Season four's main plot comes to a bit of a halt in "Hermanos", but that doesn't diminish the importance of the episode as it adds a lot to the Breaking Bad universe (or whatever you'd like to call it) with a hugely interesting flashback and the writers digging up some sub-interesting characters and showing audiences how their lives are currently looking. Thus, "Hermanos" was a slow episode and was a bit sparse on rememberable moments compared to the two preceding ones, but was very well-made and entertaining nevertheless.
Skyler and Marie are out of focus this time, with the first getting barely more noteworthy than a wordless scene pushing her story arc forward and the second at least getting her trademark ridiculously awkward dialogue, which makes the two men in their families come into focus, especially in a short spin that turned out to be more uncomfortable for Walt than that one time where he stood in a supermarket in his birthday suit. Reason for that is Hank putting out his feelers to Gus even more, even though the hermano that makes for one half of the episode's title passes his APD/DEA questioning with flying colors. Dean Norris and Bryan Cranston are superb when the subject of blue meth comes up that Hank is still unaware is coming from his brother-in-law. The latter one of them additionally gets the chance to once again show off his Heisenbergness as he encounters a fellow cancer patient in his monthly examination and gives him an insight into his philosophy, which was the coolest you can get while wearing one of these unflattering patient dresses.
After him blowing away all Breaking Bad audiences in "Problem Dog", Aaron Paul took a step back in "Hermanos" and only said hello for visiting Andrea for the first time since season three's season finale (we didn't see them talking and I don't mind that at all) and further impairing his relationship with Walter while taking a leak. And then there's the really long flashback sequence giving a bit of an insight into Gus' past, but only as much as to show us that he hasn't always been the hardened stoic he is now. Besides the distracting yellow color tone and the most factitious Spanish, that scene was nice as well.
Skyler and Marie are out of focus this time, with the first getting barely more noteworthy than a wordless scene pushing her story arc forward and the second at least getting her trademark ridiculously awkward dialogue, which makes the two men in their families come into focus, especially in a short spin that turned out to be more uncomfortable for Walt than that one time where he stood in a supermarket in his birthday suit. Reason for that is Hank putting out his feelers to Gus even more, even though the hermano that makes for one half of the episode's title passes his APD/DEA questioning with flying colors. Dean Norris and Bryan Cranston are superb when the subject of blue meth comes up that Hank is still unaware is coming from his brother-in-law. The latter one of them additionally gets the chance to once again show off his Heisenbergness as he encounters a fellow cancer patient in his monthly examination and gives him an insight into his philosophy, which was the coolest you can get while wearing one of these unflattering patient dresses.
After him blowing away all Breaking Bad audiences in "Problem Dog", Aaron Paul took a step back in "Hermanos" and only said hello for visiting Andrea for the first time since season three's season finale (we didn't see them talking and I don't mind that at all) and further impairing his relationship with Walter while taking a leak. And then there's the really long flashback sequence giving a bit of an insight into Gus' past, but only as much as to show us that he hasn't always been the hardened stoic he is now. Besides the distracting yellow color tone and the most factitious Spanish, that scene was nice as well.