Sunday 25 April 2010

Breaking Bad: Sunset - RIP RV, We'll Always Have New Mexico


Yeah. This was the first taste season three has given us of Breaking Bad, the unbearably tense show which takes sequences of thriller convention and looks at them with such a fresh and painstakingly detailed eye, its kind of ingenious. And the RV set-piece this week was arguably the best example of this possibly ever, and if there's been a better ten minutes of TV this year I definitely want to see it.

- This episode took a step back from the heavy character drama we've been dealing with in past weeks, and into a very much get things moving episode. And while their have been some truly astounding moments in these first five episodes, they were a might inconsistent, and with no major plot upheaval to distract us, it was perhaps more noticeable. Still I love this show more then anything else on TV right now and this episode is why.

- Walt got to cooking in his freshly built Meth-Cave. We meet his new partner in chemistry Gale. Played, somewhat awesomely, by Mel's shell of a husband in Flight Of The Concords, Doug. But with this part, David Costabile proves to be awesome outside of the hipster surroundings, and is the perfect mix of sycophant/mysterious creep the part called for. Way to make an instant impression man.

- Loved his rendition of the Walt Whitman poem, that was strangely moving despite being used by Gale from a place of manipulative dishonesty.

- Hank is in trouble man. If he keeps discovering all this new shit, he's going to get himself murdered, he zeroes in on Jesse this week. staking out his home until he leaves frantically in order to stop his precious RV/Meth lab getting destroyed.

- ..By Walt, who sensing the net closing on Jesse. Had planned to trash the RV to give himself a clean getaway. Unfortunately Jesse turns up, followed by Hank, to stop him. Queue awesomely tense sequence the both of them deep in the shit, and Hank getting literally centimeters away from discovering his brother-in law was the infamous Heisenberg. Then awesomeness ensued.

- the scene of the RV getting crushed was fairly amazing too. Perhaps because its become such an iconic part of the show's look, it felt like a character death, and this hunk of of metal getting scrapped was certainly more moving then when Ali Larter got killed on heroes.

- RIP RV, its been a wild ride.

- great cameo from Larry Hankin, whom most will know as Mr Heckles from Friends, as the legally assured dump-site guy who made the scene work as well is it did.

- " This is my domicile and I will not be Harassed, BITCH! "

- Hysterical Jesse is always the funniest thing about this show.

- Loved the moment where Walt hung up on Saul for being annoying.

- Dean Norris has brought a real intensity to Hank this season, and he has gone from being a fairly expository side character to becoming as interesting as the show's leads. But now he might whacked.

- Because of the awesome Gus Frings, played so perfectly by Giancarlo Esposito who so nailed Gus' methodical fearlessness in the final scene with the cousins. Gus' play it seems, is turn the cousins on Hank instead of Walt, because Walt makes him money. This was a terrific twist, as all the best twists are because it was unexpected yet makes perfect sense. But the odds on Hank making it through this season are looking increasingly slim.

- minimal Skylar this week, perhaps because we focused more on the gangster shenanigans this week then the family drama. She was missed though.

- All in all a great episode, that accomplished a lot whilst not feeling hectic, something the show has been in search of this season but not quite finding, and just fucking great television.

Rating: 8/10

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