Hazard Pay

Walt and Jesse with the addition of Mike now are back in business. Meanwhile Skyler had a breakdown possibly because of Walt, she now maybe perceived him as a danger to the family. I don't blame her tho Walt is a trouble maker now haha I mean he have the opportunity to leave meth business behind him and start over but he chose to continue to cook. the idea of the new lab is brilliant. I foresee a possible conflict between Walt and Mike in the near future.

Walt, Jesse, and Mike move along with their plans for the new Business but find that moving from an employee to an employer involves more than just changing the name on the door.

After wondering were the writers were going to take this series i am drooling in anticipation of what will come next. After hitting the dizzy heights they are back, not exactly at the bottom but definitely with a lot still left to learn and plenty of room for mistakes.

On the personal side, all the main relationships continue to be in turmoil; although Walt always seems to be in turmoil in one sense or another.

This episode modtly deals with Walt, Jesse and Mike, setting up their business and continueing to Cook! Its exciting too see how they are gonna make it work! Finding a place to Cook, labor division, etc! The episode also dels with Skylers deterioating mental health!

This episode shows us where Walts and Jesse's characters are now! We see Walt trying to step into the leading role, but faces frictions with Mike! All we wants is for Walt to succeed so obviously we are rooting for him!

There were also a great scene between Walt and Jesse! Nice to see them bond and just have a honest heart to heart conversation!

I would also like to say that Anna Gun is doing great as Skyler this season! Her breakdown was great and she deserves some praise!

'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.

"Hazard Pay" may not have the tight pace, being more of a slow burner (nothing wrong with that, 'Breaking Bad' does slow burners well), and red-hot intensity of the best episodes or the Season 5 opener, but everything that makes 'Breaking Bad' as a show so great is present. Let done only really the ending being rushed and needing more edge for my liking.

Visually, "Hazard Pay" 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 "Hazard Pay" 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 supporting cast are both intriguing and entertaining, with a funny Bob Odenkirk and Skinny Pete and Badger not being annoying. The characters are compelling in their realism, likewise with their chemistry, and the episode is superbly directed.

In conclusion, truly impressive. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Although the crystal cooking is on again, "Hazard Pay" is actually a lot more about the reactions of the characters to a new situation: Skyler is at this moment entirely unable to cope with the fact that her husband is a ruthless drug kingpin and murder, Marie gets the most confused after experiencing a sudden WTF "breakdown" by her sister, and Jesse's personal life is rearranged after a conversation with Walt. Therefore, this episode is a slower one again and is, at least partly, below the quality of the rest of season five.

There are, however, some scenes that deserve to be singled out and really improve the final good and almost all of them involve the series' main subject: fabricating drugs. As the four amigos (copyright – you guessed it – is from Saul) are back in business again, their first official act is to inspect possible workshops and provide the episode's funniest dialogue through that. After Walt has another ingenious idea, the actual cooking starts and it's time for one of Breaking Bad's drug montages I love so much. With The Peddlers' "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever" on the soundtrack as well as inventive camera angles, wonderful use of colours, and perfect editing, this one is certainly one of the series' best. Filling up the rest of the time are a heated discussion about the eponymous hazard pay to Mike's former colleagues in lock-up, unbelievably uncomfortable Walt and Brock time, and a delightful reunion with Skinny Pete and Badger (I've never thought I'd ever say that).

All of this is nice to watch, but remains a lukewarm appetiser for the episodes still to come and is too uncomfortable to enjoy at times.