Breaking Bad re-watch: Season 3, Episode 6: "Sunset"

Ah, Gale Boetticher. David Costabile’s weirdly sweet meth cook only appears in a handful of episodes, and yet I’m still scratching my head about him.

For one, he seems way too nice to be in this business. The drug trade has a way of corrupting decent people, as Walt (Bryan Cranston) makes very obvious. Even people who are good deep down, like Jesse (Aaron Paul), lose some of their humanity. But Gale is like a gentle kitten in a world filled with vicious predators. Moreover, his relationship with Walt is strictly a working one, one which Walt resorts to drastic measures to cut short. And yet, Gale’s near love letters to one “W.W.” unearthed next season go beyond mere professional respect to almost a tween girl-like infatuation.

Makes you wonder exactly what’s up with Gale. It’s kind of a moot point, though, because it’s clear later that Gale’s less of a full character than one who’s job is to serve the main character arcs, a personified plot device if you will.

He’ll lead to some crucial plot turns later, but in this episode, Gale is merely introduced as Walt’s assistant in Gus’ (Giancarlo Esposito) new superlab, bringing an end to Walt’s days of cooking in the RV out in the boondocks. The title “Sunset” may refer to the end of this portion of his criminal career, as after an amusing near-confrontation with Hank (Dean Norris), the vehicle is destroyed in a scene set to a vaguely nostalgic piece of music. Almost bittersweet, but not really because it makes way for the most compelling storyline of the series: the battle of wills between Walt and Gus.

“Sunset” also applies to Hank, as the events leading up to his shooting next episode are set in motion. It works doubly here, not only because Hank will rise anew afterward, but also because Gus arranges the shooting with the Cousins (Luis and Daniel Moncada) at that time of day.

Breaking Bad re-watch: Season 3, Episode 5: "Mas"

One thing I really like about this show is that it rarely deals in clichés, in characters or story. Well, this episode presents a relatively clichéd story turn, but the way it’s tackled cleverly turns this familiar plotline on its ear (speaking of clichés…).

The cliché I’m talking about is how a character in a show gets presented with a dream job, but must choose between taking it or staying with their family and friends. This plot device has been used on TV many times, both in comedies and dramas.

For Walt (Bryan Cranston), that dream job is Gus’ (Giancarlo Esposito) offer to cook meth in a state-of-the-art laboratory. The choice part of the cliché doesn’t really present itself, though, as Walt’s already driven his family away. He tells himself that he can’t take the job at first because of his family, but we all know the choice is an easy one for him to make. Since Walt the teacher’s life is seemingly gone for good, why not give in to Heisenberg? He does just that, burying any ambiguity about why he’s still in this business.

As for Hank (Dean Norris), he rejected his chance at the dream job in El Paso, but he didn’t have to choose between family and career; he had support from his family and colleagues, and yet still turned it down. He says outwardly this is because his work isn’t finished in Albuquerque, but I’m not sure he believes this. He’s really just afraid to go back to the front line of the drug war, and is just hoping that he finds a lead to delay going back as long as he can. It’s purely by chance that he gets a solid lead following the RV.

See what they did there (okay, I’ll stop with the intentional clichés)? The show used story archetypes we’re familiar with, but instead of just following them predictably, they tweaked them to reveal more about the characters. For, Hank it shows that he’s still out of his league in the war of meth. For Walt, it shows without a doubt that he’s changed from a morally ambiguous antihero to an actual bad guy.

Yeah, I think it’s fair to say Walt’s a bad guy now, if not just for the sheer amount of bad things he’s done, then because he blatantly admits he’s fully embraced the criminal life. From here on, the show’s not so much an exploration of his moral conundrum as a chronicle of how deep he falls into the abyss. But it’s still a fantastically compelling ride to the bottom.

Breaking Bad re-watch: Season 3, Episode 4: "Green Light"

This one’s another bridge episode, and a relatively plodding one at that. Some plotlines, such as Jesse’s (Aaron Paul) and Hank’s (Dean Norris), advance a bit, slowly. Others are ongoing and relatively untouched, like Walt’s (Bryan Cranston) standing with Gus (Giancralo Esposito) and the Cartel. The drama with Skyler (Anna Gunn) has a little more life to it, but aside from Walt throwing a fit outside Ted Beneke’s (Christopher Cousins) office, the thread doesn’t really go anywhere from there.

The big development here is that Walt loses his job as a high school teacher. The scene leading to his firing, with him making a clumsy pass at the principal Carmen (Carmen Serano), is pretty bad, awkward and uncomfortable but not believably awkward and uncomfortable. But Walt the teacher has been gone for some time, and Mr. White in the classroom has barely seemed like a part of the show since the middle of last season. Officially ceasing to be a teacher seems like a mere formality rather than a major plot point.

There is one scene that’s telling for Walt: The one as he leaves the school with his things and finds Jesse, then berates him for cooking with his formula but creating a flawed, inferior product. He’s beginning to show pride in his dirty work. This could be because without school or much of a home life, his recipe is the only thing he has left. But I think it’s more because the blue stuff is the only thing he ever had. Making such pure meth is the one standout thing he’s done in a life so plain, and even though it’s a horrible thing, it’s at least something to be proud of.

Still, this episode’s mostly filler. Yes, there are several things going on in it, but the coming episodes will dig into them a lot deeper than this one does. This episode is called “Green Light,” but it moves like it’s come to a light turning yellow (and I don’t mean in the way you speed up in a yellow light to try to get through before it turns red).

