Phoenix

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.

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.

'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.

"Phoenix" is yet another brilliant episode of a consistently great season, difficult to decide which is the best of the second season for me between this and "Grilled". It has intensity but is also one of the show's most emotionally devastating episodes.

Visually, "Phoenix" 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 in "Phoenix" 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 and Anna Gunn is affecting. The characters are compelling in their realism.

Overall, amazing and powerful. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Season two's penultimate episode doesn't feel as if we were coming to an intense season finale, but nevertheless includes scenes of great importance. Firstly, Walt's and Skyler's second kid Holly is finally born. After the tumultuous ending of "Mandala", "Phoenix" takes it a bit calmer and includes some lovely scenes between Walt and his daughter. The fact that Skyler's boss Ted was present at the birth and her actual husband Walt wasn't, is an interesting idea already and the 'introduction shot' of Ted was made very well too.

Yet the bigger aspect of this episode is a new problem that Walt faces: through his incredible deal in "Mandala", he made him and his family rich, but can't tell them because the deal's methods were a bit disgraceful, to say the least. The growing suspicion of his family about Walt so decisively objecting to any form of subsidies is another really well-made part of "Phoenix". In one rememberable scene, he shows the tremendous money stash to his infantile daughter, which makes her fall asleep. Walt's new lawyer Saul also gets a word into that dilemma and comes up with an ingenious solution – again in his "I know a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy" technique.

However, the plot part that you will surely not forget about "Phoenix" is neither of those two but what happens to Jesse and Jane in this episode. I'm not spoiling it for you, but it's indubitably the most intense moment up to that point on Breaking Bad. Bryan Cranston, who is also involved in this unforgettable scene, does a phenomenal acting job – in that particular scene, it is crystal clear (no pun intended) why this man has won three Emmys for this role. What happened previous to that excellent closing scene is not nearly as good, but I at least appreciate the writer's idea of how to let this story come to an end. It's just that the screenplay gives the involved actors some cheesy lines and admittedly, Aaron Paul and Krysten Ritter don't seem to have had their best of days whilst shooting this episode. Anyway, there's still the aforementioned stand-out scene and before that, a great conversation between two characters you wouldn't have expected to meet up for a talk.

I consider "Phoenix" to be one of season two's best episodes, yet it still isn't perfect and a tad unentertaining at times.

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.