Walt is trying to cheer him up, by giving him the rest of the day off. And Jesse's on his way out the door, and Walt's in the lab whistling while he works - like he's actually in a good mood after all this has happened! It's horrifying in such a subtle way.

And again, I say that Aaron Paul is a great actor in this series. Maybe he wears his emotions on his sleeve a little bit, but when he said "I'm out", I could see the heartbreak on his face (not wanting to disappoint Walt - or was that fear?).

"Billions - with a 'b'." Good to hear about Gray Matter again. "I'm in the empire business." What a megalomaniac! That explains why Walt is so insistent on keeping the business, though - it's all he has left, now that his family has been shattered, and his kids taken away from him. Also, most awkward dinner ever - with Jesse just sitting there, caught in the middle of this power play between husband and wife...

This is kind of a technical aside, but this show is really well lit - with dark shadows in just the right places. And of course, the brilliant, bright, desert scenes. Light and shade, baby.

"Everybody wins." (Yeah, we'll see about that).



S5:E7 "Say My Name"

There's so much to analyze and discuss about this series, but what's being presented to you is often so haunting, and emotionally affecting, that you're frequently left speechless, with no words to describe what's going on in front of you. In this episode, Walt makes a new distribution deal with his competitor, now that Mike is retiring (that meeting - pure ego). I'll be sad to see Mike go...

Jesse also leaves the cook, despite Walt's sincere protests. (Does he care more about him as a friend, or a manipulable worker? Doesn't take him long to start molding Todd in his image, although I want to say that Jesse is special - you can't just replace him with any lowlife slacker).

Sigh. I knew Walt was gonna shoot Mike - I mean, it was obvious. What's surprising is that Mike didn't see it coming. He knew Walter was a ticking time bomb. He shoulda seen it coming...

S5:E8 "Gliding Over All"

Walt makes a distribution deal with Lydia, and choreographs the killing of nine potential snitches in prison (with help from Todd's uncle Jack).

This is just another one of those great, understated moments in this series - when Hank comes home agonizing over how stressful it is to "chase monsters", unknowingly griping to the very monster he's chasing, while that monster just sits there, completely unaffected emotionally. This is villainy - not dark capes and evil, exaggerated laughs.

Yep, I'm never going to be able to listen to Crystal Blue Persuasion the same way again...

All this work Walt has to go to in order to put together his new business - it really makes you appreciate the whole enclosed system Gus had had set up, before Walt had to come along and raze it to the ground.

"How big does this pile have to be?"

Walt visits Jesse at home. It's sweet to hear them reminiscing about their old RV. I'm feeling kind of nostalgic too, knowing that this series is heading towards its end. Of course, you can't turn back the clock. Reminds me of the sappy mood in Vince Gilligan's penultimate episode of the X-Files, Sunshine Days - although less cheesy and saccharine here, thankfully. I'm a little bit relieved, though. I was beginning to think that Walt would end up finding some reason to kill Jesse (as I'm sure that's what Jesse was starting to suspect). I'm glad he's not so far gone that he can't remember how much he's actually enjoyed Jesse's "friendship". If you can call it that, given how he's treated him all this time. But not everybody is good at showing their feelings.

I swear, my heart dropped into my stomach when the camera showed the bag just on the periphery of the frame, after Walt told Jesse he'd left him something. For a second I thought it would be Mike's dead body, as one last "fuck you" to Jesse for quitting the business. I know, that wouldn't make any kind of sense (gotta keep those loose ends tied up), but sadly, it's not so far outside the realm of lunacy that I couldn't be absolutely certain that Walt wouldn't do it. I mean, think of all the things he's done to Jesse. Gale, Brock...

Come on, Walt can't possibly be "out". Is he going to start lying to Skyler again now? What about his deal with Declan? With Lydia? Is this for real?

And, the backyard BBQ is back to the way it was before. Such a difference from that time a few episodes back, when Skyler walked into the pool. There was so much dysfunction going on then, it was like night and day from the old family get-togethers from earlier seasons (although, there were times - like with Walter, Jr. and the beer). But now it's like old times again. What's the catch, I'm wondering? You can't get out that cleanly... If nothing else, the psychology can't just snap back to a period of innocence. They've done too much, seen too much, to ever truly be the same again.

