So yeah, another gorgeously filmed (this time, not black-and-white) montage involving Jesse’s car opens the episode, and then it’s to Walter and Jesse being forced out of the trunk and held at (a much bigger) gunpoint by Tuco.

As far as Skyler remembers it, Walter exited the house when he saw Jesse’s car and then he was gone. Walter is missing, and the episode make this the centerpoint. It’s all about both ends: Walter being help captive at Tuco’s house with Jesse opposite Tuco’s Tio, and on the other end we have Hank, Skyler, Marie and Walter Jr. trying to get the word out about Walter’s disappearance. 

Tuco makes it clear that while he finds a lot of potential in Walter and likes him a lot as a “cook”, he doesn’t think the same for Jesse. Then again, the duo almost succeed in having Tuco take the ricin they produced previously until Jesse lets it slip (as a lie) that the secret ingredient in the ricin (“meth”, “new recipe”) is chili powder, which Tuco hates, so I guess that pretty much puts Jesse on the wrong foot. Hey, they can try. 

Meanwhile, Hank uses those police procedural, detective skills you would most likely attain from being a DEA agent (I mean, they’re police too, right?) to deduce/discover that the call Skyler saw Walter not take/ignore never made it on Walter’s cell phone call records, which leads him to discover that second cell phone  of Walter’s (for deals, you know). Which leads to Hank and Marie convincing (or at least trying to convince) Skyler that that pot addiction she thought Walter had then got rid of is back, and then Jesse enters the frame. After a question and answer session between Hank and Mrs. Pinkman goes nowhere (sorta) but produces a quip about Jesse’ car with the dumb as hell LoJack, that’s when things seriously go somewhere. 

Okay, so back to Walter and Jesse’ predicament. I mentioned Tio, Tuco’s uncle, a sick uncle at that. Confined to a wheelchair and cursed with being and mostly appearing like he’s not really there, you’d think he wouldn’t be much trouble, right? Wrong. He catches Walter and Jesse changing the channel on the news report of Gonzo’s death, whom Tuco previously thought ratted him out to the feds, and he catches the last split second of Walter putting the ricin in Tuco’s burrito. That bell affixed to Tio’s wheelchair is also a curse one *ding* from means yes, and it is dinged once to pretty much all of Tuco’s questions, leading him to believe that either Walter or Jesse (or both) did something to him. Since I’m guessing Tuco still needs Walter’s insanely good meth cooking skills, Jesse receives the beatings and the butt of the gun to the back of his head. Until Walter saves him (again) with a few lines that delivered scarily good. It is with this that you see Walter growing and developing more. That scared chemistry teacher he was? I think it’s going away more and more, and being replaced with someone who rivals whatever antagonist the show will have in its seasons or individual episodes in monstrosity. Walter pretty much tells Tuco, “Yeah, we tried to poison you, but that’s only because you deserve it” in the most badass way possible. The duo then get the jump on Tuco and leave him bleeding out after a gunshot (or gunshot clip) to the stomach.

The episode ends with an exciting standoff between Hank (after requesting info on Jesse’s car) and Tuco, and just when you think Hank looks like he’s pretty much screwed, he gets the upper hand on Tuco and shoots him dead, leaving the show villain-less, for now. I mean, in the world of drug dealing, there will also be a villain. 

This was a superb episode even if it was a tiny step down from the season 2 premiere. There were still tense and action packed filled moments, and no one can forget Walter’s growth. Right now, the show has nowhere to go but up. Rating: A-

When we last saw Walter White a.k.a. Heisenberg and Jesse Pinkman, they had just completed a, what seemed to be, successful drug deal. Then one of Tuco’s cronies reminded the pair of who they were working for, and the next you know, Tuco snaps and beats the living shit out of him, for no apparent reason other than the fact that the dude is constantly high on meth. This is how the season 1 finale ended, and this how the season 2 premiere begins, only this time something important for Walter and Jesse becomes emphasized: it could be them at any minute. 

And this fact impacts Jesse deeply. So deep, in fact, that it keeps him in a paranoid state for the rest of the episode, which in turn leads him to buy a gun should shit ever hit the fan. The conversation between Walter and Jesse over whether or not Tuco will really waste the pair becomes one of the best points in the episode in a very well written and acted scene. And it shows off Walter’s intelligently badass science skills as he thinks of a much better way to out Tuco than bullets: ricin. 

