Inbetween Walt's seemingly indestructible meth operation, Hank's incessant digging and Skyler's end-all attempt to protect her kids, lies Marie. Despite her klepto past and strange affinity for the color purple, Marie always seems to have good intentions, a dynamic that makes this whole world that much more complex.
I caught up with actress Betsy Brandt right after last week's explosive episode and we couldn't help but gush over that ending scene. You know, the one where Friday Night Lights alum Jesse Plemons - spoiler alert! - murders an innocent child. I was still nursing a Breaking Bad hangover Monday morning when we spoke on the phone.
"I knew that was coming," Betsy tells me as I mention Plemons' mostly good-guy roles. "I read it in the script, so I tried not to watch it, but it was so quick and I was like 'Oh! I didn’t really want to see that. He looks so sweet!'"
That he does. We then get to talking about Hank and Marie's relationship a bit. Their marriage was certainly put through the ringer last season and now they are busy taking care of their neice and nephew as Walt and Skyler's relationship falls to pieces. Will they have children of their own? "I always figured that if anything happens to Walt and Skyler, the kids go to Hank and Marie. They just love these kids," Betsy says. "They’re happy to take them, but you know I think even with all Marie's flaws, I think she'd be a really loving parent and Hank too."
Meanwhile, Walt's lying is at his all-time high and as usual, no one has reason to doubt him. Yet. "I love that line [Dean Norris] had on this last episode when he said, 'Darkness before the dawn.'" Betsy says. "And didn’t Walt just play Hank like a violin? And he’s so comfortable with it. I love that scene between Dean and Bryan [Cranston]. I thought it just reminded us of who everybody is and their place in the bigger picture."
While Walt continues to evolve into a darker and darker character, it seems Marie hasn't changed much since we first met her. "Marie, when we met her, I feel like she broke bad the first season," Besty says of her character. "She’s always been there for her family. She would do anything for them. She’s not a bad person, she’s just a difficult person. And in every family, you have to have at least one person like that."
The show is finishing up its run with this final fifth season, the second half to air next year, which is sure to be insane. "I love how Vince [Gilligan] is doing this. If we wouldn’t have gotten picked up for season five, then we would have ended season four after Gus was killed. But it was just too early," Betsy says. "There were just so many things to wrap up, we weren’t done yet."
Thankfully. Though, there's also something to be said about a series going out on a high note. "I love this job, I love the material, I love the people I get to work with," she agrees. "There’s a part of me that would love to do it forever, but I’m glad the show is so great and we’re not going out as one of those shows that people say, 'Is that still on?'"
Talk of a potential movie is still making the rounds and Betsy's not necessarily against the idea. "I would love for there to be a movie and I know there’s at least one fantastic director who’s interested in doing it," she tells me. "I don’t know what will happen after the show... if they'll be anybody left (laughs). I have requested to at least one of the writers, even if they don’t air it, that they create some sort of finale like Six Feet Under had."
As for this half of the season, she's confident it will live up to fans' expectations and then some. "It’s really good. I think it’s some of our best work," she says. "I’ve been watching it and I’m so aware and excited for what it's going to give us, how it’s setting us up for the last season. As sad as I am that the show is ending, I’m so excited to see what they do. You know, they will not disappoint. They haven’t disappointed yet and it’s pretty phenomenal."
So what's it going to be like when Betsy has to say goodbye to Marie? "It’s a lot of fun and it is really fun to play. I truly love her. When the show’s over, I’ll miss her greatly. I will miss her."
Breaking Bad airs Sundays at 10 p.m. on AMC.
What do you think of season 5 so far?
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