BREAKING BAD, 4.4 – "Bullet Points"

There's been grumbling that season 4 hasn't exploded out of the gates, but I can't agree this has been a failing. It's just that season 3's climax required a more delicate approach when handling the repercussions of Jesse (Aaron Paul) murdering Gale (David Costabile). But "Bullet Points" should restore some faith in people, as it most definitely delivered some big moments and developments that won't fail to get Walt (Bryan Cranston) more proactive than he's been so far. Walt's been quietly preparing for a war with his boss Gus (Giancarlo Esposita), and the events of this episode suggest the battle lines have been drawn.

The episode began on a stirring note, with Mike (Jonathan Banks) in the back of a refrigerated Los Pollos Hermanos truck smuggling meth, which was attacked by gun toting rivals who pumped the vehicle full of holes, but didn't expect an armed hitman to be lurking inside when they pulled open the doors to inspect their handiwork. Mike, a chunk taken out of his ear by a stray bullet, may have survived this close encounter, but it's clear sign that Gus's slick operation isn't safe from interference. Could this be a sign the Mexican cartel are trying to regain a foothold in Albuquerque, with someone intending to disrupt Gus's business? If so, might they be people Walt could ally himself with, or is it better the devil you know?

After such a tense and exciting teaser, the rest of the episode was a more sedate affair. It was an episode where Skyler (Anna Gunn) and Walt prepared for the moment they'll lie to their family about winning enough money to pay for the car wash. A story that paints Walt as a pitiable gambler who risked his family's financial future in a moment of weakness over his cancer, and just got lucky, requiring him to learn how to count cards and attend Gamblers Anonymous meetings. As I've said before, it's notable how organized Skyler is as an accomplice, but she can still afford to be so levelheaded about their situation because she's blissfully naive to the horrors that Walt's seen and participated in. As Walt opines to crooked lawyer Saul (Bob Odenkirk), his wife thinks being a distinguished meth-cook is just like any other nine to five job, when the truth is he's been pushed into killing people and had to dissolve bodies in acid.

Presenting their gambling story to Hank (Dean Norris) and Marie (Betsy Brandt) was the first obstacle to overcome for the Whites, and it went surprisingly well over a meal at the Schrader's. Of course, Walt was distracted by the realization his brother-in-law's started consulting on Gale's murder case, believing him to be mysterious meth-cook "Heisenberg" after poring through the heavily-detailed "Lab Notes" journal police found at Gale's home. Gale even returned in a darkly amusing Banquo's Ghost moment, when Hank showed Walt a tacky video of Gale singing karaoke for them to laugh at. For Walt, the journal's existence and level of the DEA investigation signals trouble, particularly after discovering the police found fingerprints at the crime scene that might belong to Jesse, together with an eyewitness.

I also liked the brief moment when Hank was excitedly explaining one of his minerals to Walt Jr, only for Walt to interrupt and provide far deeper and more complex knowledge of the mineral in question. It was another little dig that Hank's losing his alpha male status. He's not even the amateur authority of his new pastime, having to defer to his brother-in-law's expertise because of its connection to chemistry. The Ying-Yang quality of Walt and Hank is one of the show's best pieces of subtext, as the two men in this family jostle for superiority. There's even a visual element now, with Walt towering over burly Hank in his wheelchair.

Jesse continued on his downward slide, but this week his lifestyle came to the attention of both Mike and Walt. The latter, arriving amidst the squalor to interrogate Jesse over his movements in Gale's apartment (just to be sure the cops won't have any evidence to incriminate him), didn't last long before he was forcibly ejected from the house by Jesse's "friends". Mike didn't fare much better getting through to Jesse, despite apparently helping by catching a tweaker who stole all of Jesse's money from a bedroom drawer. Jesse's so far gone that discovering his small fortune's been stolen didn't even raise a flicker of emotion from him, as he proceeded to play a video-game with a girl, and even Mike's scare tactic of inferring he'll kill the thief didn't work. Jesse may be self-destructing to numb himself from the horror of killing someone, but he's not stupid: you don't bother blindfolding someone you're about to kill.

