Madrigal (Breaking Bad)

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"Madrigal"
Breaking Bad episode
Episode no.Season 5
Episode 2
Directed byMichelle MacLaren
Written byVince Gilligan
Produced byBryan Cranston, Diane Mercer, Stewart A. Lyons
Featured music"Stay on the Outside" by Whitey
Cinematography byMichael Slovis
Editing byKelley Dixon
Original air dateJuly 22, 2012 (2012-07-22)
Running time47 minutes
Guest appearances
  • Lydia Rodarte-Quayle
  • Steven Gomez
  • George Merkert
  • Norbert Weisser as Peter Schuler
  • Wolf Muser as Herr Herzog
  • Carrington Vilmont as the chief food technician
  • James Ning as
    Duane Chow
  • Kaija Roze Bales as Kaylee Ehrmantraut
  • Christopher King as
    Chris Mara
Episode chronology
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"Live Free or Die" 		Next →
"Hazard Pay"
Breaking Bad season 5
List of episodes

"Madrigal" is the second episode of the

crime drama series Breaking Bad, and the 48th episode overall. Written by the series creator Vince Gilligan and directed by Michelle MacLaren, it originally aired on AMC
in the United States on July 22, 2012.

"Madrigal" was seen by an estimated 2.29 million American household viewers.

Plot

In

Brock Cantillo
.

Walt and Jesse offer

meth
.

Meanwhile, Hank takes part in a meeting between the

George Merkert
, reveals that he is being forced out of his job as punishment by his superiors for failing to heed Hank's warnings about Gus. Merkert reflects on his friendship with Gus and wonders aloud who else might be leading a double life, which seems to suddenly strike a chord with a pensive-looking Hank.

A

Duane Chow
—Gus' methylamine supplier—who was just leaving his own DEA interview.

Later, Chow invites Mike to his home to discuss their shared problem with the police. Mike correctly suspects that it is a setup and gets the jump on Chris, one of his former men, who has already killed Chow. Chris explains that Lydia had contracted him to kill everyone after Mike refused, as he needs the money. Mike kills Chris and later breaks into Lydia's house in Houston. As he is about to execute her, Lydia's panicked pleas about her daughter affect him. He decides to spare Lydia in exchange for her becoming Walt's new methylamine supplier. Mike calls Walt and accepts a partnership in the new meth operation.

Skyler has become paralyzed by feelings of overwhelming fear and helplessness at the type of person Walt has become. Walt joins Skyler in bed for the night, gently explaining why it's for the best that she accepts the new phase their lives have entered, and again hints at remorse for what happened to Ted. Even though her back is still facing him, Walt continues to reassure Skyler on how things are much better than she thinks they are, and begins making unsolicited sexual advances towards Skyler, who remains completely quiet.

Production

Lydia Rodarte-Quayle, portrayed by Laura Fraser.[2]

Several fake restaurant chain names were made for the headquarters of Madrigal. One of these, "Burger Matic", was actually taken from Gilligan's previous work, Home Fries.[3]

Reception

Ratings

The episode was watched by approximately 2.29 million American viewers on its original broadcast, down from its series-high ratings of 2.93 million viewers the previous week.[4] This viewer count was later matched by "'Fifty-One".

Critical reception

Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly called "Madrigal" "terrific", stating: "One of the methods to Breaking Bad's endless fascination is the way it unfurls maps of inter-dependence. Certain characters may like to see themselves as independent agents, as lone wolves, but everyone is dependent upon someone else – someone else's errors, or rare twinge of good conscience – and thus must remain part of a group. It's a braided metaphor for the reasons we form societies." He did, however, wish the episode ended "more forcefully" with Mike making the reluctant phone call to Walt, rather than ending with the Walt/Skyler bedroom scene.[5] TV Fanatic's Matt Richenthal gave the episode 4.8 out of 5 stars, commenting: "Through its attention to detail, direction and dialogue, Breaking Bad possesses an uncanny ability to enrapture and enthrall. You can't help but be invested in every moment." He also commented on Jonathan Banks' performance: "Overall, just a terrific showcase this week for Jonathan Banks. His portrayal of Mike paints the picture of an exasperated career criminal who excels at the game ... and is resigned to his fate. He's funny ... and he somehow manages to be the moral center of this operation, despite his willingness to kill and kill and kill."[6]

Matt Zoller Seitz of Vulture cited the episode as an example of great directing in television, stating that it "contained not a single dull shot" and is stylistically reminiscent of Alan J. Pakula's thriller films through Michelle MacLaren's "sense of space, light, and pacing".[7]

The Ringer ranked "Madrigal" as the 37th best out of the 62 total Breaking Bad episodes.[8]

References

  1. ^ Franich, Darren (July 23, 2012). "'Breaking Bad': Showrunner Vince Gilligan talks about 'Madrigal'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
  2. ^ Herzog, Kenny (April 21, 2020). "Every Breaking Bad Crossover Character in Better Call Saul". Vulture. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  3. ^ 'Saul's Marriages' Easter Eggs Ep. 507. AMC. March 30, 2020. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  4. ^ Bibel, Sara (July 24, 2012). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'True Blood' Wins Night, 'Breaking Bad', 'Falling Skies', 'Army Wives', 'The Newsroom', 'Longmire' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on July 27, 2012. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
  5. ^ Tucker, Ken (July 22, 2012). "'Breaking Bad' review: 'You are a time bomb'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
  6. ^ Richenthal, Matt (July 22, 2012). "Breaking Bad Review: Prophylactic Measures". TV Fanatic. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
  7. ^ Seitz, Matt Zoller (May 12, 2013). "eitz: How to Direct a TV Drama". Vulture. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  8. ^ Andrew Gruttadaro (September 30, 2019). "The Ringer's Definitive 'Breaking Bad' Episodes Ranking". The Ringer.

External links

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