(S03E07) How did the cousins become the cold, unfeeling mutants we've perceived them to be? It started with a dunk in the beer bucket. Uncle's lesson may have been about family, but what sunk in to the youthful psychopaths was how to kill someone in one minute. A minute would turn out to be their undoing ...

(S03E05) If you've been waiting this season for the switch to be flipped, for the seemingly inert Walter White to snap back to life, this was it. The show was called "Mas," Spanish for more. Looking ahead, that's what we're going to be seeing. For "mas" on the shifting tone, the parting of the ways and Ted's heated bathroom tiles in this episode, follow after the jump.

Now that the second season of Breaking Bad is in the books, it's time to evaluate high school science teacher Walter White's performance. He's been giving out the grades to students for years, but who's been monitoring this high school teacher?

It's time for this Breaking Bad character to be graded. Here's a report card for Mr. White, and whether he's using the name Heisenberg or White, we're turning the tables on "teach" and giving him some grades across the board.

(S02E08) I'm starting to wonder if Walter and Jesse have turned into the Abbott and Costello of Albuquerque or the New Mexican Laurel and Hardy or maybe some other bumbling duo that have been attempting to do something so far beyond their ken that the fact that they made it this far is a bloody miracle. This show illustrated yet again how the unexpected situations continue to pile up around Team Heisenberg and by the skin of their teeth; they come out the other side.

Breaking Bad's creator Vince Gilligan should be winning more awards. He's just nabbed a Peabody, but there are Emmys in his future. Breaking Bad is that good. This level of writing, the complicated storytelling is amazing.

(S02E05) You know that things are really bad when even a stalwart rock like Hank starts to break down. All around Breaking Bad, the characters have been crushed under the weight of problems that seem to be unsolvable. I mean when this episode was over, the most together person was Jesse. Imagine that. Apparently last week's trauma in the Port-a-John left an lasting and therapeutic impression.

The image of Walt laying awake in bed was haunting. It was also universal, because I would bet there are a lot of people unable to sleep with the economic woes they're facing.

(S02E04) The one-eyed stuffed animal was still floating in the pool, but not for long. It was fished out and lined up with a whole bunch of other evidence bags. What this all adds up to will likely be something dreadful. Right now, the tension builds and you just wonder what it all means.

Breaking Bad is like a pressure cooker, and the reference to cooking is probably appropriate. Walter and Jesse are stuck in a pressure cooker of their own design and things are getting more and more intense. Something is ready to blow, but the when and the where and the how keep us coming back for more.

I've always enjoyed Richard Quest's reporting on CNN (if you don't know the name, the face and voice will remind you who he is). He was the wacky Brit who always had a funny take on politics, current events and pop culture. I thought he was just some crazy, comical Brit reporter. Now we find out that he's a crazy, comical Brit reporter/meth fan.

The New York Times is reporting that Quest was arrested in Central Park at 3:40 this morning. He was originally arrested because the park is closed between the hours of 1am and 6am and he was trespassing, but as he was being taken out of the park by police, he disclosed that he had meth in his pocket. In fact, his exact words were "I have meth in my pocket." At least you have to give him points for honesty and accuracy.

No official reaction from CNN yet, but stay tuned.

[via The Huffington Post]

(S01E06) I hadn't even realized how quickly this season has gone by until the closing moments told me that next week was the season finale. That's way too soon, and yes I understand there was a pesky writer's strike which played havoc with production schedules. But Breaking Bad is just too good of a show that's just starting to find its groove. Bryan Cranston just constantly blows me away with his performance, and Aaron Paul continues to find ways to turn what could be a very one-dimensional, archetypical street thug into a complex personality.

(S02E10) Uh-oh.

Chief Pope's divorce is getting ugly and Brenda's getting dragged into it. During a deposition where Brenda thinks she is testifying on Pope's character, his wife's attorney holds up a letter that Brenda wrote to him when they both worked in Atlanta and had an affair. Before she can kill the lawyer with her glare, Brenda's called away to a homicide.

This week's crime victim is the daughter of a former heavy hitter in the city. Gennifer spelled with a 'G' was a meth addict and all the doors were locked up tight. There's a suspiciously large hole in a mattress in the guest room. Brenda's still flustered from the deposition as she stumbles through the crime scene.

Things are really looking up for Jodie Sweetin, who played Stephanie on Full House so many years ago. Shortly after revealing that she was overcoming an addiction to methamphetamines, she was hired by Fuse music television to host a show about stripping. Fuse is keeping her around. She's set to start filming a series about malls for the music channel, called Get Malled, beginning on Monday in Philadelphia. The series also includes guest appearances by Justin Long ("I'm a Mac") and Jesse Metcalfe of Desperate Housewives. After the series, Sweetin says she has two movies lined up, although nothing is listed on her IMDB bio.

[Via TV Tattle]