El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019)

 "Dude, you're on fire!"

This film is, perhaps, a little slow at first. But it's slow for a reason and, as with anything written and shot by Vince Gilligan, it has real depths. For this is a characyer study of one Jesse Pjnkman, a man who has been enslaved and caged for months, and who is suffering intense PTSD at the start of the film. We have various flashbacks, all meaningful, all riffing on what's happening in the present day, one at the end featuring a welcome cameo for Bryan Cranston as Walter White.

But this is a film about how Jesse overcomes his PTSD to become a badass, and to have the chance to start a new life. We see the highly disturbing flashbacks of his life in captivity, and get to know at closequarters just how disturbing Todd is. It goes without saying that Jesse Plemons and, especially, Aaron Paul are magnificent.

It's a slow burn. This, crucially, is not an action film, and won't be enjoyed by those looking for one. But I'm watching it a mere couple of weeks after marathoning all of Breaking Bad. I know what it means to show such guts with those two fake cops; with that very particular vacuum cleaner salesman who can make one disappear; and that Wild West shootout.

Jesse grows so much as a character, if one sees this film as a continuation of Breaking Bad. Those two fake cops waste their money on girls and drugs in a way Jesse once did. But no more. He wants a new start, a new life in, er, Alaska. And he gets it.

This is a philosophical film, not an action thriller. Watch it with that in mind, and it's the perfect coda.

Breaking Bad: Blood Money

 "Spock's like a toothbrush."

This, ladies and gentlemen, is quite simply the finest episode of television drama that I have ever seen. I've seen, and blogged, a lot of telly. Naturally, we choose to watch what we are likely to enjoy, so, despite my individual tastes and quirks, I'm biased towards quality.

And nothing I've ever see tops this. Oh, the script- even the extended Star Trek dialogue riff which brilliantly introduces us to Jesse's depression- Aaron Paul gives the single best  performance of the condition that I have EVER seen, and would be the standoiut performer in any lesser episode of television. He is, in that sense, incredibly unlucky to share this episode with Dean Norris, Because, although one could argue that he benefits from a first class script and first class direction, he rises to the occasion with superlative aplomb. His performance- in facial expression, line delivery, every possible nuance- will live not only in the history of television, but in the history of acrting. In a word: wow.

Mr Norris' performance here is equivalent to any performance of Hamlet I've ever seen. The man is an acting genius.

The episode itself is gripping. Jesse is depressed, and seriously so. Walt and Skyler believe themselves to be free of the life of crime, but such things are impossible. Both Lydia and cancer are there to puncture such illusions. I mean, we really ought to praise Brian Cranston's acting too. His genius is so constant that we take it for granted.

The final scene..I struggleto think of one better. Hank is a jock, a simple man on the surface. But no human being is without complexity, as the character study of Hank has revealed over the seasons. And war is declared betweemn Hank and Heisenberg, as there can be only one alpha male.

Go Hank. And the deepest of respect to anyone involved in this work of art. Thank you.

Breaking Bad: Hazard Pay

 "Just because you shot Jesse James doesn't make you Jesse James."

This is, perhaps, a quiet episode, one which has time to breathe and time for character development. Hence we have Skyler's breakdown, unsurprising after recent events, and Walt's inspired explanation to Marie, a brilliant scene. We have Walt and Jesse actually having a friendly conversation about Andrea, and Jesse is shocked to see Walt treat him with absolute trust and respect in how to handle it.

What makres the episode fun and fascinating in equal measure, though, is the premise: this is how one sets up a meth lab. We see Walt, Jesse and Mike- with assistance from Saul- inspecting potential front businesses before Walt hits upon a possible solution. Yet we also have a fascinating clash of the alpha males as Mike schools Walt on the realities of "business", of the many necessary underlings who need to take a cut, of the need to buy silence, of reality.

I strongly suspect, once things get harder, that Walt will cut corners, not do things Mike's way and show honour amongst thieves, and that may be his downfall in a final season which must surely end with his death. Walt, as the quote makes clear, is not Gus, after all. But I speculate.

This is an unusual change of pace, still bloody good telly but not in the usual way.

Breaking Bad: Thirty-Eight Snub

 "They're not just zombies. They're Nazi zombies."

The opening scene with Walt/Heisenberg carefully buying a gun is fascinating, much as the boring detail reminds me of when I'm talking to a mechanic about my car, the workings of which which I know nothing. It shows, of course, that Walt realises he's in danger of being killed every time someone walks down the stairs into the lab. But his decision to buy a firearm illegally, despite the permissive laws of New Mexico, further underlines his commitment to go deeper and deeper into criminality. He can go only in the one direction.

