Albuquerque, New Mexico is a dog-eat-dog town, in Breaking Bad this week. And at least one of those dogs is rabid.
The episode, interestingly, begins with Walt. Not Jesse, who we last saw pouring gasoline all over Mr. White's floor in a complete rage. Walt is cautiously approaching the house with his gun, clearing the corners and checking everywhere. The gas is immediately obvious. But lo and behold-- Jesse did not burn the house down, and seems to have completely disappeared.
But his CAR is still outside. Where could he be? Well, actually it's Saul's car, but that's besides the point. Walt finds a CD-- is it Hank's "DVD Confession" that Walt made? That was my first thought, although I believe that is incorrect. However, it certainly does foreshadow that there's a good chance that Hank, who dipped out of the office late last episode to unknown destinations (after Gomez said his men were going to stop following Jesse) has something to do with this. And that probably bodes very poorly for Walter White.
Cue Breaking Bad intro.
It amusingly reopens to Walter working on creating a cover story for why the house was broken into and now smells like gas. He offers to pay the vacuum folks, but they politely (and honestly) say that while they'd like to accept more money, gasoline is tricky; it's soaked into the floorboards or sub-floor or whatever. Meanwhile he wants the keys replaced, but without changing the locks.
So it's time for another Fugue state type deal. Walt peculiarly pours gasoline on his clothes, tosses the gas into a trashcan, changes his mind and retrieves it, and pours some on his car seat as well. Late that night (after the car wash is closed, presumably) Skyler comes in and-- err-- is that gasoline? And Walt goes into "storytelling" mode. There was a "pump malfunction" at the station, and he left his gas-soaked clothes on the rug.
Walter Jr. calls bullshit-- but then provides Walt with a BETTER lie-- Walt fainted while pumping gas, right? Stop lying, Walt! Walt accepts this excellent, excellent out gracefully, denying it but also admitting that his head got a little "swimmy". Skyler just kind of rolls with it, used to Walt's nonsense. Because of the smell and fumes, the White family decides to go to a hotel for the night.
Walt meets Saul outside the hotel; they don't know where Jesse is, despite Kuby bugging Skinny Pete and Badger (who Walt mistakenly thought was nicknamed "Beaver") and hearing hours of fan talk about Babylon 5. Saul is particularly grumpy after taking his beating from Jesse, but he's still funny as ever. Walt says he wants to talk to Jesse when they find him. Saul and Kuby exchange a look of skepticism, and ask what should happen if Jesse isn't in the mood for discussing "the nuances of child poisoning". Saul, taking the punches quite personally, asks Walt if they should take notes from Old Yeller and put the good ol' dog, now rabid, out of its misery. Walt balks, and angrily demands that Saul never float that idea again.
When Walt comes back with ice, Skyler asks how Saul is doing. After a short denial, Walt drops his bumbling husband routine and flatly asks/says "I'm sorry, were you spying on me.." Skyler is feeling tired of the weak-sauce lies that she is too adept at seeing through, and confirms this in a businesslike way. She then wants to know the real story about the gasoline, and Walt (with some qualifying statements about their safety, and the fact that Jesse changed his mind). Then Skyler goes FULL LADY MACBETH. SHE, Skyler White, the "victim" of Walter White, recommends that Walter "TAKE CARE OF IT" in a final, Old Yeller way. Don't talk to the kid and make him "see reason". What if he changes his mind back. She wants finality. Unbelievable. After the tape to Hank and Marie, Skyler finally knows what it's like to be in too deep to back out, just like Walt found himself in the first episode, lethally defending himself.
Then, halfway through the episode, we return to Jesse, and we get to see his side of the story. As he is pouring gas on the carpet, Hank interrupts, saying that they will "burn him down" together. They drive off the second Walt pulls up at the end of the street, leaving the trace of Hank's involvement with Jesse.
Marie is at her therapist, who seems to be under the impression that Marie is being the regular overreacting woman who has bursts of kleptomania, not knowing that her anger towards Walter is largely deserved. She speaks cryptically to the guy, and recites poisons she has looked up online that would serve as just punishment. He tiredly reminds her that violence is not the way to go, and may even smell out that there is more to this situation than regular run-of-the-mill crazy.
When she gets home, Hank has bags packed for her-- purple luggage, naturally. Marie stubbornly refuses to leave until Hank tells her that Jesse is staying there. Marie is OK with it, on the condition that Jesse being there is bad for Walter.
Walt has a tender moment with Jr, which is cute but not particularly noteworthy.
Marie and Jesse finally meet each other, for what has to be the first time. She offers coffee, and Hank has set up a video camera with GOMEZ! He's up to speed on things at long last, which is great: Hank needed his partner, and they're a great team. Which he proves: he reminds Hank that even with a Jesse confession, it's just one confession against one denial, and no real evidence.
After taping the confession, Hank uses the message that Walter left for Jesse, wanting to explain things to him, and proof that Walt actually cares about Jesse. Jesse should meet Walt and wear a wire. Jesse is afraid that it might be a trap to kill him. Hank doesn't think so, but tells Gomez that he truly doesn't care if Jesse dies: it would provide evidence on Walt. Yikes.
