‘Breaking Bad’ Retro Recap: ‘…And the Bag’s in the River’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

One particular phrase that a great deal of us repeat at some point in our lives, is that we would do anything and everything necessary in order to protect our family. Because they are our flesh and blood and we only get one of them and if by chance someone needs to get beat up, or worse, in order to keep them safe, so be it. If anything, that particular phrase really does help our loved ones understand just how much we care about them and it does give them a sense of security that we will always have their backs. But in reality, few of us will ever have to genuinely cross that line in order to keep our family safe. Sure, we will hustle and go the extra mile in order to keep a roof over our heads and food in our bellies, but hardcore violence isn’t something that is commonplace to us. Nor is murder for that matter.  
​
Which leaves one to wonder, that if we were actually faced with a situation where we needed to resort to either option to save someone we love, would we be able to go the extra mile and beat someone within an inch of their life? Or take it for that matter? Well, since we will likely never have to ponder upon such matters, thankfully, we have fiction to dive deep into those particular concepts for us. And it just so happens that the next episode of Breaking Bad, takes the time to force Walter White to think upon whether or not he’s capable of murder, and what consequences might come into play if he crossed that particular line, and that makes ‘…And the Bag’s in the River’ one powerful and dark tale, one that thankfully does find a way to lighten the mood here and there.

That particular feat is accomplished by way of Skyler and Walt Jr. and Marie and Hank. Since Skyler thinks her son is using weed and that motivates Marie to have her DEA husband try to scare Walt Jr. straight. An act that leads to some awkward and hilarious moments and it is a wonderful thing that this is present in this tale, since Walt’s journey really is devastating to say the least. Because with Emilio’s corpse out of the picture, only one loose end remains for Walt to deal with, and that’s Krazy-8. And in order to be free of any trouble and to get away with the money, Walt knows he is going to have to outright murder Krazy and dispose of the evidence and that… is more than he can bear. Because this wasn’t part of the plan, he just wanted to sell Meth and leave something behind for his children. But now, he might have to truly commit to every aspect of this business and that leads to some powerful moments.

The kind where Walt has to reconcile what he really wants out of this venture and whether or not a life of crime really is for him and that’s incredible to see play out on screen, since this is the kind of stuff crime dramas never cover in the slightest. And this powerful exploration is taken one step further by way of Walter’s stunning confrontation with Domingo (Krazy-8’s real name) in Jesse’s basement. Because he actually takes the time to get to know his potential victim and what kind of person he is, all in the hopes of not having to end his life. But alas, Domingo’s decision to hide a piece of broken plate, proves to Walter that he will find no noble intentions in this business, just chaos and strife and he realizes that his family will be at risk if he doesn’t do the unthinkable. And in the end, Walter answers those powerful questions posed earlier, with a resounding yes, all so his family can see another day. 

Which made for a stunning ending to say the least. Because part of you hopes that Walter is going to turn away from this life and this profession and embrace the time he has left in a more positive manner. But that’s not what this story is about, and his decision to kill here only pushes him deeper into the darkness. Because there really is no coming back from killing a man in cold blood, and well, now that Walter has made that decision, the other tough ones will come a little easier. As evidenced by his outright honesty with his wife and really in the end, this was simply one incredible episode. Because everything that happened here was powerful and compelling, and it offered up a different variety of character growth and it just speaks to the sheer genius and staying power of this series and truly, it compels you to continue the journey. In order to see just how deep down the rabbit hole, Walter White is willing to go. Until next time.

---