Video Night

Very near the end of Breaking Bad: at the end of the last episode, there was a stand-off out in the desert, Hank and Gomez against Todd, his Uncle Jack and a bunch of other armed men. I spent the week hoping that Hank would survive or at least his death would be referred to but not seen on screen. Poor Hank. Walt did try to save him, by offering his money, but I guess Jack had already decided it was his (surprisingly, he leaves a share for Walt). Then there's Jesse - who scrambled away but it turns out not so far. Although Walt gives the nod for him to be shot, Jack has a problem with the quality of his product and Jesse is the solution, as he well knows. So Jesse is taken back to their lab, and chained up so he can be put to work.

The rest of the episode is really about Walt and his family. Marie has convinced Skyler that Hank has arrested Walt and must tell Walt Jr - this is what Walt walks into when he gets home. Of course, his arrival makes it clear Hank's arrest did not take - "where is Hank" doesn't really need answering. He wants them all to go on the run with him, and when they refuse, he takes off with Holly - he's not really thinking very straight by now (as suggested by the episode title, Ozymandias). To his credit, when he phones, he does make an attempt to shift all the blame to himself. I'm not sure how long he planned to keep Holly, but when she keeps saying Mama (and not Dada), it seems to get to him and he leaves her somewhere safe.

Then we come to the penultimate episode: Walt uses the same identity change bloke they were going to use for Jesse. In an odd twist, Saul and Walt are put up together for a bit - I think Saul is well and truly over Walt by now, as he has been the destruction of his life and career (not that Saul is all pure and the like!). Walt has mad schemes to get hitmen to go after Jack so he can get his money back - thanks to a flash-forward or two, we kind of know this is not going to happen - which tends to make him appear a bit demented on the topic.

It has become clear Todd has a bit of a thing for Lydia, which is why he wants Jesse, so he can keep dealing with her - the appeal of getting a supply of high quality product means she's OK about doing more business with him. Jack tidies up a couple of loose ends - taking Jesse's confession from Hank's house, threatening Skyler so she won't identify Lydia. When Jesse escapes, they shoot his (former?) girlfriend so he gets the message that her boy, Brock, is next - this boy is an odd vulnerability for Jesse (was also the source of problems with Walt).

Poor old Walt - he's taken to a remote cabin up in New Hampshire and told to stay there, that he'll get monthly supplies until some other arrangement can be made. He sticks it out for a bit, but seems to have a death wish - he tries to convince Walt Jr to accept some money and then phones the DEA so they can trace the call. 

Picket Fences had a proper crime to solve, but resolved it in typical unorthodox fashion. There's a serial killer on the loose, who responds to lonely hearts adds in the newspaper. Max works out the kind of message that will appeal, and runs an add, suggesting a meet in a restaurant on Valentines Day. What she didn't count on was the number of lonely men in Rome - she is kept very busy (including with Carter). Were any of these men the killer? With the evening over, an FBI agent identifies himself, profiles the killer. One of the dates might be the man. Max and the FBI man work out a plot in which Max will date the man, take him back to her place (because that's how he operates) and the FBI man will rescue her.

But is the FBI man all that he seems? His wife was murdered and he was thrown out of the service. Jimmy becomes convinced that he's the man they're after and reluctantly sets Max up with a wire to catch him. But have they got it right? Things get very tense in Max's apartment at the end: it is not secret or surprise that she's fine, but I didn't quite anticipate how things were resolved with the serial killer. 

For comic relief, there's also a bloke going round shooting arrows at guys, hitting them in the bum - including Jimmy.

Watching - Wednesday 12 July

Another programme that I have been watching is Spotless, about two French brothers - Jean and Martin - in London. Jean is a forensic cleaner - cleaning up crime scenes, who's got himself in with bad company - originally a bent cop called Kendrick, then a crim by the name of Nelson. Martin is also in trouble - he ripped off some French drug dealers, who have sent a couple of blokes to sort him out. He's also made an unauthorised deal with a Turkish gang, run by Veysal. I just watched # 6 - Fallowfield: its a while since I’ve watched this, so have to pick up some details as I go.

