Breaking Bad: Felina (5x16)

Wow. I can't believe it's really over. This show is one of the best - if not the best - examples of television I have ever seen. And while the finale actually wasn't the strongest episode of the season, (that honor remains firmly with Ozymandias) it was still an enormously satisfying conclusion. I really feel like Breaking Bad was a show that respected its viewers. It trusted us to be intelligent. It didn't mess around with our expectations, and it gave us a product of extremely high quality.

So. In this final episode we see Walt go to Gretchen and Elliot Schwartz in their fancy home, ambushing them while they are enjoying an evening alone. He brings in his money and tells them to give it to Walter Jr. when he turns eighteen. In order to solidify this command, Walt threatens them with snipers waiting outside. We later see that the snipers are nothing more than Badger and Skinny Pete with laser pointers. From them, Walt learns that the blue meth is still circulating in the area, and he determines that Jesse is still alive and cooking for Jack.

This scene was really chilling. Walt was so calm about breaking into the Schwartz's home. He didn't sneak around or try and be quiet. He just calmly entered their house and waited to be noticed. It almost seemed like he was having fun as he threatened them with imminent death. I also have to respect Walt's plan, here. He may have found the only way to successfully get that money to his family.

Breaking Bad: Granite State (5x15)

Last time, I was worried that nothing would be able to top the majesty that was the last episode. In some ways, I was right to be worried, because this episode was not as good as the last one. But it wasn't bad. It was fantastic. While last week was a heart-stopping climax of sorts, this episode dealt superbly well with the fallout, and still had a few tricks up its sleeves. So, no, this episode doesn't get a perfect score like the last one did, but it still gets high marks in my book. Let's take a closer look:

Saul has decided to start a new life. His contact puts him in a room with Walt while he tries to figure out where they're both going to start over. Walt, it seems, is not ready to give up. He demands Saul's help in finding hit men to take out Jack and his crew. Saul refuses, and tells Walt that if he doesn't go back and face the music, the DEA is going to be merciless in going after Skyler. Walt tries to maintain his bad ass image in front of Saul, but a coughing fit stops him short. Saul tells Walt that it's over. It was a powerful moment from his character. I've always found Saul to be more complex than it might first appear - he's a comic relief sort of guy, but he's also the worst kind of coward, the kind who condones murder as long as it's not his own. I'm fairly certain we've now seen the last of him, and I think this quiet yet tense confrontation with Walt was the right way for him to bow out.

Walt gets brought by Ed (the extractor) to New Hampshire, to a cabin in the middle of the woods, totally secluded. He is cut off entirely from the world except for the moments when Ed comes to bring him supplies. He is slowly dying, while all the while his big barrel of money just sits there, totally useless. Despite all the evil Walt has done, it was hard to watch him suffer like this. He became so totally lonely that he was willing to pay Ed thousands of dollars just to stay with him a bit longer.

Breaking Bad: Ozymandias (5x14)

10/10. This episode gets 10/10. There. Can we go home now? Has the art of television been perfected? I honestly don't know how the next two episodes are going to beat this. I mean... seriously. How can there be anything more after this? I was on the edge of my seat through this entire episode - I barely took notes while watching, because I was so riveted by what was happening on the screen.

A plot summary: We start with a flashback to Jesse and Walt's first cook together. Walt calls Skyler and talks about pizza for dinner, possible baby names, and a trip with the family. Slowly, Walt, Jesse, and the RV all vanish to reveal the current landscape. Gunfire is heard. Then it ceases.

We see that Hank has been shot in the leg. And... Gomez is dead. No!!! Jesse is nowhere to be found. Jack and his crew approach Hank and put a gun to his head. Walt, screaming, is let out of the car by Jack's men and tries to put a stop to it. He begs and pleads with Jack to let Hank go. He offers all of his money to save him. Hank refuses to cooperate and fold, even with all of Walt's pleading. Hank tells Walt that Jack "made up his mind ten minutes ago." Their last moment together was really complex and wonderful. Hank tells Walt that he's the smartest guy he ever met. You can see in his eyes all the regret and sadness that he hadn't really let himself feel since he found out about Walt.

Breaking Bad: To'hajiilee (5x13)

I... don't... even... know... what... to... say. I'm in shock! This episode was a simply stunning example of what Breaking Bad is capable of. I was gripping the edge of my seat the whole way through, and the ending of the episode did not disappoint. I'll start with a plot summary, move to the few teeny tiny problems I had, and then finish with a discussion of why this episode kicked some ass.

So. Lydia is inspecting the meth production and talks to Todd about the necessity for a purer product. Todd then receives a phone call from Walt, asking him to set up a meeting with his uncle about a new target: Jesse Pinkman. At the meeting, Jack agrees to kill him only if he agrees to cook for their meth business one more time, just to help teach Todd. 

Jesse, Hank, and Gomez, meanwhile, concoct a plan to find Walt's money. Hank and Gomez go to Huell (Saul's bodyguard) and trick him into think that Walt has killed Jesse. He is, understandably, freaked out, and he tells them all that he knows. It's not enough to help them find the money, but it does give Hank another idea: based on Huell's hints, they know that Walt buried his money in seven tubs. They set up a fake tub of cash with dirt surrounding it, and Jesse sends a picture to Walt.

