SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS!
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WARNING! SPOILERS!
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* SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS!
"My name is Walter Hartwell White. I live at 308 Negra Arroyo Lane, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87104. This is my confession."
Holy. Shit. This is why we watch television, ladies and gentlemen. It is because of episodes like this. This final season of 'Breaking Bad' has been incredible so far. Three episodes in, and I feel like an entire season has gone by already. With 5 (sigh) episodes left, I can't even begin to imagine what lies ahead.
Where to begin?
Jesse, BITCH!
Jesse is the heart and soul of this show. I truly believe that if it were not for the character of Jesse Pinkman, none of us, would be as invested in this show as we are. He brings a humanity to the character that is almost indescribable. Aaron Paul's acting is on another level when he becomes Jesse Pinkman. I was watching him on 'Talking Bad' last week and he said that he basically puts himself into Jesse's mind, and try's to act and think like that character would. When getting into depth-y scenes, instead of thinking of things from his own past to conjure emotion, he thinks based on Jesse's character history. That is the straight up definition of method acting. When you can truly become your character, you've achieved the highest level of acting possible. This is the stuff Daniel Day Lewis wins Oscar's on. So, before I get into it, I would like to say, - Thank you, Aaron Paul for making me want to vomit from the amount of emotions I felt from that entire episode.
This is why Jesse is the heart of this show, not just because we can feel his emotions, but because you need him to come out of this on top. It would be so upsetting if there is not a happy ending for Jesse. He deserves it, and the show owes it to him, and the audience. Just look at what this character has been through over the course of the series. Drugs, arrests, rehab, murder, near-death experiences; not to mention having his first love die next to him in bed, and his girlfriend's son almost die from fucking poison. He's taken a beating, partially self-inflicted, but mainly due to Walt.
Jesse finally found out about the ricin and Brock this week, and he went off the deep end; rightfully so. Let's back up and find out how he got there.
From the start of the episode Jesse was still in zombie-mode when Hank was questioning him about Walt. He is in a straight up catatonic state. That is, until Hank reveals that he knows about Walt. Jesse won't give him up though. Jesse hates Hank. We remember their history together, right? Honestly, I have no idea what Jesse is thinking. Clearly, he is scared that Hank knows. With Jesse throwing millions of dollars around Albuquerque and his past with Walt, he must know, that they know he is a part of Team Heisenberg. This doesn't stop him from being Jesse, and basically saying "Fuck You" to Hank.
Last episode, Jesse decides to give away all of his money to Mike Ehrmantraut's granddaughter, Kaylee (RIP Mike - I miss you) and the rest to the parents of Drew Sharp, the kid on the bike that was murdered by Todd (Fuck you Todd). When Walt and Saul do not allow him to, is what causes him to toss his money all over the city. Jesse is troubled, and he wants a way out of this life. He wants any memory of it to be removed completely. Which brings us to the desert.
When Jesse meets Walt in the desert, did anybody else get the feeling he was about to get whacked, 'Sopranos' style? I think Jesse sure did. A fact he acknowledges. It is one of the most dramatic scenes 'Breaking Bad' has ever done. - I am actually getting goosebumps writing about it. - Jesse explains that Hank and the DEA know about Walt, and Walt offers him a way out for a fresh life (but this is clearly just so he can remove Jesse from the picture, in order to stay out of handcuffs) Walt is typical manipulative Walt here, but Jesse does not buy into it. And I'm glad that the writers also acknowledged that Jesse didn't believe him about Mike's murder in the first episode, something I have been curious about. Jesse powerfully says to Walt that he is sick of the lying and manipulation and that he knows he had Mike killed (Do you think he suspects that Walt was the one who actually pulled the trigger?) and that if Walt wants him out of the picture, to save his own ass, then he should just ask him for a favor instead of manipulating him. In a heart-wrenching follow-up image, Walt cradles Jesse's head, as he cries hysterically, knowing full well he has to leave forever and start a new life, or he is about to be killed.
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| Notice that Jesse has his hand pinned at his sides this whole time? |
Then shit hits the fan.