And, there it is. What a way for Hank to finally figure it out. Sitting on the crapper (that's so Breaking Bad). What a great scene, though. It's like, "oh, okay, we're going to watch Hank take a crap now. I'm not sure what the point of this is, but it's not like it's the first time on this seri--- oh, oh shit, the Walt Whitman book!" The shit is about to hit the fan, folks. We're in the home stretch now! And just when Walt thought he was out...

A literal "oh, shit!" moment.

To be concluded!

Thoughts on Breaking Bad - Season 4

I wrote notes down after each episode this season to make my work flow a little easier for this review. So much happens over the course of a season that by the time you get to the end, your comments about the stuff at the beginning start to become irrelevant. But by the end of the season, I kept coming out of each episode just speechless, without words to describe what I was seeing (at least not right away, before I had a chance to take some time and process the events). But let's just go through this episode by episode, and I'll copy down my notes, and add some thoughts as necessary.

Spoiler Warning: This post is going to discuss - and therefore contain major spoilers from - the fourth season of Breaking Bad.

S4:E1 "Box Cutter"

Let me just start with this: I can't believe Jesse actually did it. I mean, I believe it - this is Breaking Bad, after all. But, damn. The theme of this season is definitely "speechless".

It was fascinating to see behind the scenes some of the earlier interactions between Gale and Gus, explaining why Gus was so insistent on working with Walt, after he'd obviously kept fumbling about with his early dealings with Gus. On the other hand, it reveals that Gus was never interested in doing fair business with Walt - he only intended to keep him around long enough for Gale to learn a few things and perfect his own cooking game. Gus is a character I wanted to like - he's professional, calm under pressure (notwithstanding the incident with the box cutter - although even that was a calculated move, as it turns out). After dealing with Tuco, who was always on the verge of losing it and going postal, Gus seemed like a guy Walt could trust. But now it's back to dealing with your enemies, always having to watch your back. I thought Walt was just being paranoid last season when he kept hinting that Gus wanted to kill him. But I guess he was right all along. (Walt's a lot of things, but "sucker" isn't one of them).

Gotta say (I'm trying to replace a lot of the swears I have in my notes - but that goes to show how affecting this series is), that scene in the lab was intense. I didn't even realize it until the end, but Gus didn't say a single thing through it all, until the very end. Yet he made quite an impression. I was sure he was going to kill Jesse to retaliate (because he can't very well kill Walt), but I guess that goes to show that Walt really does have the collateral in this exchange. It's clear from later episodes that Gus was tying up loose ends with this act, but I wouldn't be surprised if part of it was also him letting out some frustration over Gale's fate, as well as instilling some healthy fear in Jesse and Walt (it worked!). It's episodes like these that make me realize that this show is as much a horror as anything else. It really shows the dark underbelly of humanity sometimes.

S4:E2 "Thirty-Eight Snub"

I worry about Jesse. The thing he did for the girl he met in rehab, who had the kid that was killed by the drug dealers - that was nice. Really hammers home the fact that he's a "good" person, in spite of the way his life has gone. I'm starting to wonder what's going to happen to him at the end of all of this. I fully anticipate Walt not surviving the series, seeing as the initial premise started out with him having terminal cancer and all. But I'd like to believe that there's some kind of happy ending for Jesse, in spite of how deeply Walt is dragging him into the abyss. Like witness protection or something. It's frustrating that he's squandering his potential for goodness on a life of drug production, dealing, and consumption. I mean, he's responsible for a lot of those choices, I guess, and that should factor in to whatever fate he deserves, but... I just wonder where he'll be after the dust settles, if he's even still around at all.

S4:E3 "Open House"

I feel like there's a lot of tension building up. Sooner or later, it's going to blow - and I'm sure it'll be exciting.

The whole "Jesse takes drugs to deal with stress" thing is a lot like last season (two seasons ago?) when his friend was killed dealing (I guess it's a pattern for him), but I didn't really sympathize with Jesse then. But I do now. After Gale...

Really glad to see Hank back on the case!

