Breaking Bad re-watch: Season 3, Episode 13: "Full Measure"

It should be noted that up to this point, Jesse (Aaron Paul) hasn’t killed anybody. He’s come into contact with death a few times in the series (and was notably horrified by it), but it was always someone else who did the killing. He came close last episode with the two dealers, but Walt’s (Bryan Cranston) Aztek intervened before we got to see if he would have actually pulled the trigger, or instead would have hesitated long enough to be killed himself.

Attempting to take out the two dealers wasn’t the only time that Jesse’s been acting more criminal-like this season. There was also the attempt to sell meth stolen from the superlab to his fellow recovering addicts in therapy. Pretty evil. But the romance with Andrea (Emily Rios) that he got out of it showed that he still had some of his humanity left, at least.

It’s not until the final scene, tearfully holding a gun to Gale’s (David Costabile) head, that we get to see the real Jesse. Clearly, in spite of everything he’s been through, he’s still not like the hardened killers around him.

It’s a heartbreaking scene. Partly because for a meth cook, Gale seems like a very nice guy, though seeing him go is not too upsetting since he’s only in a few episodes. It’s more painful for Jesse, who has managed to remain a somewhat good person in such an evil world. But because he got too far into that world (and probably because of some manipulation from Walt, as well), he has no choice but to take a life to save his own. And it’s all the end result of him trying to do the right thing. Jesse would likely have to kill someone sooner or later to stay alive, but this irony makes his first kill sting a little stronger.

Up until that point, the episode is a gem of slow, relentless tension, though it’s broken a little by Mike’s (Jonathan Banks) sidestep into the chemical warehouse to play the geriatric action hero (and setting up the conflict with the Cartel for next season). But the closing scene is the episode. The echo from the gunshot will linger around Jesse’s soul for a long time, and seems to stick around in your head until you start season four.

Breaking Bad re-watch: Season 3, Episode 12: "Half Measures"

There’s a bit of cruel irony about Jesse (Aaron Paul) this season.

He took the risky move of pocketing some meth from the superlab and tried to sell it at his group therapy meetings. Deplorable, but he faced no repercussions, from the authorities or, even worse, from his boss. It’s when he tries to do the right thing that bad things happen. Of course, the “right thing” still involves killing two drug dealers (Mike Seal and Antonio Leyba), payback for employing Andrea’s (Emily Rios) kid brother Tomás (Angelo Martinez).

Jesse’s something of a paradox here. That he sees killing the dealers as the just course of action shows that he’s been corrupted by the drug world. And yet, his reasons for going forward show that he’s retained some bit of morality, unlike most of those around him. Really, it won’t be until next episode that we see his true colors.

As for Walt (Bryan Cranston), it seems he’s fully content with being a criminal and the moral sacrifices that come with the job. But his actions in the final moments—disregarding Gus’ (Giancarlo Esposito) orders to keep the peace and killing the dealers before Jesse has the chance—show that Heisenberg hasn’t fully taken over yet. There are still lines he won’t cross, and killing kids is one of them. Or maybe that line is betraying Jesse. I’m not sure.

I am sure of one thing, though: Walt running the dealers down with his car is the only cool thing in history that a Pontiac Aztek has done. Ever.

There are a few really good standalone moments in this one, too. One is the opening showing the typical day of the meth addicted hooker Wendy (Julia Minesci). Her pitiful circumstances are a stomach-churning and sad reminder of the side of the drug business the show rarely explores, and the contrasting music (the scene’s set to the oh-so-annoyingly-upbeat “Windy”) somehow makes the whole thing even more unpalatable. Another good scene is Mike’s (Jonathan Banks) monologue about “half measures.” I’m not quite convinced it really fits well within the show (it seems a little irrelevant relating a story about cops and morality when his line of work is so immoral and callous), but I do like how it establishes some history and depth to Mike, who will grow from a bit role to a great major player starting now.

Breaking Bad re-watch: Season 3, Episode 11: "Abiquiu"

This episode establishes a few new plotlines. Among them is Jesse (Aaron Paul) beginning a fling with fellow therapy member Andrea (Emily Rios)—first merely an excuse to sell her meth, but blossoming into a real relationship by mid-episode—and setting up the initial threads that will cause everything to unravel by season’s end. Another is Skyler (Anna Gunn) fully committing to Walt’s (Bryan Cranston) illegal doings by suggesting they buy the car wash where he worked at the series’ start.

