Breaking Bad re-watch: Season 1, Episode 7: "A No-Rough-Stuff-Type Deal"

This episode not only marks the end of the first season, but also a major change in direction for the show.

For one, Walt (Bryan Cranston) and Jesse (Aaron Paul) switch from making clear meth out of cold meds to the show’s iconic blue variety out of methylamine (you know your'e a fan of this series when you can spell that word without spell check or looking it up). But the plotline of the two comically stealing a drum of methylamine, then having to work cooking it in Jesse’s basement around a real estate open house on the same day, is the last time the show will play like a comedy of errors. There will still be some great comic moments sprinkled throughout the series, but with Walt’s Heisenberg persona emerging, and he and Jesse now in a business arrangement with hardcore criminal Tuco (Raymond Cruz), the show will now fully transition into a crime drama. And a very good crime drama.

The family drama will carry over into the later seasons, however, and we get a little bit more on that front, too. We learn about Marie’s (Betsy Brandt) shoplifting habit, which will come up again, with further development of her DEA husband Hank (Dean Norris) to come starting next season, as well. And after Skyler (Anna Gunn) is almost arrested for Marie’s thievery after a misunderstanding returning a baby shower gift, her conversation with Walt about breaking the law strongly hints she won’t take it well if she uncovers her husband’s criminal deeds. Later episodes will prove this to be accurate.

This season was a scant seven episodes because of the writer’s strike that was still in effect when and before the series premiered in early 2008, but this actually turned out to be the perfect length. I was hooked after three, but I’d say seven episodes are enough to give any show a real chance to capture your interest. If this season gets you hooked, you’re in for a series that just gets better and better. If not, then you’ve at least seen a full story that comes to a relatively standalone conclusion.

Personally, I can’t imagine anyone watching just this season and deciding not to continue. But that’s just me.

Man of Steel

1978’s Superman is basically the nucleus for the modern comic book movie, and also defined many elements of the character that persist in all portrayals to this day. The movie is still a joy to watch, as is its first sequel. But the movies are quite dated, and not just because of the old technology, fashion, and special effects on display. They’re very obviously the Gold and Silver Age Superman, with a lighter tone, a hero with no character flaws, and villains more dastardly than truly evil. In today’s comics climate, such works seem like relics. The 2006 quasi-sequel/reboot Superman Returns tried to be a love letter to this incarnation of the character, and it failed (though for other reasons, too). The Modern Age of comics started in the 1980s, so a complete overhaul of the character is long overdue.

Not as easy as it sounds, however. Many writers have had great difficulty bringing the Last Son of Krypton back to the screen (the myriad of cancelled projects leading up to Superman Returns can attest to that). The biggest hurdle seems to be making a nearly invincible being seem human. But moreover, how do you get such a moral, clean-cut character to fit in amongst the grittier, flawed heroes in this generation of comic book movies?

The Dark Knight’s Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer and Watchmen director Zack Snyder certainly try with Man of Steel. The result is a very mixed bag.

The picture retells the origin of the title character: born Kal-El on the doomed planet Krypton, sent to Earth by his parents Jor-El (Russell Crowe) and Lara Lor-Van (Ayelet Zurer) before the planet’s destruction, and raised  as Clark Kent in Smallville, Kansas, by all-American parents Jonathan (Kevin Costner) and Martha (Diane Lane). The majority of time is spent in the present, as Clark (Henry Cavill) searches for some explanation of where he came from and why he has superpowers. He eventually finds out after finding a crashed Kryptonian ship containing the essence of his birth father, but activating the ship brings the attention of General Zod (Michael Shannon) and his crew of Kryptonian warriors, who were banished from their homeworld for attempting a coup shortly before its destruction. Zod not only wants Clark to join them, but also to remake Earth in Krypton’s image. Clark (he’s not referred to as “Superman” until late in the film) instead chooses to protect his adopted planet, and the film becomes a darker, steroid-pumped remake of Superman II.

The 20-or-so-minute prologue on Krypton has the look of an epic fantasy world, but is muddled in the incoherent CGI action of Michael Bay and acted with dialogue as stiff and silly as Snyder’s crap-epic 300. Things get a little better from there. Clark’s childhood in Smallville is shown in anecdotal flashbacks. Some of these work well (a scene of him in grade school struggling to cope with his heightened senses is an interesting touch). Others don’t. As a whole, these flashbacks are too piecemeal and inconsistent to be very compelling on either an excitement or emotional level. A regular linear narrative might have worked more effectively.

