Tuesday, August 13, 2013

BREAKING BAD Kicks Off the Beginning of the Epic End

Photo Credit: Ursula Coyote/AMC
Sunday AMC premiered the first episode ("Blood Money") of the second half of the final season of BREAKING BAD. After a year of waiting on a nail-biting cliffhanger, fans were finally able to continue their journey with high school chemistry teacher turned drug lord, Walter White. The premiere was the third episode directed by lead actor Bryan Cranston.

The intense beginning of the end opened in the future sometime around Walter’s 52nd birthday, two years after the Season 5 pilot episode takes place. Walter enters his old home which has been abandoned and covered in graffiti that reads “Heisenberg.” In the back yard, the White’s pool is empty and being used by skateboarders. Walter walks into his former bedroom and retrieves the ricin he hid behind an outlet. He then looks at himself in a broken mirror, realizing how terrible things have gone. Outside, Walter is recognized by a former neighbor. Walter says, “Hello, Carol” and the woman drops her bag of produce in horror.

Back at where we left off last summer, Hank (Dean Norris) is heading out of the bathroom with the incriminating copy of "Leaves of Grass" in hand. Hank looks out at the family on the back porch before sneaking the book into his wife’s bag. Hank claims to not feel well and urges Marie to head home with him. On the way home Hank experiences what can only be explained as an intense anxiety or panic attack and crashes the car. After a quick visit to the ER to rule out a heart attack, Hank takes the book and compares it to an old journal he has, evidence from the Heisenberg case that once belonged to Gale. The handwriting is clearly a match. Hank is overcome with his new found knowledge and does not go into work for the next week, instead having coworkers bring him boxes upon boxes full of evidence and files from the case that he has obsessed over since the beginning of the series.

If you don’t remember, at the end of last year Walter told Skyler he is “out of the business.” He begins to work at the car wash regularly and helps Skyler to launder the millions of dollars he has made over the course of his time as Heisenberg. Lydia, the skittish lady we like to forget about who worked with Mike, shows up at the car wash to beg Walter to come back and train the chemist she hired to replace him. Walter refuses and Lydia leaves in frustration. Skyler follows Lydia to her car and threatens her, telling her never to return.

Don’t forget about Jesse, who we last saw very torn up about the events from last year’s episodes. Jesse is overcome with guilt about the death of Eric Sharp and the loss of Kaylee Ehrmantraut's money. Jesse attempts to have his $5 million delivered to the Sharp family and Kaylee through Saul Goodman. Panicked after Jesse leaves $5 million in his office, Saul calls Walter. Walter returns the money to Jesse's house and denies killing Mike. A chilling performance by Bryan Cranston showed the pure lack of empathy and emotion Walter felt about killing Mike.

In a twist of possible karma, Walter's cancer is back and he has to return to chemo treatment. After attempting to eat one night, Walter rushes away from the table due to uncontrollable nausea. While in the bathroom Walter discovers his copy of “Leaves of Grass” is missing and he becomes concerned about the coincidence in timing of Hank’s sickness. Later that night the increasingly paranoid Walter wanders outside and finds a tracking device on his car - identical to the one he and Hank once used to track Gus Fring's car.

The following day Walter confronts Hank about the tracking device. Hank closes the garage door behind Walter - and throws a punch at his face. With his hands on Walter's throat, Hank begins to yell accusations, which Walter again denies. Walter then tells Hank his cancer is back, reasoning that he will soon die anyhow and that prosecuting him would be pointless. Hank, now in shock more than anger says, "I don't even know you." Heisenberg replies with a warning, "If that's true, if you don't know who I am, then maybe your best course would be to tread lightly."

This chilling sequence of events reveals some loose ends that are sure to be tied up by the end of the show. Will Hank continue to pursue Walter on his own, without the DEA or will he get the DEA involved? How far will Skyler go to protect her family? Does Jesse plan to rat on Walter? What does Walter plan to do with the ricin? How will Heisenberg's last few days play out? Vince Gilligan has said that the end will be a slaughter, but the big question is who will be slaughtering who?

RELATED:
- Return of BREAKING BAD Delivers 5.9 Million Viewers, Most-Watched Episode in Series History

Spencer Blohm is a television and movie writer for DirectTVComparison.com where he covers new releases, previews and reviews. He’s been following Breaking Bad since the beginning and continues to be amazed by the show’s knack for subverting expectations at every turn. He lives in Chicago with his cat, Rupert.

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