Breaking Bad
Season 5, Episode 11 – “Confessions”
Directed by Michael Slovis
Written by Gennifer Hutchison
Starring: Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn, Aaron Paul, Dean Norris, Betsy Brandt, RJ Mitte, Bob Odenkirk, and Jesse Plemons.
AMC
Air Date: August 25, 2013

Queue up your Usher and get ready as we spill some Confessions on this week’s episode of Breaking Bad.

SPOILERS…

Since the start of the show, Breaking Bad has continually played with our expectations of how events should occur. Few things often happen in a manner that we predict they will happen (which is fitting, considering the protagonist of the show named his alter ego after a principle that deals so heavily in uncertainty). When Walt (Bryan Cranston) sits down for his second “confession” of the hour, we think he’s finally doing the right thing.

Breaking Bad
Season 5, Episode 10 – “Buried”
Directed by Michelle MacLaren
Written by Thomas Schnauz
Starring: Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn, Aaron Paul, Dean Norris, Betsy Brandt, RJ Mitte, Bob Odenkirk, Laura Fraser, and Jesse Plemons
AMC
Air Date: August 18, 2013

What would you do if you were Skyler White?

Considering the fact that she acted for so long as a barrier for Heisenberg’s natural progression and evolution, I can understand much of the audience not being a Skyler White fan. It’s almost by design in that aspect, as we’re conditioned to not liking her character because she’s against our “hero.” At that early stage, it was mostly because she’s the one stopping Walter (Bryan Cranston) from becoming more a badass.

But there are so many moments in Breaking Bad episode “Buried” that remind me that Skyler White (Anna Gunn) is doing the best job that she possibly can. Like Skyler, Hank (Dean Norris) and Marie (Betsy Brandt) have been affected by Walt’s cancerous decisions, but they could claim ignorance and continue. Skyler isn’t as lucky, having taken a pledge to protect this family from the man who protects this family. She’s just as buried in the business as Walt is, a fact that Marie hauntingly came to realize in an incredible standout moment for these two sisters.

As Breaking Bad begins its final run of episodes, we’ll be reveiwing the series as it comes to what will probably be a very bloody, intense, and exciting finale. Join us after the jump for analysis of Walter White’s final journey.

Breaking Bad
Season 5, Episode 9 – “Blood Money”
Directed by Bryan Cranston
Written by Peter Gould
Starring: Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn, Aaron Paul, Dean Norris, Betsy Brandt, RJ Mitte, Bob Odenkirk, Laura Fraser, Charles Baker, and Matt Jones
AMC
Air Date: August 11, 2013

What has pride cost you?

Recently, it’s cost me about $10. I got mad at a former girlfriend over a stupid fight and decided to not put on sunscreen before heading into a college football game. It was all about pride, feeling that this was a way I could get back at her: by not letting her tell me what to do. So I ignored her words of advice and marched into the game, having felt that I’d won.

The $10 and the week I spent rubbing aloe-vera into my face told a different story.

I say all this to preface the fact that hubris can lead to lots of stupid decisions and damaging outcomes. In the case of Walter White’s (Bryan Cranston) pride, it’s certainly cost him a lot of things. However, this time around, it may cost him the most it’s ever cost.

Breaking Bad
Season Four, Episode 8 – Hermanos
Directed by Johan Renck
Written by Sam Catlin and George Mastras
Starring: Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn, Aaron Paul, Dean Norris, Betsy Brandt, RJ Mitte, Bob Odenkirk, Giancarlo Esposito, Jonathan Banks, Steven Bauer, James Martinez, and Michael Sheets

Relationships have always been an important component of Breaking Bad, but a key aspect of these relationships are the blood ties that have formed over the course of the show. For good or for worse, our characters have formed connections due to the circumstances they find themselves caught in.

“Hermanos” is an episode that illustrates the full extent of these ties and the dangers that they can lead to.

Note: From here on out we’ll have to go full-on spoilers for this episode. You’ve been warned.

Breaking Bad
Season 4, Episode 1 – Box Cutter
Directed by: Adam Bernstein
Written by: Vince Gilligan
Starring: Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn, Aaron Paul, Dean Norris, Betsy Brandt, RJ Mitte, Bob Odenkirk, Giancarlo Esposito, Jonathan Banks, David Costabile and Jeremiah Bitsui
Air date: July 17, 2011

Arguably the best show on television, AMC’s Breaking Bad recently returned for its Season 4 premiere and kicked things off with a bang. We’ve got your spoiler-free review here of the season opener after the break.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you start a season.

I’m always interested to see how Breaking Bad will reinvent itself as it returns each season, but this season looks to be the most interesting experiment yet. Picking up mere seconds after last year’s finale, we find out the cruel fate of Gale (David Costabile), just minutes after finding out what really did him in. However, Gale was marked for death the second Gus (Giancarlo Esposito) discovered there was a superior product on the market. The best Gale could produce was a 96% pure sample, compared to Walter’s purity of 99%. Whatever the future held for Gale before his death didn’t matter, it seems it would have been short regardless.