The present-day content is slightly better, but also falters. I can forgive the fact that Cavill is a more angsty Clark Kent than most interpretations, because even Superman must have been a young man trying to find his way in the world at one point. What I can’t overlook is constant CGI and relentless action trumping story and character. Yes, the individual fights between Superman and Zod and his minions in Smallville and Metropolis are pretty entertaining by themselves. But there are so many that at least one of them could have been taken out, and some more dramatic substance put back in. Putting them all at once for 45 minutes nonstop is also more than just headache-inducing like a typical summer blockbuster that goes on too long; by the time the credits rolled, I felt like my skull had cracked like an egg.

This unrelenting action assault makes for a grimmer experience unbecoming of the character. There’s no sign of the Superman who does amazing feats that admittedly flout science and the laws of physics but are awe-inspiring nonetheless (like, say turning back time by reversing Earth’s orbit), or the blue boy scout who drops in to save the day, or even just do a small good deed like saving a cat stuck in a tree. On the other hand, maybe this is just a sign of where movies are at now: So jaded by antiheros that there’s no place for a protagonist so noble and pure, and so overexposed to CGI that even things that sound amazing will seem like just another run-of-the-mill computer effect (another reason why Superman Returns failed). But they could have at least tried to wow us or feature something inspiring, instead of just reel-to-reel destruction for nearly a third of the movie.

Such action overload also leaves little time for any real acting, even from a cast of great names. Crowe brings a serious actor’s dignity to Jor-El, and Amy Adams makes a good, much more participatory Lois Lane (Lane has known Supes’ secret identity in the modern DC continuity for over 20 years, so instead of waiting and building up to a big reveal, the film has her know the truth from the start). Both, however, just seem to be working around the effects department, filling in the blanks when they need a real body to deliver lines convincingly. Other talents, like Laurence Fishburne as Daily Planet Editor-In-Chief Perry White and Lane and Costner as the Kents, seem wasted completely.

The only real standout supporting role is Shannon, whose Zod is the best Superman villain ever to hit the screen (not much of a contest considering the lightness of the predecessors, but still). He’s undeniably the bad guy, but we can at least understand his motivations and way of thinking, in contrast to the simple maniacal portrayal by Terrence Stamp in 1980. A little more backstory would have been nice, but his character is the only one in the film who reaches any depth, or at least comes close to it. Tragically, his arc concludes in a rather unsatisfying and lame fashion, which also has Supes crossing a line that’s always been a big no-no for the character.

As Clark Kent, Cavill is yet another sullen, stoic hero that we’ve seen too much of in comics, and movies in general. Give me the nerdy, laughably meek Clark Kent any day (in addition to being the definitive Superman, Christopher Reeve was also the consummate Clark Kent). But when he dons the cape and costume, and delivers lines with conviction and authority, I must admit he sells it very well. Not as well as Reeve, but he’s still a believable Superman.

In spite of everything, this gives me hope for the sequel already on the horizon. So does the fact that the film’s faults are aesthetic ones, not because of some inherent flaw in the character’s mythos. To the filmmakers’ credit, the movie does succeed in bringing the Man of Steel into the Modern Age, even with its failings as a work of cinema. Maybe, with less computer-generated mayhem, more plot and character development, and—for the love of  Zod!—some sense of fun, the next one could be the great Superman picture we’ve been waiting for.

Until then, I’m sticking with the Christopher Reeve classics.

Breaking Bad re-watch: Season 1, Episode 6: "Crazy Handful of Nothin'"

This episode marks a major milestone for Walter (Bryan Cranston): Goodbye hair, hello Heisenberg (a brilliant name for a character so well-learned in chemistry, though it still has a badass ring to it even if you don’t get the reference).

What birthed this new persona? Partially necessity, as Walt had to step in when Jesse (Aaron Paul) screwed up a drug sale with the psychotic dealer Tuco (Raymond Cruz). But the cancer killing him may have played a part, taking more than just a physical and follicular toll. The scenes during and between his treatments not only make it clear he’s suffering physical anguish; they’re shot and edited to convey a situation both hopeless and excruciating. It may have already killed part of him, namely the part that kept him from crossing a certain line.

Walt’s sense of caution sure took a hit from the shock of finding out about his disease (I mean, he did start making meth), but he still had some restraint during the whole Krazy-8 bungle in the first few episodes, only doing the dirty work when he absolutely had no other choice. Now, in Heisenberg mode, he’s fully entrenched in the role of a ruthless criminal, willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants. Stuff like, say, tricking and threatening someone like Tuco with explosive fulminated mercury. What does Walt care if this gets him killed? He’ll be dead before too long anyway, it seems.

Heisenberg isn’t exactly an alter ego. The name is dropped as a pseudonym by the end of next season, and it never becomes a fully separate personality like Mr. Hyde. Rather, it represents the evil extreme of Walt’s personality, in contrast to the good extreme of Mr. White the high school teacher. As the show goes on, we’ll see Mr. White progressively shrivel away as Heisenberg takes over. 

