First of all, you folks were right. At least, all of you who pointed out that the cold open from the season opener showing Walt’s 52nd birthday was not his upcoming one but rather in a year’s time. It was just unfathomable to me that merely a year had passed over the course of the last four seasons of the show – something Walt seemed to have trouble believing as well when he gave his “thank goodness for family” speech at his awkward birthday dinner. One year ago Walt was diagnosed with cancer and got together with Jesse. One year ago there was no Gus, no Mike, no Jane, no Tio, no baby Holly, no Heisenberg. The sheer timeline of this show has been astounding; then again, it’s always been a series that was about the race against time. But the driving factor was always money, and money it remains (even though Walt’s cancer is gone – or is it?). For more on the worst birthday ever, hit the jump.
To paraphrase Jeff Foxworthy, “you might be a crap dad if …” your wife tries to drown herself at your birthday party in front of everyone in a desperate attempt to get the kids away from you. This can also be hashtagged #justsayin. Last week there were flickers of a more compassionate Walt, the Walt of a year ago, who interacted tenderly with Jesse but then, of course, turned cold again. His interactions with Skyler though are far more disturbing. On the one hand I understand why he’s acting like everything is hunky-dory; in Walt’s mind, it is. He’s eliminated the danger of Gus and business is booming again. His cancer is in remission (maybe) and he seemingly has agency in his own life, something he hasn’t had for a very long time. Why not stay up late with the kids watching Scarface and selling the Aztec for $50 so you can lease dueling sports cars? Life’s a peach!
I know that Skyler is not a favorite character for most, though she did redeem herself last year when she started taking over the money laundering business and proving her resourcefulness. But consider what Walt has put this woman through in the last year. Heck, the last week. She has tried to be supportive and work through the impossible mess that Walt has created in his life, but he continues throwing her curve balls. Worse, he’s bringing the danger of his job home in a way that could threaten his family, and came very close to doing so several times. He is a huge cause for many of Hank’s woes, as well as the continued deception the Whites have to engage in towards pretty much everyone. And then she’s expected to sleep with this guy?
The Walt of “Fifty-One” is back to being Heisenberg – a cocky, take no shit from nobody attitude. One of the most interesting things about Breaking Bad though is how it explores the fallout for a man who takes on these traits and this life who was really never meant to, or at the very least, who is someone “like us.” Yes Breaking Bad is pretty over the top when it comes to plenty of things, and there aren’t many people who could match wits with someone like Walt in real life. But when a desperate, square dude from the ‘burbs decides to get involved with the drug trade, Breaking Bad creates a world in which that might happen. It’s dark, ugly, horrifying, and lots of people die in gruesome ways. That at least feels real.
So you have Walt acting – with varying degrees of success – like a crime boss, but he does so with his own family. Walt said in “Fifty-One” that he keeps work at work. Since the start he’s done everything but. Skyler may want to believe him, but she’s seen more of what Walt claims will never happen than any evidence otherwise. In Breaking Bad terms, not much time has passed at all since Walt was in the crawlspace giving the creepiest and most desperate shrieks of horror and laughter together that a person can imagine. Not long afterwards, he is — via some gorilla tactics — responsible for blowing up a nursing home and one of the biggest cartel leaders in the world. Now he wants a normal birthday party with chocolate cake and chocolate icing. Oh, and by the way don’t worry about anything, it’s all gravy.
The fight between Walt and Skyler was one of the most uncomfortable scenes from Breaking Bad to date. There was something sincere and raw and visceral about it, as Skyler became more histrionic with her ideas and Walt slashed them down one by one with cool logic. Skyler is terrified of Walt, of herself, of the life that has been created by Walt for them, and with good reason. She is a woman now whose motivations are uncertain. For much of the episode I was convinced she wanted to send the kids away so that she could somehow kill Walt. How far would she really go?
I don’t know if “Fifty-One” is this season’s “Fly,” but it felt a lot like it. The tension is narrowed down to two characters, their relationship and place, and is explored in depth with sometimes excruciating detail. I don’t know if we will discover the backstory to Walt’s fifty-second birthday by the end of the season, but we may. It seems to have cost him his family, and we’re certainly starting to see why.
Grade: B
Musings and Miscellanea:
– How awkward was that bacon scene?
