‘Breaking Bad’ Retro Recap: ‘Shotgun’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

In our everyday world, redemption is something that is easy to find. Because if we’ve done something we regret and it involves someone we know, an apology and a peace offering can redeem us in their eyes. Plus, if we did something boneheaded to a stranger we will never see again, a random act of kindness or a donation to charity, can also redeem us on a more personal level. Since we are injecting a little positivity into the karmic coffer of the universe. But while the majority of us know an easy way out in regard to foolish acts, one does have to wonder how redemption works in a world where the everyday rules don’t apply. Such as say, the drug trade. For mistakes in that world aren’t taken lightly. To the point where sometimes redemption isn’t possible since a screw up can cost a dealer or a kingpin their life.

But it might be possible to find redemption in a criminal world, and it just so happens that the next episode of Breaking Bad takes the time to explore what redemption might look like in the drug trade in a fascinating manner. Because ‘Shotgun’ initially offers up a harrowing journey for Mister Jesse Pinkman. For when we catch up with him here, he’s still on the road with Mike and running around the entire state to handle cash drops and what makes this so harrowing… is that Jesse doesn’t know the point of this little road trip. Because he’s persona non grata with Gus, and there’s a risk that a cool and collected killer like Mike, could be waiting for the right opportunity to put him down and this went on for so long… that it actually seemed as though there was going to be no exploration of what redemption might look like in this business.

As it turns out however, lulling us into a sense of worry and concern was all part of the plan, so that the moment when it seemed as though some rival drug dealers arrived to rob Jesse and Mike had maximum gravity. Since it informed us, that Jesse still wants to live and that doing something good like this and receiving Mike and Gus’ approval, gave him the redemption he needed. Which means it is possible to obtain such a notion in the world of the drug trade, but it is in no way, as wholesome as it is in the real world. Since we eventually came to learn, this whole thing was staged and planned by Gus himself. In order to make Jesse productive once again and that does indeed make this part of the story quite hollow and horrifying in nature, since it is clear now that Gus is seizing control and asserting authority in a twisted manner, to the point where he’s even getting under Walter White’s skin.

For Walt spent a great deal of this tale, struggling to find purpose and value. Because he truly does want to be viewed as an outright genius, one that deserves awe for his creation and without having that wondrous feedback and reverence in his life, he was simply adrift. As evidenced by how he tried desperately to be seen by Gus in this particular tale… and of course, how he handled dinner at the Schrader abode speaks volumes to his need to be seen in an admired light. Because it takes a man that is starving for compliments to bring heat back down upon him, since he basically reopened the case by injecting his ego into the situation and well, in the end… it will be quite interesting to see what comes out of that pivotal moment, since Hank took notice of the fact that a vegan criminal mastermind has ties to fried chicken.

But while we wait to see how that all comes together down the line, we can once again revel in the majesty of a wonderfully twisted exploration of how the drug trade might work. Since this episode made it clear that everything that happens in this specific world, is a game of chess, one that Gus is a master at playing since he knows exactly what moves to make with his various pawns and knights and that made for one engrossing tale, one that really does leave the viewer worried for the future of Walt and Jesse this season. Because they really are at the whims of a criminal mastermind and haven’t a clue that they are in fact, being played like fiddles and it does leave one to wonder, how they will both respond if they ever discover that’s the case. Since both of these men, don’t like being trifled with in that manner and that realization really does compel one to continue to the journey to see how this part of the tragedy plays out. Until next time.  

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