TV Review: BREAKING BAD Season 2 - Walter White. Drug Trade Kingpin

Breaking Bad is a show which I wish was better televised in the UK, not only does it get rubbish scheduling, but not many people in the UK have even heard of the show which is a real shame considering how brilliant it is. I really wish I got into Breaking Bad earlier, but I suppose that would have spoilt the enjoyment of watching it back on DVD and not having to wait a week for a new episode. Season 2 picks up exactly where Season 1 left off, just as Walt (Bryan Cranston) has secured a reputation as somewhat of a hard nosed drug dealer he is forced into a situation where his life is threatened once again as psycho drug dealer Tuco (Raymond Cruz) has them in a scrap yard delivering the latest batch of quality crystal meth. It’s not long before Tuco shows his true colours beating one of his enforcers to death and tells Walt and Jesse (Aaron Paul) “Your Done”, a message which Jesse interprets as they will be next on Tuco’s list as witnesses to murder, but are they not more valuable to him as cooks of the best street meth ever?

Season 2 has the same monochrome opening every episode, a burnt teddy bear with one eye, whilst the other is being washed away down Walt’s pool filter, it’s a brilliant flash forward opener that acts as an episode almost on it’s own as the flash forward story moves on every episode eventually climaxing with two dead bodies in a car outside of Walters house, but is it all what we think? Is Tuco responsible, not likely as Walt quickly discovers during this season that his transformation from mild-mannered family man into drug trade kingpin is one where people getting hurt is inevitable, and its either him or Tuco, Walt quickly discovers that his wish in season 1 of no one else getting hurt is not going to happen should he continue to cook crystal meth, so he devises a plan to get rid of Tuco by killing him with ricin, but not before some hilarious moments of Walt and Jesse being held hostage by Tuco in the desert with his father who can’t talk.

This season really does see the rise of Walter White, or should I say Heisenberg, Walt’s alter ego and name on the street. Very quickly after dispatching Tuco Walt gets back into selling Crystal Meth, problem is it’s not going out in big enough quantities, he need to move more product and make money quicker. Walter instructs Jesse to get some foot soldiers who can do their dealing, one of them goes and sells drugs to an undercover cop, gets arrested and they try to roll him for info on Heisenberg. Cue new characters in corrupt solicitor Saul Bresnan, a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy, he gets Walt’s foot solider the best deal at the station before going into business with Walt and Jesse in an attempt to sell the seven pounds of Meth they have left to get rid of.

With the action in this season moving so quickly in the first few episodes you are at times thinking, slow down, you can’t keep this up. But hey, the hype this show receives is well worthy because they can keep it up, maybe not with action all the time but the drama moments and character development are all dealt with really well, Walter is facing a real moral dilemma as he is struggling to be the man his family want him to be, knowing that he must turn into something else in order to protect them, this doesn’t go well for his relationship with Skyler (Anna Gunn) who does eventually leave him before the season 2 conclusion. Yet, Breaking Bad still manages to make you laugh at everyday situations regarding family life, the “industrial hazards” and “risks” of being a drug dealer and the realities of the drug trade which Walt and Jesse are learning as they go, yeah Jesse has been involved in drugs but nothing to this scale. I also liked the sense of responsibility that Walt now feels for Jesse having spoke to Jane’s father in the bar, it was also great to see Aaron Paul hold his own on screen alongside Bryan Cranston, considering that Jesse’s character was originally going to be killed off at the end of the first season they made a great choice keeping him in my opinion.

The corrupt solicitor also makes a great character here, Saul acts almost as a business consultant to Walt and Jesse training them in what’s required and making sure that any mess made (usually by Jesse) is thoroughly cleaned up before police arrive on scene. It’s a relationship which I’m sure will build in season 3 but I’m sure that it won’t take Walter White long to figure that he is the guy paying the solicitor and not the other way round, he should be doing what Walt says and as his rise to the top of the drug trade continues that’s a story arch which I’m pretty sure we will see. Another brilliant acusition to the series is the arrival of drug trade kingpin Gus (Giancarlo Esposito) who is Walt's new outlet to a nation wide network of drug dealers, it would seem that eventually Walt wants to model himself on Gus, the most feard drug trade boss who to everyone else in his life is just a resturant owner and all round nice guy.

