We like to believe that when our world is falling down around us, that our luck has run out or that perhaps we crossed a line from a karma perspective and we are now paying the piper for our sour actions and well, it makes sense as to why we think this way. Because it helps us to rationalize and deal with a truth that we simply don’t want to face. In that, everything came crashing down because of poor choices that we made. The kind that we either shouldn’t have made in the first place or should have given greater care to. But we made them, and we thought so little of them and their fragility that we simply let it be without a care in the world. That is until the foundation of that choice crumbled and put us in the tough situation we never ever wanted to be surrounded by.
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If anything, this unfortunate life lesson is top of mind today, because it was one that Mike Ehrmantraut was forced to learn in the next episode of Breaking Bad. But before he was forced to ponder upon its teachings in ‘Say My Name’, Mike made more unfortunate choices that further destabilized the foundation of his life. For shortly after Heisenberg closed a deal to get Mike his money, Mike went all out in getting out of the business. Even going so far as to purge every last shred of evidence that could ever tie him to the business. All because he knew that the DEA would try and prove his involvement in the Fring Drug Empire and when they couldn’t… Mike simply assumed he would be free and clear of any trouble going forward.

In fact, he was so secure in that possibility, that he had his lawyer lackey, Dan, resume payments to the nine guys still on the payroll. Payments that were small enough that no suspicion would ever be raised. Making it really appear as though Mike had planned for everything in this instance and well, that’s when the foundation of his world began to crumble. Because Mike didn’t plan for a DEA Agent that felt their pride was bruised over being stonewalled to push harder, nor did he account for the weakness of his lawyer and that brought about pure disaster. For Hank had Agent Gomez trail good ol’ Dan and once he was caught in the act, the prospect of going to jail for a long time… motivated him to sing like a bird and just like that, Mike was no longer an innocent everyday citizen. He was a wanted man and, on the run, and he was so afraid of being caught, he actually left his granddaughter behind at the park. 

Now... that alone should have been enough to hammer home the theme of this story, since Mike’s assumptions about his crew were woefully incorrect, and his lack of careful planning regarding a worse case scenario backfired, but there was one more domino waiting to fall. One named Walter White. For he knew that without the payments coming in, the old crew would sing and that motivated him to confront Mike before he left town, to get the names of the crew… so they could be dealt with and well, that brought forth one last assumption/mistake from Mike. For he was so done with this mess and so believed that Walter would never cross the ultimate line with him, that he let his guard down, and a took bullet a from Heisenberg for disobeying. Bringing about the end of Mike’s journey and leaving Walter with incredible regret.

For Lydia also knew the names… and he could have easily retrieved them from her. But the bad blood between these two men and a need to be on top, led to an unfortunate end. One that could have been avoided with cooler heads and better care on Mike’s part to have contingencies in place. But alas, a touch of invincibility and neglect in his mind brought his world crashing down and it ended his life and most important of all… it informed the audience that this story is only going to get uglier from here. For there is no coming back from this kind of act and this level of ruthlessness, regardless of how much regret that was expressed, and now that Heisenberg is unleashed… darkness and sorrow await. Until next time.  

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Three of ‘The Outlaws’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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There are few moments in our lives more powerful, than the all-important wakeup call. For this is the universe’s way of informing us, that we are currently on a concerning path. One that could now take us in a vastly different direction, depending upon how we choose to reflect upon and handle this particular moment. Take for instance, losing one’s job. Because the potential loss of income is indeed a wakeup call, one that forces us to take inventory as to what brought about the end of a paycheck and whether or not we have some behaviors we need to change immediately so this doesn’t happen again… or if by chance this is a blessing that will allow for us to finally move toward a path that sustains us financially and emotionally.
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The same goes for the end of an important relationship. Since that can teach us that we might need to improve as a person in order to become a complete lover or that we need to stop dating a particular type of person and have better standards for ourselves. But one particular wakeup call that we don’t think about often because of the stigma that surrounds it… is going to jail. Because if we’ve committed a crime, we’ve crossed an important line, and that should inform us of the fact that we’ve fallen into a dark place that can push us to either do something worse or serve as our finest hour and really, that particular choice stemming from the wakeup call is top of mind today, because it took the center stage in the next episode of The Outlaws on Prime Video.