As Jesse is awaiting for the bus to arrive to take him to Alaska, (Alaska, so cool that that's where he wants to go. Also, it shows how far away and non-existent he wants to be. Will he get his "happy" ending in Alaska? Or will he get a fresh start in Albuquerque?) he reaches into his pocket to get some weed to burn; when he realizes it's gone. He knows Saul's big black security guard, (his name is Huell, you racists) must have taken it on his way out of the office. This triggers the memory of the cigarette filled with the vile of ricin, that also mysteriously disappeared after visiting Saul's office. In what is yet another one of the most dramatic scenes in this shows history (there is a lot, and I expect there to be many more going into the final 5 episodes) Jesse loses his shit on Saul. Who thought he was going to kill Saul? Everyone? Yea, I thought so too, even though I've been hearing rumors that AMC might be making a dark comedy spin off featuring Bob Odenkirk's sleazeball attorney, Saul Goodman. So, Jesse beats the shit out of Saul, holding that gun, with that look in his eyes. This acting was insane, his eyes were all crazy and his chin was trembling the whole while. It was intense and beautiful. Emmy winning shit right there. So anyway, he screams that he knows Walt took the ricin and he knows Walt poisoned Brock. (Walt did try to frame Gus for Brock's poisoning with the ricin he stole from Jesse, but Walt actually poisoned Brock with the Lily of the Valley, either way Jesse still knows he did it) This was just a wild end. The episode ends as Jesse, red canister in hand, enters the White residence (in a very cool camera shot) covering it in gasoline. Unreal.
Aside: So I write down all of my thoughts while I'm watching an episode, so I can analyze them for these reviews. Like, I don't think about what I'm writing, I just watch the episode and type while watching; not caring what comes out. That said, just to show you guys how crazy I am, I'm going to show you my unedited notes while that scene was happening. I went back to read over them and I busted out laughing:
"jesse burn down his house, the camera is cool , omg he's going fucking crazy rightfully so fuck walt. YES I CAME.
JESSE PLEASE KILL WALT"
I'm fucked up right? Somehow THOSE thoughts turn into THESE words. Issues, let me tell you.
Another reason Jesse is the heart of this show is because he is now the complete foil to Walt. Walt is evil now, guys. No matter how much he pretends to be a statue of a 1950's department store owner, this is one ruthless fuck. On a side note, he is so convincing when he's at A-1 car wash, it's feels almost creepy, because of what we know about him. The rest of the time, I seriously tremble when he is talking. The man is scary. He just emotes evil with his presence. Aaron Paul, you are lucky to have had a mentor such as Bryan Cranston. Both, Cranston and Paul need Emmy's this year.
Oh, and lets's briefly discuss why Bryan Cranston will make a phenomenal Lex Luthor. It has not been "officially" announced yet (I will facebook/tweet that news to you as soon as it becomes official) that Bryan Cranston will be playing Lex Luthor in the sequel to 'Man of Steel', 'Batman Vs. Superman'. Early reports say the contract will be for close to 10 film appearances as the character. If this is true, then WOW DC, what you got planned, Yo? This is awesome news. Cranston is going to kill this role, obviously. Any fan of 'Breaking Bad' will know that this is the scariest dude on the planet. Just thinking about his performance gives me chills. 'Batman Vs. Superman' is certainly developing into my most anticipated movie (and we have a new 'Star Wars' to look forward to guys...)
This is a completely FAKE fan-made trailer. The Luthor shaved head shot is money.
Speaking of Walt's evilness. Let's talk about the video and Walt's confession.
First of all, how fucked up was it when Walt told Walter Jr. about his cancer just so he could stop him from going to Marie's? Father of the year, right there. Any feelings of sympathy I had for him last week - gone - by the end of this episode. The aforementioned part about Walter Jr. and then the video. Wow. What a manipulative monster. If I were anyone else, I would believe every word of that video. He sold it. He's masterful. His mind just operates differently than ours. It's incredible to watch this man plan, devise and plot his every move 10 steps ahead in his ongoing chess match with the world. He's not a force to be reckoned with. Don't fuck with Heisenberg. End of story.
Before I close this up, Marie and Hank's reaction to the video was priceless. It said exactly what was needed to be said, by saying nothing. And fuck Vince Gilligan for making me like Skyler at the end of this all. I hated her for years and now he's making her somewhat cool. Ugh. I hate it. I really don't want to like her. But, now she's being "Skysenberg". She's his partner in crime and she's going full force into it. She's being pretty cool as Walter's #2. I just don't want to like her.
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| Awkward Dinner: Part 2 |
This one has been circulating around social media. Hilarious.
To close this out until we meet again next week I leave you with this final thought:
Jesse is a manifestation of everything we want to believe still exists in Walt. Even though I think we've lost any belief in Walt this week, with that twisted video, we still have Jesse. This is no longer about rooting for a dying man trying to make money for his family before he passes. This is the story of that same man, turned monster by power and greed, and the young kid that, unsuspectingly, got in way over his head, desperately seeking a way out.
There's only 5 episodes left guys. Five. Brace yourselves.
My Rating: 10
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