Meanwhile, wife Skyler is still uber pissed at Marie for the whole tiara shoplifting situation and ignores her extremely early morning phone calls (damn bitch, is “sleep” not in your vocabulary?). Marie, the kleptomaniac she is, assures her husband Hank, Mr. DEA agent, she is attending her therapy sessions for her condition, but Hank still needs to let Skyler know about this (and beg her to support Marie during this rough patch), which doesn’t turn out so well as Skyler, be it pregnancy hormones or just real “I’ve had enough of this bullshit” emotions, snaps at Hank and rhetorically demands to know how Marie’s kleptomaniac problems outweigh her pregnancy, financial troubles, Walter’s cancer and his attitude in dealing with it, her son’s similar behavior, *cough cough* and his meth cooking and dealing *cough cough cough*, in another very well scripted scene. 

The episode ends on a high note, as Hank during a crime scene discovers the dead body of that Tuco crony that had his ass curb stomped (term used metaphorically) and another Tuco crony, Gonzo, that was trying to move the body but ended up having his arm wedged and dead by bleeding out. Too bad that’s not how Walter and Jesse see it, as the pair just lose it and go into red alert. Walter rushes home to make sure that Skyler and Walter Jr. are ok. The tension in the scene of Walter scanning his house for signs of Tuco-free corridors is high until it turns out Skyler was just taking a bubble bath. After quickly hiding his share of the dough, and Jesse’s gun, Walter is about to spill some secrets, until what do you know, Jesse drives up to the house’s sidewalk for a surprise visit. Surprise! It’s Tuco in the backseat, gun in hand threatening Walt to get in and Jesse to drive in a kidnapping that ends the episode on a more than satisfactory note. 

Season 1 was extremely good, but it’s episodes like ‘Seven Thirty-Seven’ make me look forward to what is to come in a show with its well written scenes, tense situations, plot and character development (in ‘Seven Thirty Seven’s’ case, more plot-wise), and superb acting. Rating: A+

Other Things to Keep in Mind

• The episode actually begins with a gorgeously filmed black-and-white montage of a backyard and the items in it, like a hose and patio, and it ends with a particular focus on an eye in a swimming pool and the stuffed bear it belongs to that happens to have half of it charred off. While it could mean foreshadowing the future of someone in the episode, season, or series, it could really mean anything at the moment seeing as we’re only two seasons in (well, a season and an episode), it’s a nice little observation to keep in mind.
• Oh yeah, Hank also saw the footage of Walter and Jesse stealing the methylamine. RUN WALTER, RUN!
• Bryan Cranston also directed the episode. And it was good. So yeah, just saying….

Ok, why did this movie get so much heat? I sat patiently watching during its 2-hour run time, and I don’t see the strong hate being justified. Or criticism. Whatever. The point is that this was a great sci-fi movie that succeeds by not answering its questions, be them big or minor. If a movie is going to be that mysterious, it has to have a point behind that, correct? By not answering its questions, it gives its viewers the chance to bring their knowledge to the table to see if they can answer them on their own. Along with the movie’s ambiguity, we have excellent cinematography making it visually beautiful, seriously. And then there’s the acting. Actors like Charlize Theron, Idris Elba and Guy Pearce play their parts well, however small or large they may be, but it is Noomi Rapace and Michael Fassbender who truly steal the show as Elizabeth Shaw and David (the android), respectively. Rapace is able to transition well from scientist to warrior after having to deal with disturbing bullshit, such as an extremely painful-as-fuck “surgery” and the painful walking and running post-surgery: you can really feel the grittiness and pain of it. And as for Fassbender, well, he’s an android who, along with being a bit creepy, is just upset he’s only there to bring the scientists coffee and submit to their whim when he’s meant for a lot more, so he intentionally ruins things for some of the crew. Rapace and Fassbender are incredible talented actors and they really give it their all to lead this already impeccable cast. Prometheus is already a great sci-fi movie that succeeds in acting and looking good, but the real fun lies in its unwilling to give us all the answers. Contributing one’s own knowledge to the movie’s table is a lot more entertaining than what it appears to be. Rating: B+

