Walter White has always managed to somehow end up on top regardless of what crazy stuff gets thrown at him. The man has overcome life threatening Cancer and come back. The latest Breaking Bad episode ‘Crawl Space,’ though, proves that even the luckiest of streaks has to end sometime.
Everything seems to be crashing down for everyone involved. Beneke gets sweated to write the IRS Skyler’s much needed check by Saul’s A-Team (Bill Burr practically steals the episode, in my book) and instead, takes a header into a solid kitchen island and aside from a flicking pinkie I’m pretty sure he’s a goner. Walt finds out that Jesse cooked for Gus in his place during his self-imposed four day exile and realizes how this could affect his whole breathing/heart-beating deal. When he goes to Jesse begging for help he’s met with quite an angry Mr. Pinkman (which, if my game of Hedgehog was interrupted I’d probably be a little miffed as well).
Walt decides to take Saul up on an offer to completely vanish himself and his entire family after Gus lays it all on the line for him in the middle of the desert.
“If you try to interfere, this becomes a much simpler matter. I kill your wife. I kill your son. I kill your infant daughter.” – Gus
All of this leads to one of the craziest, “holy crap” endings Breaking Bad or any other show has ever laid out.
‘Crawl Space’ is the closest thing to a perfect episode in this season of Breaking Bad. The acting is superb and the writing absolute genius.
Out of this world camera work is what struck me the most. The opening shot in the desert with all of the players standing static, waiting for Gus to pull up in his station wagon. It is a wonderfully crafted scene and couldn’t have been better executed
The final shot takes the cake, a perfect combination of well executed lighting, direction, camera work, and especially sound. Scott Winant shows expert talent in knowing just how long to hold that last shot. Too little and it would have been a throwaway. Too long and you would have become annoyed with it.
– James Zappie
