Breaking Bad Season 4 Will Come Down to Walt Vs. Gus

The Breaking Bad Season 4 premiere was over a year in the making. That left fans wondering for a long time whether Jesse truly committed murder and whether it was enough to save his and Walt's lives. Of course, although Breaking Bad prides itself on breaking the rules, Season 4 couldn't start with the two main characters dying, despite their grave circumstances. To that end, Walt's plan to buy more time with Gus worked -- but only to a point.

Warning: Spoilers follow

But before that was made clear, the premiere episode spent its first two acts catching up with everyone, if only to fill viewers in and torture them with waiting. An opening flashback revealed Gale's own role in setting up his own fate, while Skyler tried to figure out where Walt was, Saul became even more paranoid, and the recovering Hank's mood worsened despite being home.

But the big countdown was in the lab, as everyone waited for Gus to show up and deliver his response. A telling sign came before the third act started, as AMC warned that the next segment had "intense violence." Such intense violence probably couldn't be used against Walt and Jesse -- partly because Gus needed them more than ever now, and partly because they are the main characters. That may have lessened the tension, yet that would have been a problem for most shows except Breaking Bad.

Since Gus was introduced in the middle of Season 2, he has rarely been seen as anything but an even tempered, calm, rational businessman, despite his evil plans. But for the first time -- and maybe not the last -- he metamorphosed into something entirely different, sending a loud and clear message to Walt and Jesse. In addition, he laid the groundwork for Season 4 in general, as Walt's successful, last ditch effort to save himself was just the first part of a larger war ahead.

That war will likely have Walt ready to sink even deeper into darkness, as if that were possible by now. As for Jesse, the line he crossed is ready to send him off the wagon and back into old habits. Whether that gives Gus or Walt more of an advantage in their chess game is likely to change from week to week.

But now that Season 4 has started, Breaking Bad will have 12 weeks to get Walt and Jesse out of their latest corner, push them into 10 more, and present even more difficult choices that have even more horrible, unintended -- or intended -- consequences. That formula has worked for three seasons, and, judging by the unbearable, 10 minute long climax of the premiere, nothing has changed now.

The latest changes in the show can be seen every Sunday at 10 p.m. ET on AMC.

Sources

TV Guide- "Breaking Bad Postmortem: Giancarlo Esposito Reacts to the Premiere's Most Gruesome Scene"