The best episode of this season so far also happened to be one of the show’s best episodes and a prime example of “Breaking Bad” at its best. Beginning with a conversation amongst Todd (Jesse Plemons), his uncle and one of the members of the gang, in which they discussed Todd’s involvement in the train heist from the first half of the season. Afterwards, they simply head out into New Mexico with the methylamine in position. It’s a really small moment in an episode that contains a number of huge revelations affecting the final chapters of the show.
After the teaser, we pick up immediately after last week’s episode, which is the interrogation of Jesse (Aaron Paul) and Hank’s (Dean Norris) revelation to him that he knows all about Walt’s (Bryan Cranston) operation and Walt being Heisenberg. Lasting almost the entire length of the credits, the scene allowed for this intensely quiet (something that definitely happens later on) face-off between them. Finally at the end, Jesse says that he will talk, but not to him, and of course, Saul (Bob Odenkirk) enters into the picture, forcing Hank to abruptly end his interrogation.
Brilliantly written by Gennifer Hutchinson and stylishly directed by Michael Slovis (the show’s main director of photography), this episode had tremendously propulsive momentum, dealing with game-changing moments for the characters, including Walt, Jesse and Hank. After Jesse’s interrogation, we get a sweet scene between Walter Jr. (RJ Mitte) and his dad, and although Walt’s intentions are good–telling him about his cancer’s return–he was still making up some lies (as to how he got his black eye), but it is nonetheless a powerful moment between a father and son that shows how much he still cares about his son.
After that, the episode simply escalates in its intensity, especially once we get the meeting between Walt, Hank, Skyler (Anna Gunn) and Marie (Betsy Brandt) at a restaurant. This show has excelled in awkward dinner conversations, but I don’t think they’ve ever been as intense as this. The acting in this scene was impeccable and this scene simply was astounding. Just Hank’s incredibly furious expression throughout the dinner as he told the Whites upfront that they were simply not going to get away with anything, or Marie’s shocked attitude towards Skyler as she basically says that there is no turning back now.
Their family is completely broken at this point, it’s something that is incredibly tragic, and really this is exactly what was coming–“Breaking Bad” has always excelled at showing the consequences of one person’s actions–and this is one that is unraveling with each episode that goes on. Soon after they leave the restaurant, Hank gets something that will affect him tremendously. Before the dinner, Walter recorded a video confession, but with a twist, from a personal and professional standpoint. The recording basically pins Walt’s entire actions on Hank (everything from Gus Fring to the involvement of Salamanca and more). It’s something that is unbelievably cowardly, yet also audacious on Walt’s part, which once again just shows Walt’s incredible ego and the fact that he is willing to go to war with Hank because he just doesn’t want to admit anything. Just watching Hank and Marie’s truly shocked expressions as they listen to this fabrication is heartrending, but also incredibly frustrating because they know that if that video gets shown it could be catastrophic.
Another highlight of the episode was undoubtedly the meeting between Jesse and Walter (gorgeously shot in the desert landscape). The desert meeting was one of show’s most emotionally satisfying moments in a while, as Walter and Jesse discussed their proposed change of plans as it is imminent that the situation is clearly getting out of control; Walter suggested Jesse should get a new identity and relocate to a new destination with the help of Saul. Again this scene was perfectly performed, the father-son embrace between the two was genuinely moving and functioned as a “goodbye” between them as well, but it’s something that is much more tragic during a later scene.
The gut punch of the episode however was near the end, as Jesse is getting ready to leave and prepping his new identity (in Alaska as he suggests) thanks to Saul’s contact. Everything is ready; he is waiting for his ride, when suddenly he stumbles upon a cataclysmic change. Jesse searches for a box of cigarettes, and finds the ones that contained the ricin, which were stolen from him by Saul’s bodyguard a few seasons back. This of course points out to Jesse the fact that Walter and Saul were involved with Brock’s poisoning. The way that this scene was crafted was stunning, from Aaron Paul’s emotionally intense performance, to the spin around with the camera (something that perfectly added to his emotional state); not to mention Dave Porter’s menacing work with the musical score. This leads him to confront Saul, beat him up and steal his car. He heads to Walter’s house, but this occurs before Saul can warn Walt about it.
Let’s just say that for next week, Walter and Jesse will definitely have a confrontation. At this point, Vince Gilligan and his crew are just in top form and from the looks of it, wanting to end on a tremendously high note. “Confessions,” an Emmy-worthy episode, was a masterful one that once again raised the stakes for everyone. It was brilliantly written, intensely directed and terrifically acted by the entire cast. It offered yet another reminder of why “Breaking Bad” is currently the best show on TV.
Oscar Garza may be reached at [email protected].