At the beginning of this episode, I was kinda perturbed that Skyler was getting all up in Walt's business, stressing the cockamamie car wash plan. Like, bringing her in to all of this is dangerous - what if she's a weak link, and somehow blows Walt's cover? But then, by the end of the episode, she almost seems paranoid in terms of constructing a consistent story, even accusing Walt of being too lax (buying an expensive bottle of champagne after Skyler manages to buy the car wash), and I'm thinking, what if she's right? All that effort she's putting in to this, she might just be an asset after all.

S4:E4 "Bullet Points"

A couple things I liked about this episode (bullet points, if you will :p): the scene between Hank and Walt with Gale's Lab Notes, and the W.W. initials. This series has had a few scenes like that, where Hank gets so close to busting Walt. Walt's pretty good at keeping his cool, although I have to say I can tell every time he starts to clam up. (I'm sure this is 100% intentional on Bryan Cranston's part). Also, the scene between Jesse and Mike, with the thief, and the blindfold - hot damn, Jesse totally pwned Mike on that one!

And, they took Jesse. You know, I was actually thinking that they were going to do something to him. I know Walt insisted on the fact that the two of them are a package deal, but the only thing keeping them alive is their ability to cook that perfect meth. Walt can try to leverage Jesse's life, but what is he going to do if they kill him anyway? Stop cooking? Then he's as good as dead. I don't think they'll kill Jesse, just because he's a lead on this show, but I wonder now what's going to go down, and if Walt will be able to stop it in time.

S4:E5 "Shotgun"

I don't have a lot of notes for this episode - I'm thinking the show is in a building phase now. Jesse and Mike, and Gus. Walt and Skyler. Gus definitely has something planned for Jesse - he's totally got his psychology pegged, needing to feel like a hero/the good guy. I'm just glad he seems to be rediscovering a purpose for his life.

Oh, man. The dinner scene. Hank was ready to give up the chase, thinking that Gale was Heisenberg. But then Walt, with his pride (and a little bit of alcohol), had to go and egg him on. Total self-destructive behavior. And now Hank's on to the Los Pollos Hermanos connection!

S4:E6 "Cornered"

I was thinking that Gus would have those cleaning ladies killed after Walt brought them in to the lab. (For their sake, I hope they're only being deported). How long can Gus and Walt keep pissing each other off until one of them cracks?

I wonder if Gus' plan for Jesse is to get him feeling overconfident, and then put him in danger, so he'll go and eventually get himself killed.

"Someone has to protect this family from the man who protects this family."

In previous seasons, I've identified the way this story has been chronicling Walt's reinvention as a libidinal creature (if not in an overly sexual manner) - driven by an instinctual desire for power and significance, and the ability to "protect" his family in an oversimplified context, in which insane sums of money are more than enough to balance the perils of delving wholesale into an illicit and illegal drug trade populated by hardened criminals.

And while in these past two seasons Skyler has dragged herself into the midst of this madness - ostensibly in order to maintain her son's illusion of having a great father - instead of taking the advisable course and getting as far away from Walt's criminal enterprise as possible, we're seeing a definite difference here where she's willing to suppress her ego, and be "the bitch mother", if that's what it takes to actually protect the family unit (at this point, from being outed).

It could be looked at in different ways - e.g., taking on the mantle of suffering, a form of self-sacrifice, for the greater "good" - but I can see a point formulating out of this comparison, that seems to suggest that what makes a man feel good and what makes a man a good person are not necessarily the same thing. Which I guess has been the point of this show all along. Walt has been seduced by the dark side - the lure of power. He wants to believe that being a good person (as Gus manipulatively put it - "providing" for his family) is as simple as that - doing whatever it takes to secure their futures. This is easy. It's instinctual. We want to believe it. But it's not true.

And as much as I am loathe to reference religion, it reminds me of that one part of Jesus' message: the meek shall inherit the Earth. I think that, itself, is an idealistic fantasy - the meek will never inherit the Earth. Walt the drug lord bought that car wash. Walt the struggling cancer patient would never have been able to do that. Walt the struggling cancer patient may have been a more righteous person (and that's why, in spite of the decisions he made, he was so sympathetic in the first season), but yet, we, being libidinal creatures ourselves to some extent, can't help also sympathizing with Walt the drug lord. Because even if he's a bad person - damn, but doesn't power feel good? Why can't it be that simple?

