In an attempt to hold us over until we jump into the next chapter of Walter White's life, practically two weeks away, we at Fish & Spaghetti recently rewatched the third season of Breaking Bad in it's entirety.
Upon reflection we realized that there were some powerful truths contained in those episodes. And being the giving and generous people we are, we decided to share that wisdom with you, our loyal readers.
But be warned; thar be spoilers.
The Definition of Kafkaesque - One of the hallmarks of a great television show is it's ability to distill a literary giant's into a single word or phrase. The Wire introduced "the Dickensian Aspect" into our jargon and we've been using it ever since to prop ourselves up and make appear as though we're uber enlightened.
Breaking Bad did something that higher education never could; it got us to wrap our head around Kafkaesque. Granted it was put in terms that even Jesse Pinkman could understand, but the point is that we now use Kafkaesque daily. For instance yesterday at Starbucks I told the barista that I pitied her for Kafkaesque existence. She cried.
The Ins & Outs of Probable Cause - In the episode "Sunset," when we say goodbye to the RV that we all held so dear we met Old Joe who is quite possibly the most compelling junk yard owner since Fred Sanford.
With Hank Schrader having cornered Jesse and Walt in the RV a tense stand off begins with Hank debating both Old Joe and Walt (via Jesse) about issues such as trespassing, search and seizure and probable cause. It's just like that verse of Jay-Z's "99 Problems" only much better acted.
Never Cross a Salamanca - Ok, so this is probably a no brainer. I mean we all remember the fiasco with Tuco. But still this season Tio and his nephews Leonel and Marco do their best to avenge Tuco and they cut a bloody swath across the ABQ.
Leonel and Marco are still frightening despite having passed the mortal coil. On a side note, if you see two guys dressed up as Marco and Leonel this Halloween there's a solid chance that it's myself and Jay1.
Saul Goodman Is Actually A Stand Up Guy - We all love Saul's character. He's part consigliere, part shyster and part magician (peep those kinetic hands.) Hell, Saul Goodman has more than a few testimonials on his behalf.
But season three saw Saul literally put his neck on the line for his clients. Threatened with physical harm he refused to divulge the whereabouts of Jesse, because he's got ethics? Furthermore he engaged in a cover up and will probably have to face the wraith of Mike. Saul Goodman is a total class act. Wait, what?
Land Lines Are Important - I'm sure that someone who wanted to could probably make the case that Breaking Bad is a show that's about the dangers of cell phones. Walt's second cell phone is the straw that broke his marriage. And while cell phones saved Walt's life at least twice in the third season, they also sealed the fate of Gale Boetticher.
If Gale had had a land line chances are he probably wouldn't have spend the final moments of Breaking Bad's third season pleading for his life while facing Jesse and a gun. Had Gale had a land line he probably would have received Mike's call (or presumably Victor's as well) warning him of the danger headed his way. While we love Walt and Jesse, we still miss Gale.
And those are the five lessons that we learned from Breaking Bad's third season. I can't wait until the fourth season begins to air. I mean, these next two weeks are going to totally be Kafkaesque.
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