This was a real turning point episode; both because the Whites have taken their first public step into a criminally-funded lifestyle, but also because Gus returned and took measures to deal with Jesse in light of Mike's concerns about his mental state and professionalism. The episode ended with Mike driving into the desert with a docile Jesse, who's perhaps accepted what's going to happen. A bullet to the head will bring him the peace his guilty mind is craving. If that's what Mike has planned. And Walt knows his partner's been taken, but can only yell his frustration at the all-seeing eye of Gus's Superlab surveillance camera. Walt only agreed to return to work if Jesse was part of the deal, but what choice does he have if Gus removes him from the workplace? The only lifeline Walt has is that Gus needs a cook of his caliber to produce high-quality meth. It'll be interesting to see if this forces a stand-off, or at the very least a face-to-face meeting between Walt and Gus.

Overall, "Bullet Points" was a brilliant mix of what Breaking Bad does best: taught and efficient action mixed with clever, tense character moments. Walt and Skyler's early extended scene, trying to ensure there are no holes in their story, also worked very well; Walt upset he's being painted in a bad light, and Skyler mistaking her husband's rehearsed apology as genuine. As she said, he's a fantastic liar.

I'm also glad the plan involving Walt's gambling cover-story and car wash is going ahead after all the talk, but the real satisfaction came from the sense that the abduction of Jesse is going to force Walt into tackling Gus and Mike head-on. But given we're not even halfway through the season yet, maybe there's something very different in store for Jesse when Mike's car reaches its destination? Maybe Mike's run-in with those gunmen at the truck was the wake-up call he needed to plot a way to remove Gus from power, and he needs Jesse's help? Looking forward to seeing what episode 5 brings... can't believe anyone wouldn't be.

Asides

• What will Hank do when he discovers that Walt and Skyler's "gambling fortune" has also been paying his medical expenses?


• Fun callback to "The Learn'd Astronomer", with Gale's journal dedication "To W.W. My Star, My Perfect Silence" probably referring to "Walter White", who introduced him to the verse. Luckily, Walt managed to pin the initials on the poem's author, Walt Whitman. Out of interest: do you think Gale's dedication proves he was gay and attracted to Walt?


• Interesting to note Hank making more of an effort with Marie in the company of the Whites. You'd never know from their civilized meal together than the Schrader's marriage is hanging by a thread.


• Walt didn't like the desperate option Saul suggested he consider (paying a large amount of money for a "disappearer" to get his family out of harm's way and with new identities), but the fact it was even mentioned may mean something. Perhaps Walt will reconsider towards the end of his season?


• Why was Mike in the back of a refrigerated chicken truck anyway? He can't possibly travel like that for every meth transportation for Gus. Was this a particularly dangerous route that required his presence? Or an especially valuable shipment?

written by Moira Walley-Beckett / directed by Colin Bucksey / 7 August 2011 / AMC

BREAKING BAD, 4.3 - "Open House"

This third episode revolved around territory, at home and at work. Walt (Bryan Cranston) was seething that Gus has installed a surveillance camera in the Superlab, so he can keep an eye on his cooks without interacting with them; Marie (Betsy Brandt) escaped from her life caring for disabled Hank (Dean Norris) by attending open houses, posing as various imaginary characters, while feeding her latent kleptomania; Jesse's (Aaron Paul) allowed his family's once-respectable home to become a chaotic round-the-clock meth party for reprobates to fight, have sex, take drugs, and play music; and Skyler (Anna Gunn) managed to get Walt focused on buying the car wash to launder their money, before hatching a plan to get their hands on the business for a knockdown price...

I really enjoyed "Open House", despite the fact it was something of a piece-moving exercise and lacked any big thrills. The show's so rich and involving that episodes like this can be oddly enthralling, and I'm intrigued by how season 4's been emphasizing the roles of Skyler and Marie. One criticism of Breaking Bad it's always been hard to argue against is that it's focused on the male demographic, but this year's been redressing the gender balance. There was an extended period of time when Walt didn't even appear in the episode, and Jesse's role was also very minor. In the past, the prospect of an episode that featured more Skyler and Marie wouldn't have been very appealing, but both actresses are being allowed to do great work this year. Our sympathies are primarily with Marie, given her insensitive treatment by bedridden Hank, who picks fault at the smallest mistakes she makes while looking after him, and her storyline was an interesting way to return to Marie's kleptomania—which never sat right in season 1, as it felt like unnecessary filler, but here it was a plausible way to show Marie's breakdown and desire to escape.