This is another brilliant season of Breaking Bad, in fact I would go as far as to say that it’s better than season 1, that’s probably helped by the fact that the third episode of this season should have actually been the season 1 finale, however this show premiered during the Hollywood writers strike, hence production of the show halted. Anyway it’s done now, and no harm has been done Breaking Bad is well and truly cemented as one of the best shows on TV right now.

Why You Should Watch BREAKING BAD - Guest Post

It's finally here. After an excruciatingly long break, AMC's hit series, "Breaking Bad" returned to television. What's that? You don't watch the show? No problem, we'll get you up to speed in no time.  

"Breaking Bad" tells the story of high-school chemistry teacher Walter White (Bryan Cranston, "Malcolm in the Middle"), who is diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Realizing his death will leave his pregnant wife (Anna Gunn) and disabled son (RJ Mitte) straddled with an overwhelming amount of debt, Walt looks for a way to create a solid nest egg for his family. This is where it gets interesting. 

Walt and his family live in Albuquerque, New Mexico, an area devastated by the crystal meth drug trade. It doesn't take Walt long to figure out he can leverage his chemistry skills to create a pure, and economically valuable, strain of crystal meth. In a brazen attempt to create a stable financial future for his family, Walt teams up with former student Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) to produce and sell crystal meth.  

The show skillfully explores how Walter's fatal diagnosis frees him from everyday concerns and societal norms, and follows his remarkable transformation from mild-mannered family man into a feared drug trade kingpin. 

We understand the premise of "Breaking Bad" might sound a tad disconcerting. Kicking off a series with a protagonist who has terminal cancer isn't the happiest of starts and then mixing in an illegal and immoral endeavor like producing crystal meth probably sounds like a cocktail for disaster. Don't let the unconventional storyline dissuade you from watching this ridiculously entertaining show.  

"Breaking Bad" works on several levels. First, the acting is superb. While Cranston is the standout of the series, this isn't a one-man show. All of the actors bring something new and delightfully unexpected to their characters. The writing is wickedly shrewd, with just the right amount of dark humor for levity; each episode contains at least one genuinely hysterical moment. And, the pacing is spot-on. The show manages to transition from humorous to white-knuckle tension as effortlessly as flicking a light switch.   

While the production and distribution of an illegal substance rests near the nucleolus of this show, "Breaking Bad" isn't heavy handed with socio-political commentary. It doesn't get mired down in socially responsible messages. This is a character-driven show that aims to suck you into its universe and entertain the ever-living daylights out of you.  

To help whet your whistle, here are a few interesting tidbits about the show: 

·         The actor who plays Walt's son (RH Mitte) has cerebral palsy just like his character; however, Mitte's affliction isn't as severe as his character's. He had to learn to walk with crutches and slow his speech to play the part. 

·         When characters on the show are shown smoking meth, they're actually smoking rock candy or sugar. Don't worry, they don't inhale! 

·         Each character wears a certain color of clothes that depicts their values or role in the show. For example, Walt wears green, his wife wears blue, DEA agents wear orange, Jesse wears red and yellow (he wears gray while in recovery), and Walt's sister-in-law wears purple.   

·         Bryan Cranston sat in on several high school chemistry classes to help develop his character. 

If for some reason you don't want to watch the latest season without catching up with all of the earlier seasons, Netflix offers seasons 1-3 in their Instant Streaming service. Why not give the first few episodes a chance. You in?

Stephanie Cable is from the US and writes CableTV.com. She loves her job because she gets to make fun infographics like these.

