Breaking Bad: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray delivers great video and superb audio in this exceptional Blu-ray release
Walter White is a down-on-his-luck chemistry teacher struggling to make ends meet for his wife and
physically challenged son. Everything changes when Walter receives a startling diagnosis: terminal lung
cancer. With only a few years to live and nothing to lose, Walter uses his training as a chemist to cook and
sell crystal meth with one of his former students. As his status grows, so do his lies, but Walt will stop at
nothing to make sure his family is taken care of after he's gone, even if it means putting all their lives on the
line.
Now with almost twice as much goodness as the seven-episode season one, the 13-episode
strong second season of "Breaking Bad" proves just as infectious, fun, dramatic, exciting,
suspenseful, and relevant as its predecessor, all with a more rounded presentation with room to
spread its legs and grow into the future. Following the story of terminal lung cancer
patient-turned methamphetamine manufacturer Walter White (Bryan Cranston), season two
continues to prove why creator Vince Gilligan's series is one of the best on television, the show a
perfect mixture of black comedy and heartfelt drama with plenty of other ideas and themes
scattered throughout not for good measure but as crucial elements to the stories the series tells.
At times tearfully sad and depressing, at times rousingly funny, and at other times still
mysterious but always unique and wonderfully crafted on both sides of the camera, "Breaking
Bad" is a show that's as polished and deliciously addicting as any out there after but two seasons
and twenty episodes. Never a line wasted, a shot misused, or a thematic angle ignored,
"Breaking Bad" delivers thought-provoking yet at the same time incredibly entertaining television
that's arguably at the top of the heap of must-see shows of the past several years.
The master chef at work.
Walter White (Bryan Cranston) and Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) find themselves shaken up and
in a state of confusion after witnessing a particularly brutal display of drug-induced machismo
that has them questioning their working relationship with drug kingpin Tuco (Raymond Cruz).
Jesse purchases a revolver on the black market while Walter struggles to find a new means of
distributing the new and improved blue-colored methamphetamine that's become all the rage
around town. Jesse finds himself involved in a fast-developing relationship with his landlord Jane
(Krysten Ritter), a recovering addict who attends a support group with her tough but caring
father Donald (John de Lancie). Meanwhile, Walter is still battling his cancer and keeping secrets
from his pregnant wife Skyler (Anna Gunn) and handicapped son Walter Jr. (RJ Mitte), and while
he's staying on top of his medical bills, he finds his funds in a constant state of flux, going not
towards his planned savings but instead his treatments and the maintenance of the drug
production materials.
After the Tuco fiasco, Walter is left to search for a way to corner the market and sell at bulk
rather than leave it to Jesse to move small quantities for too little a return. At the same time,
Walter's
brother-in-law Hank (Dean Norris), a New Mexico DEA agent, remains on the hunt for the
region's newest drug
kingpin, known on the streets only as "Heisenberg."
Season Two of "Breaking Bad" can best be described as a season of consequences for the
collection of primary characters. Whereas season one's brief seven-episode run reflects its
successor as a thematically intense, emotionally satisfying, and simply entertaining collection of
shows, season one understandably also deals in plenty of basic character establishment and
development in conjunction with its broader storytelling. Season two need not worry about
establishing characters in a basic sense; it's instead free to more fully explore their lives and the
repercussions of
Walter's selfish but oddly understandable actions on those around him. The season begins to
yield the fruits
of the first
season's labor almost immediately; indeed, for Walter, Jesse, Hank, and Skyler, season two deals
in the direct and,
oftentimes more widespread but not necessarily more personal, indirect consequences of Walter
and
Jesse's burgeoning narcotics empire. Walter sees the effects of his actions firsthand a number of
times throughout and as part of a larger chain reaction of events that comes to define the
season; the show smartly intersects his personal life with his secretive professional life,
and often through the season Walter finds them at significant odds. While one is up, the other is
often down, with personal choices, actions and reactions, and the happiness and
perhaps even the very lives of those around him -- those he loves, those he loathes, and those
towards whom he is rather indifferent but necessarily involved with -- all consistently in a state of
struggle and flux within him and magnified through every action he takes. Walter remains in a
constant struggle to live up to his multiple demanding roles as a husband, father, relative, friend,
acquaintance, business partner,
drug lord, and enemy as he attempts
to maintain a fragile equilibrium between honesty and deception, love and hate, confusion and
perhaps even
a touch of burgeoning arrogance as he works hard to balance a life that's become almost a blur
where truth and falsehoods and his very fate as a man, patient, and husband are at constant
odds inside Walter's newly-shaved head and outside with every step and breath he takes.