The Dark Knight was, and still is, a superhero film that seemed to have come at the right time. Maybe we were sick of seeing the same kind of cheesy superhero flick with a basic plot and poor sequences. Whatever the case may be, The Dark Knight, at the time of its release, set the new standard for the quality of superhero films. It shined a new light on everyone’s favorite hero, the Batman: hero who uses detective and fighting skills to bring wrongdoers to justice, or hero with questionable methods who will stop at nothing to bring the villain down? Is the Joker just some crazy loon of a villain? Or he is an evil, crazy genius with the right type of devilish plots to bring chaos into us all? Finally, the fictional setting of Gotham City: is it really just another made-up location from a comic book, or do its own problems make us question the plights we all face as a people united? A dedicated script by Christopher Nolan and brother Jonathan, a powerful score by Hans Zimmer, and an incredible cast led by Christian Bale and a scary good Heath Ledger, may he rest in peace, Christopher Nolan directs a feature that redefines the superhero film with this powerful second entry into his Dark Knight trilogy. Rating: A+

The Dark Knight Trilogy (Batman Begins | The Dark Knight | The Dark Knight Rises)

Played with Fire is one of those sequels that has the unlucky job of having to prove to be a worthy follow up to that of their predecessor that happened to be a hit with critics and fans all over the world. It’s a tough job, ain’t it? And it’s also that film that requires you to read the book it’s based on (but then again, that applies to all adaptations) for you to understand where it’s coming from and getting at. Played with Fire maintains that mystery vibe from Dragon Tattoo, except the enemy isn’t a misogynistic woman-killer, but some mysterious figure that frames Lisbeth with the murder of three people, including a temp at the offices of Millennium. And Lisbeth still has to use her hacking abilities, but this time to stay one step closer to survival. The good thing is we still have Mikael as an ally who isn’t convinced Lisbeth is the killer and who is willing to prove her innocence, because he’s that kind of friend. The biggest problem I have, and I assume other fans had as well, is the film’s sorta’ slow pacing as opposed to the previous, Dragon Tattoo’s in-your-face twists and turns approach. Played with Fire isn’t necessarily a bad entry into the series, but don’t be surprised if you find yourself watching it multiple times to fully enjoy it. Rating: B+

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (SE / US) | The Girl Who Played with Fire (SE / US) | The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest (SE / US)

High school has different impacts on people. Some people will love half, a quarter, one year, or all of it. And the same can be said for those who just couldn’t stand it. I, for one, hated it. Yet something can be said for The Perks of Being a Wallflower. If you’re not ready to revisit those painful years of high school for whatever reasons that are present, I plead to you this: give this film about 2 hours of your time, and you will find closure. Perks may not be all sunshine and giggles, but it will emotionally hit you there. Logan Lerman as lead character Charlie, who has indeed a long dark past that cannot be revealed until the film’s close, is simply captivating, experiencing what we all experience at the start of our high school years: fear. It is not just fear of fitting in, but also fear of falling through the cracks and fear of experiencing all four years alone and with no support to guide us through the good times and the bad. Chbosky’s Perks high school vision falls almost perfectly into place into what high school really is, an ugly institution that will eat you alive, but not if you fight back and have teammates. Enter Ezra Miller as Patrick and Emma Watson as Sam, the stepsibling duo who welcome Charlie into their circle of friends and who embody the “stereotype” of high school that you just don’t ever see: the just -as-outcasted upperclassmen that don’t want to tear you down, but put you together after being broken apart. In the end, Perks serves as two things. One, who knows better about how the adaptation of a novel/novella should be than the book’s own author? And two, is well, this: while Perks cannot be exactly labeled as a “feel good movie”, it does have that power to bring to close those parts of high school that wish to not be revisited. Rating: A

I have only seen a few of the Planet of the Apes movies, but that’s all it really takes to get the series’ central message. Here is a movie/series that embeds humanity versus nature into its movies and the effects of interfering. This is what happens when you give an animal that you presume is below you as much power as you please, and in the blink of an eye, take it away. With director Rupert Wyatt and a good blend of CGI, we are re-introduced to the series after a brief pothole in the road. The movie is able to tell a good story from scratch (while at the same time borrowing elements from Conquest of the Planet of the Apes) without having to use that much or pretty much none of the PG-13-but-it-could-be-R violence. And you can chalk another one up for motion-capture king Andy Serkis, the movie’s main character in the form of the ape Caesar, the leader of the ape revolution. At first glance it may be tough to sport Serkis’ Caesar from the rest of the simians due to the CGI (or not), but then it must be realized the Serkis is the one with the purely electrifying performance. Overall, Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a good movie and a nice refresh button for the series. Rating: B+

