‘Breaking Bad’ Retro Recap: ‘Fly’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

It is definitely safe to say, that drug dealers portray a specific stereotype on the silver and small screen. One that makes them appear to be ruthless and disgusting individuals that only care about the money and the power and while that makes Scarface and other films in that vein, quite compelling to say the least… that particular view of the drug dealer is pretty cartoonish in nature. For in reality, drug lords and drug kingpins are human beings that have to deal with similar problems that the rest of us do. Granted yes, they also have bags of money and break the law often as well. But that doesn’t slow down worries and fears and doubts and hopeless days and that’s why stories that show that side of the drug trade, are worth our while.
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Since they offer more than kickass gun fights, they offer depth and development and humanity that we can relate to on some level and that is precisely why Breaking Bad continues to impress with every new episode we revisit. Because it consistently grounds itself with realistic moments, the kind that genuinely have us pulling for Walter and Jesse to save themselves before things get worse and well, all of this is top of mind today, simply because the next episode in this fascinating franchise, features that realistic feel once again. For when we catch up with Walter in ‘Fly’, he’s in a tough place mentally. Because all the steps he’s taken to reach easy street and all the tough choices he’s made in abandoning his former lifestyle… are staring to haunt him. Which is understandable.

For we are reflective creatures, the kind that take inventory from time to time and having a moment to breathe, brings forth those reflective moments for Walt and well… they damn near drive him mad. Because they’re keeping him up late at night, or all night for that matter and that motivates him to try and focus his attention elsewhere in this tale to clear his mind… by working hard to kill a fat fly and it’s best we just say it right now, this is a brilliant episode when all is said and done for several reasons. For starters, because the fly in and of itself stands in as a wonderful metaphor for Walter’s sub-conscious and outright conscience. Since he is trying hard to squash thoughts of a life now left behind and the moral implications of his legacy and well… he is woefully unsuccessful at that, which leads to more equally powerful moments.

The kind that helps us to understand why Walter chose this lifestyle in the first place. Since he truly thought, he was going to die and that there was nothing to lose by doing something for his family before his passing. But now that he has made it through and has committed to this path, he’s experiencing a little survivor’s remorse and regret for not trying harder to hold onto the simpler life that he once enjoyed, making this one of the most powerful and tragic moments in the history of the series. Because this is Walt in the raw, opening up for the first time ever to the only person he could trust during his darkest hour and that really does make for one engrossing tale, one that truly gives the viewer pause since it is authentically filled with all the worry and pain of a man who saw his life take one hell of a hard left turn. 

If anything, this is likely the bravest episode that season three has offered to date, because it takes guts for a writers’ room to step back from the plot in order to put together a character study of this caliber, regardless of budgetary issues. The kind that this episode did indeed run into. But writers Sam Catlin and Moira Walley-Beckett put together a wonderful and engaging script and while some disagree with that assessment, since this was a polarizing episode for the fanbase, hopefully the test of time will allow for its wonder to shine. But while it was indeed nice to break away from a tense cat and mouse game between the cartel and Hank and Walt and Mister Fring, we are likely heading back into the thick of such matters in the next episode and it will be quite interesting to see where this story is headed next, now that Hank is on the up and up and Walter and Jesse are back at work. Until next time.

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