Gliding Over All

In novel writing, there's something called the "temporary triumph." In screenwriting, Syd Field calls it, for lack of a better word I guess, the "midpoint." Whatever you name it, it happens in the middle of Act II in a three act structure, essentially the middle of the book or movie, the tip top of the mountain on the story map. Things are going super great and well for our main character. And then the denouement happens and everything turns to shit.

Last night's episode marked the official midpoint of the final season of Breaking Bad, the time when we know this is as good as it's going to get for Walter White before things turn to shit. Fittingly, the episode ended with the literal shit that could bring down Heisenberg once and for all.

All told, for an episode of Breaking Bad, "Gliding Over All" was surprisingly positive and serene. I mean, sure, there was that little montage with all of Mike's guys in prison getting hit with shivs made out of toothbrushes and getting doused with flammable...something... Did they sneak gasoline into the building under the guise of bottled water? If not, how do prisoners have such ready access to gallons of liquid that light up like the sun with one match? It doesn't really matter, of course. I'm just wondering, logistically. It's good information to have.

But other than that, we had Walt in a tender-ish moment with both Skyler and Jesse. Skyler had a moment of levity with both Marie and Holly. I would've included Junior in that, but he's back to being "Flynn" and acting like a petulant teenager again. We had a really stellar montage set to "Crystal Blue Persuasion" in which we were treated to several days (spread out over several months) in the life of the smooth-running Heisenberg meth operation.

But there were cracks. There were little moments where you just knew all was not about to be well. At the end of every day in the montage, there was a shot of Walt looking more tired and more haggard. There was the shot of Walt in the shower that also made sure to show us that he's using Gale's Leaves of Grass book as toilet reading material. As you do. After not coffee with Lydia, there was the shot -- zoinks! -- of the back of Walt's head as he slid on his glasses that made sure to focus squarely on the area directly behind Walt's right ear. As someone who has been on the alert for this kind of brain tumor theory affirmation since the first episode of the season, this was like Christmas morning for me. Obviously I was right and I would have confirmation by the end of the episode.

Well, not quite. But we did have pretty clear confirmation that the cancer is back. Walt has his family back and he has a storage unit full of cash money and his cancer is back. He has all of these things, plus Hank is clogging up his toilet with his monster DEA dookies and he's actually reading Walt's bathroom books. And now, because of  Walt Whitman and Gale and and the initials WW and the fact that Skyler's cooking goes through you like a freight train, Hank suspects things. Terrible things.

I loved the fly showing up in Heisenberg and Associates offices. That bug shows up whenever shit's about to get real. Prediction: The entire series ends with Walt either in jail or a hospital bed watching a fly flit around the room.

The ricin cigarette popped up again. Walt brought it to coffee with Lydia...just in case. And then he put it back in the wall. Methinks this is certainly not the last time this little prop will pop up. Baseless prediction: Hank starts investigating Walt. Finds out about Skyler's involvement. Offers her a deal for cooperation. He tells her she won't serve time and she can be safe with her children while Walt is locked up forever. That bargain is appealing to Skyler. But maybe not. Maybe she's feeling better about Walt or pitying him about his cancer and she's not going to turn him in. Either way, Walt finds out and hands her the ricin cigarette.