"I am not in danger; I am the danger."

S4:E7 "Problem Dog"

Boy, Walt just keeps pressing Jesse's buttons, bringing up the crap he's had to go through, and it almost seems like he doesn't realize what it does to him, although surely he must know.

Is Jesse turning into a hardened killer now? This doesn't look good. Sucks to be in therapy and not be able to talk about what's really bothering you - to have to dance around the issue...

"If you just do stuff, and nothing happens, what's it all mean? What's the point?"

Interesting. What Jesse needs is not self-acceptance, but to accept that he did something wrong (and for others to recognize that). Where does that put therapy? Maybe it's just not the right (or a universal) approach.

Oh, Gus - schmoozing with the DEA agent once again. That was really suave on Hank's part, getting Gus' fingerprints. He really is an investigative genius - notwithstanding Walt sneaking around right under his nose (but he's biased in that case, and can't see Walt for who he truly is). I really appreciate seeing someone for whom a passion for their work gives them a driving purpose in life. His myopic focus on the blue meth case has been a little irritating in the past, getting in the way of his career advancement and all, but it's really starting to pay off now (finally). I think, in the end - if he survives - this will demonstrate what a great agent Hank really is, that he even turned down a promotion in order to put the work first, before any kind of honor and prestige (I know a lot of that was actually Hank's negative response to the stress and trauma, but I could totally see it being interpreted in this positive way when everything's said and done).

I'm starting to wonder, though, now, if Hank is going to end up being the one to take care of "the Gus problem" for Walt and Jesse (without realizing he's helping them out) - not entirely unlike what he did to the Bruiser Brothers last season. All the more fuel to add to the fire of betrayal when Hank eventually finds out what Walt's been up to all this time. (For a while there, after the hospitalization, and with Skyler taking a different direction than I expected her to, by getting involved in Walt's business, I was starting to wonder if maybe Hank was going to drop out of the race, after all. But no, his part is too important in all of this. I just hope I'm not hyping up the inevitable confrontation between Hank and Walt in my mind too much, to the point that when it actually happens, it fails to live up to my expectations. Ah well, from my experience so far, I trust this show's creators to get the drama and pacing down perfectly).

S4:E8 "Pollos Hermanos"

Finally, Walt's cancer is mentioned again! He kind of started out being a dick to that other guy in the waiting room, but then by the end, he actually seemed to have some good advice about not giving up control, and how every life has a death sentence. I mean, any advice Walt gives has to be tempered by the fact that he's a drug lord, but still, it sounds nice. Which I guess is Walt's whole thing. Go for the ego, not the moral superiority.

Gus has always been the picture of total zen calmness. (I mean, he was pretty pissed after the Gale thing, but even as he killed that guy, he was in total control). It's interesting to see him now in the hot seat, with the detectives closing in on him. He's such a professional and all - how could he make a mistake? (Of course, it's Walt's fault, ultimately - he should have known better than to get greedy and hire him, knowing from the start that Walt was sloppy; I guess this might just end up being his downfall).

Good story, though - I wonder if it's a lie. Kinda hammers home how difficult it must be to make up a credible story. Whether it's partly true or not, I'm sure Gus had it all together beforehand. He's smart enough to have put the pieces together and known what he was being brought in for. I know some people are better at lying than others, but you gotta be smooth as molasses to throw a story together on the spot that a group of professional investigators can't immediately see through. But then, Gus is a pro.

Ah, we see the origin of Gus' feud with the Mexican cartel (also the "hermanos" in Los Pollos Hermanos). But I wonder who he was in Chile...

S4:E9 "Bug"

"A guy this clean's gotta be dirty."

Will the IRS ultimately be Walt's downfall? All because of Skyler's involvement in Ted Beneke's tax fraud? I was disappointed to discover that Skyler was inflating her own sales at the car wash, but I guess with the experience she's had with Ted, in addition to Walt's "side" business - if he's doing so well by breaking the law, why can't she? Especially now that she's caught up in it, too. Skyler's dumb secretary act is hilarious. She's a pretty good liar - but, as she herself has said, she learned from the best. Don't tell me Ted Beneke is going to come under the umbrella of Walt's finances now, though. That would be seriously dangerous. He's an okay enough guy, but not someone I would trust with something like this.

