"Breaking Bad" Season Three, Episode Four: "Green Light" Review

Television Review

"Breaking Bad" Season Three, Episode Four: "Green Light"

By our guest blogger, Rob Stammitti

If this season's previous episodes of "Breaking Bad" are a slow burn, "Green Light" is the complete opposite. It doesn't necessarily rush us forward right into the primary purpose of the season, but it gives a lot more plot development and character moments than pretty much any of the episodes this season combined. It could've been rushed and sloppy, especially with so many characters being added to the plate, but thanks to the great performances and downright excellent direction, "Green Light" is probably the best of the season thus far.


Spoilers herein.

The episode begins with the quick and simple revelation that Jesse is right back into cooking and is looking to sell. Little does Jesse know that his subtle transaction with a gas station cashier in the cold open also spells the potential beginning of the end for his shady business practices. But we'll get to that later. What matters is that Jesse gives a girl a sample of his take on Walt's perfect meth in exchange for gas for the RV in an attempt to spread the word about the return of "Heisenberg."

Elsewhere, Saul and his cleaner Mike deal with the aftermath of Walt's discovery of Skyler's recent infidelity. Walt certainly doesn't take it well--he rushes into Skyler's office building and starts screaming for Ted to come out of his office, smashing a potted plant against his window in an attempt to break in. Before he can make a complete fool of himself, though, Mike arrives and takes him away to Saul's office, where Walt discovers his house is bugged and decides that perhaps the trio's business relationship should end then and there. This whole sequence of events is played extremely well, and Saul gets a lot of laughs.

This scene and others really point out how much this episode belongs to the supporting cast. With a lot of material given to Walt and Skyler in the first three episodes, "Green Light" gives us a lot of time with Jesse, Saul, Mike and Gus giving us a good look into the intricacies of their practices and setting us up for what are sure to be some big moments for them later in the season. One of the most intriguing moments in the episode comes when Mike discusses the fate of Walt with Gus, who refers to Walt more as a product in his business than an actual person. We also continue to see that Mike and Gus have a business relationship separate from Saul, as Saul is still unaware that the Mexican twins are out to kill Walt and Gus is attempting to get as much out Walt as he can before he's gone.

Meanwhile Jesse continues his attempts to sell his meth, and after Walt laughs off his attempts to recreate the formula they used when they were cooking together, Jesse goes to Saul to try to connect with Gus. Gus isn't interested at first, but when he learns Jesse and Walt aren't quite on good terms at this point, he takes advantage of it and uses it as a means to try to get Walt cooking again, giving Jesse only half the money for his product and Walt the other half even though he didn't do anything.

Another plot in the episode follows Hank, who neglects going to his new position in El Paso after learning Heisenberg's product is back in circulation. Unlike last week, Hank's story is probably the best part of the episode, and we watch him continue his downward spiral as he sacrifices all of his career opportunities just to find Heisenberg. His investigations culminate in a conversation with the girl from the beginning of the episode whom Jesse gave the meth sample to. She doesn't really help Hank get anywhere, but his desperation leads him to an ATM camera that managed to catch some shots of Jesse's RV. Say what you will about Hank, but the man is a clever investigator.

With how separate Walt and Jesse have been from Hank in the stories throughout the series (their only significant crossover being Tuco's death last season, which was merely incidental), it's awesome to see their two stories coming so close to colliding. The most interesting possibilities for the season come from Hank, whose conflicts with "Heisenberg" as well as his responsibility for Tuco's death make him one of the most crucial characters in the plot with the twins, and I have a feeling everything's going to come crashing together very soon. And what could be more awesome than a potential showdown between Walt, Hank, and the twins?

Grade: A