As for the show's other characters, it's Walter's brother-in-law Hank that proves perhaps the
most engaging from a purely psychological and emotional perspective. While "Breaking Bad"
remains Walter's show, the dynamic not just of a DEA agent in the family but a DEA agent that's
forced to face his true self throughout the season -- a confident, rugged, and happy-go-lucky
exterior that comes face-to-face with a troubled, tormented, and traumatized soul -- makes for
the season's
most fascinating singular arc. Hank's comfort zone that is his family and his position as a local
New Mexico DEA agent is upset by a series of events that reveal the true inner-workings of the
character and make him, perhaps, the season's most fluid and sympathetic. His arc is eerily
reflective
of Walter's; both characters are forced to examine a side of themselves that they'd rather was
left buried deep within. Both react to new challenges and interruptions to their comfort zones
differently; the more extroverted Hank ultimately cannot withstand the pressures that come with
greater challenges while the more
introverted Walt embraces his new role as a rugged tough man with a borderline sinister but
nevertheless logically-based and emotionally-focused attitude. Meanwhile, Jesse's character is
given the opportunity to, like Walter, experience firsthand the consequences of his lifestyle, while
Walter's wife Skyler copes with the interesting dynamic of a family that's about to expand but at
the same time seems to be tearing itself apart as Walter becomes more distant, absent, and
sometimes a shell of his former self not from his illness but rather the result of a part of his life
that remains
unknown to
his wife. Unfortunately, season two continues to treat Walter and Skyler's handicapped teenage
son, Walter Jr., as little more than a prop rather than a character integral to the storyline;
hopefully season three will see his further development and integration as a major player into the
story lines.
Season two of "Breaking Bad" -- while staying true to the established thematic overtones of the
first season -- proves a bit more gritty and bold than its predecessor. Much of that is due to the
aforementioned space to better develop the characters and implement additional challenges into
the series, but there's still no denying that there's a far darker, grungier, and oftentimes
more harrowing feel to season two. Considering that the show maintains its emotional balance
at the same time, credit must again be given to series creator Vince Gilligan for maintaining the
show's integrity even through the expanded world and darker recesses of the body and mind this
season explores. Many of the stories -- and even the larger arcs and the season's climax --
certainly rely on happenstance and sheer luck as factors in crafting excitement and drama, but
the show works wonderfully nevertheless, particularly considering its themes of fate and
consequence, the former something that's more alluded to rather than explored with the latter,
obviously, representing the primary thematic crux of the entire season. Season two remains
strongly crafted on both sides of the camera, with the scripts smartly written and the episodes
handsomely directed while the collection of primary and even many secondary actors turn in
stunningly realistic and
oftentimes emotionally moving performances. Bryan Cranston and the scripts with which he
works both make it oddly easy to root for Walter; he's a
protagonist that's highly flawed but nevertheless sympathetic in spite of his actions. The
character works so well -- particularly as he is developed this season -- because of the show's
insistence of exploring an otherwise honest, moral,
and sincere individual obviously fighting through a Jekyll-Hyde sort of scenario. Will his true and
honest intentions -- securing a financial future for his family before he passes away -- get the
best of his moral compass, particularly as he begins to witness firsthand the physical, mental,
emotional, and spiritual destruction of himself, his family, and many others that surround his line
of work?
"Breaking Bad: The Complete Second Season" yields a 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer that's
much
improved over the middling image that accompanies season one. While this season retains the
darker-than-average visual scheme, fine detail is greatly improved though not completely
intricate
and convincing. Faces are far more textured and "lived in" rather than pasty and devoid of more
lifelike texturing. Likewise, finer details on clothing, dirt roads, sandy terrains, and everyday
objects
seen throughout various locations take on a more defined and developed visual structure than
their
season one counterparts. Outdoor shots retain a fairly harsh and gritty tone, but season two
does
feature a more balanced and consistent grain structure rather than the somewhat topsy-turvy
look as
seen in season one. Likewise, black levels are more forgiving and natural in this go-round, but
flesh tones take on a slight rosy tint. Like season one, season two sees some scattered white
speckles, and there's also a touch of banding and aliasing, though the latter two fall into the
"blink and
miss them" category. Sony's Blu-ray release of season two of "Breaking Bad" isn't a visual
tour-de-force, but it is a respectable and stable image that outclasses its counterpart and makes
for
a solid if not somewhat ordinary transfer, even considering the generally dark tone the show
employs.