– Great pool scene with Skyler, especially when there was a zoom on the water and it looked just like the blue meth.
– It’s interesting watching Junior and Hank interact – they have such a better and easier repoire than Junior and Walt.
– “You see this watch? The person who gave me this wanted me dead, too, but he changed his mind and so will you” – Walt to Skyler.
– Ew the nicked scalp scene. Reminded me, again, of Dexter.
– Interesting that Jesse thought Walt was on his side about Lydia for the same reasons. Nope, Jesse, it’s not because Walt wanted to minimize death, it’s because he wants to maximize profits.
– Lydia really is a loose canon, though. The mismatched shoes made me laugh, I have always feared leaving the house like that.
– Lydia screaming into the pillow as the conference call went on was another great moment.
– Marie Purple Count: 4 — purple shirt, the gift bag, wrapping paper and the throw in the back of the car.
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I never notice Marie’s purple, but I always notice when Walt has on an article of clothing that is the same as season 2′s floating airplane wreckage teddy bear. Creepy. Plus, that bear was floating in the pool. Just like Skyler will be in a few episodes, I bet
you gave this a B?
this is a A episode
dont get the harsh criticism. only 12 more episodes and this show is done
you gave this a B?
this is a A episode
Great tension between Walt and Skyler. I dont think Hank is done with the Heisenberg case. Lydia will be the end of Walt’s operation, shes whacko
dont get the harsh criticism. only 12 more episodes and this show is done
Agreed about the harsh criticism. Watch almost any show on television and then watch an episode of Breaking Bad, and if you don’t give it an “A” I would lose all respect for you (even Dexter). IMO, Breaking Bad is hands down, the best show on television (Top 3 ever in my book), and just b/c there isn’t a bunch of violence and crazy shit going down doesn’t mean it’s not a Grade-A episode. The dialogue between Walt and Skyler is more tense and brutal than any gunfight on television right now. People watch so many shitty TV shows that have non-stop action, violence, sex, or just a constant and quick reveal of plot that when they watch what they think is a “slow” episode they think it’s boring. Watch a Melville or Tarkovsky film….it’s about the build-off and then the reveal, it can’t be all reveal. Anyways…my two cents.
I’m pretty sure that the “B” rating is in the context of “Breaking Bad”. Of course this is the best show on TV, but how does this episode compare to others in the season/series?
I think that in Breaking Bad terms, it was a “B” episode. Wasn’t great, but certainly wasn’t bad either. Not very episode can be an “A” episode. The season is going to have its peaks and valleys.
I feel that each episode thus far has had a key purpose:
1 – The aftermath of Fring’s death
2 – Mike dealing with his “people”
3 – Finding a new cook location(s)
4- Skylar’s plan (or lack of one) to keep the kids away from Walt
*And in the meantime, the Hank & the DEA are getting closer and closer…
I don’t really think any of these episodes have been “A” episodes, but they are certainly setting up some interesting threads and will lead to some great payoff episodes later on.
right!
breaking bad has killed tv for me cause theres nothing like it. i mean Mad Men is the only show that can get near it right now.
Breaking Bad since its inception has always been a slow burn. every season moves at a snail pace, its not a bad thing, its one of the best parts of the show.
Next week’s episode seems action packed and should get the A that it deserves!
I agree, John. Personally, I thought this episode was an A, but I was trying to get across that the episodes that “everything happens” shouldn’t be the “A” episodes. As Marc writes, the “action packed” episode should get the “A” and I don’t think that’s right. As you say, these episodes are essential so there can be those payoff episodes…so when it isn’t a payoff episode I grade it as it is. To be honest though, there aren’t really any episodes I can think of that don’t get my A rating. There are different kinds of episodes in Breaking Bad and they are all essential for the payoff ones. I’m just so emotionally attached to Breaking Bad that it hurts when I see a B rating, lol.
Definitely reminded me so much of Fly. Immediately went to check IMDB and lo and behold, Rian Johnson directed both episodes.
“Fly” was one of my favorite episodes, and this one was great as well! Rian Johnson is definitely talented…I loved his film “Brick” and I’m very much looking forward to “Looper.” Fifty–One = A (like almost every episode)
“gorilla tactics”? Really?
Anybody else thinks that Skylar is smoking in the house just to increase Walt’s chance of getting cancer again?
