Aaron Paul fans rejoice, Jesse Pinkman is back in the thick of things on Breaking Bad. Of course, even in limited screen time thus far in the second leg of season five, Paul has been fantastic. But the show had become much more of a story about Hank and Walt over the last few episodes. Against all odds, though, the constant machinations of Walt have managed to actually put him in a position of power over Hank, and so Dean Norris has to take a bit of a backseat in "Confessions".
Luckily, Paul is there to pick up the slack. His scene in the desert is as great as any Pinkman moment we've had in this series, and a testament to what a strong, nuanced character that Jesse has evolved into over the years. In that scene, everything is laid bare between Walt and Jesse. The latter knows that the former not only killed Mike (the man who had become his true father figure, rather than the false one that Walter represents), but has also been manipulating him from the start, yet still can't seem to break his bizarre dependence on the man.
Luckily, just as Jesse is about to literally give up his life for Walt, he has the second most awaited realization remaining in the series (after the true circumstances surrounding the death Jane, of course, which may never come out unless Walt reveals it himself at some point): that Walt poisoned Brock. Breaking Bad has a history of well-timed realizations, but this is a TV show, and this particular realization led to a ridiculously climactic ending to "Confessions", so it's hard to complain too much. We've been dealing with passive Jesse for a long time (and Paul has been great in portraying that aspect of the character), so it was doubly shocking to see him beating up Saul and kicking in the door of the White household (thank God Junior wasn't home!).
We've been assuming all season that Hank would be the one to bring down Heisenberg, but it would be ironic if Jesse was the one who ultimately did the deed (via legal or illegal means). On the other, from the perspective of Walter, there is no going back now in his relationship with Jesse. Walt has shown an unwavering ability to eliminate everyone in his way, but will he actually be able to kill Jesse should the need arise? The evidence in this episode certainly seems to point to 'yes'. Mr. White is at his evil, manipulative best (worst?) in "Confessions". Whenever Walt is in danger of becoming too sympathetic a character, Breaking Bad has a way of making us hate him again and that is accomplished spectacularly in this episode when Walt records his despicable "confession" video for Hank and Marie.
Meanwhile, with all of this going on, the adventures of Todd and his desert meth gang continue to pop up. I can't help but wonder when that storyline will convene with the main one, and just what it will mean for our main characters. As it winds to a close, Breaking Bad still very much has its hooks in me, and I can't wait for more.
No comments:
Post a Comment