Breaking Bad – Season Two is Even Better

Bad isn’t the only thing that’s breaking, so is everyone’s love life! In season 2 of Breaking Bad we get deep into each character’s love life. Spoilers ahead, obviously. Following my previous review on Breaking Bad we jump right into season 2. Season 2 is the opposite of season 1 in its pacing. It is highly fast paced in the beginning but slows down at the end. In this season Walter and Jesse try to figure out a way to get away from their drug lord Tuco. After that mishap Walt has to justify his reason for being gone for so long and he can’t admit he was kidnapped which is a whole new can of worms. The duo must find a new way to sell their meth and try desperately to make a new contact with an old character from Better Call Saul named Gus but they refuse to meet with them. Walt works hard to gain Gus’ trust while Jesse is kicked out of his home and rents out a duplex. His landlord and neighbor Jane ends up with his girlfriend with disastrous results.
In this season a lot of background actors get to take the spotlight for a while. Hank Schrader gets his own storyline that connects with the main plot that develops his character. Actor Dean Norris does an amazing job at playing the character in the first season and really shows Hank’s internal struggle with his own mortality and cowardice in the 2nd season. Hank thought he was invincible in New Mexico and gets genuinely shaken when he is reminded of how dangerous the cartel really is. Jane Margolis is also a great character. She is a recovering drug addict that relapses and introduces Jesse to heroin. She takes a lead role over Jesse for most of the season. She is played by Kryston Ritter and does an amazing job of transitioning from vaguely interested tattoo artist to blackmailing Walter and taking control of the situation. The way she slowly cares more and more for Jesse is done very well and they respect the viewer enough not to baby us through their relationship.
Now, I did say this season let background actors take a more central role and show their skills but Bryan Cranstan and Aaron Paul once more prove they can steal a show. Bryan Cranstan is able to show more of Walter’s sinister and manipulative side and brings out these traits perfectly. The cold stare Walter gives Jane as he lets her overdose and slowly walk away is chilling and how he fakes surprise when comforting Jesse on it later is equally good. He does an amazing job at immersing you in his character. Aaron Paul gives such an amazing performance of playing a character who had their world crushed! He shows despair but he doesn’t overdo it and lament like a stage play.
The show once more proves its on top of the film industry with amazing actors and even better writing. The show plays to its strength from season 1 and continues to build on the characters they established a strong base for in season 1. They expand on underdeveloped characters and weave them into the story in unique ways and even manage to cram pre-existing characters into this series organically. Still no Mary uses insight only well written and flawed characters.
This season is easily a 9/10 for me. I’d say I enjoyed it more than season 1. I’ve done two reviews for Breaking Bad now so if it wasn’t clear I really enjoy this show and would recommend it to everyone if they hadn’t probably already seen it. If you haven’t seen Breaking Bad, I highly suggest you give it a chance and let it become your favorite show.