Shivers. Breaking Bad is back on August 11. And this is it – the end. They released a new poster and it is ominous, with just a tag line and a fair bit of smoke. So what does it mean? We can talk about the symbolism forever, from the obvious (meth is smoked) to the abstract (Walt has been playing with fire, and now everything will be burned). Full Story

Breaking Bad Season 5 Episode 8 recap I had a long intro that I worked on over the week: it was about Mike’s loyalty to his crew and Walt’s constant demand for gratification and accolades. But once I watched the episode I scrapped it because Breaking Bad moves quickly; yes it is layered, nuanced and complicated, but it also tells a linear story that evolves and grows even if, as viewers, we aren’t emotionally done with a character yet. Full Story

Breaking Bad Season 5 Episode 7 recap Is anyone cheering for Walt anymore? I can’t remember the last time I wanted something to go right for him. It seems the Walt worth cheering for hasn’t appeared, for me at least, since about the time he gave up the second cell phone. I don’t know if I want Walt to die, but I want him to suffer. Full Story

There is no doubt the boy shot at the end of last episode is dead: Mike, Walt and Todd disassemble the bike and place the parts in a tub. No Jesse. They work quickly and wordlessly. Mike looks tired; Walt uses acid to dissolve the bike. Todd digs through a pile of dirt and a little hand pokes through as Walt wearily prepares a new tub for disintegration. Full Story

Why is 5/5 making me nervous? I feel something heavy in the air. The duality of Walt (chemistry teacher/ambitious meth cooker) has been done away with. Now it’s all Heisenberg, all the time. But episode one gave a glimpse into the future (Walt’s full head of hair and diner breakfast), so Heisenberg’s fall is to come. Full Story

Walt and Walt Jr. are at a body shop picking up the white SUV (I think from when Walt ran into a car on purpose to avoid going to the superlab with Hank). The mechanic describes the car as sturdy, reliable and with lots of life left in it; that description triggers something in Walt. That practical car was Walt, not Heisenberg. Full Story

Breaking Bad Season 5 Episode 3 recap A suit walks into a jailhouse to see his client, with Mike posing as his paralegal (that’s a pretty brilliant ruse). The client is Dennis, one of 11 from Lydia’s list. Dennis swears he won’t flip, but there are 9 people left (Chow and his killer were crossed off last week) and if he doesn’t someone else will. Full Story

I’d like to rename this episode Prophylactic Measures in honour of Mike. He has a certain eloquence to him, no? Scene opens in a lab, where a Christopher Walken-esque old dude is trying out an array of sauces, while a team in white lab coats anxiously await his opinion. The head scientist is going through the flavours (the entire conversation is in German):  versions of honey mustard, French dressing/Ranch fusion (Franch!) and smoky mesquite BBQ are presented. Full Story

Breaking Bad Season 5 Episode 1 recap Walt has hair! On his head! He looks so different, dressed in casual, slightly dirty clothes, unkempt beard, no wedding ring and black-framed glasses. He shows the chatty diner waitress a fake ID to get a free , greasy birthday breakfast (and to shut her up). Full Story

“I am the one who knocks.” -WW Poison figures prominently this season. Poison is how these people choose to kill because it’s underhanded, precise and can be done with a smile. Poison has to be administered by someone close, someone who appears to be an ally. But it’s not just literal poison; Walt is a poison, too. Full Story

“I saved your life, Jesse. Are you gonna save mine?” -WW This is the season of close calls for Walt and Jesse. Almost retired, almost murdered, almost caught. Los Pollos Hermanos owner Gustavo Fring reveals a superlab and wants to hire Walt as a master cook. Gus is on a level of production and distribution that Walt didn’t even know existed. Full Story

"When I got my diagnosis — cancer — I said to myself, you know...'Why me?' And then... the other day when I got the good news... I said the same thing." - WW Huge, dense season. Bad decisions are being made, and the consequences are swift and painful. There’s a lot of violence: shootouts, cartel murders, fistfights and explosions. Full Story

(Lainey: the final season of Breaking Bad is a month away. Maria will be previewing the show every week until it starts. Oh Walt…what have you done?) “Chemistry is the study of matter. But I prefer to see it as the study of change. It is growth, then decay, then transformation.” -WW Breaking Bad is simple: man needs money, man cooks meth to make money. Full Story