Phoenix

Both the scene in the Bar and the final scene left me speechless, incredible atmosphere, awesome tension, and that final scene holy hell

This is the twelfth episode in the second season of Breaking Bad and let me start off by saying that up to this point, this may be the best episode of the season. The first half of the episode is very calm and loose as Walt enjoys his new daughter. The second half picks up the intensity exponentially as we some legit crazy scenes. As always there is fantastic acting here, more so by Bryan Cranston.

In this episode, "Phoenix," Walt's daughter Holly is born, but Walt misses her birth due to the fact that he got his family rich. Meanwhile, Jesse and his girlfriend Jane becomes addicted to heroin and Walt refuses to give Jesse money until he sobers up. Finally, Walter Jr. comes up with an idea that would raise money for Walt's cancer treatment.

Overall, this is an incredible episode and the last five minutes will shock you. I'm eagerly anticipating on what will happen in the season finale and I so can't wait. I rate this episode 10/10.

There are hardly any plot details I can mention without spoiling, except there is very little about it (due to the subject matter) that I found enjoyable. However, it there is no denying it is an immensely powerful piece of filmmaking that is very well written and performed. The attention to detail, particularly regarding previous events and dialogue is exceptional.

It all unfolds in a series of memorable scenes involving Walt and other characters like Jesse, Jane, Skyler, Jane, Donald, Saul, Walter Jr and Holly. Some of the moments that tie together themes involving fathers and daughters are cleverly and ironically written in the build up to a brutal final scene that will likely stay with you forever. I find it a thoroughly disturbing experience, not just for the shock scene, but also for the casual dishonesty each character seems to show towards each other.

It is a crucial episode in the character development of Walter White and one that has ramification for other characters and events depicted in later episodes. Overall it is one of the most important episodes in the overarching narrative of the show.

The one ray of light in it all (in a darkly funny way of course) is the banter between Walt and Saul Goodman. Bob Odenkirk is on hilarious form in this scene and Bryan Cranston plays off him brilliantly.

The visual storytelling is a credit to cinematographers and actors. I also love the early scene that involves a particularly effective reveal of a certain character standing in the background at an important event.

Cranston is generally amazing throughout and is supported wonderfully by the likes of Krysten Ritter, Aaron Paul and John de Lancie. Hard to believe it's the same actor who played Q.

The Penultimate episode of the season is an amazing piece of television, and it's likely to haunt and shock many viewers. It's perhaps the best episode of the series thus far, with incredible performances. Cranston has never been better, while Paul is a force to be reckoned with. His storyline is wrapped up but will surely bring something new in the future. This season so far has shown us the addiction that is strong among druggies and this episode especially will be a key element in how Jesse's future turns out and will make many people especially be disgusted at the way these sort of situations break out. Hold on for dear life, because the last 10 minutes will rock you to the core.

I'm a little late to the party but I've begun binging on Breaking Bad. This episode may very well be the most intense single episode I have seen. I believe that by the end, I was sitting there with my mouth open and bug-eyed. Exceptional TV.