Frayed Branches

  Breaking Bad Season 4: A Retrospective This entry is part of a series of retrospectives on the  Breaking Bad  universe. Click here  for the previous entry on Breaking Bad Season 3. [Note: As a series retrospective, this post will contain major spoilers from  Breaking Bad ,  its sequel film  El Camino ,  and its prequel series  Better Call Saul] It doesn't take long for Season 4 of Breaking Bad to not only establish itself as one of the greatest seasons of the series thus far, but also as a memorable, classic experience in semi-modern television. The fourth season of Breaking Bad picks up right where the third season left off. Walt is captured in the laundromat by Mike and Gus' other men. Jesse has shot Gale in the head, and is liable to be carted away soon by Victor. It quickly becomes clear that, even though they've committed an act of pure transgression against Gus Fring and his meth trade, the duo's true punishment will be the stay ...

  The Walking Dead Season 11 Episode 16: "Acts of God" Review [WARNING: Major spoilers for  The Walking Dead   seasons 1-10, spoilers for season 11.] [Also spoilers for this episode throughout.] The Walking Dead has proven itself time and again to be a series of varying quality. As I professed in a few posts prior to this one, I do love the series, which is why it's been such a shame to watch the quality dwindle these last few years. What's more, despite having one stint of eight episodes left before the show's curtain call, the series doesn't appear to be stopping anytime soon. Not only will the next eight hours of television have to bring an end to the show's current arc and the plethora of character stories herein, but it will also have to set up the three sequel series that AMC has promised will be airing next year. Which means that, yes, even though Season 11 is the "final season" of the show, it's not really the end. Not for anyone who ...

Breaking Bad Season 3: A Retrospective   This entry is part of a series of retrospectives on the  Breaking Bad  universe. Click  here  for the previous entry on  Breaking Bad  Season 2. [Note: As a series retrospective, this post will contain major spoilers from  Breaking Bad,  its sequel film  El Camino,  and its prequel series  Better Call Saul] After finding its footing properly during its second season, Breaking Bad leaned into its strongest qualities during Season 3. After the plane crash above Albuquerque that leaves over 150 people dead, the budding meth business Walt and Jesse were creating comes to a standstill. Not only due to the tragedy, but also due to Skyler's suspicions resulting in Walt being kicked out of the house, and Jesse's recovery in rehab giving him a negative outlook on the business as a whole. It doesn't take long, though, for the ball to start rolling. On the drama side, Jesse begins to come to terms ...

  The Old Man : Episode VII Review [This review contains spoilers for  The Old Man  Episode 1-6] Having watched and digested The Old Man 's windy, twisty finale, I have to say that I've come away from the series with a surprising bag of mixed thoughts. What started as a very strong espionage/on-the-run spy thriller has managed to keep my interest through much of the promise within its setup. Despite the rather slow burn pacing and a rather monotonous episode within the season, I felt like the show did a decent job establishing its premise while keeping an air of mystery about it that made me watch for more developments. The series as a whole presents itself rather well, knows what it wants to be, and doesn't cater to the expectations of an audience that may have come in thinking it would be a fast-paced action show about a government agent returning for one last call to duty. At the same time, however, what makes the series unique is also what compromises it in some regar...

  Breaking Bad Season 2: A Retrospective This entry is part of a series of retrospectives on the Breaking Bad universe. Click here for the previous entry on Breaking Bad Season 1. Click here for the next entry on Breaking Bad Season 3. [Note: As a series retrospective, this post will contain major spoilers from  Breaking Bad,  its sequel film  El Camino,  and its prequel series  Better Call Saul] The second season of Breaking Bad needs no introduction, but it does require some explanation. After the moderate success of the show's first, 7-episode season, AMC increased the episode order to a whopping 13 come Season 2. However, according to reports at the time--and I believe this was for Season 2 but may have been for Season 3 more so--the budget for each episode was cut by the network at the time. So, in order to work around some budgetary constraints, the second and third seasons of Breaking Bad had to tread carefully when it came to how they played out. ...