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: Bit By a Dead Bee

 "It wasn't Whole Foods, was it?"

Now that was impressive. I mean, Breaking Bad literally always is, but they'd written themselves into a corner. And got themselves out of it... to the extent they wanted to.

It was inevitablt going to stretch credibility with Hank getting dangerously close to what Walt is up to, however dramatically effective. They had to bring it to a head, and it's to their credit that it all worked out with plausibility. 

It's plausible because the whole amnesia schtick is just Walt being clever, as well as coaching Jesse on what to say to the DEA- athough it turns out Jesse is genuinely lucky in his choice of girlfriend: Wendy has something on Hank, sort of. Yet Walt stage-manages everything to perfection, with superb acting- including "acting" acting- from the magnificent Bryan Cranston. For a while it seems as though Walt may have a problem in not being released from hospital and thus unable to cook... but the way he plays the psychiatrist (the mayor from Buffy!) is masterful indeed.

There are two loose ends, though, as life isn't that neat. Is Jesse getting cold feet? Oh, and Skyler still wants to know about that second cell phone. Ouch. She thinks he's having an affair. Is this going to push them apart? After all, Walt can hardly maintain both of hs lives forever. Is thisperhaps how his family life ends?

I'm REALLY enjoying this.

Breaking Bad: A No-Rough-Stuff-Type Deal

 "Why was it so damn good?"

"Because it was illegal."

This is a bloody good, bloody clever season finale that ends things at a perfect point:Walt and Jesse are now solidly established and in business- although the last scene with Tujo beating his own henchman to a pulp reminds us (and Walt) that this is a world where violence is not far away.

It's also a scene that establishes Walt, in this context at least, as the apha male he hasn't been for most of his life- it's a sign of Tujo's respect for Walt that he beats his own man for dissing him. But Walt gets off on risk, and feels horny during the opening scene as he hides in the very plainest of plain sight from the narco authorities, leading to what seems to be some rather good car sex.

There are some interesting contrasts with Hank- out of place in the baby shower scene- as he and Walt discuss the arbitrariness of the drug laws, something Hank can't see even as he smokes (illegal) Cuban cigars.

The theme of middle class "respectable" criminality spreads wider than that- is Marie secretly engaging in some fairly major shoplifting? And we also see Skyler using her wiles to wiggle out of admittedly unfounded suspicion. None out of either couple are entirely free of some kind of lawbreaking, and the episode nods at the sexiness of this.

Yet Walt's subtle attempt to see how Skyler would react if she only knew the truth yields no answers. Still, he and Jesse, after an episode of chemical cleverness solving problems and some top heist-themed farce, end up in a good position. This is a magnificent end to a splendid season.

So is Walt now going to move on Tujo...?