Breaking Bad: Bullet Points
Breaking Bad continues its run of having amazing prologues with the chicken truck getting raked with bullets while Mike chills inside. Amazing and a cold, badass performance there from Jonathan Banks. The episode then puts on the brakes for a solid 20 minutes. In this time Skyler researches gambling addicts and runs through Walt’s dramatic confessional for Marie and Hank – to Walt’s dismay. “Terribly?” And just when the episode began to tread water a bit for me (which I’ve never complained about in this series) Gale appears on screen performing karaoke to “Major Tom.” It was like a punch in the gut – something it looks like Walt felt as well.
Right before Gale’s hidden talent was revealed, I was getting a kick out of Walt, Junior, and Hank hanging out. Three handicaps (cancer, cerebral palsy, bullet) just kicking it, looking at minerals. Then the episode quickly changes pace with a heap of shit being thrown on Jesse. As Walt tried to get him to recount Gale’s murder, Jesse’s face was painful to watch – seriously, Aaron Paul’s silent performances are a tour-de-force. He hasn’t completely lost his shit though. He knew that Mike wouldn’t kill that junkie who ripped him off when he saw the blindfold. Jesse is in a really fragile mind state, but he’s still got his smarts.
A great turnout from Bob Odenkirk too, who has been light this season. His tone and usual demeanor shifted greatly when he was telling Walt about the “disappear-er.” While that bit made me think about how connected in the underworld Saul really is, I also got to thinking that maybe that’s how he became a lawyer. Maybe he fucked up big time as a criminal working for someone like Gus and had to request the “disappear-er’s” devices. That’s just me digging, but hey, it’s a possibility.
Any thoughts on where Mike is taking Jesse? My initial thought is he’s just taking him to see Gus. I doubt Gus has ordered a hit already – there’s too many factors involved (like Walt). Maybe Gus has some killing field out in the desert where he dumps bodies. Mike could be taking him to someplace like that to scare him straight. Whatchu think?
IN BRIEF: I love the shirt and tie fat dude at Jesse’s. I imagine he stopped by one night after work and never made it home…Is it me or is Mike looking kinda ill? He did have that cough…Sometimes I’m annoyed by Skyler but then I remind myself that all of this crap basically was dumped in her lap…Walt’s had three seasons to get better at being a criminal. She’s sort of scratching to catch up now.
This originally appeared on the Mishka Bloglin