Potentially the best drama in television history kicked-off season five this weekend with "Live Free or Die", the most watched episode yet (2.9-million viewers on AMC). Season five features eight episodes from now until September 2nd before taking a break until summertime for the second half of the final season. Recap: future Walt is in disguise, on the run, and heavily armed in the show opening in New Hampshire. We then go back to the moment of triumph and restart from just after the death of Gus Fring. Hank investigates the burned-up lab and discovers Fring's camera network, a reluctant Mike returns to the fray, Ted's literal and figurative fall is revisited, and the boys get up to some mischief with the police evidence locker. We also get a little hint of the upcoming struggle between Walt and Hank when Jr. reveals that Hank took him to the restaurant to hassle Gus weeks (or days) prior to his death. Meanwhile Walt continues his progression from antihero into godfather, intimidating Saul and Skyler as the episode closes. Setting up for a hell of a final season.
Fucking magnets, yo! I love that he spells out 52 in bacon--a reminder that just two years ago he was basically the dad from Malcolm In the Middle eating turkey bacon that spelled "50".
^ In related news the television suits didn't want Bryan Cranston since they thought everyone would associate him with Malcolm in the Middle. They wanted John Cusack or Matthew Broderick (ewww!). Dunno if either of them got the offer but Thomas Jane (Punisher, Hung) did. Anyone but Cranston in the role is unimaginable. He is beyond excellent. And I think the MITM history actually helps the viewer. Easier to accept him as the hapless dad at the beginning and more thrilling to see what he becomes.
It's also great how Mike goes from wanting to kill Walt in one scene, to basically becoming his driver by the end of the episode. When Walt says, "It worked because I said so," he was consolidating power. Just like in the earlier scene where he's intimidating Saul. "You don't get out until I say you get out." Just like the way he tells his wife, "I forgive you." He always had Jesse, but now he's clearly trying to establish a new gang with his wife, Mike and Saul as cornerstones who do exactly what he says. Somebody pointed out to me the other day that Saul Goodman sounds exactly like, "It's all good, man." I love that. Jewish lawyer mixed with smooth operator. You wonder if Saul made up the name because it'd sound good in an ad.
I think the best line of the episode was Mike: "I can see a lot of possible outcomes for this thing, and not a single one of them involves Miller Time."
I have to admit that I didn't like the future spoiler with Walt changing his name and supposedly being from New Hampshire. Hopefully that happens at the end of the 'Part One' of the final season, and picks up from there when 'Part Two' resumes in 2013. He's going to need a hell of a lot of muscle and a larger laundering scheme than Jesse, Mike, and the Skyler's car wash, though. I watched the first 3 seasons on Netflix, and then broke down and bought S4 about a month ago on Blu Ray. Finished the finale for S4 on Sunday night, and watched S5 E1 last night on DVR. Holy crap, the Salamanca wheelchair bomb scene was awesome. When Gustavo walked out of the that room, and was calling bullshit until they panned into a front view of him. Gus is that much of a badass that he would completely be able to walk a few steps with half of his face blown off, along with his skull, and then die.
The best TV drama ever, it's a shame it's going to end this year. They're going out on top! Btw, episode one was great. The angle of the recorded footage was something that I totally forgot about.
There's word that they will have more Silversun Pickup songs in the series. Like this one. [video=youtube;_VFlhLkpNmI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VFlhLkpNmI[/video]
Is this show available on Netflix? I've heard a lot about it but have never watched it. Update - found it on Netflix.
Great Grantland recap of S5E2: Madrigal http://www.grantland.com/blog/holly...3567/breaking-bad-season-5-episode-2-madrigal
That whole scene was fucking weird. I've heard from multiple Germans that the German they were speaking was absolutely terrible, as were their accents. I don't speak a lick of German and I could tell.
[video=youtube;nB4Lz0Wb0MI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nB4Lz0Wb0MI&feature=player_embedded[/video]
BITCH! Bryan Cranston is an amazing actor. Only he can make washing dishes uber-creepy and his scenes with Skylar have been absolutely eerie. Amazing! These last 14 episodes are going to be amazing. Sucks we have to have a break in between them.
Last night's episode was touted as being mind-blowing but I dunno, seemed like a typical (good) one rather than a shocker. Good to see Bill Burr back on the show. Between him, Lavell Crawford (Huell), and Bob Odenkirk, they've got some great comedians in the fold. Hoping Huell gets a chance to shine at some point this season. [video=youtube;rNnkDjMVJqE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNnkDjMVJqE&feature=iv&annotation_id=annotation_848965[/video] [video=youtube;6G30eqJ8opk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6G30eqJ8opk[/video] [video=youtube;F7xTbwl5mRc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7xTbwl5mRc[/video]
