‘Breaking Bad’ Retro Recap: ‘Cornered’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

When we last settled in to discuss the wondrous AMC series, Breaking Bad, we talked a little bit about how Walter White was struggling with being a ghost in the world of the drug trade. Because he really was struggling with being marginalized by both Gus Fring and those around him since he genuinely wanted to be admired and revered for his work in putting together the purest meth ever known to man. Which at the time, seemed to be nothing more than a one-off plot twist, one that was designed to bring about Hank’s revival since Walter’s ego fueled him to take a closer look at Gale’s murder. But as it turns out, that frustration and that anger, was the bare beginning of something greater. A firestorm of frustration for Walter, really, one that merely sparked in that tale so it could burn brightly in the next episode.
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For ‘Cornered’ opened up the morning after Walter decided to open his big mouth and rather than move on from a drunken moment of foolishness, Skyler decided to press her husband on his behavior and express her fears for the future and well… that was a poor choice really. Because in doing so, she made Walter feel weak and unimportant yet again, despite her best intentions and well… her continued pressing of Walter, helped to stoke his fire. Because he simply exploded in front of her and made it clear that he was a strong and powerful drug lord, one that pulled the strings of his own destiny by way of a powerful and rousing and downright terrifying speech. One that signified how much he’d grown in a negative manner and how ready he was to command respect through fear, and the fury and pleasure he exhibited in that moment, extended well beyond his sour words.

Because this episode also featured the official handing over of the car wash, and despite once again appearing to be meek in the face of Bodgan’s insults, Walter was able to humiliate the man to no end and force him to step out of the car wash in shame. A feat that brought him utter power over someone that once contributed to his meek nature and that brought him great joy, and this really was quite the powerful transformation to watch play out on screen. Since it truly signified that Walter is genuinely the heavy now and has little desire to return to his former life and what’s ironic about Walter’s journey here, is that he was also eager to flex his muscles in a positive manner as well. Since he took the time to buy his son one hell of a car, just because he could, and while a supremely troubled Skyler eventually demanded it be returned, effectively ending this power trip… the proverbial genie was already out of his bottle.

For Walt was genuinely empowered in this tale and is clearly ready to become something more than a full-time meth cook… he wants an empire and will begin to topple people to get it. But while that made for a fascinating and frightening episode through and through, this story also made a point to follow up on quite the important plot point. Specifically, what Gus is up to in regard to Jesse and Walt and well, it turns out… he is trying to divide them so that they will turn upon one another and it would seem, his plan his working. For Jesse keeps getting big time gigs from Gus, the kind that make him feel valuable to the organization, to the point where he is beginning to take Walter’s words with a grain of salt, even after Walter pointed out Gus’ sneaky little plan and it will be quite interesting to see if the divide that Gus is beginning to create between the two of them can be repaired.

But while we wait to see how that plays out, we can bask in one wild character study. One that did a phenomenal job of expanding upon how continued marginalization can only embolden bad people to take their sour acts to new heights, since Walter is truly surging with fury at the world for forgetting about him and his accomplishments and that really did make for one compelling tale. One that leaves the viewer wondering if Walter is going to snap and do something he regrets, or if a plan is formulating in his mind, the kind that will involve an even greater power play on his part so he can finally be admired and revered and well, the only way to find out what comes next for Walter White, is to continue the journey and see where his twisted tragedy is going to take us next.  

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