Skyler's also becoming a genuine asset to Walt's nascent "empire", although he's only just beginning to realize this. Incensed over Bogdan refusing to sell her the car wash for $897,000, affronting Walt's manhood in the process, it's Skyler who comes up with a fantastic plan to get her hands on the business, with a little help from Saul (Bob Odenkirk). A fake environmental inspector was sent to the car wash, alerting Bogdan of various erroneous problems with his water treatment system, meaning Bogdan's suddenly keener to sell Skyler his business—believing he's offloading an expensive liability—for a greatly reduced $800,000.

If "breaking bad" has given underachieving Walt a way to channel his chemistry skills and find a lucrative ruthlessness within himself, it seems that Skyler's beginning to discover hat her intelligence can be used for more than accounting in dead-end jobs. She's getting what she wants through non-violent means, and is clever enough to realize Walt can't go buying $320 bottles of wine because it will arouse suspicion, given he's an unemployed school teacher. "The devil's in the detail" as she puts it. But there will be a cost for Skyler somewhere down the line, as there's been for Walt, I'm sure. The lovely shot of milk suds slipping down a sink symbolizing Skyler's morals going down the drain.

I've been concerned that Hank's role is in danger of becoming tedious, or that keeping him unable to walk for a whole season might be problematic for storytelling possibilities. Here we got our first sign that Hank's going to have his occupational passions rekindled, as his colleague Tim (Nigel Gibbs) visited and gave him the "Lab Notes" book they found at Gale's murder scene. Hank will assumedly find connections between Gale's scribblings and the work of nemesis "Heisenberg", and become Breaking Bad's own Perry Mason. Now with a purpose beyond cataloguing minerals, and watching soft porn or bowling on TV, the atmosphere between Hank and Marie will hopefully lift and get back to something approaching normality.

I know there's been some concern that season 4's started on a less exciting and propulsive note than previous year. Season 1 had the core idea of a teacher becoming a criminal (and we were dissolving a corpse by episode 2), season 2 had Walt and Jesse's kidnapping by a drug kingpin, season 3 had the portentous presence of the Mexican twins, but season 4 doesn't have anything as comparatively gripping. But I'm not too concerned yet, because it feels like the writers are just confident its audience have patience, and the story is simply building its foundations ready for a spurt of energy. If there's one thing that dragged season 3 down, for me, it was how the pacing would rise and fall in such extremes, but season 4 is hopefully going to just keep building and building on an upward trajectory.

Overall, I really enjoyed this episode for many reasons. There were plenty of interesting and memorable sequences, particularly with Jesse's continuing private meltdown. The moment when he went go-karting alone, literally screaming around the track, again showed how desperate he is to be distracted and regain some sense of control. This was then topped by the moment Jesse got his lethargic house guests active by throwing money into the air, watching them scramble for it like maggots at his feet. As usual, lots to ponder. Will Skyler and Walt's car wash business go well? Can Walt get Mike on his side? Is Gus going to remain hands-off with the business now? How far will Jesse descend before he gets help, or snaps out of it? Just how exactly is Hank going to figure into Gale's murder case, and will he perhaps blow Gus's entire operation sky high? And if so, can Walt and Jesse escape the fallout?

Asides

• In related news, you may have heard that Breaking Bad has been shopped around to three rival cable channels, owing to the fact AMC want to reduce the fifth season to between 5 and 8 episodes. This could just be posturing, to convince AMC to stump up for a full 12 episodes, by sending a sign that they're prepared to jump ship. Of course, if AMC really did let Breaking Bad go, I can't see its new broadcaster agreeing to finance just the one season. So maybe we'd end up with six seasons instead of the five creator Vince Gilligan wants to do? More than likely, AMC will back down and we'll get a normal-sized fifth and final season in 2012. But it's worrying how AMC seem to be having problems justifying the costs of their top three shows: Mad Men was only renewed after a tense standoff with creator Matthew Weiner, and Frank Darabont allegedly left The Walking Dead partly because of budget cuts that will be imposed.
• Breaking Bad is a show that seems to attract notable guest directors. British director David Slade (Hard Candy, 30 Days Of Night, Twilight Eclipse) was behind the camera for this episode, in a less attention-grabbing capacity than Rian Johnson (Brick, The Brothers Bloom) last season, but it was still another example of fantastic TV direction. For the purposes of these reviews I screengrab the show, and Breaking Bad's one of the few TV productions that delivers visually interesting shots at almost every instance.

