Thirty-Eight Snub

The Breaking Bad writers like to focus on the aftermath of major events, particularly the impact it has on characters and this is a good one.

Walts scenes do a great job of laying the foundations for coming episodes, as they effectively show how focussed he is on his next move, including the appropriate paranoia. Arguably the character could be said to be slightly inconsistent given how calculating he is sometimes portrayed compared to how clumsily he handles certain situations here. I guess it shows he is still an amateur violent criminal, which is more believable than him suddenly becoming Scarface. Importantly though it starkly contrasts where Jesse is at emotionally and how different the characters are.

Personally, I think Jesse's scenes are brilliantly made by the filmmakers. They beautifully show what a dark place he is in with a simple observation of his behaviour, rather than explanation. Aaron Paul is amazing at conveying his character's emotion and sometimes just by facial expressions alone. The visuals and editing of the various party scenes are fantastic. It is not without humour, particularly the hilarious performances of Charles Baker and Matt Jones.

I am a massive Deadwood fan and loved the guest appearance of Jim Beaver, who is great in his dialogue exchange with Bryan Cranston.

For me it's an 8.5/10, but I round upwards.

This is the second episode of the fourth season of Breaking Bad. From what I see, this may be the weakest episode this season. It's not bad or anything, it's just that this is a filler episode and nothing that exciting happens. However, I loved the opening where Walt buys a gun for some plans he cooked up. Jesse's subplot is kind of annoying and overlong, but I was enthralled by Walter, Hank, and Skylar.

In this episode, "Thirty-Eight Snub," Walter buys a gun from a gun dealer as he cooks up plans to assassinate Gus. Meanwhile, Jesse decides to throw parties to help take his mind off what he did to Gale. Marie throws on a positive attitude much to Hank's irritation. Skylar wants to purchase the car wash in order to launder money.

Overall, this is a pretty good episode even if it doesn't reach full potential. With a series this good, I guess it's okay to have a weaker episode every once in awhile. In Breaking Bad's terms, weak means still good. So this is still a watchable episode with quite a few interesting story lines. I rate this episode 8/10.

While not as tense and great as the premiere, this episode does serve as a good breather after the events of season 3 finale and the previous episode!

This episode is much about where our different characters are mentally, mainly Walt and Jesse!

One thing we have learned about Jesse, it os how uncomfortable he is with taking a life, even if he thinks the person deserves it! Therefore it makes perfect sense he feels like he does! He wants to do anything to remove the thoughts and tension in his body! Whatever it takes to forget! Being all alone is the worst!

This episode also sets up what season 4 is all about! The cat and mouse game between Walt and Gus, as Walt knows that if Gus doesn't go, it might be his turn one day!

The scene in the bar with Walt and Mike, also shows how much respect and care Mike has for Gus! Something that malea even more sense after Better Call Saul!

From the novel War and Peace, an average guy sets out to kill Napoleon (Woody Allen parodies it in Love and Death), and it's a ludicrous choice and mission: Walter wanting to shoot Gus right in front of his armed-henchman, including Mike (who provides the only good sequence in a bar)... This doesn't fit a character who'll do anything to stay alive: basically he's desperately seeking a suicide mission...

As for story b... Jesse's partying is really boring, and his otherwise entertaining buddies' dialogue is horrible... mind you, this review is mostly written about when re-watching the series, binging again after so many times... all the Jesse-getting-high-to-forget sequences are just so overly melodramatic, and as great a character as he is, he becomes just pathetically navel-gazing, which, like Walter's drive for Gus, is really not fitting with his character either.

'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.

"Thirty-Eight Snub" is a lesser 'Breaking Bad' episode for me and one of the weaker Season 4 episodes. Still consider it very good with a good deal of what makes the show so good present. It is something of a filler episode and doesn't add an awful lot to the overall concept of the show. It is not as taut, fun or emotional as other episodes before and since either and Jesse's subplot could have done with some trimming.

Lots of great things however.

Visually, "Thirty-Eight Snub" 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 "Thirty-Eight Snub" 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 entertaining. The story is generally interesting and absorbing, with the pace of it consistently deliberate but not dull.

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 his and Cranston's chemistry is a delight. Anna Gunn is affecting and Dean Norris continues to be great value as Hank. The characters are compelling in their realism and the episode is strongly directed.

Overall, very good but could have been better for a show of such a high calibre. 8/10 Bethany Cox