Breaking Bad - Season 5, Episode 7 "Say My Name"

Wow.  I've talked before about how the creators of Breaking Bad have mastered the art of ending an episode on a high note, and leaving you wanting more.  "Say My Name" is one of the greatest examples of this ever.  Truly one of the most unexpected endings to an episode of Breaking Bad ever, and one of the best TV deaths in recent memory.  The number of lives that Walter White has destroyed continues to grow rapidly  

I fully expected that this episode would end with Mike disappearing, only to pop up again later on down the line this season. After all, this wasn't a season finale, or a series finale.  Killing off a character like Mike would normally be reserved for that type of landmark episode, and that made it all the more shocking.  Adding to the effect was the fact that the entire sequence leading up to his death was beautifully directed.  When Walt goes stalking through the tall grass at the end of episode, I definitely thought the heretofore indestructible Mike would come jumping out at him Jason Voorhees-style.  Alas, that wasn't to be.

Now, Mike is dead, and the repercussions figure to be far-reaching.  We know that the downfall of Walter has been in the making for a long time, but could this be the first major step in that direction (after Gus, of course)?  I can't wait to see how Hank, and especially Jesse, react to this development.  Clearly, Walter will explain things away somehow, but how many times can the man covertly sabotage Jesse's life before the kid wises up?  Not to mention that Walter still has to deal with the nine Mike associates still living.  I guess it shouldn't be a problem for Walt, the cold-blooded killer.

It used to always be the case on Lost that when a character died, they were given an episode to really showcase themselves before kicking the bucket.  This episode falls into that pattern as well, because it was just a great Mike episode.   He didn't have many bad-ass moments, but Jonathan Banks was fantastic throughout, especially in the park scene, showing the more vulnerable side of Mike as he helplessly bids a silent (and ultimately final) farewell to his beloved granddaughter.  He was also great (as usual) in telling off Walt during the last confrontation between the two.  

I never would have guessed when Mike was first introduced that he would grow to be one of the most loved and appealing characters in Breaking Bad, but that is the beauty of a great show like this one; they can take a seemingly minor character and turn him into a focal point. I don't know if the creators of the show planned to make Mike such a central character from the beginning, but I applaud their handling of the character either way, and the casting was spot on.  Jonathan Banks was brilliant.

After that ending, it's hard to think about much else, but I love how Walter keeps pulling the same routine to get into Hank's office, and I'm intrigued by the character of Todd.  He is obviously a very ambitious young man, and that is a trait that could prove dangerous for Walter in the future if he isn't careful.