But the most revealing scene is the very short one between Gus (Giancarlo Esposito) and Walt at the episode’s end.

Why this scene? For one, it’s a very well done scene. It seems on the surface like a nice moment of Gus showing gratitude toward Walt, but we all know Gus doesn’t do things like that. Everything he does is a calculated move to his advantage. Even though he and Walt seem to be harmlessly enjoying a meal, the way it plays out—Walt confusedly silent through it all, Gus handing him a knife and trusting him to not do anything but cut food with it—has a noticeable undercurrent of tension, like something about it is not right.

Then there’s Gus’ cryptic line, “Never make the same mistake twice.” Clearly he’s talking about Jesse. It’s like he knows Jesse will prove unreliable, and he’s just biding his time until then.

When I first watched the show, I thought Gus only planned to replace Walt with Gale (David Costabile) after Jesse crosses him next episode. This time, some hints strewn throughout this season made me think that was his whole plan all along. He never intended for Walt to stay on full-time. He just wanted him long enough for Gale, someone he could easily control, to learn the recipe, and then he’d let Walt go. Maybe even kill him without paying him. This dinner with Walt is, to me, a big indicator that this was his plan, as the whole thing seems like a ruse to put Walt at ease and off guard.

Breaking Bad re-watch: Season 3, Episode 10: "Fly"

This episode is the show’s “Pine Barrens” moment, where it breaks away from the story at hand to tell an irrelevant standalone tale. Too bad the results aren’t nearly as successful as “Pine Barrens.”

In this one, Walt (Bryan Cranston) discovers a fly in the superlab, and borderline-psychotically tracks it down, forcing Jesse (Aaron Paul) to do the same before allowing the cook to continue. It’s mildly amusing (you could say “Hal-like”) seeing Walt and Jesse on the receiving end of almost slapstick pain as their efforts to kill their buzzing foe get more and more dangerous. But for a full episode? Too much.

The whole ordeal reveals a little about Walt’s mental state. Why make a big deal out of a measly insect? Because he’s a control freak. After a lifetime of having to settle, he finally has something big and special, and he’s not going to let anything ruin it even a small bit.

When Jesse tries to subdue Walt with coffee spiked with sleeping pills, some more truth comes out, namely regret. Regret about letting Jane die, and about getting stuck in the drug world. We also get the sense that he harbors some care for Jesse deep down. But you can just write all this off as drug-induced gibberish rather than anything truly revealing.

I’m kind of grasping for things to talk about. The truth is this episode just seems like pure filler, like they realized late in production they only had enough content for 12 episodes and threw this one together so they could fill the order for 13. Fortunately, it at least comes at a point in the season where it doesn’t kill any momentum in the overall plotline. 

One month to go until Season Five, Part 2!

Breaking Bad re-watch: Season 3, Episode 9: "Kafkaesque"

Hank’s (Dean Norris) shooting and the aftermath has made for a revealing look at several characters the last two episodes. In this one, it’s Skyler (Anna Gunn) who shows her true colors.

With Hank’s hospital and physical therapy bills piling up, Skyler concocts a cover story about Walt (Bryan Cranston) winning money from gambling, and offers to pay the medical expenses. Such is a clear indication that she’s willing to go along with Walt’s criminal dealings, at long last. It seems like a major turnaround for her, but there have been certain developments in her arc this season make it less of a surprise.

I suggested previously that Skyler won’t turn Walt in because she still has some feelings for him, but I’m starting to rethink that analysis. In this season, she’s still pretty cold to him. When she tells Marie (Betsy Brandt) that they’ll flip the bill for Hank, there’s a twinge of satisfaction in her voice, like she’s finally getting the chance to punish Walt in some way.

But Skyler was clearly tempted this season, both by the cash Walt brought home, and the luxuries she experienced at Ted Beneke’s (Christopher Cousins) place during their affair. So paying for Hank’s medical bills wasn’t just out of love toward family, like Walt’s reason for entering the drug world in the first place. It was her way of rationalizing taking Walt’s dirty money. This whole new turn also adds a brilliant element to the storyline of Hank unknowingly chasing Walt that as of yet hasn’t been utilized, but hasn’t lost a bit of its potential for great story conflict in the years since this episode first aired.

