As is unusual for Breaking Bad, the IMDb user ratings for "Cornered" do not at all indicate how good of an episode this is. And with that I'm not only thinking of Walt's famous "I am the one who knocks" speech (which is outstanding, nevertheless), but about the whole 46 minutes, throughout filled with excellent performances, hugely entertaining character interaction, and a great atmosphere, especially in the scene, in which a meth den is visited by PI-ing buddies Jesse and Mike.
What I enjoyed most about this episode – and I honestly never believed I would ever say this – is Anna Gunn's acting, which she would've been ill-advised not to submit for consideration for the Emmy Awards. At the beginning of the episode it's merely good, as her reaction to Walt going HAM on her doesn't manage to outshine the unforgettable scene Bryan Cranston has just delivered, but later on, she gets two moments to show all her talent and, oh boy, she does. The coin flipping at the Four Corners Monument may not be that spectacular, but I adore how simple yet momentous it is. And then, her showing her husband who's the man in the house is sheer acting brilliance. Actually, this scene comes ironic in an episode, in which Walt is the most badass since that one time when he partially destroyed Tuco's "office". Him owning Bogdan was the most relieving to see and this time around, he doesn't even need to grab his crotch to do so.
Going through all the scenes of "Cornered" in my head again, I can't think of one I didn't like and that has been as rare as Bogdan shaving his eyebrows in recent Breaking Bad history. The episode isn't perfect and could have profited from a bit more thrill or the eerie mood TUCKER!'s abode had to offer, but all in all, I was just happy to see a really good Breaking Bad episode once again.
What I enjoyed most about this episode – and I honestly never believed I would ever say this – is Anna Gunn's acting, which she would've been ill-advised not to submit for consideration for the Emmy Awards. At the beginning of the episode it's merely good, as her reaction to Walt going HAM on her doesn't manage to outshine the unforgettable scene Bryan Cranston has just delivered, but later on, she gets two moments to show all her talent and, oh boy, she does. The coin flipping at the Four Corners Monument may not be that spectacular, but I adore how simple yet momentous it is. And then, her showing her husband who's the man in the house is sheer acting brilliance. Actually, this scene comes ironic in an episode, in which Walt is the most badass since that one time when he partially destroyed Tuco's "office". Him owning Bogdan was the most relieving to see and this time around, he doesn't even need to grab his crotch to do so.
Going through all the scenes of "Cornered" in my head again, I can't think of one I didn't like and that has been as rare as Bogdan shaving his eyebrows in recent Breaking Bad history. The episode isn't perfect and could have profited from a bit more thrill or the eerie mood TUCKER!'s abode had to offer, but all in all, I was just happy to see a really good Breaking Bad episode once again.