"Breaking Bad: The Complete Second Season" delivers yet another high quality DTS-HD MA 5.1
lossless soundtrack. As was the case with season one's DTS mix, season two yields yet another
hard-hitting and fully-realized sonic experience that's the envy of plenty of other television show
home video releases, a praiseworthy feat considering that "Breaking Bad" is at its core more of a
dialogue-driven Drama than it is a straight Action series where one might expect a more robust
sonic presentation. Nevertheless, this one delivers plenty of rich and full aural goodness, whether
musical delivery, gunfire, explosions, or everyday atmospherics. A shootout in episode two
between participants wielding a fully-automatic M4 and a .40 caliber Glock delivers a crisp, robust,
and satisfying
experience as bullets bounce off of and tear through various objects and pierce the soundstage as
round after round screams from one speaker to the next. Likewise, musical delivery is practically
faultless; a Mariachi band as heard at the beginning of "Negro y Azul" allows listeners to hear
every note with each passing strum of the guitar with a clarity that's seemingly unmatched
anywhere else. Atmospherics continue to be a strongly-realized characteristic of season two;
there's always a good sense of immersion into practically every environment, whether the harsh
New Mexico desert terrain or the background noises of an upper middle-class neighborhood. With
dialogue that always comes across without a hitch, "Breaking Bad" once again delivers a
noteworthy and consistently excellent lossless soundtrack experience.
"Breaking Bad: The Complete Second Season" contains a wealth of bonus materials spread across
three Blu-ray discs. Like season one's release, season two features all extras listed in each disc's
menu screen, but users will have to swap discs to see some of them. As for episode-specific
features on disc one, episode one, "Seven Thirty-Seven" contains an audio commentary track
with Creator Vince Gilligan; Actor/Director Bryan Cranston; and actors Aaron Paul, RJ Mitte, Anna
Gunn, and Betsy Brandt. Additionally, episode one contains a deleted scene (480p, 0:57) and
Inside 'Breaking Bad' (480p, 3:28), a peek inside the story, themes, and characters of
the episode. Episode two, "Grilled," features only Inside 'Breaking Bad' (480p, 2:55).
The season's third episode, "Bit By a Dead Bee," features both a deleted scene (480p, 0:22) and
Inside 'Breaking Bad' (480p, 3:46). Episode four, "Down," also contains a deleted scene
(480p, 0:43) and Inside 'Breaking Bad' (480p, 3:26). Finally, episode five, "Breakage,"
offers only Inside 'Breaking Bad' (480p, 2:35). Disc one also features several active
supplements under the "special features" tab. Season 1 Recap (480p, 1:31) is first,
followed by the five
Inside 'Breaking Bad' featurettes that are duplicated from the episode menu. Behind
the Scenes (480p) is an eleven-part feature that explores a plethora of
aspects behind the making of the show. However, only the first two listed segments are available
on
disc one. These include The Cast on Season 2 (2:51) and Season 2 -- What's in a
Name? (3:01).
Moving on to disc two, users will continue to find extras both in each episode's menu selection
screen as well as the "special features" tab on the main menu. Episode six, "Peekaboo,"
contains one deleted scene (480p, 0:52) and Inside 'Breaking Bad' (480p, 3:02). The
season's seventh episode, "Negro y Azul," features only Inside 'Breaking Bad' (480p,
3:58). An audio commentary track with Creator Vince Gilliagan, Actors Bryan Cranston and
Aaron Paul, Writer Peter Gould, and Director of Photography Michael Slovis; a deleted scene
(480p, 0:59);
and Inside 'Breaking Bad' (480p, 3:11) come with episode eight, "Better Call Saul."
Episode nine, "4 Days Out," contains an audio commentary with Creator Vince Gilligan, Actors
Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, Director of Photography Michael Slovis, and episode Director
Michelle MacLaren; two deleted scenes (480p, 1:23); and Inside 'Breaking Bad' (480p,
3:11). Once again, crossover episodes of Inside 'Breaking Bad' are also available under
the special features menu option. Also active under the special features tab on disc two are the
Behind the Scenes segments Making of 'Negro y Azul' Music Video (480p, 2:00)
and The Tortoise Scene (480p, 2:48). Also included is the Negro y Azul music
video (1080p, 3:25).
