Breaking Bad: I See You - The Smile Of The Chicken Man Is Telling

Perhaps by necessity, Breaking Bad took a bit of a chill pill this week. After three magnificently tense episodes, climaxing in the instant classic of One Minute, this is a contemplation episode, and frankly I'm happy to see it. It's what makes Breaking Bad the show that it is that its equally interested in complex drama, and quiet contemplation as it is its tension explosions. And while I See You will be nobodies favorite episode, it kept things ticking along nicely and allowed as to recover and re-assess after last week.

- I doubt any show, with the possible exception of The Wire, does the season like Breaking Bad does. Each yeah feels like a coherent story, with rises and falls in exactly the right places. People yak on about the possibilities of serialized television, but this show takes to its medium like a glove.

- So, after Hank's EPIC confrontation with the cousins last week, he's of course hospital bound. There was a sweet little scene with Jesse leaving as he arrived, and upon discovering the universe had taken its revenge on his behalf, his cold smile was fairly revealing as to the current status of his character. He may still make us laugh, as he does with his lab antics this week, but make no mistake there's a darkness to Jesse these days.

- I liked how we spent the entire episode in the hospital, because this show is all about consequences, and just as we spent an entire episode recuperating after the awesome 'Grilled', we do so here too in which the dramatic showdown comes not at the end but in the middle, and we see in great detail what happens after. It may frustrate a few people, but if you want a show to constantly rise until nothing means anything then go and watch Heroes.

- Some great small character moments tonight, from Walt adjusting the table leg to the bemusement of his family. And Skylar's knowing response to Walt's mystery phone call, as he made a feeble attempt to pretend it wasn't something gangstery, While the Marie fork thing was a bit forced, Cranston saved the scene with his follow up monologue about his operation, and the rather telling anecdote.

- " I survived this hospital, and I'm not half the man you're husband is."

- RIP The Cousins I guess, you're presence was short-lived but impactful. After one of them got rinsed by hank last week, the other lost his legs as a consequence of the confrontation. He didn't go without one more awesome scene of badassery however. After seeing Walt in his hospital doorway, he crawled across the room, his stumps leaving blood as they went until he was dragged away by the cops. Then he got killed by Mike The Cleaner, that great plot device of a character.

- I think the thing I liked the most about this week was the stuff orientated around Gus, in part because the character his thus far been orchestrating thinks from the sidelines, but we got a glimpse at the monster behind the politeness tonight, and he was an ice-cold mother-fucker. Esposito continues to own, and while expressing so little, communicates so much. It seems the chicken man set-up the cousins in the hope that he would free himself from his ties south of the border and go forth on his own. And he took care of the remaining loose end of the cartel boss who had Danny Trejo whacked, in a fairly Godfatherish way.

- And in regards to Walt, he let him know his bullshit won't fly here, as he saw through his lies in regards to why he wasn't cooking. And let him no how easily he could get to him and his family. This is a guy not to be messed with it seems. I wonder when Walt will realize what he's got himself into.

- All in all though, a quiet episode, and necessarily so after last week, that still managed to keep things moving , whilst providing more layers to its various characters. I'm pleased to see a couple of consecutive episodes of a calmer Walt too, letting the other people do the freaking out.

- Jesse blew up his chemical suit like a helium balloon.

Rating: 7/10