This whole series is worth watching a second time to reexamine and reinterpret every scene, detail, line of dialogue, and character action. At no point is that clearer than this episode.
A sense of imminent doom smolders over every scene after all the subplots collided and the tension rose past the stratosphere last episode. And yet, things unfold rather slowly, delaying the much needed release all the way until next episode. It’s almost tortuous watching it.
No moment is more tense than when Jesse (Aaron Paul) confronts Walt (Bryan Cranston), accusing him of poisoning Brock (Ian Posada). Both actors are brilliant, with Paul pushing Jesse to the line that he seemingly would never cross again (namely killing), and Cranston conveying the supreme desperation of a man defeated and staring death in the face. As he tries to convince Jesse that Gus (Giancarlo Esposito) was behind the poisoning, the way he pulls the gun to his forehead for good measure shows that Walt’s done away with any composure or restraint.
Of course, that’s just the first time you watch it. Next episode reveals that this wasn’t just great acting on Cranston’s part; it was also Walt’s greatest performance. The whole thing was a manipulation to force Jesse back on his side. The gun to the forehead wasn't desperation, just convincing theatrics.
Viewing it with the knowledge of the season’s outcome, we see Walt for what he truly is: self-serving, manipulative, scheming, ruthless—in a word, bad. Walt’s actions speak for themselves, but no other scene so perfectly illustrates how purely evil the character has become. And yet, like Jesse, we totally buy it the first time around. Now how many characters can so expertly play the audience, too?
No comments:
Post a Comment