I have been finding the present season way too slow. This is not just an issue of 'focussing on the human drama at the expense of dumb 24-style action'. It is just not cramming plot and interesting set-ups anymore - instead it is slow-burning in a way that I find tiresome and unambitious. I agree that the dynamic of Skylar knowing about Walt's activities has burst some of the dramatic tension, but that's what Hank is for, and frankly having him laid up, rather than actively going after Heisenberg, has meant that we are four episodes in and nobody is close to Walt.
Episode 4 was much better, and in fact the scene between Walt and Skylar practising their lines was excellently writtem. But here we are four episodes later and all we know is that Jesse is fucked up about killing Gale, and is danger because of that, Walt is in danger for the very same reason, and Walt and Skylar are going to get the car wash. And Hank and Marie are under strain, although Hank is starting to come out of his shell because of the case notes. Four episodes? Really?
Last week I accidentally starting watching the episode from the end. So I thought the show started with Walt and Skylar celebrating getting the car wash, and then Hank picking up the lab notes. I thought to myself 'THAT'S the show I've come to love - they've cut out all the boring shit and raced ahead. This is going to be a great episode.' Then the episode ended and I had to go back and watch 45mins of excruciatingly dull TV.
The whole Jesse thing is so played out I'm amazed the actor's themselves didn't protest. The scene with Jesse coming home to see people wriitng on the walls, and some woman being scratched on the back was pathetic. The whole point about that house is that it is in a middle-class suburb. Have the writers even been to a quiet American suburb of expensive detached houses? I have, and after about 30mins of the party starting the cops would have been called. They get called for a lot less.
I assumed that this season (being, as it is, the penultimate season) would see Walt very quickly rise to the top of the syndicate, ousting Gus and then dealing with the shit that we can see is going to rain down due to the hit from last season. I feel like it will happen, but I'm depressed to see that in terms of a narrative arc, they see it coming at the end of the season, rather than the start. Shame.
The quirky, genuinely brave and unusually compelling writing of the previous three seasons really seems to have disappeared. Episode 4 was certainly an improvement, but a lot needs to happen next week if I am to consider this show one of the best of all time.
