Breaking Bad Season 2

Year: 2009

Grade: A

Country: USA

Director: Gilligan

Review

there’s a lot going on this season. skyler and walt grow apart in an irreconcilable way, it would seem. walt being the cause of jane’s death and then choosing not to avert it was a critical turning point in his character for me. jesse continues to battle his demons. the plane crash and what it symbolizes and what causes it are central to the season and symbolic of a lot of different things. walt and hank as foils for each other is explored even more. walt as the manly egoist on the interior, but soft and gentle on the exterior contrasts hank’s inner sensitivity and outside manliness and boisterous demeanor. junior, of course, is in the middle. wanting to be like uncle hank, but looking up to his dad. he’s crippled so his desire is even more amplified than it might be for the average 16 year old.

skyler’s character darkens and turns ugly. her flirtations with the boss, her lack of empathy for walt (though he is somewhat deserving of her ire, of course). she’s a worthy adversary for walt. always suspecting, but only finding out the extent (though not the true nature) of walt’s lies at the very end of the season. marie is exposed as also deeply flawed. overly concerned with outward appearances, a serial thief, unable to apologize for her weaknesses, unable to see the world outside of herself.

the only flaw of the series is the music. the sopranos had great music, especially towards the end. this is a series deserving of a great soundtrack, yet it has only an average one. the visuals, themes and characters are great. it would be a cherry on top to have those visuals matched to some great music.

Watched on TV