Tuesday, Dec. 08, 2009
Breaking Bad, "Phoenix"
In its first season, Breaking Bad took Walter White (Bryan Cranston), a man dying of cancer, and had him find new purpose in life — by becoming a drug dealer to support his family. The astonishing second season showed how much he lost by becoming a criminal. Walter's transformation is complete at the end of this episode, when he allows his partner's dangerous-influence girlfriend to choke to death on her vomit rather than save her. It's not just a cold act: it is Walter — who supposedly does it all for his family — killing the part of himself that is a father, pledged to protect helpless life. Cranston makes Walter's decision chillingly real while at the same time showing us the huge effort it takes.
(AMC)