[SPOILERS] I can't believe this is the antepenultimate episode of this wonderful season. Time flies when you're having fun, but fun is not the operative word for Walt (Bryan Cranston) and Jesse (Aaron Paul) this week, as the teaser has one of their runners, Combo, gunned down by a rival outfit. It's the nature of the job for people in Walt and Jesse's line of work, but it hammers home the point: they aren't cut out for this shit, so they need to join forces with someone who is...Crooked lawyer Saul (Bob Odenkirk) sits Walt and Jesse tells it to them straight (they stink), and makes some calls to hook Walt up with a likeminded businessman who's been selling drugs successfully for 20 years without arousing police suspicion -- a precautious, reticent man called Gustavo (Giancarlo Esposito), whom Walt eventually gets a meeting with at a fast-food restaurant.
Really, this episode was about people being tempted by bad things and (in every case presented) failing to do the right thing and turn the other cheek. Forget breaking bad, it's now embracing bad. Walt should have stopped dealing drugs weeks ago, certainly now that his cancer's in remission and he's about to undergo an operation to remove his shriveled tumour -- although, I guess it could be argue he needs to sell his remaining 38 pounds of meth to pay for this procedure. How's he going to explain that to Skyler? A lottery win?Jesse's new home is slowly turning into a litter-strewn dosshouse, symbolizing his downward spiral over this season. Even sadder, girlfriend Jane (Krysten Ritter) admits she knows Jesse's a drug dealer and being around him has caused her to relapse into her own drugs habit. Worse still, Jane's addiction is more advanced than Jesse's recreational weed, and she persuades him to go the next level with intravenous injections. The resulting "trip", with Jesse floating to the ceiling of his bedroom, was another of those beautiful Breaking Bad moments. Does this mark a turning point when Jesse's life truly starts to sink, as I'm assuming his drugs habit will become a severe burden and not just a social problem...
Even Skyler is tempted by something in "Mandala", when boss Ted (Christopher Cousins) persuades her to serenade him with a breathy rendition of "Happy Birthday", in the style of Marilyn Monroe to JFK, in front of the assembled staff of Beneke's. A faintly embarrassing moment (if you ask me), but one Skyler seems to get a rush from. Perhaps it piqued the button-up exhibitionist in her, or was she just grateful to still be perceived in a sexual context so far into her pregnancy? Later, she discovers financial irregularities at Beneke's and confronts Ted over it, but is persuaded to turn a blind eye because he's just trying to keep his staff employed. It's left a little vague, but I think Skyler's discovery has made her step back from a potential affair with her boss, so she was actually the only character in the episode who stop short of crossing the line.
By far the most effective moments in this episode were when Walt arrived at the Los Pollos Hermanos restaurant to meet with Gus, who doesn't show, and later learns from Saul that his potential business partner took one look at him and decides against their meet. Walt doesn't take kindly to being let down without having a say, so returns to the restaurant and deduces that the unassuming black owner of the establishment is the kingpin he's been after. Walt pleads his case to Gus, claiming they're both of similar mindset, but Gus isn't so sure – mainly because he saw Walt with Jesse, whom he considers a liability because he's a stoner ("you can never trust a drug addict.") Walt eventually manages to talk Gus around, and later receives word to get his entire stash of meth to a meeting point in hour hour, or risk losing Gus' assistance forever.
This presents Walt with a serious dilemma as he rushes to Jesse's to lay his hands on the meth, or risk losing this once-in-a-lifetime offer, and finds his partner catatonic in bed with Jane. He manages to rouse him enough to work out that the meth is hidden behind a panel under the kitchen sink, but then gets a call from Skyler that she's having contractions and his baby daughter is coming prematurely. A clear fork in the road moment: financial security and business development with Gus, or marital harmony and paternal duties with Skyler? A great cliffhanger moment, and it seems likely Walt will choose drugs over his family. But how will all this feed into next week's finale, that we know will feature debris in the White's swimming pool, a burnt teddybear and two dead bodies?Overall, "Mandala" was another excellent episode from a season that's regularly above average and quite often a superb piece of work. This episode felt pivotal for the series in many ways, as Walt's about to become a dad, the operation to remove his tumour is going ahead, he may soon join the big leagues if he can prove his reliability to Gus (superbly played by Giancarlo Esposito), and Jesse's likely to go from troublesome stoner to full-blown junkie. Walt may claim Jesse's a good partner because he's malleable and will do what he says, but that was before Jane has likely got him hooked on Class A drugs.
17 May 2009
AMC, 19pm
Writer: George Mastras
Director: Adam Bernstein
Cast: Bryan Cranston (Walt), Aaron Paul (Jesse), RJ Mitte (Walt Jr), Christopher Cousins (Ted), Bob Odenkirk (Saul), Krysten Ritter (Jane) & Giancarlo Esposito (Gus)
