Kafkaesque

The characters develop their archs. In this episode Skyler Is looking more like a narcissist as she gets to manipulate others and when she gets whatever security or feeling of safety she wants from either Ted or Walt she kicks them to the curb , so she is looking like a people user. Now she cooks up a story to explan Walts money windfall and to save Marie and Hank. That way she looks good to her sister and fabricates that Walt is a gambler with a fortune to spare the cash to pay Hanks medical bills . Walt goes along with Skylers plan that Walt lives a double life as a gambler. She envisions and saves face with Marie praising Walt's intelligence for beating the card counting. Skyler is deceptive and a master manipulator just as Walt is.

What can you do to improve? Are you satisfied with the current state of things? Do you want more?

This really goes again with the characters in this episode! Walt, Jesse, Gus, Marie! They all reflect on whether things are good enough as they are! The title of the episode, mostly goes out to Jesse as he feels like.. this is not what I signed up for! That he is just getting exploited!

This is also the episode where Walt starts to realize what kind of man Gustavo is and where he stands now! Also great scenes at the sessions! Some thought provoking dialogue! Aaron Paul once again does great with his facial expressions!

'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.

"Kaftaesque" is not a Season 3, or 'Breaking Bad, high-point, but the slower and less-action-heavy approach to the episode is not really a hindrance. It is not a "taut" episode strictly speaking and other episodes of the season and show have more intensity. All that aside, "Kaftaesque" is still a great episode that in no way disgraces the show at all (far from it).

Visually, "Kaftaesque" 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 "Kafkaesque" 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. Dean Norris is once again terrific, he and the character of Hank add a good deal. The characters are compelling in their realism and the episode is strongly directed.

Overall, great as expected. 9/10 Bethany Cox

First of all, Jesse is getting greedy and has no concept of the money needed to do the work they are doing. He figures he has the means to start up his own business, but it involves cheating some very dangerous people. Meanwhile, Hank's prospects are not good and his wife is at wit's end. But the coup de grace is Skyler coming up with quite the concluding tale. She blames Walter for Hank's condition, thinking that his drug dealing caused what happened. A little far fetched episode.

This episode has some interesting themes, particularly around certain characters place in oppressive economic systems. The writers use the likes of Walt, Gus, Hank, Jesse and Saul very well in certain scenes.

Jesse's reaction to his current situation fits well with his emotionally driven character and it lays the foundations of potential future events well. Some of it includes some great humour, some of it pretty dark. The scene involving Saul is hilarious thanks to Bob Odenkirk's delivery and the one with Badger and Skinny Pete is outrageously twisted.

Walt's scene with Gus is the highlight of the episode for me. I think it is an all round brilliant dialogue exchange that is wonderfully acted and filmed. I love the half darkened faces and Cranston's delivery feels real.

Skyler has been portrayed as changing over the past few episodes and it has all led to what happens here. The writers have clearly developed her character in an interesting way and it keeps you intrigued in what will happen next. As this is my second watch of Breaking Bad since it's initial release and I know what's coming, it's fun to have the hindsight that allows you to pick up on foreshadowing.