Top 10 Episodes #5
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Season 2, Episode 2: ‘Grilled’
Directed by Charles Haid
Written by Vince Gilligan & George Mastras
‘Grilled’ opens with another attention grabbing flash-forward sequence – an ’89 Monte Carlo lowrider bouncing up and down, working its hydraulics system hard, stranded in the desert. We see the trunk of the car wide open, and shotgun shell casings scattered on the ground. Having been kidnapped by a crazed Tuco, Walt and Jesse are held prisoner by him in a desert shack where he often hides out and takes care of his sick mute uncle. Mark Margolis plays Tio (uncle), an ex-con limited to a wheelchair. One would expect a man who can’t talk to have a voice synthesizer, but Tio prefers a less traditional method – a single bell, with which he uses to communicate when need be.
‘Grilled’ has a bona fide Hitchcockian touch, packed with suspense from start to finish. We spend the majority of the episode trapped inside Tuco’s hideout, waiting to see how Walt and Jesse find a way to escape. Walt poisons Tuco’s burrito, and Tio won’t stop ringing the bell. Directed by Charles Haid, who played Renko on Hill Street Blues, ‘Grilled’ is yet another prime example of why Breading Bad is must-see viewing.
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