After last weeks nail bitter I wanted to write some thoughts on the current season of AMC's Breaking Bad. At first I tried a recap but when I was done I was kind of bored with it. If you have already seen it then why read about it? Instead I thought I would share some disjointed thoughts I have of the season so far in no particular order. I guess it goes without saying that a midseason review would include spoilers but just in case... Spoilers below.
I once heard TV critic Tim Goodman say that BB has on of the biggest 0-60 starts of any television show he could remember; I agree with him. Those first few episodes of season one move with breakneck speed that your hoping for things to slow down a bit just to catch your breath. The first season came to an abrupt end (thanks writers strike) after only seven episodes. Season two did a great job of picking up where we left off and and adding new layers to this drama. We were introduced to a flash forward (I guess that's a thing now) storytelling device every couple of episodes that eerily foretold a grim future for the inhabitants of the White's backyard. It was rewarding to see how creator Vince Gilligan and his writing crew carefully pace a season all leading up to moments none of us expected. It seems many I talk to are on the fence about the plane crash and the "butterfly effect" aspect of Walt's actions. However, for me the real cliff hanger was Skylar leaving Walt. Anyway, that is all season two stuff; there are a few things I want to say about season three!
A lot of digital ink has been typed regarding Walt, Skylar, and Jesse. I want to highlight a few other things about this show that make it so interesting to watch.
From the moment season three begins it is hard not to notice a giant leap in production value. Not that the shows production was bad to begin with but there seems to be a greater attention to detail, especially when it comes to landscape and space. The stagnant shots of ABQ and surrounding areas are very rich and really create a sense of space. The season begins with a sequence containing people in a remote Mexican village crawling to a hut where we see a drawing of the great Heisenberg. Two menacing twins in not so menacing shark skin suits lead the pack and pay their respects in the hut by vowing to kill Heisenberg (I think).
Speaking of the twins, I'm not sure how I feel about them. Like Saul Goodman last year I think the twins are a little too much of a character. Saul felt out of place last season. The way Bob Odenkirk played the smarmy lawyer seemed too much like an SNL character. Having said that, the joke may be on me. This season we are learning that there is more to Saul than what we see and perhaps Saul is playing a character. I don't think that is the case with the twins though. They are creepy but there are things about them that seem too cliche: the matching suits, the non-conventional weapon (ax), their expressionless faces. Next thing you know they will walk away from an explosion without even being bothered enough to turn around and look (wait, that did happen). I'm just saying, these guys walk into a fast food restaurant and you know they are up to no good. When they stepped into Los Pollos Hermanos they looked so out of place the manager was immediately suspicious and so were we. Even if I think they may be too cliche bad guys, they still are pretty badass and the confrontation last week between Hank and the twins was epic.
Hank. Dean Norris has graciously been given so much to work with this season and the show is better for it. Although I'm sure he wont get any Emmy love for his work this season that doesn't mean he doesn't deserve it. Norris's Hank knows how to walk the line between fun guy's guy and a tortured shell of his former self. I've found his storyline to be one of the most interesting this season. The last couple of episodes have revolved mostly around him and whenever he is involved Walt is inadvertently involved as well. I've always said that Breaking Bad is all working towards the showdown that is going to happen when Hank finds out that Walter is Heisenberg. Imagine my shock when the ep "Sunset" set up such a close call. When Walt and Jesse were in the trailer with Hank outside I truly had no idea what was going to happen. I surely didn't think Walt was going to orchestrate a call to Hank informing him that his wife had been injured in an accident. The conflict between staying to finally nab Jesse or leaving him to be by his wife's side was a real conundrum for Hank and he made the right choice to leave; except it was the wrong choice. The look on Hanks face when he finds out he's been duped was terrifying and you just knew Jesse was going to get it. And boy did he get it. The next ep "One Minute" starts with Hank beating Jesse to a pulp and ends with Hanks near death experience. I know I am prone to hyperbole but that showdown in the parking lot between the twins and Hank was some of the most intense couple of minutes that I have ever seen on television. Usually in moments like this on TV you are confident that one of your main guys will live but when Hank was panicking in his car I really thought it was the end of him. That episode felt like a season finale!
The first season often employed the "jump ahead" device by showing us up front what was going to happen in the end of the episode causing us to guess how they'd get there. The second season often used the "flash forward" device to vaguely show us what will happen at the end of the season. Now in the third season the writers have taken to the "flash back" device. So far we have seen scenes of: the twins when they were boys; how Danny Trejo met his demise, and what Jesse did with the money Walt gave him to buy an RV. It is interesting to see a show (other than Lost) employ so many narrative devices. It makes me wonder what they will do next season. Which gets me wondering...
How long do you think this show can/should go on? One nice thing is that the show has really managed to keep a pretty small time line since day one. I haven't researched this but I don't think more than a year has gone by (in the story) since the pilot. It's possible this show could go on a couple more seasons and still be realistic because of the time line. As long as Gilligan and company keep telling the story they set out to tell than we are lucky.
The first half of this season has been spectacular and if the second half is as good we are in for a treat. If it wasn't already Breaking Bad is rapidly becoming one of my top ten, all time favorite shows, which is pretty impressive when you figure the amount they have accomplished in only 27 episodes.
Other thoughts:
- What do you think of Walt's new/ex lab partner Gale played wonderfully by David Costabile? Is it possible that he is/was there to learn enough of Walt's great meth recipe to render Walt disposable for Gus? If not, Walt kind of sucks for firing him.
- What do you think about Jesse this season? Kind of whiny if you ask me; not that he doesn't have any reason to be whiny. I just like the other Jesse better.
- I feel like a jerk saying this but Skylar's is kind of a b. It's hard to blame her for her reaction to finding out Walt's secret but man she is not making good decisions.
- R.J. Mitte who plays Finn/Walt Jr. has really aged in the last two years. I guess that is one challenge doing a show as linear as BB. Mad Men ran into the same problem with the Draper's son Bobby (I think).
Can't wait for Sunday!
