Breaking Bad

WARNING: This review contains spoilers of the events in each episode.

So far this season on “Breaking Bad,” Jesse (Aaron Paul) has been sidelined while Hank (Dean Norris) and Walt (Bryan Cranston) bear most of the show’s drama. Thankfully, “Confessions” returns Jesse back to the center of the show. Last week’s cliffhanger is addressed in the show’s first ten minutes: Jesse doesn’t snitch to Hank. The interrogation scene was more low-key than expected, with Jesse and Hank never raising their voices or becoming confrontational. Hank’s sympathetic appeal to Jesse seemed like it could have worked, but Jesse just wasn’t willing to forgive Hank and work with him.

As always though, the real excitement still lies with Walt as he attempts to weasel out of Hank’s grasp. We’ve seen Walter do some despicable things — poisoning a child and killing Mike both come to mind — but we’ve never seen Walt as wicked as he is in “Confessions.” After Marie invites Walt Jr. over for dinner, Walt quickly manipulates Jr. into staying at home by exaggerating his cancer’s return. As Walt tells Jr. he wants to be “honest” with him, it’s hard not to be shaking your head in disgust at Walt’s ability to manipulate.

This prompts Walt, Skyler, Hank and Marie to meet, where Walt drops a bombshell: a DVD containing his confession. However, mirroring the confession tape Walt made in one of the show’s first episodes, this DVD is not a confession of guilt. Rather, Walt confesses that he’s been cooking meth for his DEA brother-in-law Hank, whom Walt claims is the real mastermind behind everything. During the confession, Walt runs through a checklist of his own evil doings and attributes them to Hank. It was Hank who asked Walt to be a part of the operation. It was Hank’s DEA connections that helped them sell the meth, and it was Hank who knew and killed Gus Fring. The scene is a tour de force of lying from Cranston, who really sells it, leaning on Walt’s cancer as a crutch for sympathy.

The confession tape serves as a warning for Hank to continue to “tread lightly,” but it’s a demoralizing loss for Hank. The tape is just crazy enough to work, and due to Hank’s ties to Walt’s drug money (Hank was unaware, but Walt paid for Hank’s rehab in Seasons 3 and 4), it seems that Hank has no choice but to back off. It’s the dirtiest move of Walt’s twisted character decay, and the scene’s tension and ambition is incredible to watch.

In an episode where Walt is able to manipulate everyone, it’s Jesse who is able to finally see through Walt’s lies. After Walt tries to subtly convince Jesse to leave town and start a new life, Jesse calls Walt out on his selfishness. “Just ask me for a favor,” Jesse shouts.” “Just tell me you need this.” Jesse knows the truth about Mike’s death, and he knows that if he doesn’t comply with what Walt wants, he might be the next to die. The awkward hug that ends the scene might be their final meeting as non-enemies.  

The scene continues with Jesse willing to leave town for Walt and start a new life with a new identity in Alaska. Things go smoothly until Jesse has a sudden realization moments before his departing ride arrives — Saul’s bodyguard Huell had pickpocketed the weed Jesse was carrying. Jesse finally connects the dots that Huell must have taken the ricin cigarette as well back in Season 4. Jesse violently confronts Saul over the truth, and, of course, Saul is quick to pin Walt as the man responsible.

The fallout from this truth will be catastrophic. After all, this proves that it wasn’t Gus that stole the ricin cigarette as Walt had claimed. It proves that Walt was the one that poisoned Brock, and shows just how deceived Jesse has been in his relationship with Walt. In an act of revenge, the episode concludes with Jesse rushing into the White household and pouring gasoline on everything. Could this be why Walt’s home was destroyed in the season’s flash-forward intro scene? Will Jesse now be motivated to assist Hank in taking down Walt?

Breaking Bad continues to build to the finale with confidence and unpredictability. Sunday can’t come fast enough.