And if that wasn’t enough, the show opens with a big flash forward. Here he see Walt in a Denny’s, looking very much like we haven’t seen him before, his hair has grown back (suggesting the chemo is over, although we see him take medication) and he has a fuller beard. It’s his 52nd birthday and yet he isn’t there to celebrate. When Walt pulls out a fake ID saying he’s a Mr. Lambert from New Hampshire, we know that this is a business meeting.
He meets a guy in the bathroom who gives him keys to a car in return for a packet of money. In the trunk of the car is a massive, semi-automatic machine gun, and then the titles roll. This flash forward plot device will operate similarly to the flash forward plot device of Season 2, with the pre credit scenes of the burnt teddy bear in the pool which foreshadowed the plane crash. This is foreshadowing something far more violent and personal though seeing as it involves some no-nonsense weapons.
Vince Gilligan‘s big test with Breaking Bad was to create a show where you witness a full character metamorphosis. Here we see a sturdy, mature and very reasonable family man devolve (or evolve depending on how you look at it) into a very dangerous and threatening presence. Walt has always been pathetic at intimidation, but now as a man who has no limits, he knows what he wants and he’ll do whatever he can to get it, not caring for how low he has to sink to get there. For that, he is beyond redemption, but also untouchable.
Steering all of this is a brilliant performance from Bryan Cranston, who with just the slightest change in the tone of his voice, dipping down a few octaves and drawling out a sentence, can sound like the most nefarious person in the room. It is a performance of sheer precision and immaculate craft, at one turn he is innocent and weak, breaking down in front of his family displaying very nuanced affection for his loved ones, but just one little tip over the edge and he is a ticking time bomb.
Cranston’s performance has never been better than in the final moments of this episode, as Walt thinks he has solved everything and is now safe, the realisation is that he is supremely in power of his own destiny. The body language shifts, the deadpan expression and quiet, slow threat builds to very little dialogue. His line to Saul, “We’re done when I say we’re done,” is the notable one from the episode but when Walt returns home and sees Skyler, he says that he knows about Ted and gives her the most awkward embrace, quietly drawling: “I forgive you” before smash cutting to black is just as effective.
It is a brilliant Breaking Bad moment and one which truly encapsulates Walt’s transformation. His coming to the realisation of power being just the creepiest thing. Walt is no longer a sympathetic person, there is a strong feeling that in fact what he’s doing isn’t about his family anymore. It’s about him.
Breaking Bad Season 5 promises more than ever to surprise us and while this episode mainly ties up the loose ends of Season 4, there are plenty of interesting elements set up. The hidden piece of paper in the picture frame, Saul’s involvement in getting Brock poisoned, a frightened mother and wife, Hank’s impressive detective work that can only get closer to the truth and an undead Ted.
Overall, a stunning season premiere in my books.