A break from Breaking Bad rewatch

No new entry in my rewatch of Breaking Bad today. However, I'll leave you with a few pieces of the latest news on the series:
 

•  AMC's official blog for the show
• Latest development on the proposed Saul Goodman spinoff 

I'll return with a review of the next episode tomorrow. Happy Fourth of July everybody!

Breaking Bad re-watch: Season 3, Episode 3: "I.F.T."

The title’s initials stand for Skyler’s (Anna Gunn) profane proclamation at the episode’s end, her small bit of payback at Walt (Bryan Cranston). In the grand scheme of things, it’s not much of a victory; Walt’s still won their battle of wills and moved back in. But this revelation is still a stinging blow to Walt. His hopes of just returning to the idyllic suburban life are shattered, and Skyler won’t let things go back to the way they were before his foray into the criminal life.

And yet, Skyler could have easily beaten Walt at this game by turning him in. Instead, she proves Saul (Bob Odenkirk) absolutely right and does nothing. Why is that? Was Saul right that she wants to spare her children and family the shame? Does she unconsciously want the money that’s suddenly at her family’s disposal, or at least buy into Walt’s reasoning that they could use it for good?

I have my own hunch: Deep down, she still loves Walt. In spite of everything—Walt’s secrecy and lies the first two seasons, his revelation in this one, her burgeoning fling with Ted Beneke (Christopher Cousins)—she still has some care for her husband.

Another scene that points to my theory is when Skyler reveals Walt’s actions to her divorce lawyer (Julie Dretzin). The lawyer advises her to alert the authorities, but Skyler reveals she’s waiting for Walt’s cancer to make a divorce moot. Rather distraughtly, I might add, like she feels guilty that she’s waiting for her husband to die.

Contrast this with season five, where she coldly admits the same to Walt’s face. Skyler’s love for Walt may have died by then, but now, it’s still alive, if reeling from the hurt of Walt's actions. I believe this is the reason (along with some eventual acceptance of her situation, as well) that she’ll start to go along with Walt’s criminal activities, even aiding him. Just like how Walt broke the law out of love (at least at first).

Breaking Bad re-watch: Season 3, Episode 2: "Caballo Sin Nombre"

If you couldn't figure out who the silent, well-dressed killers (Luis and Daniel Moncada) crossing the border are last episode, this one makes it clear they’re allies of Tuco and Tio Salamanca (Mark Margolis). The final scene where they wait to kill Walt (Bryan Cranston) outside the shower is an intense one, kind of a surprise after a slower pace for the first 40 minutes. Walt is spared by mere seconds, thanks to Jonathan Banks’ gruff, workmanlike enforcer Mike Ehrmantraut, introduced in last season’s finale and now a full supporting character (one of my favorite on the show). But the episode cuts off abruptly from there without resolving the vendetta on Walt's head, and the tension lingers as the credits roll.

It’s a very good scene, slow and deliberate the way it builds tension until it leaves us hanging and waiting for the next entry. Until that scene, the episode lags a bit, as the show takes its sweet time with the rift between Walt and Skyler (Anna Gunn). Still, there are a few great moments.

The eye from the teddy bear last season that Walt keeps is a nice touch (though why anyone would hold on to a reminder of such a tragedy beats me). Walt’s trying to move on, and at least for now to leave the criminal life, but all the bad things he’s responsible for are staring him down, encapsulated in that little piece of plastic.

On the Jesse (Aaron Paul) front, you can’t help but root for him when he turns the tables on his parents and buys back his aunt’s house. Even though his parents arguably have the moral high ground regarding Jesse's past drug use, after all he’s been through (addiction, losing his girlfriend, abuse both physical and, from Walt, verbal), it’s satisfying to see something go his way for once.

And, of course, there’s the immortal pizza toss, which works as a great unexpected bit of humor and an expression of Walt’s anger. I must say, trying to win Skyler back with pizza seems kind of desperate, not just for Walt but as a plot device. But seeing him land a giant pie on the roof (and he really did it) is so worth it.

Breaking Bad re-watch: Season 3, Episode 1: "No Mas"

Last season ended on a very dark note, between Skyler (Anna Gunn) leaving Walt (Bryan Cranston), and a chain of events he started leading to a midair collision between two planes. Things don’t get much brighter in this episode, with the community reeling from this tragedy and Skyler looking for a divorce.

And yet, I find myself laughing. For all the decidedly not funny stuff, this episode weaves some very humorous moments into the plotline.

Like the school assembly scene, where Walt has to listen to students vent their feelings at the tragedy he inadvertently played a part in, then crassly downplays the death toll when he has the mic. His lack of tact is very funny, but also telling: When he tells the students to move on, he’s really talking to himself. This indicates that Walt’s going to rationalize any consequences of his actions that don’t affect him directly and not let them bother him.

Or the early scene where he attempts to burn his dirty money, but almost immediately changes his mind and clumsily tries to put out the blaze. Not as much of telling moment, maybe, but still funny (I’m not sure if this was the writers’ intent, but I laughed).

Mostly, though, this episode is just a setup for the season, laying down plotlines like the aforementioned one with Skyler, Jesse (Aaaron Paul) finishing rehab (and hinting that he’ll use his therapy sessions to rationalize his criminal exploits), and Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) seeking to work with Walt again. The best of these are the scenes with Tuco’s silent cousins (Luis and Daniel Moncada) as they cross the border from Mexico to Texas to find Walt. The episode doesn’t reveal their identity yet, but even when you don’t know the first time you watch it (and can’t guess who they might be), they let you know Walt’s in for a lot of trouble this season. I already know what’s in store, and these scenes still have me pumped to experience this season again.