Disc three features the bulk of the special features content. Once again, each episode arrives
with its own unique content under the episode selection tab. Episode ten, "Over," contains one
deleted scene (480p, 2:07) and Inside 'Breaking Bad' (480p, 3:37). The season's
eleventh episode, "Mandala," features three deleted scenes (480p, 3:51) and Inside 'Breaking
Bad' (480p, 3:49). Episode twelve, "Phoenix," contains only Inside 'Breaking Bad'
(480p, 3:41). Finally, the season finale, "ABQ," no surprise, contains the trifecta: an audio
commentary track with Creator Vince Gilligan and Actors Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, RJ Mitte,
Anna Gunn, Betsy Brandt, and John de Lancie; two deleted scenes (480p, 1:53); and Inside
'Breaking Bad' (480p, 3:51). Once again, applicable Inside 'Breaking Bad' segments
are duplicated in the special features tab, too. Finally, the bulk of the material within the special
features tab and visible but not playable on discs one and two is available for viewing on disc
three, including the remainder of the Behind the Scenes (480p) segments: A Look
Ahead (2:04), The Special Effects (3:15), The Props (4:31), The
Sets (3:59), Locked in the Trunk (1:32), Inside the RV With Aaron Paul
(3:04), and The Crew (3:29).
Moving along, disc three also contains The Writers' Lab -- An Interactive Guide to the
Elements of 'ABQ' (1080p). This supplement begins with Creator Vince Gilligan guiding
viewers through the
scriptwriting process and the "board[ing] of the episode" that helps the writers realize the larger
plot points of each episode. Viewers are then prompted to click on any of the four acts (minus
the teaser) and then select one of several index cards, read the corresponding segment of the
script, and then watch the completed scene from the show. Next up is the 'Better Call Saul'
Commercial (1080p, 0:50) as seen in the show and a gag reel (480p, 3:52). Cop Talk
With Dean Norris (480p)
features the actor speaking with other law enforcement officials on several cop-related subjects:
Cop Stuff (2:10), Chick Cops (2:09), Donuts (3:14), and
Stakeout (3:09). Next up is Walt's Warning (480p, 2:46), a short piece
featuring Actor Bryan Cranston and others speaking on the series' viral marketing campaign.
This disc also
contains six "Breaking Bad" "Webisodes," presented in 1080p: The Break-in (4:52),
Good Cop/Bad Cop (2:55), Wedding Day (4:52), Twaughthammer
(4:15), 'Fallacies' by Twaughthammer (3:05), and Marie's Confession (2:49).
Rounding out this collection of extra materials is the Season 3 Sneak Peak (1080p,
2:20); Vince Gilligan's Photo Gallery (1080p); and 1080p trailers for "Breaking Bad," Michael Jackson's This is
It, 2012, The Boondock Saints II: All
Saint's Day, Black Dynamite,
and Universal Soldier:
Regeneration.
"Breaking Bad" doesn't suffer from the dreaded sophomore slump; though it's a bit slow out of
the gate, the final ten or so episodes return to the brilliant form of season one with plenty of
heart-stopping suspense, heartfelt drama, heartwarming comedy, and heartbreaking
developments. Indeed, "Breaking Bad" is a show with plenty of heart but, more importantly, a
soul that speaks to its audience like few shows before it and on a myriad of timely and pertinent
issues, from the strength of family to the importance of honesty, from the value of life to the
meaning of life itself. While certainly one of the most entertaining, enthralling and addicting
shows on television, "Breaking Bad" also expertly weaves in morality tales that are honest and
not sugar-coated, the show never shying away from the harsh consequences not only on a life
turned upside down but on the world -- and the world-at-large as things may be -- around it.
"Breaking Bad" is the thinking man's version of "Weeds;" Vince Gilligan's show
is better scripted, acted, and realized, and if the third season -- which premiers on AMC television
on
March 21, 2010 and hopefully followed by a prompt Blu-ray release -- and beyond prove just as
good as what's been explored and realized in seasons one and two, "Breaking Bad" may very well
break towards shows like "The Sopranos" and be
remembered as one of the best of the best. Sony's Blu-ray release certainly does this fine show
proud, the studio delivering a solid transfer, and exceptional lossless soundtrack, and a wealth of
bonus materials. "Breaking Bad: The Complete Second Season," as does its predecessor, comes
highly recommended.
Amazon's Blu-ray Deals of the Week affect both Twentieth Century Fox's X-Men: The Complete Collection package as well as Sony Home Entertainment's first three Breaking Bad season sets. These deals expire at 12 AM PST/3 AM EST next Sunday, September 30th.
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has officially set a March 16 street date for the Blu-ray release of the first and second seasons of 'Breaking Bad', a television series about a chemistry teacher who learns he has terminal cancer and, to make sure his family is ...
An early announcement to retailers indicates that Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will release 'Breaking Bad: The Complete Second Season' on Blu-ray on March 9, 2010. There is no information on special features or technical specifications at this time. Update: ...
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