For when we catch up with the gang in this tale, they’re settling into life as convicted criminals and trying to figure out what comes next and what this moment meant to them and that allowed for this story to explore both sides of the proverbial coin and thankfully a fair majority of the group… came to realize what this moment could do for them in a positive light. Take Gabby and Greg for instance, who as we know, are creatures of emotional habit if you will. The kind that quickly slip back into old and bad habits that get them in trouble. But when faced with a powerful deadline and the cruelty of others, both of them came to realize that sticking with old habits would cause them more harm than good and they quickly worked to start to leave those bad habits behind.

As for Rani and Christian, well they took a little inventory regarding their lives to better understand what could come out of their respective wakeup calls, and they came to discover… that their respective situations were designed to get them both to understand… that they don’t live life enough. For they are both so locked in on their goals and expectations of life that it is in fact passing them by and what better way to emerge from that, than by bonding with someone special and enjoying the wonder of a powerful emotional attachment. Which they did indulge in here and that led to joy and wonder for them for the first time in forever, and it would definitely appear that a relationship is on the horizon for this duo since the sparks really did fly here.
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But alas, the last members of the group, didn’t find any value in their wakeup call and their journey served to explore how the wakeup call can expose truths to us that are so painful and daunting in nature that some might prefer to stay the course. For John came to realize that he was a failure as a businessman and valued his father’s opinion of him over anything else in life and Myrna, well she came to realize after being kicked out of her protest group… that she was nothing without a cause and that pushed the two of them to side with Frank’s idea of keeping the money. So, that John could keep his business solvent and keep approval in his heart and so Myrna could fund her group and stay within its ranks. 

If anything, this episode was just another fascinating look at life and how the big choices and moments that present themselves to us, aren’t always heeded or answered in the slightest and how growth can be ugly and difficult and hurtful, since it oft requires all of that to really motivate change and that helped to reinforce the fact that this story is as unique as they come and what’s wild, is that it still had more to offer us. Since the danger is becoming quite real with Christian’s decision to steal the cash and of course, Rani is still dealing with the fallout of her necessary yet troublesome decisions. and once again, all of these elements compel us to continue the journey. So, we can see what comes out of the choices made here and to see how on earth the danger surrounding this group is going to be resolved. Until next time.

Over the course of the past couple of years, our journey through the grand tragedy that is Breaking Bad has taught us a great deal about what motivates people to take part in dark acts. For instance, we’ve come to learn that when a good person is out of options and desperate to escape a certain situation… they’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen. Which includes committing crimes as Walter did, in his moment of true darkness and despair. Not to mention, that when riches untold are involved, people will continue down that ugly path to enjoy the financial security they’ve always wanted. But what the show hasn’t done yet… is show us an important moment that we’ve all been patiently and eagerly awaiting since we met Walter White in the ‘Pilot’ episode.

In that, we’ve yet to see the EXACT moment that Walter leaves behind his humanity to truly become the Drug Kingpin that is Heisenberg. Sure, he’s flirted with it, and done some horrible things in the process and made some hard decisions to lead him toward that final transformation. But he’s continued to try and keep his family around him in a manner that provides normalcy. Speaking to a man not yet ready to commit to pure evil. But after five seasons of toying around with Heisenberg's origin story, the next episode completed that all-important journey and allowed for us to bear witness to the death of Walter White and the birth of Heisenberg, and ‘Buyout’ accomplished that particular feat, through the worst possible way to allow for a villain to be born… through ego and apathy.