I thought it wasn’t that obvious neither. She was kind of on a down low on cigarette smoking. But she smoked that back to back. At first, I thought it was because she was really stressed out but then when she smoked the second one right after and blew it the smoke towards Walt, it became sort of an attack to help the cancer that she was “waiting” for to return. It’s war now.
Allison,
Great recap. It’s cool that you said that “Fifty-One” was this season’s “Fly”, because it turns out both episodes were directed by Rian Johnson.
One thing that has stuck out to me as odd is how often Mike and Jesse and Walt get in a room together. Mike knows that he is very high on the DEA radar (the interrogation scene a couple episodes ago with Mike and Hank was great). It doesn’t seem to be something that the three of them have really talked about how to deal with…and this week they decide to eventually start tailing Mike. How long before he and Walt are seen within proximity of each other? Remember how paranoid Walt used to be about being seen anywhere near Jesse? I don’t see how Walt isn’t concerned about being around Mike. Who has money on there being a Walt vs. Hank showdown before the series ends? I can totally see Walt murdering Hank if he had to…
Bill Burr got cut out.
FYI – this was directed by the same director of “The Fly” episode, so perhaps that is at least one of the reasons it my have felt like that episode. Ah, I’m just realizing someone else commented about it. I thought “The Fly” was terrible. This episode was better than that. But slow, like ‘The Fly.”
When exactly did Walt stop loving Skyler? He’s crawled through hell to keep her, but now he just doesn’t give a damn? I don’t get it. There needed to be some specific character progression there, not just “he’s been through a lot of sh!t and this is how he rolls now”, which is what the writers seem to be saying. There should have been scenes with something replacing her, like lust for money or another woman. Otherwise I’m just not buying it.
I think Walt is just being pragmatic with his wife. He “loves” her like a lot of man “loves” their women: out of cultural instruction. Walt doesn’t strike me as the type of guy lusting after woman, he is too introverted for that (the episode of him flirting with the hot school principal is a sign of his jealousy unraveling not out of lust). Keeping Skyler around the family, his home will be the ultimate disguise, isn’t it? He shows affection only because 1) he is a husband, a loving father, he is kinda required by society to do that, and 2) for cover for his “business”
Her giving Ted that 600 thousand dollars might of had something to do with this.
That was probably the most over written script I’ve seen from Breaking Bad. A little to heavy handed and speechy.
Quite clearly a very useless point to make. You might want to look at Rian Johnson’s other work.
“Breaking Bad standards (meaning “ok but not spectacular, still better than 98% of all other TV”)” – Keene
B range is about right. if we’re comparing it to breaking bad’s best moments ie gus’s pool party, and his going away party at the old folks home.
great tension. and how damn likeable is Jesse??? “Happy Birthday Mr. White!”
Aaron “I FOLD PANTS AT THE GAP” Paul is as enjoyable as ever.
Jesse has gotten more likeable as the show has gone on for me. If you would of told me back when the show was in its first seasons (1 and 2) that by season 5 Jesse would be one of the most likeable characters on the show, I simply would of said to you, “you’re on some other sh*t.”
Bryan Cranston mentioned that season 5, episode 5 is the largest they’ve ever done (in terms of scale and budget), so it makes sense that this episode was mostly focused on a few locations (omitting the warehouse scene) and felt smaller in scale than most of the other episodes. They’re setting up the remaining 3 episodes for something massive.
Ultimately, the big villain of this season isn’t anyone outside of Walt that he’s going to have to deal with. It IS Walt. Amazing. I know we saw this coming from the get-go, but it’s still so mind blowing that they pulled it off so well.
Bryan Cranston mentioned that season 5, episode 5 is the largest they\’ve ever done (in terms of scale and budget), so it makes sense that this episode was mostly focused on a few locations (omitting the warehouse scene) and felt smaller in scale than most of the other episodes. They\’re setting up the remaining 3 episodes for something massive.
Ultimately, the big villain of this season isn\’t anyone outside of Walt that he\’s going to have to deal with. It IS Walt. Amazing. I know we saw this coming from the get-go, but it\’s still so mind blowing that they pulled it off so well.
I’m just hoping we get a different version of Scarface (supposedly White’s death omen from last week) in the very finale episode.
Typo: Final.
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