Week to Week: BREAKING BAD #5.1, “Live Free or Die”

Mike is a little miffed at Walt and Jesse in the season five premiere of Breaking Bad. (Photo: AMC / Ursula Coyote)

I interrupt our steady stream of Batmania coverage to selfishly remind you that I don’t just watch cartoons all day.

There’s a famous legend (apparently just a legend, though the actual act that it surrounds did happen at least once) about Jerry Lee Lewis doing a tour with Chuck Berry back when they were both in their prime.  The way it shook out, Lewis would be the first act of the show; of course, the first act is often viewed as the lesser act of the show, and Jerry Lee Lewis didn’t consider himself a lesser anything.  But what can you do?  Minds were made up; he could either live with the bruise to his precious ego and get paid, or quit in protest and not get paid.

So, first night of the show, he takes the stage and runs absolutely ripshit riot over his piano, running his usual crazy-ass playbook — kicking over the bench, raking the crap out of the keys, playing in insane positions — with a previously unmatched intensity and commitment.  The crowd was already hyped to the gills because they knew what they were getting with Jerry Lee Lewis, AND they were going to see Chuck Berry on top of that; now they were absolutely ravenous, shrieking so loud in the presence of Lewis’s style and musicianship that the foundations were shaking.  People actually started passing out because they just couldn’t handle it, and as they hit that fever pitch, Lewis segued into his finale: he doused his piano with gasoline, set it ablaze, and played the damn thing until it burned down.

He walked off the stage, leaving his crowd raw and ravaged behind him, patted Chuck Berry on the shoulder, and dared him to “Follow that.”

I have far less envy for Vince Gilligan following up his fourth season of Breaking Bad, as absolutely note perfect as a season of television could be, than I did for Chuck Berry upon hearing that story.  It had lead and supporting performances from Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, and Giancarlo Esposito (whose Gus Fring is going into the pantheon of all time great antagonists) that outclassed most of this year’s Oscar nominees.  It had a nice central conflict that played out in a way that could induce sheer panic at unexpected moments, and it had utterly gorgeous cinematography, owing as much to the desolate Albuquerque landscape that the show shoots in as it does to the work of DP Michael Slovis and the fantastic roster of directors it has on hand.*  From the opening shot of the superlab being unpacked to the last twisted punchline, it was perfect.  And Gilligan and his team have to follow it.  How?

(*I’m willing to bet that if you took out the glass ceiling for women in Hollywood a few months ago, Michelle McLaren would have been in contention to direct Catching Fire.  Even with said ceiling in place, I’d still bet that her name has crossed Kevin Feige’s mind at one point to direct a Marvel movie, especially since he started hiring TV directors like Alan Taylor and The Russo Brothers to direct a few of the “Phase 2” movies.)

Because we don’t get advance copies of this show at our Wag the Movie offices (mostly because we don’t have offices), these will normally be up the day after air.  In this case I was on a special project that ended up consuming my Monday, and I was unable to crack this review until today.  So, if you care what I have to say, click through and let’s get started.

Week to Week: THE LEGEND OF KORRA Season Finale, “Skeletons in the Closet / Endgame”

The truth comes out on the season finale of The Legend of Korra.  Image: Nickelodeon

And so ends the first season of The Legend of Korra, in what is likely to be a thick cloud of controversy.  The series itself has had its ups and downs, the downs coming mainly from pushing against the realities of children’s television, the limits of a 12-episode order, and, let’s face it, occasional creative incompetence.  The finale took everything that made the show work, as well as everything that held it back, and turned all those elements up to eleven.  And then, of course, it had to answer questions that have been the subject of endless speculation; the more discussion a question generates, the harder it is to come up with a satisfying answer.

Me, I’m perfectly satisfied.  Given what came before, I think this may have been the best way to end the season (which sounds more like a backhanded complement than intended).  However, much as I try to write my reaction in a bubble, I can’t really ignore the issues some people have been bringing up.

I formed some questions for myself based on those reactions.  I decided that my standards for these two episodes were:

• If Amon’s true identity is revealed, does it make sense from a characterization standpoint?  More important, is it satisfying?
• Whether or not in involves Amon’s exposure, does the Equalist plot end in a logical way that doesn’t shortchange the real implied problem of Bender priviledge?
• If de-bending turns out to be reversible, nullifying the consequences (to a certain extent — more on this later), does that walk back any possible character growth?
• As the season finale — the end of a book — do the episodes chart a significant growth or change in the status quo?  Does it make the case for the season being about anything at all?
• Does this justify my proclamation that this is one of the best shows of the year?

After the jump, I’ll break down the finale by these questions in what some would say is an embarrassingly long review.

Week to Week: THE LEGEND OF KORRA #1.10, “Turning the Tide”

The Equalists make their big move on Republic City on The Legend of Korra. Image: Nickelodeon

This week’s episode sets the stage for the finale in a big way, bringing various conflicts to a head as Republic City comes under siege.  Of course, the problem with set-up episodes is that they all depend on the payoff.  More after the jump.

Week to Week: THE LEGEND OF KORRA #1.9, “Out of the Past”

Korra finally gets in touch with her spiritual side this week. Image: Nickelodeon

Before we begin, a few words on Nickelodeon being stupid: They’re being very, very stupid.

Seriously, people I know came away with the impression that there will be no new episode next week.  That’s because for some reason, Nickelodeon decided to show their season finale promo, airing “in two weeks!”  To my understanding, there are three more episodes left: a normal episode will run next week, two back-to-back the week after.  So don’t forget to watch.

That settled, let’s dig into “Out of the Past,” a well-placed mythology download that beautifully explores the natures of Tarlokk and Amon, and the dangers that their individual obsessions with power pose: in Amon’s case, it’s posed to others, but in Tarlokk’s case, the real danger is to himself.  More after the jump.