Jesse is less pragmatic, spending with abandon and throwing over-the-top parties for his two friends and a load of strangers, horrible parties that I would hate. Yet he's a passive observer, in charge of the parties but not really part of them, the Boris Johnson of Albuquerque, trying to buy friendship with money alone. And he's passively lost his girlfriend, although not without leaving her with money he hopes she will use wisely, as he never will.

Hank isn't in a good place either, struggling with therapy. He's coldly pushing Marie away, rejecting her help as an undermining of his masculinity. He's also acquiring an interest in minerals, which is oddly nerdy for him. I'm not sure where this is going, but their marriage is looking decidedly troubled.

Walt and Skyler, meanwhile, despite superficial disagreements, seem to be getting closer as Skyler invests more and more deeply in Walt's criminal empire. Her plan to buy the car wash is aggressively (and misogynistically) rebuffed by Bogdan, still resentful of Walt, but she shows real skill as a bookkeeper.

Yet the episode hinges around the duo of Walt and Mike, two very intelligent and very ruthless men. Mike prevents Walt from making a very bad mistake in trying to kill Gus- who doesn't appear in the episode and from whose presence Walt is, apparently,banished, in an even more extreme manifestation of silence meaning power.

Yet, as Walt approaches Mike to seek a mutual understanding with Mike in one of those conversations thatare all subtext,trying to seekan ally against Gus, he gets a violent response. Yet has he truly lost in the longer term?

This is a fascinating, and masterfully crafted, episode.

Breaking Bad: Better Call Saul

 "The Jew thing I just do for the homeboys..."

I was, sadly, aware of the spin-off in advance of watching the episode, so I can't quite say I was completely unspoiled. But Saul is an immediately likeable and cool character, and I hope we see much more of him. He's clever, delightfully crooked, and steals the show completely. That last scene, as he accosts Walt in the classroom and warns him how easy he is to track down, is an act of sheer balls, but gets Walt's attention. He can see, as I think I can, that Walt may not be Don Corleone yet, but promises to be. Saul is clearly an important character, but so is what he represents: another step on the road to what Walt is to become.

As Saul says, Badger won't be the last time an underling is caught.Walt needs to be ready for this, and a thousand other things. The opening scene with Badger and a narc, both sat on a bench filmed by an unmoving camera, is a masterpiece of acting and scriptwriting. This sort of thing is now part of the territory, which is why we need a character like Saul, with his hilarious adverts.

Walt seems again to get away with it at the end, but Hank- whose PTSD is masterfully explored here as he tries to pretend to be his usual self- clearly suspects something is up. Hank can only get close so many times, but the premise of the show means Walt can't be caught. Calling it now: Hank dies at the end of the season.

The family stuff is not much emphasises here, although Skyler is very much getting used to her job, but we discover that Jane (who is getting very close to Jesse) is a former addict, something of which I'm sure we will hear more. There are lots of things subtly happening, but everything points towards Walt Corleone. A superb episode of television.

Breaking Bad: Breakage

 "I'm guessing this one doesn't bounce?"

I knew it. This is the episode, I think, where it becomes clear that Walt is on a path that leaves inevitably to his filling that Tuco-shaped hole.

It all happens logically, too. The size of Walt's bill for his chemo is effectively shown by Bryan Cranston's facial acting: we don't need numbers. Meanwhile, Jesse (he has no dea who Jesse Jackson is...) has rent to pay. Cooking must be done, and quick.

Yet they still have that bottleneck. They can't sell as quick as they can produce, especially with the DEA on Jesse's tail. There's an argument, but the only choice is for underlings to do the selling, and them to take a cut and Jesse is actually pretty good at handling said underlings. 

Except... one of the underlings is robbed, which Jesse is prepared to write off as a cost of business. And here we see Walt's ruthless streak. This is fascinating.

There's also more awkwardness between Walt and Skyler, and a fascinating few scenes with Hank, who is now becoming a more nuanced character rather than an alpha male foil for Walt. Even macho men get PTSD, and are not necessarily the best at handling it.

This is excellent telly, as ever. But the most shocking eement is he appearance of a young-looking Krysten Ritter from Jessica Jones. Is she going to be a regular?

Torchwood: Dead Man Walking

“I’ve been looking for the phrase ‘I shall walk the Earth and my hunger shall know no bounds’ but I keep getting redirected to Weight Watchers.”

The feeling of shock continues as we open with Martha is about to start performing an obituary on Owen- who was, apparently, 27 years old and “Torchwood officer 565.” But Jack dramatically intervenes before she makes the first cut. In a dramatic and eventful pre-titles sequence, Jack goes to visit a mysterious little girl, a soothsayer (to be heard from again?), and learns about the location of the second of that pair of gloves.

It’s quite an opening, and quite an episode. Yet again, Matt Jones (I had to correct that- I originally wrote it as Matt Smith!), who gave us the Devil in The Impossible Planet, presents us with a supernatural theme. And together with the opening that makes this feel very much like a later episode of Angel- always a good thing in my book.

