‘Breaking Bad’ Retro Recap: ‘Negro y Azul’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

For the most part, transition episodes in television shows… tend be quite the irritating affair for the audience. Because they rarely feature any movement in regard to the plot and they are quite slow in nature, to the point where the viewer is motivated to fiddle with their phone. But some shows, well they view the transitional episode as grand opportunity. One where they can use the strengths of their talented writers and cast members to put together a story that feels as though big moments are happening, when in fact, the future is being set up instead and one such series that mastered this, was Breaking Bad. For its transitional episodes were always compelling and engrossing and oddly exciting and for proof, look no further than the next chapter in Walter White’s journey into darkness.

For ‘Negro y Azul’ is a story that should have bored us to tears, since it featured Skyler getting a job while Walter planned to expand the Heisenberg Empire. But instead of waiting patiently for something to happen, this episode figured out how to put us on the edge of our seats from beginning to end, all by having the specter of tragedy hang heavy over this tale and by hinting at big things to come in the simplest of scenes, as was the case with Skyler’s journey in this tale. Because her getting her old job back, implied that trouble would be coming to her relationship. Since she and her boss clearly share some chemistry, the kind that will undoubtedly tempt the both of them when the time is right and will undoubtedly bring more strife into her home life and the potential there… really does suck the viewer in and motivate them to ponder upon how quickly she will act upon her budding desire, despite the fact that little happens here outside of setup. 

As for Walter’s storyline, well that became compelling by adding in a simple twist, one involving dear Jesse. For he was in a rough place after watching Spooge’s head pop beneath an ATM. And while he processed that particularly horrifying visual, Heisenberg hit the streets and worked with Jesse’s lieutenants to get the product moving and use what happened in that meth house to spread the legend of Pinkman. For the word on the street, was that Jesse was the one who dropped the ATM on Spooge’s skull, because the late meth head didn’t want to pay up in the slightest. And using that legend and the fear it engendered, would allow for Heisenberg to expand. Since the thought that Walter might send his enforcer out to cause harm, should give his competitors cause when Walter's boys started working new territory and well, watching Walter bask in the wonder of fear is what made this segment so compelling and worth our while. Since it really was the highlight of a storyline that was mired in detailed planning and machinations. 

Yet while those two storylines alone could have kept our attention through and through, in order to truly make this episode pop, the writers room injected quite the surprise. For this particular tale also included a follow up story involving Hank. One that made it clear that he simply doesn’t fit in outside of New Mexico, since the DEA office in El Paso didn’t accept him or his antics in the slightest and this particular plot thread also helped to remind us of dangers to come. For Hank’s time with an informant named Tortuga (played brilliantly by the iconic Danny Trejo), ended in disaster when the cartel that Tortuga was ratting on, murdered Mister T and used his head and an explosive laden tortoise to send a message to the DEA to stay away or suffer the consequences. And this really was quite the harrowing storyline for certain, since it was about as dark as they come and to complicate matters further, it only added to the complexities of Hank's rampant PTSD.

If anything, this might be one of the most compelling transitional tales in the history of television. Because this one genuinely hooks you with gripping performances and big ideas, all while accomplishing virtually nothing with the plot, and that’s brilliant. Because it speaks to the fact that this writers’ room knows how to properly maximize that talent involved with this story and they also know how to make something simple as interesting as possible and oddly enough, you’re genuinely left hungry for more when this do-nothing episode comes to a close. Which is a rare feat for certain, but one that this show pulls off with ease and well, now that we have reached the end of this simple and effective journey through some mundane moments, the time has come to move the plot forward once again in a supremely compelling manner. All by introducing a sleazy and intelligent lawyer into the mix, one that we would come to know quite well, years after his arrival on this show and our first encounter with Jimmy ‘Saul Goodman’ McGill, is where we will pick up, next time. Until then.

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