Breaking Bad: Rabid Dog (5x12)

This episode had some problems with its pacing. It's strange, because generally I can't critique this show on that particular issue, but this week's installment felt at times too slow and and others too crowded. Each individual element was important and interesting, but when they were tied together into a cohesive episode, I found the whole to be less than the sum of its parts. Let's briefly summarize the plot:

Walt comes home, sees Saul's car, and enters his house, looking to confront Jesse. Jesse is gone, however, and Walt immediately undergoes steps to remove the gasoline from the house. When the carpet cleaners can't get the smell out of the carpet, Walt creates a story about a pump malfunction and tells it to Jr. and Skyler. The White family packs up to a hotel, where Walt sneaks off to talk to Saul about Jesse before being confronted by Skyler, who knows something else is going on. Reluctantly, Walt tells Skyler the truth. Also at the hotel, Walt and Jr. discuss Walt's cancer, and Walt calls Jesse to set up a meeting, leaving a message for him.

We go back to see Jesse's side of the story. He was about to light Walt's house on fire when Hank shows up and stops him. Hank tells Jesse that they can get Walt and make him pay if they work together. Jesse agrees, and goes to stay at Hank and Marie's house (anywhere else would be too dangerous - Walt would have him killed if it was known that he was going to be a witness against him). Jesse becomes skeptical, however, that Hank can really catch Walt. He records a confession, but he has no concrete evidence to supply. However, Hank tells Jesse that there's still a way to get Walt. Walt has agreed to meet Jesse in a public place to explain himself, and Hank tells Jesse that he has to go, wearing a wire, to try and catch Walt's confession on tape. Jesse reluctantly agrees, but at the last second bails on the plan, suspecting that Walt intends to kill him when he appears.

Breaking Bad: Confessions (5x11)

I have been complaining the last few weeks about a lack of Jesse in these episodes. Let me tell you - this episode made up for that in spades. This episode gave every single central character a lot of screen time and a lot of room to grow and explore. It was honestly the episode I had been waiting for these past weeks, since it brought our entire cast of characters together and pushed things forward in a big way.

That being said, it was not flawless. Due to time constraints in my own busy life, this review will be rather brief, especially for such a meaty episode. Let's go through each character's journey in this episode and talk about what went well and what did not.

First of all: Walter Jr. He didn't have the biggest plot arc in this episode, nor has he had a lot to do this entire season. However, I really enjoyed the little of him that we did get. Walt sits down with his son to be "honest" with him, telling him that his cancer has come back. This scene broke my heart because Jr. looked so devastated at the thought of losing his father, but he has no idea about the rest of what is going on. Walt's subtle manipulation was actually really hard to watch, since Jr. clearly cares so much for a man he knows nothing about. I hope we get to really explore more of Jr's role in events as the season continues.

Breaking Bad: Buried (5x10)

After last week's strong opening, this week's Breaking Bad was actually a little bit less impressive. For a show that is always pushing the envelope, there were a few sections of this newest episode that moved along at a snail's pace. While I greatly enjoyed Skyler, Hank, and Marie this week, I found that Walt's and Jesse's stories didn't captivate me as well as I would have liked. As this show really works best when considered as a whole, it is sometimes difficult to judge each episode individually. And while I'm not disappointed with this week's installment, (nor have I ever been with this show) I was hoping for a bit more from our two main characters.

I'll start with Jesse. He was barely in last week's episode, and he took a backseat again this week. At the beginning, we see a man follow a trail of money to where Jesse's car is parked, door open and lights blinking. Jesse himself is lying listlessly on top of playground equipment. We don't see him again until the end of the episode: he has been taken in to an interrogation room for questioning about the bundles of money he threw out of his window. Hank tells the men interrogating him that since he has a special relationship with Jesse, he might be able to crack him. The episode ends as the door ominously clicks shut on Hank and Jesse.

I am hoping that next week's episode focuses on Jesse, because I seriously missed him these past two weeks. His plot is moving so slowly that I worry that soon I'll lose interest in it, even though Jesse is such a fantastic character.

Breaking Bad: Blood Money (5x09)

Breaking Bad is back from its hiatus, and I am so happy to see its return. While in many ways this episode is just setting the stage for what's to come, it did take a couple of serious leaps forward in the overall plot, and I am more excited than ever to see how Walt's journey will end in just a few short weeks.

We start with a flash-forward. Walter's house is completely abandoned. The pool has been covered, and kids are skateboarding on the cement. The word "Heisenberg" is sprayed on the wall. He retrieves some ricin from a hiding place in a light switch. His old neighbor, apparently named Carol, seems very frightened to see him. From all of that, we can safely assume that something big is going to go down at that house, and I must say I am very excited to see how it goes.

Then, we go back to right where we left off before the hiatus. Hank has just discovered that Walt is Heisenberg, and he does not appear to be taking the news very well. He manages to stumble his way through a goodbye, and then he and Marie leave the party. It was so eerie to see Walt's normal behavior; the way he holds his daughter and talks to Hank and Marie just proves how good he has gotten at living the lie. Hank is in a state of total panic. He nearly crashes the car on the way home and is taken to the emergency room. They determine that nothing is wrong with him.