Julie's a bit cool with Jean - but then she did find his bank records last time which showed he’s living a lie - he's borrowed a fortune against the house and not told her. Martin is quite good with his niece, Maddy, has built a nice rapport - she’s feeling lost in her new school, but I bet her parents don’t know. He organises a ride to school on back of noisy motorbike to give her some cred. Martin shoplifting books - The Fault in Our Stars, so he can talk about it with Maddy. Now Veysal is tightening the noose, wants him to do the dirty on Nelson, find out who his supplier is. Jean thinks he is building a collection of evidence from the various jobs he does for Nelson, to get him - will it work? He has a portable drive he took from Kendrick at some stage: it is encrypted but the word Fallowfield is clear. Julie has a new client, "Hilliard", actually a creep we've seen before. The conversation gets a bit personal - about his dead wife. Jean’s girl-friend, Claire, hasn’t given up on him, summons a meeting - wants to take him to dinner at a pop up in Hoxton. He's called away to see Inspector Squire. Later on, Jean sees Mrs Kendrick, asks about Fallowfield - the cottage where they honeymooned, bought when it came up for sale.

The French guys Martin crossed finally catch up with him - want to sort it out the “old school” way. They have a civilised drink, then a beating - except that Martin fights back, wins - or maybe it’s a draw. Maybe Martin is right - they are quite similar. Tough man - funny that his ulcer is “killing him. They have an odd bonding session in empty pub, interrupted by more fighting. The bloke pushes too hard, Martin strangles him. His off-sider, Nico, not best pleased - what to do? Martin manipulates him - saved by Veysal's man, who shoots Nico. Lucky he knows how to clean up a murder scene.

Jean and Squire: plays it cool when she asks if he knows Nelson. Police seem to have a good idea of what Kendrick had been up to. Pictures of missing men, believed to be dead, no bodies - are these the men Jean cleaned up? Squire “full support” to those who help me. Nelson in his car - concerned about what Squire knows.

At school, the teachers are worried about Oliver’s unhealthy interest in death, talking about his dad’s work - if only teacher had seen the lego men he had - dismembered and covered in blood.

Is Jean going to stand Claire up, have dinner at home? Julie confronts him about finances - he denies anything is going on. And then there’s sex on the table. Literally! Bit awkward for Martin when he gets home - he watches, just a bit! Oliver shows him his Lego art, says it is good the bad men are dead: Martin bites.

The show ends with jean going to Fallowfield, where he finds Kendrick’s money, plus a video of Nelson setting someone on fire. This triggers yet another flashback to his boyhood: Dad beating one of the boys, the other kills Dad with a pick!

Love the subtlety of the soundtrack for this programme.

We had a double episode of Breaking Bad this week. Things are pretty serious as the show comes close to its end. In Rabid Dog, we get some of the story involving Walter's house - Jesse goes in and sprays petrol, ready to torch the place - he's only stopped because Hank shows up, talks him into going home with him and taping an account of the whole story. Jesse makes a lot of sense when he suggests his testimony might not have much weight. Walt, meanwhile, can't get the petrol smell out of the house, so lies (so obviously) to Walt Jr and Skyler about some incident at a petrol pump where he sprayed petrol all over himself. Saul tries to convince him it is time that Jesse is killed, like "old Yeller", the rabid dog of the title. Walt not buying it, not even when Skyler says pretty much the same thing. In a parallel show of support, Marie helps Hank with his hosting of Jessie.

The show ends with Jesse setting up a meeting with Walt in a public place, where Walt says he wants to explain everything - Hank has him all wired up, but Jesse is properly scared, thinks Walt is the devil, will kill him. When he sees someone who looks a bit thuglike (but turns out to be a random) he flees. He calls Walt to threaten him - Walt in turn calls Todd with another job for his uncle.

The next episode was a bit strange: Walt sets Todd's uncle up to kill Jesse, but when it comes to it, he doesn't want the job to proceed. Hank and Jesse trick Walt into leading them to where he has hidden his money: he panics to the point that he phones Jesse (the man he wants dead) and confesses to quite a lot of what he's done - all of which goes straight to Hank, of course. They all turn up out in the desert where the money is buried, Walt is handcuffed and put in the car when Todd and his family arrive (after very clearly being told not to proceed). Its half a dozen or more of them with machine guns against Hank and Gomez: the episode ends before anyone actually dies. Walt is still important to Todd's family - because Todd is not making very good meth, and it isn't blue - Lydia wants better standards.

