Ramblings Concerning Nothing

Breaking Bad S4

I was actually talking about this earlier today - showrunner Vince Gilligan has said from the beginning that Breaking Bad would be about Walter White’s slow descent into the drug underworld and discovering a hellish morality. I knew from the start that Walt would become a terrible guy by the show’s close. I knew it. Yet, it’s a credit to the show that I am always shocked when Walt becomes that terrible guy. Earlier in the season, when Walt was telling Hank about his gambling, or was telling Skyler that he wasn’t in danger, I was thinking that Walt was a terrible liar. But tonight, Walt’s plan actually worked - maybe the first time in Breaking Bad history. It was shocking, exhilarating, and capped, quite simply, another one of the best seasons I’ve ever seen.

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Breaking Bad S04E11 “Crawl Space”

I haven’t written anything all season about Breaking Bad, and that’s partly because of episodes like this. A lot of this season has been set-up, and I mean that in the best way possible. The show has been entertaining and excellent - any show would kill for a season like this. But, we all know, Breaking Bad isn’t content with just that. We all knew there had to be bigger and better things coming, and man, I think this was it. The final scene is one of the most brilliant, terrifying things I’ve ever seen, a moment that exemplifies what makes this such a good show. Everything - I mean everything - up until this point led to Walter lying on the floor, cackling, while Marie calls a bewildered, crying Skyler. There’s so much in that scene, from the characterization to the direction to the music, that it feels like a moment not just 11 episodes, but four seasons in the making.

I really have nothing critical to add like I normally do - just holy crap. I felt this way after “Phoenix,” and “Half Measures,” and “Full Measure,” but not in the same way. Each one is different, and by god, this is the best drama on television right now.

Twin Peaks: S02E05 “The Orchid’s Curse”

You want to know how much I liked “The Orchid’s Curse?” I’ll give you three consecutive lines directly from my notes for this episode, all some of my favorite moments of the show.

“Did Truman just grab that guy’s crotch?

‘Excuse me a minute’: Harold definitely just came

Did Cooper just punch that girl in the stomach?”

Watch.

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Twin Peaks: S01E05 “Cooper’s Dreams”

Recently I’ve been watching more television than usual. Actually, maybe I’m just watching the same amount of television but less Lost. Either way, one of the best parts of my day is Breaking Bad. I’m through three episodes of Season 2 and it packs a punch every episode. I’m constantly impressed with a few things each episode, but the big thing that stands out to me is the use of silence. There’s not a whole lot of music in the show, but there are meaningful dead spaces with no dialogue. The script gives the characters/actors space to breathe. The show is 46 minutes long, just about the length of…

You guessed it. Even prior to watching Breaking Bad, I felt that “Cooper’s Dream” was pulling some vindictive charioteer, which kept whipping the episode while screaming, “FASTER, FASTER!” I especially noticed this in the diner scene with James, Donna, and Maddy; there wasn’t a second of space between words. Donna asks Maddy if she’ll help and Maddy immediately responds; shouldn’t there be a second, especially during such a heavy conversation (to Pure Maddy, at least)? 

I remarked in other episodes that I like the sense of dread created by long shots (remember the hallway while the principal was addressing the students?), but this one seemed devoid of any artistry like that. (With that being said, I did like the pullback to see Hank listening to their conversation.) 

Maybe this is a product of television in 1990, but I think maybe Twin Peaks could’ve lasted a little longer with some more drawn-out scenes. Yes, this is the guy that proclaimed last week the show has some serious issues. But there’s simply too much being thrown at us; as a viewer, it’s just a rapid succession of dialogue without much fun appreciating a television show. (By the way, the director, Lesli Linka Glatter, has an impressive amount of TV directing, some of which include Heroes Season 2 and Weeds Season 5. Double-ugh.)

In a thematic sense, this episode was much more of a return to form. Sure, there were the awful scenes with Ed and Norma and Donna and James (almost back-to-back, no less), but things happened, but more importantly, things happened with a thematic backbone. The episode moved logically, had a nice beginning and ending, and felt like a good chapter of a great novel.

Watch. You’d better jump, because you can’t take your eyes off me.

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