For shortly after that poor kid from the desert was placed in a tub and melted down to hide evidence, and after the trio decided to let Todd live, to keep suspicion down, Jesse was privy to a horrifying moment. Wherein a news report on that missing kid, had zero impact upon Walter emotionally. In fact, he was so unaffected by the way emotion overtook Jesse and the weight of what happened, that he actually whistled while he worked. Making it clear that in that moment, it was over. Walter was gone and all that remained was a ruthless drug kingpin that was drunk with power over defeating his arch enemy and well… that response and the reality that this was heading into territory they weren’t comfortable with, motivated Jesse and Mike to decide to walk away from the business and get what they could right now. All by offering up the methylamine to a competitor, so they could all be filthy rich and walk away with consciences mostly intact.

But taking the time to pass that offer along to Walt, turned out to be nothing more than a waste of time. For Walt revealed to Jesse and to us, that he was done with being marginalized and viewed as a failure or an everyman. This was his chance to be somebody, to be whole again and there was nothing that would stop him. Not kind words, not his wife and not Mike for that matter either. Since Mister Ehrmantraut tied Walter to a radiator, when Walter did his best to sour the deal by taking the methylamine, and that also proved to be a fruitless endeavor. Since Walter was able to science his way out of it and hide the goods… leading to a tense showdown between Mike and the newly formed Heisenberg. One where Heisenberg offered up a counteroffer to the deal.

Which is a hell of a cliffhanger to end this episode upon, one that delivered one of the biggest and most sobering moments in the series. Because that was a hell of an origin story for a villain. One that rivals even the greats of the comic book world and the legends of noir. Courtesy of the fact that there was no pomp and circumstance or gimmicks surrounding the moment. Just the chilling realization that Walter was gone, and that only Heisenberg remained… and now that the transformation is complete, the real pain of the tragedy can get underway. For a man that only cares about the money and the business and his pride, will stop at nothing to maintain those things and woe to those that attempt to challenge him and his quest to be made whole at last. Until next time.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 211 of ‘Fast Foodies’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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For the most part, Fast Foodies on truTV is a series… that rarely explores the same theme twice. A feat that it is able to accomplish, by way of the diverse group of celebrity guests that visit the kitchen. Since each of them bring unique reasons for loving a particular food to the table. Allowing for us to have fresh insight regarding our love affair with food. But as of late, the celebrities popping by the kitchen have had no specific reasons to offer regarding their love of a particular food choice. They’ve simply spoken to why a certain dish is delicious and how that sticks with them, and this shift in tone… has allowed for a different exploration regarding food to take place.

In that, it’s just transformed these past few episodes into a celebration of food and how its flavors can wow us and bring us nothing but joy and comfort, and all of this is relevant to our discussion today, simply because a celebration of food is precisely what took place during this week’s episode. For Horatio Sanz dropped by to express the wonder that a good old fashioned White Castle Burger and Onion Rings platter brings him on a regular basis. Just because it’s damn delicious and you can’t go wrong with its burger-y goodness and sheer tastiness, and the complexity of this dish, led to quite the competitive copycat round. For White Castle assembles it meals in a supremely unique manner and the challenge of that motivated the chefs to really work hard to replicate this dish properly.

Which meant they each had to figure out how to properly slice that meat to the right consistency and thickness that White Castle makes use of. Plus, they needed to figure how to properly vent the meat so it could steam the bun and onions in the appropriate manner and of course, they had to make some bomb onion rings and well, the end results were fascinating to say the least. Since Kristen’s dish turned out solid, but the patties were just a little too thick to be a White Castle replica. As for Justin, he definitely came closer to making it just right. Since his patties were thinner and his rings were delectable. And Jeremy, while his rings were the best out of the three, since they actually made Horatio freeze for a moment to relish in their wonder, his burger had too many pickles and the meat wasn’t quite right.

