The Televangelist: ‘Breaking Bad’ Season 4, Ep. 12

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?I walked away from last night’s episode thinking that this show is absolutely the best one currently running on television. Why? It combines elements of some of TV’s best shows, and just gets it right. Creator Vince Gilligan has openly admitted many times that the creative team behind the show tends to make things up as they go along. There are plenty of other shows that give us this feeling - “True Blood” and “Lost” come to mind - but neither handle it well, whereas I would never guess “Breaking Bad” wasn’t detailed down to the smallest scene. And yet that ethos of controlled chaos matches with the world of “Breaking Bad.” Mirroring the initial “what if?” concept for the show, Walt gets involved in the drug trade as a desperate and fairly whimsical act to try and make some extra money for his family, and pulled in Jesse to assist him. One year later, the two of them - and everyone they love - have been sucked into the blackest of voids. Come to think of it, “Breaking Bad” may be the ultimate Anti-Drug campaign!

?There are other reasons though that the show shines. The flashbacks and occasionally jumpy timelines were abused by shows like “Lost” and used to near dramatic perfection by “Damages,” but only “Breaking Bad” gets it really right. “Damages” has a lot of parallels with some of the relationship dynamics in “Breaking Bad,” and a lot of similarities in style. But whereas “Damages” is a good show with too many narrative plot holes, “Breaking Bad” hits things out of the park. And while the complicated relationship between “Damages’” cutthroat attorney Patty Hewes (Glenn Close) and her conflicted protege Ellen (Rose Byrne) is the best part of an already engaging show, I can honestly say there is no duo I feel more about and for than Walt and Jesse.?

There were two instances where I had to openly emote last night - the first, when Jesse realizes that Brock somehow ingested his ricin, I shouted “Jesse does not deserve this!” Seriously, can’t this kid catch a break? The question of “who poisoned Brock?” played out quickly - maybe too quickly - but it amped up the level of drama to unbelievable heights.