Comic-Con 2012: BREAKING BAD Season 5 Trailer

Now this is one show which I really love but unfortunatly can't comment on to much as this far I've only seen the first season of breaking bad. I've done a few individual reviews of the show but it's probably best to check out my season 1 review on the whole. I just got the season 2 box set which I'll be starting on soon and hopefully I'll catch up with season 5 before the second part starts to air next year. Check out the trailer below.

Ok, so I can't really tell you much of what is going on in the trailer but it doesn't half make me look faorward to next season and the one's following that. Needless to say that Walter White's (Bryan Cranston) and Jesse Pinkman's (Aaron Paul) crystal meth operation is a lot more advanced than Jesse's campervan during the first season. All hail the KING.

TV Preview: BREAKING BAD Season 5 Were Done, When I Say Were Done

Just a couple of days ago now I posted my review or rather recap of Breaking Bad's first season, if you caught that then you'll know I really love the show and I'm looking to get on with the other box sets before Season 5 premiers on AMC July 15th. Released today or at some point through the night is this very short preview of what we have to look forward to in season 5 as Bryan Cranston's Walter White continues to break bad. Check out the video and let me know what you think.

Personally I was torn weather or not to watch this, I'm pleased I did as it didn't give away to much and considering I haven't seen the second, third or fourth season yet I don't want to spoil anything. Season 5 of Breaking Bad will be the last with sixteen episodes and will be split in two with the first half airing this year before being followed in 2013 with the remainder of the episodes. One good thing there for me is that I have plenty time to catch up with box sets.

I have the official Breaking Bad season 5 Trailer here for you too, you can check that out in the video below. This one, I haven't watched as I think the length of it is bound to spoil something that I don't want to know about, check it out.

BREAKING BAD Season 1, Wanna Cook?

Due to their not being much on TV right now I have been diving into my box sets, you know the ones? They sit there for ages before you get round to doing anything about them, yeah? Well one of those box sets just happens to be Breaking Bad's first season, at seven episodes you would consider it a breeze and it was, I started watching the set a while back now and done some individual reviews for the first, second and third episodes I then decided that I can probably do a show like Breaking Bad a little more justice if I just sat, watched and enjoyed it before delivering a review to cap off each season, so here you go.

I was never really into Breaking Bad, not because I watched and didn't like it, it's just the scheduling of the show here in England, it airs late at night and really wasn't advertised that well but never mind at least in the box sets I don't have to put up with the adverts which channel 5 would offer up. After watching the first season I now find myself eager to get on with watching the second, third and fourth, it's not exactly a secret that Breaking Bad's fifth and final season starts on AMC July 15th and I would like to be caught up with the show by then.

If you don't follow or have never seen Breaking Bad then it concerns Walter White (Bryan Cranston) a family man who works as a chemistry teacher, he scrapes a living whilst also working part time at a car wash. Right in the very first episode Walt finds out that he has Lung Cancer, stuck in a dilemma of having no money already, let alone to pay for the treatment, his medical insurance won't pay out and his wife Skyler (Anna Gunn) is expecting their second child. Walt's brother in law Hank (Dean Norris) is a DEA Agent and takes him on a drive along, there Walt sees one of his former students Jesse (Aaron Paul) who is a young drug runner. We soon find out that Walter is no ordinary chemistry teacher, he's quite the genius in fact  and approaches Jesse with an idea. Walter will cook the most pure street crystal meth ever seen and Jesse can use his contacts in order to have it distributed. That is the real crux of the show, a hard working honest individual who is trying to make his way in life finally Breaks Bad.

If you have read the first few reviews which I linked to at the top then you'll already have heard of Crazy-8, the drug dealer who Walt is forced to deal with in later episodes, I'm conscious that I will cover things that I already have so won't go into to much but basically they have to kill Crazy-8 and his pal (don't remember his name) from there they fall out and their crystal meth cooking operation is called off, that pretty much where I picked up with the show again. If I'm honest I think Breaking Bad is quite slow to start off with, that's probably why it took me a while to get through to the final three episodes. I would say that episode 6 "Crazy Handful of Nothing" was where I sat up and said ok, this is great, just simply brilliant TV.

