In my review of the main series (written after season 2) I heaped praise on this production. In my reviews, however, of key episodes in season 3, that praise had turned to scorn. Not that the show was less than entertaining, simply that it had become less than genuine, literally going to any length (Walt's wife killed over an election?) to pull ratings. And ultimately money for the producers.
There is an old vaudeville story about the man who could dive off a ladder 200 feet in the air into a tank of water barely his own size. Yes, he could do the trick. But only once.
Maybe, like Justified, the producers are looking for a wrapup in Season 4, so, in the name of ratings, burning all the characters to the ground makes sense to them? Not to me. And it should not make sense to you either.
If you have not seen this episode, I will say (a) it is well produced, suspenseful and entertaining; (b) it is completely inconsistent with the tone and grace of Season 1; and (c) it has plot holes you could drive a truck through.
For example, if this "Who Shot JR?" twist is to be believed, then Barlow's own hired thug was also the guy who shot, and almost killed, his own son ...? Ask your fifth grader to explain THAT.
And, for those fans who think I am being too harsh, consider this: In the very last scene, Barlow and Branch are trap shooting, and no one cares. Each shotgun blast goes completely un-noticed.
Yet -- and you can check this on your PVR -- the very last gun blast -- the "mystery" shot which forms the cliffhanger for next season -- was identical in forensic acoustics to all the prior shots, YET THIS SHOT SOMEHOW AFFECTS WALT (at a distance) TO THE POINT THAT HE JUMPS INTO HIS TRUCK AND HI-TAILS IT TO THE SCENE...? Great writing if you are high school. But we expect more from this series. And seems we are not going to get it.
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