And the episode ends with Walt and Jesse's "spat". My original notes, in full, simply contain the phrase, "no words...". Looking back on it now, that's just a devastating scene. It's a long time coming, and serves as a bit of a catharsis, with all the conflict between these two characters. But to see them actually going at each other like that - it's heartbreaking.

S4:E10 "Salud"

The look on Jesse's face before he gets in that helicopter... Aaron Paul is not such a bad actor. Maybe it's hard standing in the shadow of Bryan Cranston, or maybe that causes you to bring your A game. But I really like Aaron Paul in this role.

I know Gus is in a tight spot and all, but trusting Jesse in such an important position? I wonder if he intends to use him as some kind of sacrifice (you know, like a gambit in chess). To temporarily assuage the cartel and deflect their attention, before making some kind of definitive strike, in which Jesse will become collateral damage.

Jesse totally pwned that cartel chemist... Amazing how you can see the pride and satisfaction in Gus' face, considering that he barely moves his facial muscles (good, subtle acting work there). It's reassuring to learn that Walt's boast last season that Jesse's cook was good was true after all, and not just a manipulative compliment (although it could have been both).

Wow, Ted's a real piece of shit. (I'm guessing this was the scene where he used Skyler's money to buy a Mercedes instead of paying off the IRS). My respect for him just plummeted.

The cartel party...oh my god, what is with this show and episode endings leaving me speechless?! (In hindsight, the cartel hit was definitely one of the highlights of this season, and the series on the whole. Great scene).

S4:E11 "Crawl Space"

Oh my god, this Ted Beneke situation is getting entirely out of hand...

Walt's feelings for Jesse are finally brimming to the surface, and he's finally beginning to get his comeuppance, as Jesse finally comes into his own, and has a leg to stand on. I hope it makes Walt learn to treat Jesse with some more respect.

And, this is the third episode in a row that has left me speechless at the ending...

S4:E12 "End Times"

I feel like everything's hanging together by a fine thread now. I know there's a whole 'nother season after this one, but it really feels like things are progressing to a climax. Either the status quo is about to switch up majorly, or the writers have done a great job making it genuinely feel like that's possible.

Good to see Walt and Jesse working together again, though. I think Walt's character improves through his feelings for Jesse, when it becomes clear that he actually cares for/about him, and not just as a punching bag. (Assuming he didn't manipulate the poisoning of Brock after all).

S4:E13 "Face Off" (literally)

This is it! The season finale! The emotion and excitement of the last parts of this season have consistently defied analysis for me. But I guess the real issue on anyone's mind at this point in the series is the relationship between Walt and Jesse. I really thought it was finally straightening itself out. But then we learn about the Lily of the Valley. I swear to God. I knew it in the back of my mind. But I wasn't sure. I had this creeping suspicion that I couldn't shake. But I didn't want to believe it. That Walt was responsible. I didn't want to believe that Gus was responsible either - turns out some of his most despicable moves weren't even his own (although it really didn't help his case when he threatened to kill Walt's family). Walt doing it is entirely in keeping with his character. And yet, it completely destroys what I thought was going to be a long time coming reconciliation between him and Jesse! That's why this is such a great series, though. (Well, one of the reasons). It's not afraid to punch you in the gut.

Now for a few quick afterthoughts, before I head in to the next season.

I was thinking that with Gus out of the way, this would be the perfect opportunity for Walt to finally step up and be the big drug lord I always wanted to see him be. I mean, like, between Gus' operation, and the Mexican cartel, Walt is pretty much the last man standing (though I wonder how Mike is going to respond to all of this). But now I'm thinking that maybe that's not in the cards - this series hasn't quite gone the direction I expected it to, in a number of ways, when I started watching it in the first season. (Speaking of which, still no further word on the cancer...). It seems like now might be the perfect opportunity instead for Walt to actually walk away from it all, and possibly get off scot-free.