A small sign of things to come: Hugo (Pierre Barrera), the kind janitor who assists a sick Walt at school, is arrested by Hank (Dean Norris) for stealing chemistry supplies from the school to make meth (in actuality Walt’s doing). Walt feels bad for about a scene, but the guilt passes quickly. Could just be the cancer taking up all his attention, but it could also be the start of Heisenberg rearing his ugly, bald head.

Breaking Bad re-watch: Season 1, Episode 5: “Gray Matter”

The last episode hinted at why Jesse (Aaron Paul) got involved in making meth, suggesting he drifted into the business naturally as a troubled young man. Coming from very different circumstances, Walt’s (Bryan Cranston) foray into the business makes a little less sense, but this episode reveals a lot about why he did.

The episode has Walt and Skyer (Anna Gunn) attending a party held by the wealthy Elliot (Adam Godley) and Gretchen Schwartz (Jessica Hecht), the owners of the company Gray Matter that Walt helped found (though he left before the company made it big, as he explains in season five). The exchange between the former colleagues is awkward, clearly indicating some sort of falling out previously. When Elliot offers to aid Walt in his cancer battle (with a twinge of condescension, at least in Walt’s eyes), the terminally ill chemistry teacher is insulted. Also suggested, here and in flashbacks the third episode, is some kind of past relationship between Walt and Gretchen, possibly the catalyst for said falling out.

The show only offers scraps of characters’ pasts, so we don’t yet know exactly what happened between Walt and the Schwartzes, but the way it motivates Walt suggested he still hasn’t let it go. He’d rather just let the cancer kill him than take their help. When his family talks him out of this option (the intervention scene is all at once laughably awkward, uncomfortable, mildly hostile, and highly emotional, which makes it seem more real), he chooses meth instead, even after the ordeal he and Jesse just went through.

When Walt clumsily entered the world of meth in the first episode, it seemed out of desperation, and without knowing what he was getting into. When he returns at the end of this one, he is fully and consciously aware and invested in his choice, even though he has a much easier choice available to him. This can’t just be Walt’s pride making him do this; there is clearly some sort of grudge that he harbors that impels him to take the criminal path. Understanding that makes Walt's actions from here on out a lot more plausible than before.

Breaking Bad re-watch: Season 1, Episode 4: “Cancer Man”

Despite the name of this episode, this one is less about Walt (Bryan Cranston) and finally gives Jesse (Aaron Paul) an episode.

After the ordeal with Krazy-8, Jesse seems to want to abandon the world of drugs, and attempts to reconcile with his family. Like all the references to the past on the show, we only get pieces, but what we do learn is that Jesse’s strict parents (I’m assuming that based on his overachieving younger brother) threw him out for using drugs. We also learn, through Jesse’s old school work, that Walt flunked him as a student, possibly fueling the fire of the tension between the two.

These events, among others later in the series, show that Jesse is sort of the anti-Walt. Walt had the opportunity to get cancer treatments without resorting to such drastic measures, as well as support from friends and family, but his sense of pride (and maybe a little craziness unleashed when he found out his days were numbered) made him ignore all offers for help. Jesse, meanwhile, had some troubles as a kid, and his family just threw him out. While Walt had support and rebuked it, Jesse’s lack of such support made him drift toward the drug underworld. After being thrown out again (this time for vouching for his brother’s weed, showing that, also in contrast to Walt later in the series, Jesse at least retains some sense of altruism despite his profession), he reaches out to Walt to cook and sell more meth. Even after their ordeal with Emilio and Krazy-8, he needs Walt because selling meth is all he’s got (Walt rejects the offer this time, but that’ll change).

Jesse at first seemed like a disposable character, a lame white gangster wannabe, but this episode really opens the character up and show there’s more than that. Thankfully, they didn’t go through with the plan to kill him off this very season, because his character arc just gets better from here.

While Jesse gets more time in this episode, there are also some developments with Walt. His DEA agent brother-in-law Hank (Dean Norris) revealed last episode in passing that Krazy-8 was an informant. That he came across the remains of Walt’s mess seemed like a funny coincidence an episode ago, but this one sets up the storyline of Hank unknowingly chasing his own brother-in-law that becomes ongoing throughout the series. Also, Walt reveals his cancer to the family. While the development doesn’t go much further from there, Hank’s assurances that he’ll look after Walt’s wife and kids if he dies elicits a sour reaction from the cancer-stricken chemistry teacher, subtly hinting at the aforementioned repressed pride that led him to meth cooking.