written by Sam Catlin / directed by David Slade / 31 July 2011 / AMC

BREAKING BAD, 4.2 - "Thirty-Eight Snub"

After the relentless tension of the premiere, which capped an equally tense third season, "Thirty-Eight Snub" was a quieter hour of introspection and a chance for the characters to parse everything that's happened to them, and in some cases plan for whatever the future may bring. It was another good episode, stylishly directed by Michelle MacLaren, brimming with confidence. The wonderful thing about Breaking Bad is how you could condense everything down to around 20 minutes, but the show really lives and breathes with the extra time to make scenes sink in and the atmosphere to take hold.

Everyone's reaction to Gale's murder and the vicious killing of Victor by Gus, just to make a point, was very interesting to see. Jesse (Aaron Paul), racked with guilt over pulling the trigger on poor Gale, retreated to his home comforts (a colossal sound system, lines of cocaine, chit-chat with Badger and Skinny Pete about zombie video-games, and eventually a huge house party); Walt (Bryan Cranston) was more pragmatic and developing a naive plan to kill Gus, by buying a .38 snub-nosed revolver from an illegal gun dealer (Jim Beaver) and practicing his quickdraw for when he gets Gus in his sights; Skyler (Anna Gunn) began to worry about the size of Hank's (Dean Norris) medical bills, so took the initiative to approach Walt's old boss to buy his car wash (so they can launder money through it); assassin Mike (Jonathan Banks) tried to drown the memory of Victor's death in a bar, only to be reminded by a spot of blood on his cuff (very Shakespearian); and Marie (Betsy Brandt) continued to struggle with Hank's obstinacy over his disability and fixation on collecting minerals.

There was lots of fascinating character beats in this episode, but I particularly enjoyed Jesse's because it's more understandable. He's a kid who's been through a lot and finds solace only when his mind's distracted by friends, music and drugs. The final shot of Jesse alone, after the party finally came to an end, sat in front of a large speaker that's swallowing him with noise, was the perfect was to demonstrate this. But while Jesse seeks escape from the life he's chosen that, ironically, provide the means of that escape, Walt's grown more confident and accepting of the life he's chosen. He's still rather foolish and his "plan" to kill Gus isn't a clever one—especially as Gus appears to have vanished and, according to Mike, the two men will never meet again. Walt's being kept at a distance to cook his meth in the Superlab, and his movements watched outside of work, so the situation is almost hopeless. The only move Walt had was to get Mike on his side, by making him feel as insecure as he does. And despite the fact he has a point, and as an audience we have some hope that Mike's going to leave Gus's payroll, Walt's attempt to recruit Mike utterly failed. After broaching the subject to Mike in a local bar, Walt was beaten for even suggesting the idea of a partnership against Gus. So is Mike fiercely loyal to Gus? Does he just have no faith that Walt's the man to put his trust in? Does he just need more persuading that even Victor's murder didn't provide? Or is there something else happening in Mike's life we don't know about?

At the moment, the situation with Hank is providing Betsy Brandt with some of the best material she's had on the show, and she's doing a tremendous job with it. It's heartbreaking to see how unkind Hank is being around his dutiful, supportive wife. He's such a proud man that being a unable to walk is difficult enough, but Marie's presence just amplifies his feelings of emasculation. I'm still interested to see where this story goes, although it does feel like an entire season of Hank learning to walk is in order. Maybe Hank getting back on his feet will be the symbolic contrast to Walt slipping further into criminality? It helps that I'm a big fan of Norris's work on this show, and I'm pleased Brandt now has something to play that's worth her time (it beats that kleptomania storyline from season 1), but a part of me is concerned this story's going to lose its appeal. Then again, knowing how fluidly the writers plan their season, it's likely they'll get bored of Hank and his mineral collection around the same time the audience do.

Skyler also has a firmer stake in the story these days, which is great to see. Her business brain could make her a valuable asset to Walt once his empire, assumedly, begins to take shape. But getting their hands on that car wash isn't going to be easy, given the bad blood between owner Bogdan (Marius Stan) and ex-employee Walt. Skyler put together a generous $879,0000 offer, but he wants $20,000,000! Can Walt find a way back into his old boss's good books, or will he have to take more disreputable action to get the car wash?

