TV Review: Breaking Bad (Season 2)

After an abrupt end to its first season, Breaking Bad takes off in season two, tightening up some of the early short comings of the show. The early hours of the show were intriguing, although it sometimes felt the show might veer off into absurdity. Although it retains some of the dark-but-goofy nature from the season one, Breaking Bad‘s second series is a haunting exploration of unintended consequences from well thought-out actions.

 We all knew Walter White was a smart man; shit, the man knew how to cook pure meth in not one, but two different and altogether complicated fashions. Where season one featured a depressed man looking in the mirror and seeing nothing, season two is about a man who doesn’t seem to care that his life is falling apart, because being Heisenberg (his black hat and sunglasses wearing alter ego) just feels so damn good. At it’s heart, this show is about processes, chemical and otherwise, and watching Walt turn into a self-serving piece of shit is something to behold.

 Most shows would be satisfied with that; it doesn’t take much drama to please the masses, and some of the brutality of Walt’s new lifestyle certainly would be a heart pumper for most. But the show’s attention to minutia suggests even more to us. Maybe Walt isn’t just becoming an asshole, maybe he’s always been one, but either way, watching Walt discover it (or sometimes, his lack of self-realization) is enthralling, much to the credit of Cranston, whose Emmy-winning performance is one actually worthy of the award.

 The best part of this season, however, is not what Walt actually does (and believe me, he does some crazy shit). It’s how it affects everyone around him, from his family, to his friends, and especially his partner Jesse Pinkman (Paul). Every decision Walt makes , reverberates through the community of Albuquerque (and in one fun Spanish tune, Mexico) in profound and unexpected ways. These all come to head in the season finale, which wraps up the first act of Breaking Bad‘s pseudo-Western tale in chilling fashion.

 Breaking Bad can be difficult to watch: it has an uneasy hold on whether to glance or gaze at certain plot points, usually when dealing with smaller characters in the fold of the main story (most noticeably Skylar’s wife, Marie). It slows the pace down considerably for meaningless stories (tiara snatching = zzz), but this does allow the dramatic points of each episode to explode like a grenade; quick, brutal, with a lot of cleanup and fallout after wards. It’s an art few shows have perfected in the long run, and before I can start adding Bad to the list of greats like every other critic, I still need more time.

 The third season will be (like it is for most dramatic shows) an important one for Bad, particularly for Jesse Pinkman. His world has been blown up for two seasons by Walt, and although his break to bad is much slower and reluctant than Walt’s (understandably, being at peace with your own death can make you quite reckless, it appears), his looks to be far worse in the long run. This season, there were some moments where Paul went above and beyond his wanksta portrayal of season one. There are times when it feels forced (like when he feels bad about a mistreated drug child), but if the writing for Jesse can become as strong as Walt’s, Breaking Bad can really become something special.

 In addition, the show will need to heavily improve the stories of Skylar, Hank, and Walt Jr. (or as he likes to be called now, Flynn). It’s only a matter of time before Skylar’s does (for obvious reasons, although I won’t spoil them), but I’m hoping they develop her a little beyond the desperate for answers wife who won’t stop being a bitch to get them, because Annie Gunn has some acting guns, indeed.

 Overall, Breaking Bad‘s second season’s minor shortcomings can’t outweigh its greats, and it makes for a great watch. If Breaking Bad can continue like this moving forward without dumbing itself down to appeal to larger audiences, it has the opportunity to propel itself into the higher echelons of TV programming. Vince Gilligan and co. appear to have a plan for Walt, and it looks to be every bit as dark, depressing and curiously amusing and the show is becoming.

Overall Grade (Season 2): A-

 Characters: A-

 Plot: B+

 Production Values: A+