Which allowed for Justin to win the day here since he came the closest and with his victory in hand, it was off to a stellar remix round. Wherein the chefs once again went all out in capturing the spirit of the meal. Since Jeremy assembled an Umami Glazed Wagyu with Soba dish, that was ridiculously gorgeous and flavorful and once again put Horatio on cloud nine and Kristen… well she created a Cheese Arancini with Black Garlic Aioli and Onions. A bite sized creation full of flavor and memories of White Castle through and through… despite not having any beef in it. As for Justin, well he made a beautiful Stroganoff with Wagyu Beef. A dish that basically fused together White Castle and down-home cooking with fine dining. 

But in the end, there can only be one Chompion and this week that chef was Jeremy. Because the beef in his dish, was just so beautifully flavored and for his efforts, he got some awesome White Castle gear and another victory to add to his collection and well… this episode was just a blast when all is said and done. For it really did lean hard into the fact that food is just freakin’ amazing and always finds a way to bring us comfort and joy and there’s nothing wrong with spending a half hour of our day being reminded of that, and well, the only real complaint one can have about this episode, is that it brings us close to the end of this year’s flavorful journey. For there is only one episode left in season two and it will be bittersweet to sit through one more lesson on the wonder of food and how it sustains more than our appetites. Until next time.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 207 of ‘Star Trek: Picard’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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One thing that fans of the Star Trek Universe can agree upon, is that every single franchise in this grand and sweeping saga of a better tomorrow, has done a phenomenal job of exploring the human condition. A feat each series is able to accomplish by way of clever storytelling that uses fascinating worlds and scenarios or alternate timelines, to hold a mirror up to who we are and give the audience plenty to chew upon. Which of course, has brought forth some powerful episodes throughout the past fifty plus years, the kind that fans continue to recommend to newcomers of the franchise… because of how well they examine our modern world.
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But what is genuinely fascinating about this franchise, is that despite its ability to dig deep into the human condition and give us great pause in doing so… there are still topics and aspects about us and our world that the STU seemingly avoids as often as possible. For instance, examination and explorations on mental health and issues surrounding the human mind are topics that this franchise doesn’t always bring to the forefront of storytelling, nor does it tend to remotely examine some of the more terrifying aspects of domestic life in our modern world. A feat the STU is able to accomplish by making use of the utopian future it resides within… since that signals a future where such issues have been abolished, much like war and hunger and the other parts of our world we wish would go away.

However, as those deeper and relevant topics become commonplace in storytelling these days, even the STU is starting to understand the importance of exploring these matters in some capacity and for proof, then look no further than this week’s episode of Star Trek: Picard. For ‘Monsters’ is a story that took us into the mind of Admiral Jean-Luc Picard. Wherein we were able to not only learn about the abusive and traumatic past that the admiral experienced as a child, but how he used the resulting pain from that to try and be a better man in this life by stepping up and saving lives and being a beacon for others to believe in. An act that obviously has come at some cost emotionally, since Picard the icon vs. Picard the man are two vastly different people.

But what matters more, is that by going into his mind… we were able to see firsthand how he grew up in a toxic environment. Where his father was viewed as a monster and his mother was a victim of various forms of abuse from him, and any kind of exploration on that and how children view such matters and fear them, is brave and bold to begin with. Since it acknowledges an uncomfortable reality that few of us ever talk about or hear discussed in any mainstream capacity and the show does deserve credit for speaking to the impact this has upon children and by taking all of that one step further, by explaining the genesis of the abuse in the Picard household. 

