This weekend, there’s a reason to stay up late and make a date with your TV.
Breaking Bad returns.
To prepare, we’ve recently watched all of season three, over the course of just a few days. It’s like that blue meth Walt and Jesse are famous for cooking; once you start, you can’t stop.
Things look grim for Walt at the start of season three. Funny. In season one, you didn’t think it could get much worse. Walt had been diagnosed with terminal cancer, and wasn’t expected to live long enough to see his second child be born. Overrun by medical bills and desperation, suddenly, using his skills as a scientist to make meth didn’t seem so bad. He was just in it for the quick buck.
But things soon got a lot messier, and Walt found himself wrapped up in violence, lies and deceit, living a double life. Add in the fact that his brother-in-law is a DEA agent, and you have the foundation for some excellent tension.
By the end of season two, the marriage is on the rocks. Skylar has wised up, and isn’t willing to turn a blind eye anymore, and Walt and Jesse are responsible for a horrific plane crash that’s killed a lot of people and left a lot of debris in its wake – including an eyeball in Walt’s pool.
One thing that struck me about season three – particularly after watching the episodes back to back – is how the writers continually turn up the tension and the pressure. We start with things simmering. It’s pretty bleak, but with each episode things get steadily worse for Walt. Even when they seem to be going well, there’s this ominous sense that it’s all about to come crashing down. By the time we were a few episodes in, the only word fitting at the end of an episode was a four-letter expletive.
The best way to prepare for the new season – short of re-watching season three – is to read Nerd’s recaps from last year.
No Mas
Caballo Sin Nombre
I.F.T.
Green Light
Mas
Sunset
One Minute
I See You
Kafkaesque
Fly
Abiquiu
Half Measures
Full Measures
And check out the season 4 trailer here.
The comments are open. Predictions? I have to say, Skylar was at a risk of really irritating me early on. The hypocrisy was irritating, but now she has the potential of going full dark and proving herself to be an exceptional money launderer. Or blowing the whole thing to hell for Walt and the rest of the family. Should be interesting…