Fellow hobbits! We have come into the final stretch! I present to you part 1 of the final movies of the holiday season, and of the year. And by golly is it a good one! I was lucky enough to catch it at its midnight premiere time, and although I was immensely tired out of my mind, it did not detract from the experience. Neither did the fantastic cinematography that showcased the brilliant land that is Middle-Earth  (thank you New Zealand for being so beautifullll). And, the 48 fps that wonderful Peter Jackson chose to utilize was present in the movie, but in a positive manner: it demonstrated exactly what Jackson’s purpose was for the artistic decision, and that was for the action scenes to be seamless and fluid. And the acting! Brilliant choice in picking Martin Freeman for the role of young Bilbo Baggins. I’ve seen him in other roles and this is another part that shows off his acting chops. And Ian McKellen, by god it is so good to see you again as the great wizard Gandalf! Finally, who can forget Andy Serkis, one of the leaders in motion capture acting, return to one of his most recognizable and legendary roles as Gollum/Smeagol. Really, if there’s anything to complain about the movie, it is the unnecessary addition/expansion of the Orc, Azog, which adds unneeded content to the movie’s already long running time. Still, it’s a minor blemish. The movie as a whole is well acted, beautifully shot and excellently directed, and while there will be a while before part 2 comes to theaters, this is already a fantastic part 1 that does a good job, give or take depending on how much of a fan you are, of commencing bringing Tolkien’s already excellent prelude to The Lord of The Rings to the big screen. Rating: A-

The Hobbit (An Unexpected Journey / The Desolation of Smaug / There and Back Again) | The Lord of The Rings (The Fellowship of The Ring / The Two Towers / The Return of The King)

-There was an announcement made not too long ago where Vampire Weekend not only revealed there was going to be a third album, but progress on it had already been started. With two albums under their belt thus far, making it easy for anyone who has had doubts getting into the New York band, we’re here to give our two cents on their work thus far.-

Vampire Weekend_______________________________________________

This is that kind of music that you would hear should you be spending your time on summer holiday. Beach parties, Hawaii shirts, just having a good time. Is that what comes to mind? No? I don’t know what to tell you then. The indie group blend rhythmic reggae beats along with some ska to give themselves that tropical sound. It’s pure bliss really. Frontman Ezra Koenig even has the distinct, unique vocals to top it off. He’s here to tell you “Ladies and gentlemen, lay back and relax, enjoy that pina colada, and maybe play a game of beach volleyball or two. I gotcha’ covered.” Rating: A+

Other Gems: “Campus”, “I Stand Corrected”, “M79”

Contra________________________________________________________

Alas, the boys came back about two years later for more tropical-esque indie tunes. Except for one thing… err, remember how in the last album they sounded completely natural? It was just them, their instruments, Ezra’s voice and whatever cheap recording equipment and software used to put the album together? Yeah, well, that’s a small trade-off on Contra. Mind you, VW do offer a bit of the same and something that’s more new in their quest for total zen, but you can tell they were in the studio, because at times it sounds slightly bloated. If that’s okay for you, bliss away! And if it’s not, well, go listen to something else then. Rating: B+

Other Gems: “Run”, “California English”, “Diplomat’s Son”

On the surface, it may be another film where Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna play a couple of cocky, confident and conveniently good-looking boys that always get the girl, emotionally and physically. But if you can get past the metaphorical and layers of deep meaning (which it does have), it is really about two teens coming-of-age, set in Mexico with a political backdrop. It is about them needing to get their “fix” and their boredom when the girlfriends that give ‘em “it” are on vacation elsewhere. And finally, it is about the woman that, you can say has a “thing” for both of them at the same time, gets between them and the effect it has on the boys’ friendship. Trust me, it has all this, just watch the fucking film for shit’s sake. Rating: A