For it turned out that there was more to this situation than Picard originally realized, since it was also revealed that his mother suffered from severe mental illness and refused to receive help. Meaning that both of his parents brought forth some of kind of abuse upon Jean-Luc. For his father’s disturbing reaction to mother’s bouts of mania and depressive phases, did indeed make him a monster that did little to encourage her healing and Jean-Luc's mother’s machinations forced him to suffer as well. A reality that offered up quite the lesson. In that, we cannot simply, will away mental health issues, and we cannot handle them in violent or forceful manner. It requires care and honesty and communication and help from professionals and an openness to healing.
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However, the most important lesson of all when it came to this trip through the darkest recesses of Picard’s mind… is that we cannot avoid our past, nor should we use it to purely strengthen us as well. For neither choice allows for us to resolve that which haunts us. Which means the only way forward is to face it head on and acknowledge it and resolve it and focus on what those moments taught us and well, that really was quite the unexpected journey for us to go upon in this tale. One that genuinely did showcase parts of our world that we are only now starting to talk about in healthy manner (such as mental health) and other aspects that we simply don’t to face at the moment (domestic violence) but need to, so it no longer persists in the shadows. 

Yet while that was bold and important to experience, since it was a big step for Picard and the STU, there was progress regarding the plot to be found here as well, that we do need to discuss. For this journey into the darkness of the past, taught Picard that perhaps he also needed to better understand Q and his obsession with him and not be flippant about such a being, as he is with his own past, since facing it here taught him a great deal about the man he’s become. Which led him back to Guinan and trouble, since their attempts to summon Q failed and also because a return to Ten Forward, brought forth the attention of the FBI, who have questions about Picard’s identity and purpose in Los Angeles.

Plus, things are heating up with the Borg Queen/Jurati storyline. Since Raffi and Seven went on a search for her in L.A. and came to discover that the queen is getting stronger by the moment and might take over Jurati’s mind completely and that could of course, lead to a disaster. But while we wait to see what will become of Agnes and the recently arrested admiral, we can in fact offer up a round of applause for one bold and brave tale. One that shone a light on some powerful topics and hopefully, this is the bare beginnings of a new era for the STU. Wherein it finds creative ways to address more intimate and troubling matters so it can continue to be a pioneer franchise regarding the human condition, and all of the beauty and troubles that come with it. Until next time.  

​Please enjoy a sneak peek of the season one finale of Power Book IV: Force, which will air on STARZ on April 17, 2022, at 8 p.m. EST.

One particular aspect of the iconic series, Breaking Bad, that is utterly fascinating, is the purity that Walter White and Jesse Pinkman tried to exhibit over the course of the series. Which is a statement that might raise eyebrows since these men are meth dealers that have killed in the name of money and the business, but let’s ponder on this further for a second. Because this duo always made a point, of keeping the ugly stuff within the realm of the ugly world they work within. For they were mostly against innocents being harmed, save for the tough call made in the season four finale to put them at risk, and they did their best to put down people they thought were truly immoral. Making them patron saints of the meth scene of sorts and that’s important to note today… because after years of pushing to keep their business noble, everything changed for these two men in a blink of an eye.

For ‘Dead Freight’ featured a horrifying moment, one that shattered that purity and will forever change the course of how they do business and what’s devastating, is that such a twist came about… out of nobility. For when we catch up with Walter in this tale, he was doing everything within his power to quietly restart his business in a manner that would keep him one step ahead of his brother. Even going so far as to visit Hank in his new digs to plant listening devices and internet monitoring devices and well… that paid off in spades. Because the truth about whether or not Lydia planted the trackers on the barrels needed to be revealed, and the listening device helped to prove she was as innocent as she claimed, saving Lydia’s life and giving her a chance to redeem herself when it came to her failure to get the crew methylamine. 

Granted, her attempt at redemption was not without its reservations. Since she figured out a place where the trio could in fact, just steal all the methylamine they needed by pulling it from the source, a train car filled to the brim with it. Which likely meant people would have to die in the process, violating the code that Walter and Jesse put in place regarding innocents. But some quick thinking on Jesse’s part once again, posed the possibility that this heist could go off without a hitch and with no lives lost… provided some stealth came into play. Which in turn, motivated the crew to scout the location early, so they could figure out how to bury tubs beneath the sand and a compressor, that would help them drain what they needed and refill the tank with water so no one would be the wiser that they were robbed and well… on the day of the heist, this plan appeared to work no problem.

