Too many familiar images were recalled during Breaking Bad's part one finale to go unnoticed— a fly, a CAT scan, the dented paper towel dispenser, the famous RV, and, of course, Leaves of Grass (the image that returns to offer us the episode's payoff)—all images that seem to suggest that the past is the simplest, yet perhaps most dangerous, locale to inhabit.
And that much worked for me this episode—those winks to my not-so-inner Breaking Bad fangirl kept me intrigued until those last moments that almost set my anxiety levels over the edge. What nearly didn't, however, was how tidy it felt, how neatly (and easily) Walt's loose ends seemed tied up and how suddenly (despite the progression of time within the show's universe) our characters' motivations seemed to have shifted. It almost felt a digression; unnatural and frustrating.
But maybe that was the point.
When the episode first opens, we see Walt staring, lost in thought, at a fly, a symbol we've come to associate (thanks to Mr. Rian Johnson) with contamination and obsession. He's managed to successfully eliminate Mike, as well as the possibility of anyone else discovering his secret, and he's found an efficient, if uninspiring, new assistant in Todd, and yet, things still don't seem quite right. For one reason or another, Walt isn't feeling in that moment as he believes he should be, isn't thoroughly appreciating his spoils. Perhaps, in part, it's because even he hasn't quite figured out what pulling the trigger that ended Mike's life was meant to achieve, despite his telling Todd "it had to be done;" perhaps it's because he knows he can no longer rely on Jesse.
And that's only because his pride initially won't allow it. Not surprisingly, Jesse arrives moments before Mike is to meet his official end in a familiar barrel of hydrofluoric acid to speak with Walt privately. Wishing to know the status of Mike's getaway, Walt assures him "he's gone" and reels, almost childishly, when Jesse questions their next move. "There is no 'we,' Jesse," Walt tells him, "I'm the only vote left." Realizing that he is truly no longer under Walt's wing, Jesse leaves somewhat defeated, leaving Walt with no other options but to continue on.
When he later meets with Lydia in a coffee shop for the names of Mike's men, his vial of ricin in tow, Walt's plans to get rid of her as well are thwarted when she offers him not only the names he needs, but a proposition to expand his business internationally. Apparently, the Czech Republic has a rather large population of meth users that haven't even come close to trying something as pure as Walt's creation, and selling his product overseas would more than double his profit. It's a plan that, apparently, Gus Fring was in the final stages of organizing before "someone killed him," and upon learning that bit of information, Walt finds it difficult to refuse.
But knowing that Lydia is, for the time being, a minor threat doesn't leave him entirely in the clear. Armed with the list of names and the aid of Todd's white supremacist, "prison connections" uncle, Walt specifies his wish that all ten of Mike's guys, spread out over three prisons, be eliminated in only two minutes, a seemingly daunting task, but one that Walt's guys manage to pull off anyway. An impressive montage (almost reminiscent of a Scorsese-esque gangster flick) later, and it appears that Walt no longer has anything to fear—his obstacles are eliminated.
To read the rest of the review (IMDb form too short) visit: http://custodianfilmcritic.com/breaking-bad-5-8-gliding-over-all/
And that much worked for me this episode—those winks to my not-so-inner Breaking Bad fangirl kept me intrigued until those last moments that almost set my anxiety levels over the edge. What nearly didn't, however, was how tidy it felt, how neatly (and easily) Walt's loose ends seemed tied up and how suddenly (despite the progression of time within the show's universe) our characters' motivations seemed to have shifted. It almost felt a digression; unnatural and frustrating.
But maybe that was the point.
When the episode first opens, we see Walt staring, lost in thought, at a fly, a symbol we've come to associate (thanks to Mr. Rian Johnson) with contamination and obsession. He's managed to successfully eliminate Mike, as well as the possibility of anyone else discovering his secret, and he's found an efficient, if uninspiring, new assistant in Todd, and yet, things still don't seem quite right. For one reason or another, Walt isn't feeling in that moment as he believes he should be, isn't thoroughly appreciating his spoils. Perhaps, in part, it's because even he hasn't quite figured out what pulling the trigger that ended Mike's life was meant to achieve, despite his telling Todd "it had to be done;" perhaps it's because he knows he can no longer rely on Jesse.
And that's only because his pride initially won't allow it. Not surprisingly, Jesse arrives moments before Mike is to meet his official end in a familiar barrel of hydrofluoric acid to speak with Walt privately. Wishing to know the status of Mike's getaway, Walt assures him "he's gone" and reels, almost childishly, when Jesse questions their next move. "There is no 'we,' Jesse," Walt tells him, "I'm the only vote left." Realizing that he is truly no longer under Walt's wing, Jesse leaves somewhat defeated, leaving Walt with no other options but to continue on.
When he later meets with Lydia in a coffee shop for the names of Mike's men, his vial of ricin in tow, Walt's plans to get rid of her as well are thwarted when she offers him not only the names he needs, but a proposition to expand his business internationally. Apparently, the Czech Republic has a rather large population of meth users that haven't even come close to trying something as pure as Walt's creation, and selling his product overseas would more than double his profit. It's a plan that, apparently, Gus Fring was in the final stages of organizing before "someone killed him," and upon learning that bit of information, Walt finds it difficult to refuse.
But knowing that Lydia is, for the time being, a minor threat doesn't leave him entirely in the clear. Armed with the list of names and the aid of Todd's white supremacist, "prison connections" uncle, Walt specifies his wish that all ten of Mike's guys, spread out over three prisons, be eliminated in only two minutes, a seemingly daunting task, but one that Walt's guys manage to pull off anyway. An impressive montage (almost reminiscent of a Scorsese-esque gangster flick) later, and it appears that Walt no longer has anything to fear—his obstacles are eliminated.
To read the rest of the review (IMDb form too short) visit: http://custodianfilmcritic.com/breaking-bad-5-8-gliding-over-all/