Breaking Bad – Ep. 5.16 “Felina”
Vince Gilligan tricked loyal “Breaking Bad” viewers one last time Sunday night. Instead of detonating a series of narrative bombs on the last hour of this remarkable show, the creator wrote and directed an episode that quietly and deliberately clicked the final pieces of the puzzle into place. Walter White (Bryan Cranston) got the comeuppance he deserved even as he demonstrated a surprising capacity for self-awareness. Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) escaped into an uncertain world that might not be ready to welcome him back. Todd, the sociopath with a romantic streak, met his end with a well-placed chain. The White family will live out their days permanently scarred by the events of the last five seasons.
Even after a finale that satisfyingly tied a bow on nearly all of the show’s loose ends, questions remain. Did Walt deserve his brief moments of triumph? Did the ambitious flash-forward structure of this final season prove useful or was it ultimately anticlimactic? What happened to Walt’s barrels of money? Days after “Baby Blue” played on the soundtrack as the camera spiraled away from Walt sprawled out on the meth lab floor, the questions remain unanswered.
Perhaps the lingering confusion fits with the show’s ethos. It has always been about moral ambiguity, and the spaces between the binaries of good and evil that populate much of popular culture. “Breaking Bad” ended the way it began: forcing viewers to weigh their own morality against the complexities depicted onscreen. For that achievement and so many others, a tip of the Heisenberg hat.
-Mark Lieberman
Elementary – Ep. 2.1 “Step Nine”
The premiere of the second season of “Elementary” brings Sherlock Holmes and his partner Joan Watson to Sherlock’s hometown of London, his first trip back since he entered rehab for his drug addiction.
The pair of consulting detectives are brought to London because Sherlock’s former colleague Detective Lestrade has gone missing. Lestrade threatened Lawrence Pendry, the son of a media mogul, at Lawrence’s father’s funeral. Lestrade had previously tried to pin the death of Lawrence’s wife Mary on Lawrence, but was unsuccessful.
Sherlock wraps up both cases presented in the episode quickly. He locates Lestrade almost immediately after landing in London and solves the murder of Mary Pendry, mostly single-handedly. Though Sherlock quickly establishes who Mary Pendry’s killer is, he, as well as the “Elementary” writers, gloss over the motive behind the murderer’s actions–an unusual slip for Sherlock’s character.
“Step Nine” establishes the foundation for “Elementary” to explore more of Sherlock’s life before Joan. Characters, including Sherlock’s brother Mycroft, appear for the first time. It will be interesting to see how Sherlock’s past is steadily revealed over the course of the season, and how Joan continually carves a place for herself in Sherlock’s life.
– Kara Avanceña
Parks and Recreation – Ep. 6.1 “London”
“Parks and Recreation” takes a journey across the pond during its double-length season premiere. In a whirlwind trip spurred by Leslie winning an award for being an exceptional female government employee, the Parks crew travels to London for the first time.
The episode is filled with varied conflict for almost every main character in the show. In London, Ben and Andy vie for funding from a wealthy British Lord in order to support their nonprofit music organization. Ron clearly detests Europe. April is enamored with a Mongolian warrior-politician.
Meanwhile, back in Pawnee, Tom struggles with Jean-Ralphio’s dad Dr. Saperstein. Played by Henry Winkler, Dr. Saperstein is a OB-GYN/entrepreneur who recently put up “Tommy’s Closet” to directly challenge Tom’s original clothing store “Rent-A-Swag”. Chris and Ann learn that they have a baby on the way, but no one in Pawnee cares about their news. One exception is Jerry, who unintentionally upsets the happy couple by describing the day-to-day struggles of child rearing.
Even with more time than their usual episodes, “London” still felt like it was trying to jam too many ideas into a short amount of time. Nevertheless, the episode was typically Parks: hilarious, filled with Ben Wyatt deadpans and deeply heartwarming. The residents of Pawnee might hate Leslie Knope, but the rest of America sure doesn’t.
– Kara Avanceña
thescene@theeagleonline.com