There are obvious echoes of They Keep Killing Suzie as Owen is brought back to life- and stays alive. But then again, he isn’t; he can’t eat, drink, sleep or, er, supply blood to a certain part of his anatomy. And it seems that date between Tosh and Owen is not to be; when it looks as though Owen is only back for a couple of minutes Tosh tells him that she loves him, only for him to rather too enthusiastically help her to backtrack later. It seems their moment has forever passed.

Martha, although obviously necessary as to the plot, takes a back seat here character-wise. This is appropriate; we need to see the reactions of the whole team here, and this we do. We see Gwen holding things together most of the time but when she’s on the phone to Rhys her true feelings show- an illustration that Rhys’ initiation into the ways of Torchwood has been good both for Gwen and their relationship. Tosh, of course, hasn’t got a Rhys and behind the professionalism she’s devastated. Jack, meanwhile, is quite aware of the extent both Owen’s death and the consequences of his resurrection are his own fault, as we see in the fantastic cell scene as well as his reaction to Owen’s comments at the end of the episode.

But, of course, this is all about Owen’s situation, and some old themes arising from this: there being “nothing” after death even though this is a “nothing” that stuff can happen in; the “darkness”; and something moving in it. And it seems that this something is “Death”, although true to The Impossible Planet form the idea is never really defined in the usual terms of the show. Like Small Worlds last season, this is fantasy rather than science fiction. Still, unlike The Impossible Planet with its musings on exploration and Victorian imperialistic poetry, there’s no discernible subtext to the iconic supernatural figure here; it’s all about the characters.

We get to compare Owen’s life to his old one as he cruises the bars as he has done many times before, drinks beer as he has many times before, and pulls as he has many times before. Except that he is now unable to perform on both counts. A pity, especially regarding the beer; it looks as though it could be a pint of something decent rather than the usual bottled lager.

Owen is really rather brave and heroic here, offering to be injected with formaldehyde and, of course, saving the day at the end, in a way which cleverly makes sense of those cryptic clues of Gwen’s. And he kisses Tosh, although I’m sure he’ll later insist it meant nothing. He does that.

Good stuff. Not even some rather poor age make-up from Martha can prevent this from earning a high 5/5.

Doctor Who: The Impossible Planet / The Satan Pit

The Impossible Planet



“And how can man die better
Than facing fearful odds
For the ashes of his fathers
And the temples of his Gods?”



For all that this extraordinary story more or less stands on its own, the teaser is just the sort of thing we’ve come to expect by now. It plays amusingly with both the Doctor and Rose’s relationship and the tropes of the show, as they burst out laughing at the mere suggestion they might perhaps decide not to explore where they’ve landed and just get back into the TARDIS. It’s also a nice little cliffhanger and resolution. But from this point on everything just feels different from the rest of this series. However much Matt Jones has utterly nailed the two regulars, he’s done something completely new and different and fantastic with this script.

It’s not the first time the “New Series" has taken us to a new planet, but it’s the first time it’s done it properly; this isn’t just somewhere that might be Earth. And this is where the show’s new aesthetic of space travel is established; as Rose says, it’s not “whizzing about, teleports, anti-gravity”- it’s tough. A very lived-in, post Alien style future, and although it’s not the first time we’ve seen this sort of thing in Doctor Who it’s never been either as well-realised or as refreshingly free from Eric Saward’s nihilism as this.

It’s a wondrous yet precarious situation that the Doctor and Rose find themselves in; a planet balanced, just, in orbit round a black hole, something which takes incredible quantities of energy which originates from somewhere below the surface. And almost as precarious is that the crew can only return to Earth as long as the black hole continues to generate some kind of bizarre gravity chute. Naturally, then, it’s here that the Doctor and Rose lose the TARDIS and become stranded. Makes you all nostalgic for the early Hartnells, doesn’t it?

Brilliantly, though, grim as this all should feel, somehow it doesn’t. And this is because of the crew- every single character has their foibles but is basically well-rounded and likeable, and there’s something noble in the human desire for knowledge and exploration which has led them here. The Doctor certainly seems to think so, and he has a point. For all that the mission has a practical purpose in that there’s the possibility of a new energy source, the crew seem just as interested, even enthusiastic, in the pure science and archaeology there is to discover on the planet, and whatever the grubbiness of their living conditions the romantic side of their work is not lost on them.

