Breaking Bad (2008 - Present): Review By B. Alan Orange

Gale. A strong force of wind that appears in a burst, and then disappears. Was there ever any doubt, on a show whose topography and metaphorical resonance constantly detonates and widens canyons of characterization that will play out to the very end, that a character named Gale would not be sticking around for long?

It's been a year and a half since we last visited the troubled citizens of Vince Gilligan's stellar universe. But not a minute has gone by in the lives of Walter White (Bryan Cranston) and his troubled partner Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul). When we left the conflicted duo, they were in a mad dash to save themselves from an almost certain fate. The Chicken Man, Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito), was going to execute both men, letting Gale, Walter's recently fired assistant, take over the meth making business. While Mike (Jonathan Banks), Fring's clean-up man of sorts, had Walt trapped against the wall, Jesse was firing his car across town to Gale's apartment. The last scene of Season 3's finale had Jesse firing his gun, but to what avail?

As soon as Season 4 kicks off, bolting straight out of the gate on all cylinders, we know Gale's fate has been sealed by a bullet to the face. Early in the series' run, Gilligan liked to open with a bit of foreshadowing that would lead directly into the season's impending finale. Now, he has resorted to flashbacks, usually involving beloved characters that are no longer alive and around to offer their stern colorization of this multi-level world; one that is chalk full of meaningful detail in every nook and cranny. You seriously have to watch Box Cutter three times to take it all in. It's a beautiful stride.

In this insightful prologue, Gale is given a parting scene (of sorts) that sets up why Walter White is so important to have on Fring's side in the meth business. The episode is entitled Box Cutter, and if you play close attention to the tool in question, you will see some of the finest scene construction and foreshadowing on any television show today. It is ingenious. Of course, these same particular moments are going to come into play later with a heft that hurts the gut. Its here, and in the following scene, that we learn more about Gale than we ever have about some of the show's most prominent characters.

Gale knows Meth. He knows how to cook it, and how to make, perhaps, the finest product in New Mexico. Though, as he reveals to Gus, Heisenberg's mix is 2% purer than his own, and that 2% is actually a lot. Fringe's product will only continue to pale in comparison to Walter White's recipe. This is a fine two minute showcase for David Costabile, and it perfectly encapsulates everything we saw play out in Season 3, while at the same time, it also perfectly sets up what will inevitably come in Season 4.

Gale is a nice man, and he shouldn't have to die. Jesse Pinkman certainly shouldn't have been the one to kill him. During the opening credits, we are given a tour of Gale's living room; we see his "things", his possessions. His tea, his CDs, his bong. We're given more than enough insight into the poor doomed soul's life to feel empathy for him. And a later decree by Walter hits quite hard in the face of the man's horrible fate.

Episode 1 of Season 4 is a self-contained entity. You could sit down and watch this one particular show as a movie, and walk away knowing full well what has happened, and what is to come in the future. It does a nice job of setting up the next thirteen episodes. There is no question where this is all going, or how it's going to get there. But, knowing Vince Gilligan and his ability to write the most fascinating action scequeces on television, the coming year is guaranteed to be full of twists and turns, and surprises that we will never see coming. No mater how inevitable Walter White and Jesse Pinkman's fate seems to be screeching towards its rather ugly conclusion.

The first half of this episode is given over to Walt's estranged wife Skyler, who is continuing her decent into Heisenberg's world. Walt is missing, and his car is in her driveway. After moving the car to a spot where no one will find it, Skyler takes her baby to Walt's house, and begins snooping for an answer. Here, we see Skyler leave her baby in the car, an exquisitely constructed scene that will surely be revisited in later episodes to come. We also watch as Skyler uses her baby in a ploy to break into Walt's house. The way the baby is used here, is a direct indication of how Gilligan plans to get some thrilling mileage out of the tyke. God knows what will happen to her in future episodes. It isn't going to play out nicely for these two parents who are careening wildly off their intend path as mother and father.

Bob Odenkirk is given a cute little scene to reintroduce his Saul Goodman character, a lawyer working for Walter White. And we get to see Dean Norris as Hank, still bedridden, using EBay to bid on healing crystals. His wife Marie has to help him with a bedpan, and you can tell he is just one, mean powder keg waiting to go off. Once he begins walking, there's no telling how many bodies will pile up in the foreseeable carnage. It's going to be a long, slow burn with Hank. And when he gets to his final destination, Season 4 is going to fly off its hinges. If last year is any indication, we can expect this moment to hit around the mid-season mark.

The second half of Box Cutter is given over to Walt, Jesse, Mike, and Gus Fring, as they debate retribution for the fallen Gale. The most notable thing about this long, tense scene is the fact that both Gus and Jesse are wearing the same color, red, which means a lot in Vince Gilligan's world. Also, neither man speaks, except for a few words towards the end. What does this mean? Will there be an alliance between the two? Are they "bleeding" into each other? More likely, we will learn that Fring has more in common with Jesse's past than we have been lead to believe up until this point. It is certainly laid on the table that Jesse may eventually choose Gus over his mentor, Mr. White.

This third act sequence, which plays out in the Meth lab under the laundry matt, is a call back to the first season in many ways, and it also sets Walt and Jesse on a new, less certain path. Walter finally reveals his love, if you want to call it that, and loyalty to Pinkman. But you can tell Jesse is on the wire. He could fall to either side, as he has seen and done for too many horrible things to walk out of this a normal human being, untouched by his own actions.

The third act also brings a shocking bit of unexpected bloodshed, further impounding the inner strengths of each of these four individuals. As with the baby, we can sense that Gilligan will be revisiting this same scenario somewhere further down the line, only the power dynamics will certainly be switched around. Whose side is Mike on? Does he have any loyalty to any particular person? Or just himself? It's too early to understand the weight of this man.

As a stand-alone episode, Breaking Bad: Box Cutter helps reaffirm our belief in the show, in these characters, and in this story. Though only 38 minutes in length, it stands firm as the single best piece of entertainment this summer has provided thus far. It is a must see for fans and newcomers alike. It gets a solid "Whoop-doo!"