Breaking Bad: A very pivotal episode tonight. I almost don’t even want to spoil it for those that haven’t watched it yet. One really big scene after another, and it’s clear the show is playing all its cards so close to the end. [One spoiler ahead] If I had to quibble though, I would say that I actually wanted to see the truth be explained to Walt Jr. and preferably have it explained to him by Walter. It was a little bit of a letdown to have it all done off camera, and only see his reaction. Plus, why is Walter unraveling so thoroughly? He’s making some dumb moves in the last couple episodes, but I guess maybe that’s realistic since his whole reason for being (his family) has now turned against him. If he’s dead in only a few months, and his family refuses to take the money or escape, then really what is his motivation at this point? It should be an interesting question for the final episodes. Grade for this episode: A-
The Newsroom: It really isn’t that most critics hate Aaron Sorkin’s earnest TV drama (it’s routinely nominated for big awards), it’s just that those that do are so much louder than the rest of us. I’ve always felt like the people squalling the loudest about how “bad” this show is are really just defensive since it’s a show about the ways media can fail us, and how it should look if they were really doing their jobs. Sure, this is the most unrealistically idealistic TV crew you could imagine (Sam Waterson’s character wouldn’t even be in charge of PBS), and it wasn’t the smartest move to have the drama of the season finale center around dignified resignations that we all know won’t happen (there wouldn’t be a show if they did), nor did I like the super-cheesy, everything-is-all-right ending, but that doesn’t take away from what the show is during its best episodes. On the episodes that really work (like episode 5 of this season, which saw Will deal with the loss of his abusive father while on-air) the show is like watching college-professors-on-crank. It’s a lightning quick, cerebral barrage of ideas where the dialogue moves so rapidly you might have to rewind it to catch everything. It’s like the college class I always sought out but that doesn’t really exist anymore: smart people arguing out smart things that just so happen to be relevant to what’s going on. I wish more TV shows were like it. [Oh, and points for having a brilliant Jeff Daniels argue his case for why he’s a Republican, and why the current “Republicans” are not.] Grade for season finale: B…Grade for season: B+