For a distraction on the road, stopped the train dead in its tracks and while the engineers worked to remove said distraction, a ‘broken down’ dump truck, the heist was on. And with Todd’s help, they were getting what they needed. The only issue that came up, was a good Samaritan who moved the truck off the road and offered the driver a ride into town to make a call for repair. Making it a race against time to pull the last of the methylamine out of the container. But they managed to pull it off and just like that, their luck held, the cold held, and business was about to get back underway. That is until… the unfortunate moment we made mention of a little bit ago came into play. For in the closing moments of this tale, a young kid who was dirt biking about, saw what happened and rather than just let the kid walk or talk to him about keeping quiet… Todd decided to handle this a different way.

In that, he pulled out a gun and blasted the kid on the spot, stunning both Jesse and Walter and thus, breaking the code and changing everything. For now, the group has been party to the murder of an innocent, a child no less. But while we wait to see exactly what comes out of such a shocking move on Todd's part, we can in fact, relish in the wonder of an incredible tale. Because this one really appeared to be on track to just show us the genesis of the Heisenberg Empire and just like that… it surprised us and took us into a dark place we never expected this story to go and truly, it will be fascinating to see what kind of heat comes out of this disaster. Because the death of a child is no small thing, and it may bring the Empire down before it even had the chance to begin and thrive. Until next time.  

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Six of ‘That Dirty Black Bag’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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The phrase, ‘it’s a small world’, is one we use often for one reason and one reason alone. In that… it really does ring true. Because despite the fact that there are roughly eight billion people in the world, we consistently cross paths with folks from our past that we thought were long gone. Or we run into people that somehow know someone we do and that’s just incredible and wild and relevant to our discussion today… simply because the tiny nature of our world was put on full display in the next episode of That Dirty Black Bag on AMC+.
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A feat that ‘Chapter Six: To Hell’ accomplished in part, by finally allowing for Red Bill and Sheriff McCoy to discuss the all-important scars on McCoy’s back. Since that informed Red Bill of the fact that McCoy could potentially lead him to finish his quest for revenge and in many ways… he definitely pointed Bill in the right direction. Since he gave up his brother’s name, and just having the name Bronson rattle around in Bill’s mind, was enough to re-energize him after a tough spell and obviously, the connections here to the moment where Bill’s life changed for the worse, spoke volumes to how tiny our world can be and how so much of it interconnects. 

But before Bill could get more information out of McCoy about Bronson, a twist of fate dropped into everyone’s lap. One that saw Kurt pass when Bronson’s boys opened fire on McCoy. A move that allowed for Red Bill to be free at last and of course, reunited Marco with some old friends. Since the gang stopped shooting at him once they recognized their old buddy and of course, they worked to smooth the whole mess over by having McCoy retrieve the money, with an escort of course. Which brought about an interesting moment for the Sheriff, since he made it clear on his way to the hiding place, that he had zero interest in reuniting with his brother. Likely because of the circumstances that happened in the desert. In fact, he was so hellbent on living his own life, that his escort died a terrible death. Allowing for Marco to go after the cash and a new future, without a worry in the world.

However, while those two segments hammered home the theme of this tale, we would be foolish to not discuss the other pertinent moments that took place in this tale. For this is a story that also saw Symone do right by Eve by cutting down her body and burying her properly in her favorite place before everyone took off. Plus, it was nice to see Red Bill settle into town for a bit and reflect upon his journey and enjoy some comfort. Since the man has been through hell in the past few episodes and it was equally as amazing to see that McCoy got a taste of karma, since his money is gone, and that this story set the stage for some genuinely big moments in the next two episodes, courtesy of an important choice on Bronson’s part.