Yeah, right. After all that Walt's been through, could he go back to a normal life even if he tried? Seems to me that he's a changed man. It would be poetic if he had the opportunity here to get out clean and free, but got embroiled back into the madness, and eventually got caught (or killed), all because of his insatiable greed and hunger for power. Because he couldn't just let things alone when the time was right. He couldn't walk away. I don't know what the final season is going to be like, but I'm sure it'll be good. I can't wait to find out how it all ends, although I'll also be sad for it to be over.

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992)

Yep, this is a David Lynch movie. Which is to say that, despite some of the haunting imagery, it has many of the typical flaws of a David Lynch movie (and I wouldn't say that this is his best one). Following on the heels of the television series, Twin Peaks the movie is in actuality a prequel to the series. Whereas the series explored the mystery of Laura Palmer's murder after the fact - putting the pieces of an intriguing puzzle together bit by bit - this movie (which spoils the TV series - be warned) takes a look at the last days of Laura Palmer's life, leading up to her death. As such, it works better as a character study of a young woman spiraling into the abyss (via surreal dream sequences and a plot sometimes only loosely connected to any thread of logic). It doesn't really answer any significant questions that are not at least strongly hinted at in the series, but it does help you to get a firmer grasp on some of the details.

Many of the characters from the series return, although some of them only briefly - I missed Sheriff Truman, as well as both Benjamin and Audrey Horn; Agent Cooper had only a minor role to play; and for some reason Donna Hayward was recast (my guess would be that the original actress didn't want to do a topless scene). On that note, this movie is considerably more graphic (in terms of both gore and nudity), but I'm not sure that adds anything, as the series was very effective at unsettling (and even occasionally titillating) the audience without resorting to those shortcuts. It also seems to play very strongly on the central theme of abuse, to the effect of reducing the supernatural elements to the level of metaphor (depending on interpretation, as always). While your English lit teacher would undoubtedly appreciate this symbolism, it's my view that demons are more interesting when they really are demons, and not just a creative way to visualize "the evil that men do".

Ultimately, the familiar, quirky atmosphere of Twin Peaks as found in the TV series is absent in the film, and I can't honestly rate it as must-see (like the series is). Certainly, if you loved Twin Peaks and can't get enough of it, or want to see more of the events leading up to Laura Palmer's death, then it's worth a watch. But, especially considering that it might be a little hard to get a hold of, I wouldn't go too far out of your way to watch it. The series is perfectly capable of standing on its own.

Thoughts on Breaking Bad - Season 3

I've been having trouble getting my thoughts on this season (and series) organized - not that I have any lack of said thoughts, they're just kinda scattered about. But I kinda left off on one hell of a cliffhanger (I finished up the third season before Memorial Day, and then took a break for a couple of consecutive out-of-state trips), and I'm dying to see it resolved, so I'm just gonna get this out there, so I can move forward.

Spoiler Warning: This post is going to discuss - and therefore contain major spoilers from - the third season of Breaking Bad.

This is a pretty continuous series - it doesn't break up that easily between seasons - and much can change from the beginning to the end of a season (as is the case in this season) - but I like to try to get an overall flavor of each season once I've finished watching it. And the main flavor of this season seems to be the long-term fallout from the Tuco situation, as well as Walt getting situated under the professional employment of new dealer and mastermind Gus. The highlight of the season, for me, was Hank's encounter with what I lovingly like to refer to as the "Bruiser Brothers". Although, pound for pound, Fly was a pretty tense episode, and the events leading up to and including the season finale were fantastic - more on that in a bit.

Early impressions: There's a lot of evolution from the start to the end of this season, and it's hard to talk about it all as a single entity, so I'll start with my impressions of the earlier episodes, which mostly deal with Walt and Skyler's separation. The second season left off with Skyler finally calling Walt out on his lies, but although she was still in the dark as to the nature of Walt's secret then, she quickly figures it out in the third season, and becomes an unwitting co-conspirator (mainly to preserve Walter Jr.'s impression of his father). I was kind of suspecting that she was listing toward the dark side herself, and when she goes and sleeps with Ted Beneke, that pretty much seals the deal. Walter, meanwhile, engages in some hijinks in order to try and insinuate himself back into his estranged family. It occurred to me that while in the first season, I sympathized with Walter White, and in the second season, I started to dislike him, by this point I'd kind of settled into the groove of just sitting back and enjoying the humor in his fumbling attempts to navigate his increasingly screwed up life.

