Breakage

I think it depends on how interested you are in the mindset of various characters as to how much you will take from it. If you just want to see the big events of the the plot you might struggle, but personally I like how the writers address the impact of certain events on characters in a plausible way. It would be easy to move on from one moment of outrageousness or spectacle to the next, but a big part of the story is the toll Walt's behaviour takes on people.

The scenes involving Hank are nicely done with the great visual storytelling. I like the use of Tuco's grill and also the "bottling up" moments in the man cave. Dean Norris does a great job of conveying pent up emotion in an environment that does not do weakness well.

Walt and his family life continues to be portrayed plausibly throughout his deception, plus his potential to oppress and dominate others is being established well with the foundations laid in episodes like this.

The use of visuals and sound is great as always.

Walt is getting better in accordance with his doctor, but his and Skyler's medical bills scare him. Meanwhile, Jesse pays his debts with Badgers cousin Clovis that increases the value to a large amount and finds a new house to live in, renting from Jane Margolis, who lives next door. Soon Walt and Jess cook meth again in the RV but Jesse is in charge of the distribution through his friends Badger, Skinny Pete and Combo. When Skinny Pete is lured and robbed by a client, Jesse shares the loss with Walt that becomes angry, but Jesse gives an economic lesson to him. Meanwhile Hank is promoted in the DEA, but he is not feeling well and seems to have health problems.

"Breakage" is another interesting episode of "Breaking Bad", where Walt and Jesse decide to produce and distribute meth. It is funny how we viewers cheer for drug dealers in this series, instead of for police officers. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Breakage"

'Breaking Bad' is one of the most popular rated shows on IMDb, is one of those rarities where every season has either been very positively received or near-universally acclaimed critically and where all of my friends have said nothing but great things about.

Very few shows in recent memory had me so hooked from the very start that before the week was over the whole show had been watched, especially when for a lot of shows now airing watching one episode all the way through can be an endeavour. 'Breaking Bad' had that effect on me, and its reputation as one of the best, consistently brilliant and most addictive shows in many years (maybe even ever) is more than deserved in my eyes. Its weakest season is perhaps the first season, understandable as any show's first season is the one where things are still settling.

Actually everything is established remarkably from the very start, but once the writing and characterisation becomes even meatier the show reaches even higher levels.

"Breakage" may lack particularly "Grilled's" burning intensity and tautness as far as previous episodes go. It is still a wonderful episode, is definitely never being dull. Loved the character advancing for Hank.

Visually, "Breakage" is both stylish and beautiful, with photography and editing that are cinematic quality and put a lot of films today to shame, where there are a lot of visually beautiful ones but also some painfully amateurish looking ones. The music always has the appropriate mood, never too intrusive, never too muted.

The writing for "Breakage" is a fine example of how to have a lot of style but also to have a lot of substance. The dialogue throughout is thought-provoking and tense, while also have a darkly wicked sense of humour, nail-biting tension and heart-tugging pathos. The story is texturally rich, intimate, tense and layered, with the pace of it consistently deliberate but taut.

Can't say anything bad about the acting. Bryan Cranston is phenomenal as one of the most fascinating anti-heroes, or even of any kind of character, in either film or television. Aaron Paul has never been better, love the chemistry between them, and Anna Gunn is affecting. The characters are compelling in their realism.

To conclude, wonderful. 9/10 Bethany Cox

After Walter White and Jesse Pinkman made amends at the end of the previous episode Jesse spends some of the money Walt gave him for paying the dockyard owner for the damages he did when he was looking for his RV, and Jesse buys a new car and a new house. Walt and Jesse start cooking again but there is one small problem: now Jesse is filed so he can't sell the drug himself and asks Walt to take Tuco's place and despite some hesitation Walt accepts. Jesse takes a chance of inviting his friends Combo, Badger and Skinny Pete in his new home and assume them as drug dealers and it will go smoothly because after Tuco's death there isn't competition tho Skinny Pete will end up assaulted by two drug addicts in an alley at night. During a family lunch Marie and Skylar will finally make amends after the tiara story just before Hank Schrader throws in a river Tuco's teeth covering that was given by his colleagues as a trophy.

It was nice seeing Walter and Jesse reunite no matter the events and as usual it's another great entry for the series that makes you want to see more and more.

After I was rather disappointed by the previous episode, "Breakage" is a notable improvement in quality while still not coming close to the outstanding episodes at the end of season one/beginning of season two. Maybe this is due to the ever changing writers and directors of Breaking Bad's episodes, but I seriously felt a genuine change of style between this and the last episode – and that as there weren't any major changes plotwise.

Cue plotwise, "Breakage" deals with the new style of drug contribution Walt and Jesse attempt, Hank becoming scatterbrained after a long- awaited promotion, and Skyler still having immense troubles with the lies of her husband and her sister. Of those three parts, I only really enjoyed the first one as Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul once again impressed me with their wonderful on-screen chemistry, one of the show's biggest assets that is additionally promoted by the excellent writing. In fact, the writing was so good that I didn't even mind seeing Badger and Skinny Pete again, which in my opinion are the two worst characters on the show. For the one and only time in all five seasons, my favorite scene of the episode actually involved these two characters: a consummately shot and edited drug dealing montage. I remember writing something similar for my reviews on earlier episodes, but I can't help myself: whenever it comes to scenes like that (or also the drug cooking process), I'm gazing at the television screen in awe.

As with the contras, I was annoyed by yet another puking scene I had to endure in this episode. Of course, it adds to the realism the show wants to convey, but seeing such things is just utterly disgusting and I didn't find any necessity in including that scene. That also applies for a couple of other scenes in "Breakage"; some others weren't executed as well as they could have been (Hank's promotion). Possibly, just two episodes for the episodes 3, 4, and 5 of this season could've helped to sort out some of the really useless parts and would've made them less boring when you watch them for a second time.