El Camino

Jesse’s aged. Being held captive in an underground cage didn’t do wonders for his skin. So, it has nothing to do with the seven years since Aaron Paul did his last Breaking Bad episode. And that’s what this is: a Breaking Bad episode. Slightly longer than the others, but just as good. Better than most. Jesse’s the hero who’s on the run who needs money. And he’s also getting smarter. There are remnants of that teenage clumsiness, but also signs that he’s learned from Walter and Mike, he’s thinking clearly, and he’s willing to take charge and pull the trigger if he needs to. Kudos to the whole enterprise for not trying to be bigger or graver than it needs to be. It’s a small-scale modern western made with emotion and skill.