"Um, Walt, there's a pizza on the roof. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

(I just have to wonder how many takes it took to get the toss just right. On the other hand, maybe it wasn't planned, and just happened that way the first time, and the director was like, "that's perfect, let's keep it like that!". How funny would that be?)

Some other things I liked in the early part of the season was Jesse's brilliant plan to get his house back from his folks, and the juxtaposition of Jesse accepting that he's "the bad guy" as part of his rehab, while Walt (who is the real bad guy, between the two) insists that a criminal is just not who he is.

But he does get himself back into the fold - this time with a fancy new laboratory courtesy of new boss Gus. I have to wonder about Walter's fabricated complaints against his new assistant Gale, though. Clearly, he needs to draw Jesse back into the fold, in order to discourage him from ratting Walter out in the likely future possibility that the DEA catches up to him (provided he stays out on his own). But at the same time, I get sort of a sense that, in spite of all the abuse Walt lodges at Jesse, he really does enjoy working with him. You'd think that Gale's professionalism would be exactly what Walter wants, given that he's always complaining to Jesse, but I wonder if he doesn't prefer having some low-life he can beat around - if that's just the kind of personality he has. Or maybe he doesn't like how polished the new business operation is - he doesn't want to get too comfortable with it. Like he needs to feel that what he's doing is not legitimate, but still a criminal enterprise. But who knows what he's really thinking.

"Good guys never get ink like the bad guys do."

Hank's encounter with the "Bruiser Brothers" (Tuco's cousins) is the definite turning point of the season - so much so that it creates a clear distinction between the "before" and "after" parts of the season. It's also one of the season's highlights - what a tense scene! I was kind of sad to see Hank in the hospital, though. As much pressure as he's been putting on our protagonists (wow, Walter was almost caught out in that junkyard!), I enjoy seeing him on his feet, getting shit done. I wonder if he'll ever walk again...

I was very surprised when Skyler started insinuating herself into Walter's business. I mean, she's clearly going down a dark path not entirely unlike Walt has, but I never thought she'd go this far. This is a development that I definitely did not see coming two seasons ago when I started watching this show. If you had told me in the first season that Skyler would eventually be begging Walt to launder the money acquired from his drug trade, I might actually have thought you were putting me on, and not actually giving me a spoiler (although I'd still be kinda pissed if you'd told me something like that).

Can we talk about the season finale now? (This might be long). Actually, let's start with the episode before it. It's not often that a TV show makes me sit up and verbally whisper, "holy shit!" - and Breaking Bad has done that a few times already. The latest was when Walt drove in and killed the two dealers who shot the kid they had working for them, who was responsible for Combo's murder. It was such a tense scene, with Jesse hyping himself up to murder these dealers. You know some shit's going to go down, and you know it doesn't look good for Jesse - with it being two on one and all - but you just don't know how it's going to turn out. And then, wham! Walt runs them over in his car, out of nowhere. Then he shoots the survivor in cold blood. After going on to Jesse about how they're not murderers, that they don't want to become that kind of people. But, like before - with Tuco - Jesse gets himself into trouble, and when push comes to shove, Walt's there to do the dirty work, no matter the consequences.

As for the finale? Oh man, it was good. I actually yelled "fuck yeah!" at the screen when Walt turned the tables just before his would-be assassination, and instantly switched from being a sniveling loser to his stone-faced, "yeah, that's right - you can't touch this, bitch!" (Well, not in those words exactly). Kudos to his mastermind intellect in figuring out where the fulcrum was from which to leverage his own life. "Production is the key," indeed. It's his brains that kept him alive this time (as it has before).