There’s something very New Adventures about the whole feel of this, incidentally, and that’s something which we haven’t seen on screen before. I haven’t read Matt Jones’s effort (is it any good?), but this reminds me a lot of the “Future History Cycle” novels from early in the range. It’s the whole mood of the thing, I think; for all that there is a dark threat, and even a dark side to humanity (the huge ethical problems with the Ood being used as slaves are not dwelt upon, but they are addressed, and that’s important), we care about these people, and that makes us more scared for them. The “don’t look behind you” scene with Toby is particularly effective (and isn’t it great to hear Gabriel Woolf’s voice again?) but Scooti’s horrible death is effective for a completely different reason, and really sold to us by the reactions of the crew. This really seems like a tight-knit group who care about each other.

We get a nice little interlude between the Doctor and Rose where the character arc stuff gets a bit of action. Billie Piper is particularly brilliant here. And, of course, the fact that Rose seems to want to settle down with the Doctor in domestic bliss but knows she shouldn’t just come out and say it in no way means that the relationship is going to end soon or in tears, so that’s all right.

Lots of fantastically scary things keep happening- the things said by the Ood and computers are easily as scary as anything we see- and the response of the crew is fantastic. I particularly like the way Jefferson, the gruff security guard, could so easily have been something of a cliché, but he isn’t. He’s no closed-minded bigot, so we get no tiresome suspicion of the Doctor and Rose, he’s capable of listening to reason, agreeing not to shoot Rose in the next episode when Rose reasons with him, and he’s a cultured man, who quotes Macaulay, good old-fashioned nineteenth century Whig that he is. Come to think of it, there’s something very much of the Whig interpretation of history in this story’s themes of human progress and daring.

The Doctor, of course, volunteers to accompany Ida on to the planets surface, and mentions a number of names for the devil, including “Abbadon”. Wonder if we’ll be hearing that again any time soon?




The Satan Pit



“Maybe that’s what the Devil is in the end- an idea?”



There’s a slightly disappointing resolution to the biggest cliffhanger yet, but fear not- the excellence continues pretty much non-stop. We get a bit of a contrast between the action sequences above ground and the more contemplative sequences between the Doctor and Ida below ground. And these in particular are brilliant; this Doctor has never before been shown quite so philosophical as he is here, but the characterisation never fails to ring true.

We begin with the Captain’s order to withdraw, and the subsequent discussion between the Doctor and Ida. The Doctor muses on the human urge to explore, but ultimately decides against the temptation. Fascinatingly, we’re touching on the themes which caused me to be underwhelmed by this story first time round; the Doctor seemed first time round to be implying here that there’s space in the universe for supernatural forces into which science should not pry. And being myself something of a rational, empirical, pro-Enlightenment sort of chap, I tend to be somewhat alienated by such messages.

We get a brilliant scene in which the Devil speaks to everyone, with a brief statement for each individual which serves to round out their characterisations rather nicely. And Rose, incidentally, is going to die in battle”. Ooh! This doesn’t stop her taking charge of the situation, though; having been more than a little annoying and selfish in recent episodes she more than redeems herself here in performing the rather Doctorish role in encouraging the crew to find reserves of strength and brilliance within themselves and survive. But everyone’s magnificent, above all Jefferson, whose noble death uncannily reflects the subject matter of the poetry he was quoting earlier.

There’s a nice Fanwank thrill from the Doctor as Ida lowers him into the pit; we get mentions of Draconia, Daemos, and the Kaled god of war. But the cable comes to an end, and beneath is only darkness. In a leap of faith, the Doctor jumps. Again, I had problems with this scene on original transmission. But on this viewing the scene it (and the story) seems not so much to be about the theme of faith versus reason but about human courage and curiosity, and the urge to climb Everest, walk on the Moon, leap into the unknown, all in spite of the dangers, because it’s there. Again, a very Whiggish view of human progress.

Mind you, we do get a brief musing on religious themes, albeit obliquely. The Doctor expresses agnostic sentiments, but arguably he’s not really talking about religion so much as his willingness to have his certainties challenged. But then he says something really quite charged: “If you get back to Rose, tell her… tell her… oh, she knows!” And then he jumps. We’re kept in suspense for the next several minutes as to whether he survived.

While the Doctor’s working out what’s going on and preparing to save the day, Captain Zachary Cross Flane finally gets to move away from the control panel and show himself to be a worthy and decent leader, whatever his doubts. He’s quite right to restrain Rose and take her with his to safety; too many people have indeed died. And he gets a wonderful line as they’re all seemingly plunging to their doom, pointing out that they’re making history, being the first people ever to fall into a black hole. Arguably his character represents the story’s view of the human race as a whole.

Fittingly, not everything is explained, but that’s okay as the writing and the nature of the Beast aren’t really relevant to the plot. And there’s a point here; not, as I used to think, that there were more things in heaven and earth than dreamt of in my philosophy, but that it’s good to have unknowns so that we can carry on exploring.



Wow. I liked that rather more than I was expecting. 5/5- in fact, it pushes The Robots of Death out of the top ten. A brilliantly constructed thriller with themes, character, and depth.