What I’m Watching: Breaking Bad

Breaking Bad: Season 4, Episode 10 “Salud” (A-)

On a show where the word “intense” doesn’t really mean anything useful at this point, it’s fair to say that this episode is considerably more intense than those building to it, mainly due to three rather shocking encounters between different characters on this show, all three of them completely apart from the others, with the characters living in entirely different worlds for the time being. The first and most unprecedented is Walter Jr.’s conversation with Walt, which results from Walter Jr. finding Walt all beat up and out of it, so out of control as to call Walter Jr. Jesse by mistake. Walt’s story about his one real memory of his father was chilling enough, but Walter Jr. one-upped him by telling him that even that would be better than what it’s been like for the last year. Skyler having Saul make up a deceased relative to leave Ted money was relatively surprising, and seeing just how uneasy Saul was about it was alarming enough. Ted’s impulsive decision to lease a brand new car, however, set Skyler off, and telling him that she was the one that gave him the money was both bold and stupid, and may present problems in the near future. Jesse’s trip to Mexico was rocky at the start, with a rather condescending reception from the chemist played by Carlo Rota, Morris O’Brian from “24.”Gus poisoning all of the cartel members was an enormously brave and well-executed move, and there’s nothing quite like driving as fast as you possibly can out of Mexico with two men on the verge of death in your backseat. With that finale, next week is sure to be even more gripping.