‘Breaking Bad’ season 5, episode 14 review: Walter Jr. plays hero in one of best episodes ever

“Breaking Bad” began tonight with a look back at the early days of the series, and almost did so intentionally as a way in which to mock us. They knew that this series was never going to be the same after “Ozymandias,” and they really were not kidding here at all. This was a shocking, stellar hour of TV, and one that may very well be the single best hour of TV that has ever aired. No joke. This was incredible television, and the fact that there are only two episodes left makes this even worse.

Of course, we cannot sit here and say that this was phenomenal entertainment that put a smile on our face. It was horrifying and heart-wrenching to see just how far Walter White would go to save his own hide. Remember how this was a man who seemed interested in saving Hank last week? Well, this week he was willing to abandon his family and take her daughter with him just to get away.

In recapping all that happened here, Hank and Gomez were killed, Jesse was locked away with little hope of survival, and Skyler told Walter Jr. the truth about the operation. This led to one of the most horrifying fights ever captured as Skyler attempted to stab her husband, and it was actually Walter Jr. who probably saved her life and called the police on his dad. For him to be so brave at that moment was absolutely stunning, and shows a lot about him being proactive at a time when so many others where running scared.

When Marie finally learned the truth, we sunk even lower as we had to listen to Walt say all sorts of unspeakable things to Skyler on the phone. He eventually did drop off Holly … and is he now going to get away with everything? The final scene, after this long rampage of violence and threats, was seeing him actually boarding the same van that Jesse once came close to entering in an effort to start over and have a new life. And at this point, we cannot think of someone who deserves it less.

The phone call: After re-watching the call between Walt and Skyler it seems that Walt knew the police were listening in, but at the same time, he certainly did not do the best job of protecting Skyler from anything, so we have a hard time buying that as his sole intention. He hardly made it look like Skyler had nothing to do with the business, and while he threw some attention onto himself, did he really absolve Skyler of anything?

Was Walt 120% calculated in his moves? We don’t think so. He used to be that crafty, but this season the man has completely unraveled and has been making decision based on emotion then anything else, so while he may have been trying to help Skyler we don’t think everything was completely premeditated. Do we think Walt cares for Skyler and his family? Of course, otherwise he wouldn’t have been tearing up during the call knowing that he will never be with this family again, but at the end of the day, his actions towards his wife are really the same as his speech towards Hank: Nothing will come from it and Skyler will still be accountable for her actions.

Overall, what did you think about “Ozymandias”? Was it one of the greatest “Breaking Bad” episodes in the history of the show? Click here if you want to read some more news, including a preview for what is coming up next week.

Photo: AMC