‘Kafkaesque’: ‘Breaking Bad’ Differently
By Naiwrita Sinha, Gaea News NetworkMonday, May 17, 2010
LOS ANGELES (GaeaTimes.com)- The latest episode of the popular series “Breaking Bad” was somewhat sinisterly and bafflingly named “Kafkaesque.” However, although the episode more or less lived up to the nomenclature, some of the critics were of the opinion that it was actually a lot less bizarre that the other episodes. Actually, the fact that the episode was not that fast paced and lacked the frenetic pace that is trademark of the series was seen as a welcome change by most of the critics, although some did miss the breathtaking pace.
The fact that Kafkaesque was somewhat lacking in the speed which usually infuses every bit of the other episodes in the series, can be attributed to the fact that it focused, at least in part, on the personal matters of the characters. It is most displayed in the scene where Hank is seen lying in his hospital bed, and the sequence makes it clear that he is partially paralyzed. However, while Marie checks the health insurance plans of Hank, she announces that there is not enough in it to cover all the medical expenses that would guarantee Hank a recovery.
This was possibly the only political statement made by any character in the series so far. Besides the lack of pace and the preoccupation with the personal lives of the characters, this is also an aspect that sets Kafkaesque apart from the other episodes of the series. The comment made by Marie was most probably a jab at the healthcare reform bill that is being hugely debated in the Congress for quite some time now.
