Breaking Bad episode review — 5.15 — Granite State

Original air date: September 22, 2013
Director: Peter Gould
Writer: Peter Gould

Rating: 9/10

This episode isn’t so much a ramp up following “Ozymandias” to lead us to our final episode, but I suppose how could it be? This show needed to slow down a bit after the emotional devastation of the previous episode, and this episode does a fine job with that.

We start with Saul trying to relocate with his guy, Ed (Robert Forster). Walt is still over there, since his relocation is more complicated.

Walt tries to get Saul to give him the names and numbers of some hitmen, but Saul tells him that he needs to give this all up. He won’t be able to send his money to his family, and he won’t be able to get back the rest of the money that Jack stole.

Walt is relocated to a remote cabin in New Hampshire, without internet, without really a functioning television. Ed says he’ll come by every month with some supplies but that it’s too dangerous for Walt to ever leave. If he does leave, Ed won’t come back.

He comes back a month later and helps Walt with some medicine and brings him some Albuquerque newspapers.

Walt pays him several thousand more dollars just to stay for another couple of hours. It’s clear the loneliness is killing him. Walt then figures out a way he could send money. He goes to a bar to call his son at school, saying he’ll send a package of money to his friend, but his son doesn’t want anything to do with him. He then sees Gretchen and Elliott on TV being interviewed by Charlie Rose. They are starting up a charity for victims of drug abuse, and they’re asked about Walter White. While they insist they have no relationship with him and that he’s basically dead, with only Heisenberg remaining, the part that really bothers Walt is when they insist that his only contribution to their company was the name.

As far as Jesse is concerned, things are even more bleak. He’s held in an underground cage, and he tests out ways of escape.

He does successfully escape, but he’s caught before he can get away from the Nazi compound. He begs them to kill him, but instead, Todd goes and kills Andrea, letting Jesse see it from the car.

The Nazis then assure him that Brock could be next if he doesn’t go along with what they’re doing.

I actually prefer the Walt stuff to the Jesse stuff here. It’s slow and moody, but appropriately and effectively emotional. Cranston as always does an incredible job, and Robert Forster is a compelling presence.