On the less subtle side of things, the closing scene where Walt destroys the car of the well-dressed, Bluetooth-wearing jerk he ran into at the credit union is great. Not only does he get to do what we’ve all wanted to do to rude people at some point, but it shows that despite moving on from his illegal doings (for now), he’s still got some punch.

This Is the End

Sometimes, when there’s a camaraderie between certain actors, they’ll get together and make a movie just as an excuse to work together. This Is the End is pretty obviously one of those. They didn’t even bother to create any fictional characters, and literally just threw themselves into an apocalyptic scenario. But while some films that are only made so the stars can hang out are only fun for the cast and don't result in much of a movie, this one actually is some fun to watch.

The film brings us to house party attended by several of Hollywood’s big names (here’s the full list), when an unexplained cataclysm suddenly hits, killing most of the attendees and leaving greater Los Angeles in ruins. Six survivors—Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, and Danny McBride, all playing exaggerated incarnations of themselves—hole up inside the mansion while the outside world becomes a burning wasteland overrun by terrible creatures. As the time passes and strange things start to happen, it dawns on the group that the Biblical Rapture might be upon them.

The movie stays afloat because of the strength of its stars. For all the crazy circumstances and supernatural happenings, much of the humor comes from the hilarious, very dirty back-and-forth between the cast, as their camaraderie turns to combativeness as their situation gets worse and worse. The six main stars act out the personas fans will recognize from their previous work (if you’re not a fan of these actors, well then, this movie isn’t for you), while others who cameo have fun sending up their images. My pick for most surprising: poor, poor Channing Tatum.

That’s not to say, however, that the movie doesn’t take advantage of its supernatural storyline to offer some more outrageous gags. There is some surprising comedic gore, which even the biggest stars in the picture aren’t safe from, and the parodies of horror films, both general tropes and specific titles, are very funny. One scene spoofing Rosemary’s Baby is actually a little creepy, though still played out with humor. And, of course, the cast rather self-indulgently references their past movies, though they are at least self-aware enough to make fun of the bad ones.

The film keeps us laughing, at least for a while. By about the 90-minute mark, the profane banter becomes stale, and things get a little too creature-happy (the ending isn’t very satisfying, either, but this didn’t bother me because I was ready for the thing to be done by then). There’s also a bit of an overload of penis jokes; the first one or two are funny, but the movie has a slight obsession with phallic imagery that comes off as rather immature, even by its lowbrow standards.

It works best if you don’t think about it too much. This one's not nearly as good as some of the fully fictional comedies this cast has made, but everyone onscreen is clearly having a good time. Just go along with it, and so will you.

Breaking Bad re-watch: Season 1, Episode 3: “…And the Bag’s in the River”

The very first shot of this episode places the lens of the camera where the floor should be, as Walter (Bryan Cranston) and Jesse (Aaron Paul) wipe away the cocktail of chemicals and melted flesh that used to be a meth pusher. This stomach-churning, gory scene, brought upon by their miscommunication and ineptitude the previous episode, brings them both face-to-face with the realities of the drug business. It can be very messy.

The events of this episode not only tests Walt’s stomach, but also his soul, as there’s still the matter of drug dealer Krazy-8 (Maximino Arciniega) held captive in Jesse’s basement. Walt can’t bring himself to kill his prisoner, even though he knows he has no choice. He even strikes ups a conversation with his captive to avoid the issue in hopes that the two can reach some sort of truce. Krazy-8 tells Walt he doesn’t belong in this world, and who can argue?

The scene where Walter pieces together the broken plate, only to find a piece is missing, is one of the most powerful moments of the first season. Just as he thinks he’s reached some sort of agreement with no repercussions, his hopes are destroyed by reality. In the drug world, Walt learns, there is no reason, understanding, or forgiveness. The actual killing of Krazy-8 is more than a foregone conclusion; it’s almost secondary to the quiet devastation of Walt’s realization. This moment is the one that made me decide to stick with the show, so perfectly is it written and acted.

The beginning and the end feature flashbacks to Walt’s better days, as a young scientist alongside ex-lover Gretchen (Jessica Hecht). This fits this episode perfectly for three reasons. One, we get a little bit of info on Walt’s past (of which the show only gives us scraps). Two, young Walt’s discussion of the chemical makeup of the human body is an amusing contrast to current Walt and Jesse’s cleanup as they sift through what’s left of Emilio, finding pieces of bone and other not-quite-dissolved body parts. And three, most poignantly, the ending flashback, where the younger Walt and Gretchen contemplate where the soul fits within the makeup of the human body, so perfectly fits Walt’s moral standing at the episode’s end. He seemingly tries to put his mistake behind him, finally revealing to Skyler (Anna Gunn) that he’s got cancer, but his soul is irreparably stained. The damage is done, and there’s no going back for Walt.