BREAKING BAD: MADRIGAL REVIEW

By Sean Smyth

What Goes Around, Comes Around.

Fresh out of the gates of a pretty suspense filled season opener we have an episode that continues the rise of the great Walter White. 

Madrigal is something we only get once in a great while on Breaking Bad. An episode dedicated to a peripheral character. A character you didn't think would make it as far as they have or maybe a character who's really grown on you to become someone you care for more than some of the main players. That character is Mike Ehrmantraust, or Mr. Ehrmantraust as he is preferred to be called by people he doesn't like. Our favorite security expert, body guard, Private Investigator, cool as a cucumber assassin for hire who turns out used to be an ex cop. 

If you can't tell I rather like Mike. He is just so cool and efficient at his job that nothing really bothers him except Walter. He is always all business but he will do anything that will ensure his and his grand daughters best interests. That is something your can really get behind. No one wants to be on the opposite side of his gun when it is drawn because more than likely that not, that person will end up dead. 

Now Mike doesn't control the entire episode. Walter and Jesse take up a large chunk as well along with Hank who has a couple lengthy scenes. 

Forget your Hand Cuffs?

This episode as well as the show is still dealing heavily in the fallout of Gus' death. Hank and the DEA are searching for his accomplices, Walter and Jesse are trying to fill the market left by Gus and take over, and Mike and Gus' benefactors are just trying to keep their distance and eliminate potential threats. In some cases that involves one another. Hopefully we can finish with the fall of Gus in the next episode so we can deal more so with Walter's rise to power, which is an interesting change from him usually getting pushed and beat around. 

There is an odd cold open this episode following a German financier involved in the development of food chains, more specifically Los Pollos Hermanos. Things begin break down all around for Mike and the rest of Gus' surviving employees as DEA unravel Gus' accomplices and off shore accounts. 

Waiting for the Nanny to leave.

From there we find Walter and Jesse working together to try and find a way to gather supplies to start cooking again after Walter schemes a rather elaborate plot to make Jesse trust him even more. Though they need Mike's help in order to start cooking. Mike unfortunately for them, doesn't want anything to do with Walter because he's a ticking time bomb. "Tick, Tick, Tick." Mike then takes over the show. Moving from scene to scene dealing with a petrified benefactor and an itchy DEA. Both wanting him to roll on the remaining accomplices. One more... extreme than the other. 

"Tick, Tick Tick."

I think the biggest reason why this episode works so well is that it takes it's time, even more than the show usually does. Perhaps they were using the time and the way the episode plays in relation to the character they based it on. Mike. Mike as we know is very slow. Talks in a single monotone voice and rarely loses his cool. It takes a lot for him to explode. And when he finally does, you don't want to be in his way, 

I don't want to give away to much because this episode is pretty dense, even with the small amount of Walter. Mike treks across Madrigal quite perfectly. Wit, and cleverness that makes this episode feel new and fresh. Madrigal is a perfect example of why exactly Breaking bad works so well and is constantly number one. 

In the end the episode stands out as one of the better episodes in the show, but lets hope they are able to move past Gus' fallout sooner rather than later. But the show is always great with time so, I'm sure they will work it out. I give this episode a 5 out of 5 for originality and ingenuity that most shows won't dare try. 

So what do you think? Does Mike's hold his own as the lead of the episode or do you wish he would have taken a shot to the head? Let's hear what you think. Comment often! And thanks for reading.