‘Breaking Bad’ Retro Recap: ‘Sunset’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Sometimes in storytelling, the storyteller, gets lost in their creation. Which is a faux pas that can be attributed to a great many things. For instance, if the world they’ve created is rich and dynamic and vast, exploring that environment can make it easy for the creative mind to wander. Or sometimes, the characters and the situation they’re in, is so dynamic and dramatic that it becomes the focus above all else and believe it or not, that latter issue is precisely why the creators of Breaking Bad found themselves lost in their own tale. Because Walter White and Jesse Pinkman and everyone they encounter and know, have so much depth to them and so much going on, that Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould basically immersed themselves in their fascinating lives and that allowed for something important to be overlooked in this story.

In that, to date, the authorities have done very little in actually taking the time to chase down Heisenberg. Sure, there’s been behind the scenes machinations and discussions and even one large arrest. But outside of that, there’s been no active tailing or hunting and well… there should have been. For high quality meth is of grave concern for any law enforcement agency and well, it would seem that Vince and Peter became aware of this oversight. One that quite frankly, the audience didn’t think about much either, since we too have become lost in this world, but they definitely decided that the next episode in this grand tragedy was the perfect opportunity to fix that mistake and refocus the story. For ‘Sunset’ sees Hank Schrader finally zero on Jesse Pinkman and keep overwatch upon him, with mixed results.

Because Jesse is merely putting together plans to build his own Heisenberg-esque empire and is laying low while he schemes, giving Hank fits since he is eager to nail someone to the wall in this case and well, that motivates him to reach out to a very happy Walt. For prior to that call, Mister White is cooking with his new assistant Gale Boetticher, who shares in Walt’s love of chemistry and the finer things in life and of course, Walt has the finest gear available to him now and can make incredible meth and well… it doesn’t get much better than that. But Hank’s call does ruin the vibe since he begins to inquire about whether or not Jesse just so happens to own a particular RV and that leads to some incredibly tense moments, the kind that make it seem as though the DEA might end Walt’s second act in meth before it can properly begin.

For once Jesse gets wind of Walt’s plan to torch the RV without consulting him, he heads to the junkyard post haste, and brings Hank with him. Which leads to a powerful cat and mouse game, one where Hank is nearly successful in catching both men in the RV. But thanks to an assist from the mysterious Old Joe and Saul Goodman’s iconic secretary, Francesca, Hank is not only delayed, but forced to leave dismayed. For Francesca put in a phone call that made it seem as though Marie was in the hospital, leaving Hank furious and embarrassed when he discovers the truth, while Walt and Jesse… bid farewell to the RV and any of the offending evidence within its walls. Leaving one to wonder if this is a reconciliation point for the two men now that they had an opportunity to reminisce on better days and of course, were reminded of how well they work together under pressure. 

But while we wait to see if the band gets back together, we can bask in one tense and ominous tale. Because this one really did a phenomenal job of putting us on the edge of our seats during the junkyard sequence, since Hank came incredibly close to busting his brother-in-law and that move really raises the stakes like never before and reminds us of the fact that things are only going to get tougher for Walt down the line and apparently Hank for that matter too. Because not only is he filled with fury over being embarrassed on the clock, something that will undoubtedly lead to trouble, but the Salamanca clan is ready for revenge as well and have the green light to make that happen, and that is going to make for some compelling storytelling in the days to come. Until next time.

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