"Breaking Bad" Review: "Face Off" (****)

"I won."

If you were to go on record calling "Breaking Bad" an average hour of television each week, I'd be more than just tempted to inflict minor bodily harm upon you. Perhaps not at the beginning of the show, but "Breaking Bad" has become so much more cinematic in scope and execution. Too many people put the credit towards the writers, but that's not what has me coming back week after week, though it is a huge factor I must say. What brings me back to the show is the aesthetic creativity of the show, with its wild camera rigging, delicious mood lighting, and unmatched sense of composition. And I must make a heartfelt plea to Vince Gilligan and his team to try to get Lynne Ramsay to direct an episode of the show before they close up shop. I'd be set for life after that. MAKE IT HAPPEN!

As for last night's finale, I can say it's not what I was necessarily expecting. I had a gut feeling that Gus' vice grip on Walt would remain to the end of the series, but it seems Vince Gilligan had greater plans. I for one think this is a fantastic way to end the penultimate season of the show, because we're going to go for a while without these characters. Remember how unbearable that last break between seasons was, with the fates of Walt, Jesse, and Gale all lingering in the wind? This finale managed to cap off not only this season, but an entire saga of the show. And I am going to be indulging in quite a few spoilers before I'm done, so I'll give you guys a SPOILER ALERT, just so you remain cautious from here on out.

At the "Breaking" Point!

I know I haven't kept up to date on reviews of "Breaking Bad" since that first episode of this season. For me, this is the first season where I've watched it regularly from week to week, which is as intoxicating as it is frustrating. Each episode's end has me biting my nails to see where it goes next week. There have been minor qualms throughout this season, because it's honestly just not the same as the "Breaking Bad" of the past three seasons. Season 1 was an introduction to the characters and the world. Season 2 was examining these characters. Season 3 was expanding the world to include more prolifically the Mexican Cartel, as well as the soon-to-be antagonist of the show, Gustavo Fring.

Season 4 has been such an insane nail-biter, and Gus isn't just the businessman on top. He has become the ultimate evil of the series. In the titular 10-minute sequence of "Box Cutter", Gus transformed from being the humble employer to being a ruthless murderer with an agenda. What that agenda was remained a mystery for quite some time. The Cartel started terrorizing Gus' business in "Bullet Points", but even then it just seemed like some simply war plot. It wasn't until four episodes later in "Hermanos" that we learned of what drives Gus. He's driven by an insatiable bloodlust after the death of his close partner, and we get the impression soon enough that it will not stop at the Cartel.

Television Review: "Breaking Bad: Box Cutter" (***1/2)

It's been a long wait since the third season of Breaking Bad ended, though I haven't really noticed it at all. That's mostly due to the fact that I hardly knew about the series until last December. No, it is not the brutish equivalent to Mad Men, as it's weighed down by slight flaws like any other series. I love Fringe, but you're never going to hear me call it subtle. Now Breaking Bad hasn't always been the most subtle of dramas, usually spelling out episodic themes at the start of each installment. Box Cutter proved to be a powerful, intense, silent, and condensed treat for those who knew exactly what was coming.

The series has often done a sickening turn from episode to episode, so it's not a surprise that the things we thought we knew going into the premiere were dismissed brutally. At the start, while we were horrified by what Jesse and Walt had done, we knew that it kept them alive a little longer. Or at least we thought it did. As the episode progressed, we got the impression more and more that Walter's actions were misguided and oblivious. It turns out that Gale was merely a sheep, pulled in front of Walter to make him believe he had one option. And the Victor started cooking.