Another fine episode, considering it was giving us the calm after the storm, but plenty to think about as this nascent season develops.

Asides

• There's a new guy working in the Superlab called Tyrus (Ray Campbell), and you have to wonder if he'll be in any way helpful to Walt and Jesse in the future, or is he going to be as unhelpful as Victor was. Also, now that Gus is asking for the meth to be weighed twice, it looks like Jesse's siphoning of the drug to sell himself is going to be nigh impossible.
• Nice to see Jesse's ex-girlfriend Andrea back on the show, briefly, although she was more of a plot-device last year than anything else, so I don't blame anyone for having forgotten she existed.
• Lots of creative POV shots used throughout this episode by director Michelle MacLaren, most memorably with the Roomba device vacuuming Jesse's house, and the windscreen of a vehicle going through a car wash. It all helps give Breaking Bad its distinctive look and feel, but I particularly appreciate the wonderful sonics used in the soundtrack. Sometimes it's like the whole world is buzzing with noise from inside an echoing tube, slowly sending the characters crazy. Interestingly, this noise suddenly quietened the moment Walt put his porkpie hat—effectively becoming his alter-ego Heisenberg as he approached Gus's house. Another nod that Walt asserts control and finds confidence only when he's in that guise.

written by George Mastras / directed by Michelle MacLaren / 24 July 2011 / AMC

TV Ratings: BREAKING BAD, season 4 (AMC)

The fourth season premiere of Breaking Bad broke a record for the AMC show, with a total of 2.6 million people tuning in for the tense "Box Cutter". This includes 1.5m people in the lucrative 18-49 demographic, and is a massive 30% increase on the third season premiere's numbers. This suggests the show is catching on with more people, thanks to extremely positive word-of-mouth. Breaking Bad is actually one of very few shows that's become more popular with each passing season, too.

Review: BREAKING BAD, 4.1 - "Box Cutter"

The best show on television returns with a virtuoso premiere, this one simmering with tension and glowing with confidence. Like Walter White's (Bryan Cranston) peerless recipe for crystal methamphetamine, Breaking Bad's operating at 99% purity now the writers know precisely what works, and—more importantly—how to squeeze every last drop of juice from each hour.

"Box Cutter" opens with one of the show's occasional flashbacks, often employed to give guest-stars a chance to reprise dead characters. That proved to be the case here, too, as we found chemistry nerd Gale (David Costabile) giddily opening giant packages containing the so-called Superlab he's going to be operating for local drug kingpin Gus (Giancarlo Esposito). It was a nice reminder of how amiable and childlike Gale was, before the show truly began by continuing from the third season's climax—with Jesse (Aaron Paul) shooting nice-guy Gale in the head, in desperate to ensure Walt's indispensability to Gus as the Superlab's numero uno. From there, the episode was something of a slow period of uneasy clean up: Walter held hostage in the Superlab by jaded assassin Mike (Jonathan Banks), only alive because he managed to make himself irreplaceable in the nick of time; Jesse found and taken back to the Superlab by Gus's minion Victor (Jeremiah Bitsui); and all four awaiting the return of Gus himself to see how Gale's murder will effect their working relationships.

Elsewhere, we caught up with Skyler (Anna Gunn) as she drove Walt's car from her house to his condo, fearing their son (RJ Mitte) will take it as a sign his parents are getting back together; a conclusion her sister Marie (Betsy Brandt) has already jumped to while visiting. Skyler's often a character just skirting events, but there are increasing signs she's going to become a more dynamic and vital part of the show now. It helps that she now knows Walt's cooking meth to make a fortune before cancer kills him, and there was a great sequence in this episode where Skyler's own skill as a liar came in handy—as she managed to convince a locksmith she lives in Walt's condo so she could get inside to look for her missing husband. To me, it feels that Skyler's headed towards becoming accepting of her husband's vocation (perhaps even enjoying some of the lifestyle it brings), at least until her eyes are opened about just how dangerous this life really is.