The episode started brilliantly with Walt approaching Jessie once again and simply saying "Wanna Cook?" From there he goes on to lay out a few ground rules, he is the cook and wants nothing to do at all with customers who buy their product and ends the conversation with the words "no more bloodshed", just then it jumps to another scene of a shaven headed mean ass looking Walt walking away form a local drug boss he has just set straight, a position he found himself in thanks to Jesse's lack of sales experience. Selling their brilliant crystal meth street level was simply not profitable enough, $1300 each didn't cut the kind of money Walt new they could make, hence their decision to approach a distributor. The show really just got even better from this point with the very un-streetwise Walt realising that if he is to become a supplier of crystal meth then he's going to have to toughen up a bit, silent partner simply won't work. What you end up with is Walt becoming the boss of the operation whilst Jesse (who is supposedly a tough guy) taking a back seat for want of a better word.

I said it in previous reviews that Bryan Cranston does an absolutely phenomenal job as Walter White, it's no surprise this guy has won so many awards for this show. But, not only is Cranston great Aaron Paul also puts in an impressive performance, Walt's oldest son Walter White Jr (RJ Mitte) is brilliant along with Dean Norris who plays Hank. Seriously, you can go down the entire list of actors and actresses and none of them would disappoint. I will be rolling on with the second season soon which is a full thirteen episodes, but if the same pace is kept up in that season then I'm sure I won't be disappointed.

Review: BREAKING BAD 1.3 - And The Bag's In The River

Following straight on from where we left off in “Cat’s In The Bag”, TV shows simply don’t start any better than Breaking Bad.  Following Walt (Brian Cranston) and Jesse’s (Aaron Paul) flip of a coin it was left to Jesse to get rid of the dead drug dealer.  Taking the challenge up he didn’t follow through with Walt’s instructions put the guy in bath tub and then poured acid over him, guess where we are going?  The bath disintegrates along with the body and comes through the ceiling.

That provides the opening to this episode with Walt and Jesse wrapped up with gas masks on cleaning the floor, and no doubt going on to fix Jesse’s ceiling.  I don’t want to be repeating this every week but Cranston and Paul put in some brilliant performances week on week and this was no different.

The episode focused mainly on Walt’s dilemma, does he kill crazy-8, currently tied up in Jesse’s basement, or can he talk him around b y way of reasoning and get them to work together.  Can Walt be sure that he can even trust Crazy-8?  He is a junkie after all, he may well go and run his mouth to the police.  It’s somewhat of a moral dilemma for Walt who really doesn’t want to make a murderer of him self.

Not only does Walt have that to deal with but his wife has noticed that something is going on with him due to all the mood changes.  Not wanting to admit that he’s cooking up and dealing Crystal Meth he tells her that’s he’s smoking marijuana.  A better move admittedly but his wife Skyler (Anna Gunn) tells her sister who automatically thinks she’s talking about Walt Jr, their son.  That wouldn’t be bad normally but her sister is married to Hank (Dean Norris), a DEA agent.  Hank pops over and decides to take Walt Jr on a little tour of the darker side of town in another scene that proves this show does not just rely on the powerhouse acting of Cranston or Paul.

Another brilliant episode that followed on well from the last, this one was better and I really am looking forward to the fourth, I’m almost half way as there are only 7 episodes in the opening season.  Again I’ll say I’m not looking to make these reviews to long, don’t forget start following in someway RSS, Twitter or Facebook and don’t forget to leave your comments, join in with me and Ruben.

Review: BREAKING BAD 1.2 - Cat's In The Bag

Are you enjoying me taking you back to the beginning with Breaking Bad and Dexter?  I have to say I’m loving it, I get on a roll once I put them on and that’s me evening sorted.  As far a pilot episodes go I would have to say that Breaking Bad probably provides the most impressive of all that I’ve seen, you expect them to follow it on in equally as good form.  They did do that and although the second episode wasn’t as good or maybe exciting it was still pretty awesome all round.

Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul have to be given credit where credits due, during the pilot they became the most unlikely of partners to cook up some Meth but I has created this brilliant show.  Their performances are nothing short of brilliant with Cranston ultimately stealing the show.

Not being a pair you would expect to go together gives this show a real edge and it is darkly humorous.  In this episode Walter (Cranston) and Jesse (Paul) where left arguing about the dilemma they put themselves in last week.  They have two unconscious drug dealers in the back of their mobile Meth lab, and they need rid quick.  One of the dealers has since died and now it’s on the flip of a coin as to who will get what job.  Jesse ends up having to dispose of the body, whilst Walter is left to commit murder to cover his tracks.

Those funny bits I mentioned do come often, Walter is feeling the stress a little with his mobile Meth lab being crashed two unconscious drug dealers, and his wife is pregnant.  He’s got plenty on his plate, however his wife doesn’t seem to consider that and he gives her a great speech asking her kindly to climb down from out of his ass, I think she got the point.

I’m not going to go into to much detail on all of these old reviews, ,mainly because I don’t have time but some will be longer than others depending on how much I enjoy each episode.  I have plenty catching up to do and if I miss anything don’t forget to mention it in the comments, I always respond remember.

Not following the site?  Why?  Get following there are plenty of ways to do it RSS, Facebook, Twitter, you can even follow it on YouTube links on the left, I will be posting weekly video reviews over there (when I get time), just got some figuring out to do first. 

Review: BREAKING BAD 1.1 - Pilot

I have been promising myself for a while now that I was going to watch this show, finally I got round to buying the Box set and I’m off, Want to help me find a new show?  READ THIS, and let me know what you think.

Ok back to Breaking Bad, I have read some pretty impressive things about this show on various different blogs, that’s what forced my hand to start watching it myself.  I have to say first off that I don’t think I’ve seen a more impressive opening to any pilot, a guy (Bryan Cranston) driving his mobile meth lab through the desert before crashing it, and then going about toting a gun in his underwear.  Impressive.

It get’s your attention straight away and manages to never loose it for the whole 50 minutes, that’s the mark of a pretty good show in my opinion.  I can’t think of any other apart from Lost maybe that has opened so impressively.

The story centers on Walter White (Bryan Cranston) a mild mannered chemistry teacher who also moonlights as a car wash attendant/cashier to make ends meet.  He finds out during this opening episode that he has lung cancer and only 2 years to live, wanting to leave his family financially secure he decides to put his chemistry skills to good use and recruits one of his former students and local druggie Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) to help him cook methamphetamine

It’s a crime drama series but don’t worry there is some dark humour along the way, or at least there was during this opening episode, I’ve posted a little clip of one scene where Walter has gone with his brother in law Hank (Dean Norris), a DEA agent, they go to the house of a suspected drug dealer, the previously mentioned Jesse.  Take a look you’ll laugh I promise. (I don't know why the video reverted to the bottom of the screen!)

I really didn’t know to much about Bryan Cranston before watching this, I haven’t ever see Malcolm in The Middle but from what I’m lead to believe in that show he’s kind of a big kid.  Not so much here, this is one mild mannered man who has suddenly woken up to a situation and no one is going to stop him from doing what he wants to do.

If you can't tell already then I am really impressed with this opening.  The show is of course just finished with it’s fourth season and they are doing a 16 episode fifth which may be put over two seasons, I just hope I can get through all the rest in time.  I will probably review all the episodes so make sure you start following the site on Twitter, Facebook or via RSS to keep me up to date with what you think.

To finish, this is not the only older show I will be reviewing, I'm a massive Dexter fan, remember?  I only started watching at the beginning of season 5 so I'm working my way through that box set, be sure to drop by and leave your comments.