Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Tinsel

Home
Religious Music & Entertainment
Breaking Bad: Madrigal, Money, and Metanoia

Breaking Bad: Madrigal, Money, and Metanoia

Last updated on: August 1, 2012 at 7:57 am by scurley

Breaking Bad: Madrigal, Money, and Metanoia 2012-08-01T07:57:31-06:00 scurley

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Episode 2, Season 5 by Samantha Curley

Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan dropped another prophetic bomb at the end of the second episode of Breaking Bad’s final season when Walt says:

“You know it gets easier. I promise you that it does. What we do is for good reasons. There’s nothing to worry about. There’s no better reason than family.”

Excuse me, Walt, did I hear you correctly? Did you say family?

Walt (Bryan Cranston) continues to deceive himself into thinking he is making the right choices – good choices – for the sake of his family. But this episode, more than any other of the season, begs the question, “Walt, what family are you talking about?” Your terrified wife (Anna Gunn) who couldn’t get out of bed and didn’t speak a word to you (or anyone) the entire episode? Your son (R.J. Mitte) who has been abandoned by every adult figure in his life? Your infant daughter who will grow up having to confront her monster of a father? Your brother-in-law (Dean Norris) that you’ve used and deceived to build your drug empire?

Walt has no family left. Yet, the fantasy of family continues to motivate his downward spiral. “Madrigal” forces each character to confront the question: Why do you do what you do? A question that seems to boil down to either money or family. And let’s be honest, Mike (Jonathan Banks) might be the only one choosing family.

It was eery and unsettling to watch Walt in his cocky attempt to become Gus (Giancarlo Esposito). His calm, yet demanding demeanor; his relational manipulating, flat affect, and plotted confidence. (It physically hurt to watch him cover his tracks in the cigarette and salt scenes with Jesse.) Walt’s every move reeks of Gus, even as he extends a handshake to Mike after their first meeting of the episode. While the new mantra is, “If Gus can manage it, so can we,” let’s just remember where Gus ended up…

As Walt’s storyline becomes, well, pure evil, we continue to hope for the redemption of characters like Jesse (Aaron Paul), Mike, Hank, even Saul (Bob Odenkirk) to some extent. These characters have become the wise sages of the show; the ones who have eyes that see. Jesse’s genuine, yet unknowingly misplaced repentance in the show’s opening scene as he apologizes to Walt, “How could I have been so stupid.” Mike’s warning to Walt about being a ticking time bomb and his ironic, punchy wisdom in the diner: “Here in the real world we don’t kill eleven people as some kind of prophylactic measure.” Hank continues to sense there is something beyond the surface, while remaining unable to exactly put his finger on it. I wonder (with a sense of foreboding) where his good questions and intuition will take him. Even Saul comes through with the lottery analogy pleading with Walt and Jesse to get out while they’re still alive.

Where will these characters be when the bomb finally does explode? When bad is officially broken? We can only hope as far away from Walt as possible. Sadly, there are few avenues of metanoia (deep repentance, change of heart) left as viable ways out.

Join us each week as we blog through the epic final season of Breaking Bad:

Episode 1: Is Redemption Possible for Walter White?

Episode 2: Madrigal, Money, and Metanoia

Episode 3: Breaking Bad Made Whole?

Previous Post

July 20, 2012

Tragedy at the Theater: Heroes Arise, Just Not the Ones We Expected

Next Post

July 26, 2012 Facebook, We Need to Break Up

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Becky's Picks Children's Movies DVD releases Entertainment News Faith on Film Featured Hunger Games In Theaters Interviews Life, Etc. Mixed Nuts Movie Reviews Poliflix Scroogewatch slider Television Uncategorized

Select a Month December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 April 2011 March 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What animals attacked and killed Job's servants, according to the messengers?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Ammonites and Edomites Sabeans and Chaldeans Philistines and Moabites Syrians and Egyptians