A brief scene also revealed the status of Walt's brother-in-law Hank (Dean Norris), who's now bedridden and undergoing physiotherapy to regain his mobility—having been paralyzed last season when the Mexican drug cartel's twin enforcers tried to kill him. Hank's story is continuing down the path of eroding his masculinity, in contrast to how weedy Walt's story is turning him into an alpha male. Norris is wonderful in this role, and seeing macho Hank reduced to spending his days bidding for rocks and minerals online, and having to be helped onto a bedpan by his dedicated wife, was heartrending stuff. I just hope the show finds a way to get Hank back on his feet soon, because while making him an invalid delivers  emotional drama (and something for Betsy Brandt to play), I prefer it when Hank's proactive and looking for the mysterious "Heisenberg" and his renowned blue-meth.

The confidence of this episode came from very simple things like the measured pacing and, at times, almost total lack of dialogue. Simple sequences like Skyler returning Walt's car are shown in unusually long takes for TV, often with just the thrumming soundtrack for company. It's far from tedious or pretentious, just oddly mesmeric. You're suddenly giving the tiniest of scenes a great deal of thought and feeling of importance, as they appear to be trying to show you something deeper than what's obviously happening. In this episode, there was a feeling that everyone apart from the core characters were out of town, or—in lawyer Saul's (Bob Odenkirk) case—closed for business. Even Walt Jr was holed up in his bedroom playing music for most of the episode, as Albuquerque became a strange little ghost town for the hour. A place constantly under the microscope of that impressive sky.

Of course, the best example of the show's self-belief was in the moment when Gus finally made his entrance in the Superlab. A taciturn man at the best of times, he had everyone quaking in their boots as he calmly slipped into protective overalls and floated around Jesse and Walt with the blade of a box cutter knife in one hand. Poor Walt could only talk in an effort to make Gus see sense, while fearing for his life, trying to appeal to Gus's common sense over any feeling of vengeance. The tension was drum tight, almost as if the air had been sucked out of the room, and the release came in one of the most horrendous scenes the show's done: Gus slicing open the neck of stooge Victor, arm clutching his head and choking him out, as arterial blood spattering Walt's jeans. Gus is a man of few words, but indelibly memorable actions.

But as Walt says to Jesse in a diner afterwards (once they melted Victor's corpse into a plastic barrel with Hydrofluoric acid), their actions killing Gale has merely bought them time. Gus will be looking to replace the troublesome, unruly Walt, and when he finds someone equal to Gale, their lives will under threat once again. Walt knows they have to start planning their move before death comes a-knocking, but a shell-shocked Jesse's just clutching to a naive belief the worst is over and it'll take Gus years to find a replacement he can trust implicitly.

Overall, "Box Cutter" was a great episode of an even greater series. This hour was chiefly concerned with resolving the issues left dangling from season 3, so it doesn't feel like season 4 even began until the diner scene. The denouement suggests the cops investigating Gale's murder will find his "Lab Notes" journal, which will undoubtedly have clues about the whereabouts of the Superlab, how it's run, and who owns it. But if the net's closing on Gus, can Walt find a way to escape this associated danger, while perhaps ousting his callous employer?

Fascinated to see how this season develops.

Asides

• Loved the match-cut from a pool of blood being cleaned with a mop to someone at a diner swirling a splodge of ketchup with a french fry. Darkly amusing.
• Nice callback to season 1's "Cat's In The Bag...", when Walt and Jesse disposed of their first body using Hydrofluoric acid in a bathtub.

written by Vince Gilligan / directed by Adam Bernstein / 17 July 2011 / AMC

Video: Vince Gilligan, BREAKING BAD season 4

Collider have a great 18-minute interview with showrunner Vince Gilligan about the upcoming fourth season of Breaking Bad. There's not much in the way of huge revelations and spoilers (which is fine by me), but there's plenty of interesting insights into the creative process. Gilligan also confirms that he believes season 5 should be the show's last, which I hope is something AMC respects.

Breaking Bad returns to AMC on 17 July.

Trailer: BREAKING BAD, season 4 (AMC)

AMC have announced the premiere date of Breaking Bad's fourth season. It's 17 July. They've also released the above trailer, although it doesn't appear to feature any new footage. Regardless, it's a very effective montage of the previous three seasons that sets the mood wonderfully well. I can't wait for this show's return, can you? Just how thrilling, shocking, dramatic and exciting can it get? On 17 July, we'll find out...