The night finished with Picket Fences - The Body Politic. Howard is convinced that a body was taken into what is supposedly an empty house. It turns out a bloke moved in, but he refuses entry and Judge Bone is reluctant to give a warrant on the basis of evidence from someone with Alzheimers. Eventually, Max persuades him, and it is revealed that the man has his braindead wife on life support, because she's pregnant. Her mother wants the life support switched off - Judge Bone has to sort this out, eventually orders that the life support continue. In an interesting footnote, a Brazillian Judge ordered exactly the same thing this week, apparently for the first time ever. In another storyline, the town dentist is revealed to be HIV positive - something Jill new but did not reveal to Jimmy - more familial tension. The mayor fires the dentist - not for being HIV positive, but for not letting his patients know - Jill gives evidence to the effect that the risks are so low, this is ridiculous. Judge Bone reinstates the dentist but warns him that he can't make the townsfolk attend his practice. Jill has some sort of revelation - of course patients should be told so they can make informed choices: this leads to her and Jimmy settling their differences and agreeing that their children (and their own parental role) should be put ahead of the town's interests. Kenny is still dating the twins - even though the Mayor comes close to ordering him not to.

Watching - Wednesday 21 June

Masterchef

First up, it is Masterchef Australia #5, which is the first elimination show of the season. Our lucky contestants are Benita, Rashedul, Benjamin and Lee - interesting that they all arrive in separate Jaguars, even though they all came from the same house and possibly shared a bunk. They enter to find a line of 14 ingredients and cloches: they have to pick an ingredient, but must pair it with the mystery ingredient under the cloche. Benjamin strategises, avoids chicken on the bases that chicken is so common, he’d both need to outdo himself with it and there’d be a hard mystery ingredient. He picks walnuts, gets dates. Rashedul goes for mangoes plus - what are they? Green peppercorn! Fuck! (Google tells me there’s a mango tart with green peppercorn dish.) Lee - plays to his strengths and picks salmon, gets aniseed (that could work). Benita - peaches and, is that tea? Yes! Earl Grey.

Benjamin’s going for Greek dish, Katoumari - fine pastry, a kind of baklava ice cream - he has the walnuts sorted but the dates not so much. Lee is thinking confit salmon aniseed sauce. Benita - earl grey ice cream, short bread for a sandwich and baked peach - determined not to repeat yesterday’s brain freeze. 15 minutes in and Rashedul has no idea what to make with his tricky combination. Inspiration - mum’s dish from back home - mango pepper sorbet with coconut pot stickers and coconut broth (we cut to him with his son, then Benita with her family - she wants to host ladies long charity lunches, says you’re never too old to follow dream).

Rashedul  knows he needs to get balance right - pepper can’t overpower but it must be tastable - so he doesn’t really need George’s warning - but will he get it right? Lee sous viding his salmon, also worried about aniseed balance - the audience seem to think it smells great. Benjamin works out to add a date puree - but how to make dish not too sweet? Pomegranate! He’s a happy man - tells us it’s a traditional Mediterranean ingredient, perfect combo. Benita’s ice cream not working, she hits panic mode.

20 minutes to go, people are running around, Benita seems stuck. Gary gives hint - forget the churner, go for blast freezer. Benjamin hand stretches his dough, adds liberal butter, rolls it up, creates a circle of pastry, then fries it as a spiral - it looks good. Rashedul is way behind, hit by nerves - gets a George pep talk - breathe, you can do it - twice they show us yesterday’s disaster. Lee all happy, roasts tomatoes to tie dish together. Benita still doesn’t have ice cream. Five minutes. Won’t give up - custard! What about the biscuits? Benjamin’s pastry looks good - it is spiralled and fried. Makes a mess of his plating.

Judging: Lee has fancy looking dish, Rashedul’s not so good, Ben’s is terrible! Benita’s a hodge podge. Lee brings up aniseed beurre blanc, confit salmon. Matt: Dish a thousand miles away from what you did yesterday. George “so beautiful”. Gary only one to eat the lot, but all like it. Wonderful food. Benjamin: Greek dish for George, best Greek chef around, maybe in the whole world!! He’s not impressed at the look of it.