And then there's the cliffhanger. I have to say that this series does an amazing job of approaching the issue of murder. Not in all cases, I guess - considering the Bruiser Brothers' wanton disregard for human life - but with our main characters, at least, who are semi-normal people (in spite of the non-normal circumstances they've gotten themselves into). They're not hardened killers (yet?). It occurs to me that in a lot of fictional entertainment, murder occurs almost flippantly, without any consideration to the emotional impact it might have on a person. As a horror fan, that's never particularly bothered me - I live for gratuitous violence (although gratuitous sex and nudity is more fun). So it's not like violence has to be presented in this more realistic fashion for me. But I'll tell you, there's definitely a dearth of media out there that presents it in quite the way this series does, and that's definitely a side that deserves to be explored more. It helps the series' realism, and it also provides some very weighty drama. I mean, sure, everyone fantasizes about killing people now and then, but I think that for a lot of people, it's not just the heavy penalty (if you get caught) that keeps them from doing it - that'd be pretty sad if that were the only thing keeping people from murdering one another - but, at least for us generally good-willed, non-sociopathic people, with working consciences, the fear of guilt that would weigh us down, with the knowledge that we were responsible for ending another person's life - essentially taking their lives (something we absolutely don't own or control) into our own hands and snuffing it out - would just destroy our humanity. And it's not that this topic has never been approached before in other movies and television dramas, but, for whatever reason, I've rarely seen it portrayed so effectively as it is in Breaking Bad.

Also, back in the first season, there was the distinction between self-defense and cold-blooded murder, of which the first was clearly more palatable and easier to swallow. That dichotomy rears its head again here in the third season. Even the hit-and-run against those two drug dealers was an in-the-moment reactionary "save Jesse's life!" kind of thing. But showing up at some generally nice guy's house and sticking a gun in his face? Some guy who you're only killing because he happened to unintentionally wedge himself between your friend and his guarantee of staying alive? God, I tell you, the things that Walter has asked of Jesse. He's practically stripping Jesse's humanity and soul away piece by piece, and although he seems to carry some unexplained affection for Jesse as a friend (or maybe a better word is "companion", because this is not how friends treat each other), he's really been nothing but a horrible influence on him.

As to the cliffhanger's impending resolution, I'm pretty confident that Jesse did not kill Gale. He clearly moved the gun to the side before firing. The tough thing is that, really, the situation that had been set up was that either Gale dies, or Walt dies, and obviously Jesse'd prefer Walt to live, between the two (although his own affection for Walt, whatever kind of a mentor figure he sees him as, seems pretty misguided as well). But is it worth killing a more-or-less innocent human being? Is a true friend one you would actually kill for, one you would strip your humanity down and toss your soul into the abyss for? Or is a real friend someone who would never ask that of another person, much less a person they consider a friend? Someone who would sooner sacrifice themselves so that their friend can live on with a clear conscience? I'd like to believe it's the latter, but some nihilistic part of me thinks there's at least a little bit in the former that's worth considering. And I guess that's just the question this series is posing. Anyway, I think that Jesse most likely did not kill Gale, but only wounded him (in the arm/shoulder?), in some way as to make it impossible for him to continue to cook meth. But I dunno. Maybe he didn't shoot him at all, and is going to try to kidnap him or something. Or maybe he did kill him. The only thing I know for sure is that the suspense is killing me.

Here's another interesting thought: when this show started, it was all about Walt's mortality. He knew he was going to die. It was just a matter of time. Even in this season, he contemplated the fact that he lived too long, that things got out of hand, and that he should have died before this point. But here we are, with Walt not accepting the fact that perhaps his time is up, practically begging for his life, and going to even more extreme ends than ever before to keep himself alive. I guess not much has changed since Tuco, when Jesse was rebuffed after suggesting that Walt might make a "noble sacrifice" to spare Jesse's life (not that it would have worked in that instance - Jesse has always been disposable from the distributors' perspectives, and not entirely without warrant). I actually really enjoyed the suggestion in that episode that maybe Walt's cancer had metastasized, but it was dropped like a lead balloon after that episode. It may just come up again, though. I'm sure there'll be a redux and resolution to the whole cancer business before this series ends, and I can wait, but in the meantime, this show hasn't really been about cancer at all. Which is okay - it's still been one hell of a show. I didn't think the second season was quite as strong as the first, and though I really enjoyed the story that the first season told, in terms of pure television drama and entertainment, I think the third season has been at least as strong, if not stronger. And I anticipate some incredible moments to come in the next two seasons. So let's get on with it!