Also in this one, Walt seemingly establishes a long-term lucrative arrangement with Gus (Giancarlo Esposito), though I’m not quite sure how serious Gus is about it (more on that later). In any case, Jesse (Aaron Paul) takes the first step on the road to ruining the good thing he and Walter have by stealing trace amounts of meth from the superlab to sell to his therapy group.

“You can never trust a drug addict,” Gus said last season. The way things unfold with Jesse this season will prove him right.

Breaking Bad re-watch: Season 3, Episode 8: "I See You"

Hank (Dean Norris) was shot last episode, and it ended there. In this one, Hank is taken to the hospital, and we wait. And wait, and wait, and wait.

Yes, this episode literally consists of waiting, as Marie (Betsy Brandt), Skyler (Anna Gunn), Walt (Bryan Cranston), and Walter Jr. (RJ Mitte) sit in the hospital waiting room. Maybe it’s just me, but there always seems to be a “waiting” episode whenever a character in a series is attacked, or in an accident, or otherwise incapacitated. You’re supposed to be on edge, but after seeing this plot turn several times, it comes off as more anticlimactic than compelling anymore. Maybe having already seen this episode once has something to do with it, too.

Whatever the case, the episode’s a little slow, but the payoff ends up being worth it. No, Hank doesn’t wake up (though there’s a quick exchange indicating he’ll pull through), but we do get to see the true nature of Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito). Originally looking like a one-note low key underling for the Cartel, this episode reveals that he’s a cunning, patient Machiavellian. The rest of this and next season will cement his status as one of TV’s greatest villains. Watching the series through a second time, I’m starting to suspect that his secretive plans regarding Walt went much deeper than I previously realized (I’ll get into that more later).

During the big wait, there’s also at least one great scene. As Marie starts to lose it, Walt reassures her with a story about hitting all the green lights on the way to his surgery last season. It’s a monologue of pure TV melodramatic schmaltz, but that’s the point. Walt is lying, putting on a happy face to play the caring family man. Now that he’s fully embraced the criminal lifestyle, he’s rebuilding his broken home life, but merely as a façade to cover for his real one. To those who know the truth—the viewers as well as Skyler—his reassurance rings completely hollow. Cranston is so good in this scene, making Walt come off as so slimy and phony that you wish Skyler would just belt him, but all the more aggravating because she can't because Walt's words are helping her sister cope.

Breaking Bad re-watch: Season 3, Episode 7: "One Minute"

This is the one where Hank (Dean Norris) gets shot at the end. It’s an exciting sequence for sure, if a little action movie farfetched the way the wounded Hanks manages to subdue the Cousins (Luis and Daniel Moncada). The anonymous warning he receives builds some effective instantaneous tension before the scene unfolds. This is the part that sticks out most, but watching this episode a second time with the knowledge of exactly what happens, I picked up several great elements leading up to that scene I had forgotten about the first time around.

For one, the scenes with the Cousins are pretty badass, both the opening flashback to a gritty childhood moment with Tio (Mark Margolis), and their dealings with an overly-excited arms dealer. These scenes are straight out of a great gangster picture, and yet are just thrown in as mere anecdotes. It’s like the show knows it’s above the average crime drama and is flaunting it. No argument from me.

More than that, however, the whole subplot of Hank’s shooting establishes some major elements of the main characters. Other characters will have revealing moments after this episode, but in this one, it’s Hank and Jesse (Aaron Paul).

The episode starts with Hank beating Jesse to a pulp after last episode’s RV incident. Hank realizes he’s done wrong, and insists he face the consequences for his actions. His colleagues, as well as Marie (Betsy Brandt), try to get him to stretch the truth to avoid punishment, because Jesse’s clearly a criminal anyway. Doing so wouldn’t put Hank outside the morality of your typical TV or movie cop, and he’d certainly still have the moral high ground on this show. But he still refuses. This small act subtly establishes Hank as the white knight of the series, so to speak, incorruptible and by-the-book instead of another antihero character.

As for Jesse, things are a little less subtle. I’ve spoken before how his relationship with Walt (Bryan Cranston) is like an addiction from his angle, and this episode kind of hammers the point home. He blatantly says to Walt that their partnership has destroyed everything he had. But he accepts Walt’s offer to work at the superlab, because ironically what ruined his life is all he has left. Just like an addict whose life was ruined eventually only has the substance that caused all the problems in the first place. Jesse may not be using drugs anymore, but he’s still addicted to them.