Smells right, looks like trainwreck - should have been in foil, steams flavour back into pastry. “I hope it tastes good.” Gary - he’s done the job of blending dates and walnuts. George - totally. Then a wee “wow” as he eats, “really delicious”, fantastic with dough, old technique. Gary “Bloody hell”. Matt forgives rustic. Rashedul: thinks he has hit brief, but can they taste peppercorn? He tells a family story from Bangladesh - George always loves the nostalgic value. His dish looks good, modern and beautiful. No peppercorn, but. Could have worked. Good dish, but not on brief. Benita: “Dead man walking” without ice cream. Not convinced she’ll stay - “hoping, on hoping on hoping”.

Her dish really doesn’t look good except the peaches - poorly plated but came out right with flavour, “it all makes sense”. George wishing for ice cream. Still - no surprise when it was Rashedul who got the chop. Pep talk at end possibly a bit OTT.

Breaking Bad

Last night I had a double episode of Breaking Bad. First the last of season five, Gliding Over It All. Walter and Lydia have a meet at a cafe, he’s after the names of Mike’s nine guys, the ones he’s been paying to stay quiet - now that Mike is out of the picture. She persuades him to go international, sell into the Czech republic, where the best quality is about 60% (Walt hits 98% or so). It makes perfect sense - his product is a long way away from him, and she has the distribution. Quite a lot of the episode shows him cooking from house to house, raking in the money - everything is so normal! But he has to deal to Mike’s guys - the DEA has grabbed them all, and they’re locked up in three different prisons - the balloon could go up at any time. Todd has connections, a tough family - Walt demands that they see to the nine guys within a 3 minute space of each other! It’s terrible to say, but there was a strange beauty to the way the nine deaths were choreographed - I couldn’t wait to see Hank’s face when he got the news - it comes in while he’s giving a photo op to a bunch of school girls. He’s not a happy man, years for a simpler time when he had a job in the woods.

Time goes by - about three months. Walt presses Skyler to come home: she has something to show him - a huge pile of notes, beyond what she can count: how much more do you want? After a weird chat with Jesse about the old times (and giving him his $5 mill), Walt decides he’s out and happy family times ensue - until Hank makes a discovery. They’ve been having time by the pool, Hank goes in to the loo and, looking for something to read, finds Leaves of Grass - the copy Gael gave Walt, in which he had written a dedication to Walt. Hank recognises the writing: end of season.

The final season starts with a flash-forward: the White family home derelict, the swimming pool a skate park, and Walt breaking in to retrieve some ricin he’d stashed - the episode is called Blood Money. I didn’t pick it, but this is a follow on from the flash forward at the beginning of the 5th season, when Walt is alone in a diner, celebrating his 52nd birthday. Back in real time, Walt is proving to be a real nuisance - with no meth to cook, he’s spending all his time at the car-wash: I think Skyler is pleased when he suggests they buy another. Poor Jesse is a mess, guilt ridden and with $5 mill to get rid of: he thinks giving half to Mike’s grand daughter and the other half to the parents of the boy Todd shot will expiate his guilt. Saul, however, won’t do it. So Jesse starts randomly throwing bundles of money out of his car. Hank is committed to proving Walt is Heisenberg, stays away from work and has all the files brought over. Walt misses the book, works out where it is and confronts Hank - the gloves are off. Apparently, the cancer is back.

Picket Fences

Another show we’ve been watching on a Tuesday night is Picket Fences, although it’s been a few weeks since the last one. We saw Bad Moons Rising - Alice Freeman kills her husband by running over him with what they keep calling a steamroller, although it wasn’t actually steam powered. This happens after Alice goes on a date with Carter - when he kisses her, she bashes him with a flower pot, and goes to see Jill to report hot flushes, sore back etc. Wambaugh is on the case: Alice’s defence is temporary insanity brought on by menopause. Jill is all for it, Jimmy can’t see it, Carter ends up giving evidence to establish her insanity and the doctor who originally diagnosed her gives evidence that menopause can’t cause insanity. I called it: she gets off on the ground of insanity, and then we’re shown she was never insane, it was all a set-up (which had been Jimmy’s case). Poor Matthew is having sex dreams about Maxine, nocturnal emissions, and is mortified - ends up talking to Jimmy “I think my penis is broken”! Luckily, Jimmy can handle it. I’d have liked to see Matthew and Maxine in the same room, to see how the former would react, but it was not to be

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