Spoilers. The truncated first season was a glorious toke of slick directing, sharp writing and excellent performances -- particularly from Bryan Cranston, who won an Emmy for his role as terminally ill chemistry teacher Walter White, a pragmatic family man who decides to secure his family's financial future by cooking and selling crystal meth, with the help of dropout ex-student Jesse (Aaron Paul)...After an arty, monochrome opening -- involving a half-burnt teddy bear sat at the bottom of a swimming pool, one of its torn-out eyes disappearing down a vent -- we rejoin the dying moments of season 1's finale: in a junkyard, Walter and Jesse hand over their next bag of meth to psychotic local drug-dealer Tuco (Raymond Cruz), after which the volatile thug beats his lippy henchman No-Doze (Jesus Payan) to a bloody pulp. Only now, we see how things get even worse, when the henchman dies from his wounds, his body is shoved underneath an old car, and Tuco gives Walter and Jesse bloodcurdling parting words: "you're done".
This series mixes black comedy, family tragedy and crime drama with great proficiency. Walter returns home in a trancelike state after the horror he witnessed, expected to put on a brave face around wife Skyler (Anna Gunn), who assumes her husband's odd behaviour is a reaction to his illness or medical treatments. In one uneasy scene, Walter tries to unburden his feelings of impotence by sexually forcing himself on Skyler in the kitchen -- shocked when she pushes him away, suddenly realizing how cold and selfish he allowed himself to become.Later, Jesse adds to Walter's unease when he starts reading meaning into Tuco's words "you're done", claiming it's a threat that they'll both be killed as witnesses to murder. A paranoid overreaction, or a genuine possibility given Tuco's psychotic nature? Are they more valuable to him as cookers of the top-quality crystal meth, or should they start looking over their shoulder? Jesse buys a gun for protection (although he doesn't know how to open it, let alone shoot it), while Walter devises a risky plan to kill Tuco using Ricin (a deadly poison made from castor beans, popularized by political assassinations during the Cold War.)
Elsewhere, Skyler's relationship with sister Marie (Betsy Brandt) is in trouble; no longer on speaking terms after Skyler discovered her sibling is a kleptomaniac who stole a baby present from a jewelers. Marie's husband Hank (Dean Norris) tries to heal the wounds, admitting to Skyler that he's been aware of his wife's problem for awhile now, but he's clearly not a natural peacemaker. Loved the scene where Hank consoled Skyler by lightly hugging her with fingertips.
Really, Hank's forte is drug-related crimes, and the DEA Agent is amusingly close to cracking the case he's working on, unaware the new drug kingpin he's tailing is his unassuming brother-in-law Walter. Surveillance footage of Walter and Jesse's break-in to a chemical factory are pored over, with Hank making a series of quick deductions that are surprisingly close to the mark. Fortunately, for now at least, Hank's blind spot appears to be under his nose. We're also reminded how unnervingly cavalier Hank is about his work, posing with the dead body of Tuco's bodyguard Gonzo (Cesar Garcia), after he's discovered in the junkyard and posed to frame him for No-Doze's death. Indeed, Gonzo's ignoble death -- revealed to Walter when Hank sends him a photo on his cell phone -- acts as terrifying proof that Tuco's tying up loose ends, as they feared...
This was another top-class episode, particularly when the prospect of Tuco finding and eliminating Walter and Jesse was introduced into the storyline. Breaking Bad doesn't lose too much momentum whenever we follow Walter-less subplots, although Cranston's performance is so mesmerizing that you're glad when we return to the juicier storyline. I particularly like Dean Norris as Hank, while Anna Gunn brings more to the written word with her steely looks. I'm less enthused about Marie Schrader's role (the kleptomania story feels very tepid), and I'm still a bit frustrated that Walter Jr (RJ Mitte) is pushed into the background so often. Still, these are minor concerns, and the majority of Breaking Bad is confident, ghoulish, rough-edged, dark, compelling human drama.Bryan Cranston even directed this episode, which was perhaps guilty of a few too many noticeably show-off angles and movements, but otherwise he did a good job. As did writer J. Roberts, particularly considering the vast majority of season 1 was penned by one mind (creator Vince Gilligan). Interestingly, most of season 2 isn't being scripted by Gilligan, but I'm not concerned if Roberts' episode is any indication. Superb stuff.
8 March 2009
AMC, 10/9c
Writer: J. Roberts
Director: Bryan Cranston
Cast: Bryan Cranston (Walter White), Anna Gunn (Skyler White), Aaron Paul (Jesse Pinkman), Dean Norris (Hank Schrader), Betsy Brandt (Marie Schrader), RJ Mitte (Walter White Jr.), Raymond Cruz (Tuco), Steven Michael Quezada (Steven Gomez), Cesar Garcia (Gonzo), Jesus Payan (No-Doze), Isaac Kappy (Rowdy Prisoner), Ryan W. Lee (Neighborhood Kid) & Vic Browder (Detective)
