The big story arcs in this Second Season are Walter's in-and-out relationship with cooking and dealing crystal meth, Jesse's attempt to become more of a whole person, Skylar's dance of faith and doubt with Walt, and a much deeper look at Hank. After playing a pivotal and inadvertent role in a reversal of fortune for Walt and Jess in the first few episodes, "Breakage" shows Hank as less than a bulletproof braggart and tough guy. The tough-guy image that Walter cultivated during the First Season now shifts off to Jesse. The name "Heisenberg" is still swirling around the streets of Albuquerque, but Jesse's reputation takes a giant leap forward in the episode "Peekaboo." This is also one of the most wrenching episodes from this season, with the exception of the last few that lead up to an adrenaline-fueled finish. A new character is introduced this season, the slick but not stupid lawyer Saul, who gives Walt a chance to vent his spleen with someone other than Jesse. There's humor and the raw creativity that sparked our interest in the First Season, notably in episodes like "4 Days Out," where Walt and Jesse cook an epic batch of meth and Walt uses his MacGyver-like chemistry skills to save the day. If we had to identify one theme that plays out during the entire span of Breaking Bad: The Complete Second Season, it would be the consequence of a lie. Almost every character is connected directly or indirectly during this season to a fallacy that inevitably erodes even the most well-crafted cover story. As we see in episodes like "Breakage" and "Down," the splash damage from stress and dishonesty eventually catches up with us.
Breaking Bad: The Complete Second Season isn't any easier to watch than the First Season, but it feels like an important accomplishment. Making these characters seem at all real, considering the show's premise, is a real accomplishment. The fundamentals of Breaking Bad are the same as in any good drama: Tension and release, strategically applied. The masterful way in which the show's creator Vince Gilligan works is matched equally by awesome cinematography, editing, and sound. The amazing depiction of Walter White that actor Bryan Cranston turns in leaves you anxious and irritable at times, wanting to reach through the screen or shout or walk out of the room, all at the same time. The dark humor that we loved from Season One is still here, but raw emotions are always lurking in the shadows and threatening to tear down the walls. This is great television.