Because he did learn after all that his little brother was alive and well in Greenvale, thanks to the gang and well… he’s on his way to see him now and that’s just incredible. Because it means that McCoy is finally going to have to pay the piper and face his past. Plus, Red Bill will finally get his shot at revenge and well, that is going to make the wait for next week’s episode, quite painful for certain. But while we wait, we can bask in the wonder of quite the fascinating tale. One that reminded us of the fact that the world has always been small, all while catapulting the plot forward with stunning twists and turns and truly… the end of this season is shaping up to be something special… since everything is about to come together in the dusty streets of Greenvale. Until next time.

​Please enjoy this exclusive clip and brief synopsis for episode three of Rat in the Kitchen, which will air on TBS tomorrow, April 14, 2022.
 
The third episode of Rat in the Kitchen debuts on Thursday, April 14, at 9pm ET on TBS. In the third episode, “The Case of The Vanishing Chips,” it’s time for Follow the Ludo! Five chefs and one rat get a cooking lesson from Chef Ludo himself, but it might be too good to be true when the chefs go after each other before time is even up! Comedian Natasha Leggero hosts as the chefs try to identify the rat and take home up to $50,000?

It is definitely safe to say, that our modern world cherishes the wonder of the Birthday, and it makes sense as to why. After all, the date of our birth signals the beginning of an incredible journey, one that we are still traversing and what better way to celebrate our accomplishments than by sitting down with close friends and family to partake in joy and reflection. Which is why we work so hard to try and make this special day for those we love, as memorable and as fun as possible. But alas, what we often forget about this personal holiday, is that we have a lot of them in front of us and sometimes… they won’t be epic and heartwarming in nature, they’ll just be another day now and again, and/or sour in nature.

If anything, the more somber side to birthdays is top of mind today, simply because Walter White experienced a rough one in the next episode of Breaking Bad. For ‘Fifty-One’ featured the buildup to Walter’s big birthday, where his age matched the title of this episode and well, Walter was definitely hoping for a celebration of life as epic as his fiftieth birthday. After all, he’d survived cancer and he’d made it through hell as well in this past year. One that also saw him transition in careers from schoolteacher to meth genius and burgeoning kingpin. So why not celebrate the big day in style and really relish in the second chance he'd been given and in the discovery of his newfound path toward riches untold.

In fact, he was so excited about the future that he leased a couple of slick rides for himself and his son and for a brief moment there, it really did seem as though this episode was going to be quite beautiful in nature. But alas, Skyler’s attitude during this time frame was pretty darn rough. To the point where she actually took the time to appear to attempt to drown herself in the family’s pool. A move that turned out to be nothing more than an attempt to spite Walter and exert power over him, and to try and convince him to move the kids out of the house, and that led to one heck of a birthday blowout between the couple. One where Walter made it clear how powerless she was in this mess and how come hell or high water, his plan for the future was going to work and keep them safe and rekindle their love. 

Which truly hammered home, how birthdays aren’t always a perfect day through and through, and when you sell drugs, the joy is a little harder to find. But while that alone could have carried this episode from beginning to end, there were still more important plot points to be found in this tale. For instance, Hank’s fine work in going after the meth market in the ABQ, led to his promotion of ASAC (Assistant Special Agent in Charge) of the Albuquerque office. A move that could lead to more drama. In part because, more resources will be available to him, but also because… nothing is going to stop Walter from having his empire. As evidenced by how he pushed to keep the methylamine flowing, despite Lydia’s weak protest attempts to move the business away from Madrigal, and the discovery of a GPS tracker on one of the barrels. 

In the end however, this was just… a solid episode through and through. One that really did a wonderful job of contrasting how much can change in a year, and how different our lives can be when that change is negative in nature. Plus, this episode also deserves a round of applause, for finally allowing for Walter and Skyler to have it out and get their sour emotions in the open for a change. In part because it needed to happen, but also because it led to some powerful moments. The kind that really demonstrated once again how the darkness is consuming Walter through and through and how drunk with confidence he’s become and well, it will be interesting to see what comes next for this family, now that Walter has taken charge of his home life in an uncomfortable manner. Until next time.