The meet is set up, but Jesse starts freaking out when a tough-looking guy is standing close to Walter. Time reveals that of course, it's just some random dude waiting for his daughter. He walks off to a pay-phone, calls Walt, and tells him that he's gunning for him. Hank is furious, but Jesse alludes to the fact that there is a different, better way to take down Heisenberg.
Meanwhile, Hank calls Todd-- looks like he has another job for his Uncle Jack.
Final Thoughts:
1. Skyler is officially Lady MacBeth. Did Lady MacBeth live or die, in the end? The latter, offstage...
2. Why is tough guy so tough looking when he's not with his daughter?
3. Hank is a total dick now, for being so unpleasant towards Jesse, who is MAKING the entire case for him. And saving him from the counter-accusations.
The episode, interestingly, begins with Walt. Not Jesse, who we last saw pouring gasoline all over Mr. White's floor in a complete rage. Walt is cautiously approaching the house with his gun, clearing the corners and checking everywhere. The gas is immediately obvious. But lo and behold-- Jesse did not burn the house down, and seems to have completely disappeared.
But his CAR is still outside. Where could he be? Well, actually it's Saul's car, but that's besides the point. Walt finds a CD-- is it Hank's "DVD Confession" that Walt made? That was my first thought, although I believe that is incorrect. However, it certainly does foreshadow that there's a good chance that Hank, who dipped out of the office late last episode to unknown destinations (after Gomez said his men were going to stop following Jesse) has something to do with this. And that probably bodes very poorly for Walter White.
Cue Breaking Bad intro.
It amusingly reopens to Walter working on creating a cover story for why the house was broken into and now smells like gas. He offers to pay the vacuum folks, but they politely (and honestly) say that while they'd like to accept more money, gasoline is tricky; it's soaked into the floorboards or sub-floor or whatever. Meanwhile he wants the keys replaced, but without changing the locks.
So it's time for another Fugue state type deal. Walt peculiarly pours gasoline on his clothes, tosses the gas into a trashcan, changes his mind and retrieves it, and pours some on his car seat as well. Late that night (after the car wash is closed, presumably) Skyler comes in and-- err-- is that gasoline? And Walt goes into "storytelling" mode. There was a "pump malfunction" at the station, and he left his gas-soaked clothes on the rug.
Walter Jr. calls bullshit-- but then provides Walt with a BETTER lie-- Walt fainted while pumping gas, right? Stop lying, Walt! Walt accepts this excellent, excellent out gracefully, denying it but also admitting that his head got a little "swimmy". Skyler just kind of rolls with it, used to Walt's nonsense. Because of the smell and fumes, the White family decides to go to a hotel for the night.
Walt meets Saul outside the hotel; they don't know where Jesse is, despite Kuby bugging Skinny Pete and Badger (who Walt mistakenly thought was nicknamed "Beaver") and hearing hours of fan talk about Babylon 5. Saul is particularly grumpy after taking his beating from Jesse, but he's still funny as ever. Walt says he wants to talk to Jesse when they find him. Saul and Kuby exchange a look of skepticism, and ask what should happen if Jesse isn't in the mood for discussing "the nuances of child poisoning". Saul, taking the punches quite personally, asks Walt if they should take notes from Old Yeller and put the good ol' dog, now rabid, out of its misery. Walt balks, and angrily demands that Saul never float that idea again.
When Walt comes back with ice, Skyler asks how Saul is doing. After a short denial, Walt drops his bumbling husband routine and flatly asks/says "I'm sorry, were you spying on me.." Skyler is feeling tired of the weak-sauce lies that she is too adept at seeing through, and confirms this in a businesslike way. She then wants to know the real story about the gasoline, and Walt (with some qualifying statements about their safety, and the fact that Jesse changed his mind). Then Skyler goes FULL LADY MACBETH. SHE, Skyler White, the "victim" of Walter White, recommends that Walter "TAKE CARE OF IT" in a final, Old Yeller way. Don't talk to the kid and make him "see reason". What if he changes his mind back. She wants finality. Unbelievable. After the tape to Hank and Marie, Skyler finally knows what it's like to be in too deep to back out, just like Walt found himself in the first episode, lethally defending himself.
Then, halfway through the episode, we return to Jesse, and we get to see his side of the story. As he is pouring gas on the carpet, Hank interrupts, saying that they will "burn him down" together. They drive off the second Walt pulls up at the end of the street, leaving the trace of Hank's involvement with Jesse.
Marie is at her therapist, who seems to be under the impression that Marie is being the regular overreacting woman who has bursts of kleptomania, not knowing that her anger towards Walter is largely deserved. She speaks cryptically to the guy, and recites poisons she has looked up online that would serve as just punishment. He tiredly reminds her that violence is not the way to go, and may even smell out that there is more to this situation than regular run-of-the-mill crazy.
When she gets home, Hank has bags packed for her-- purple luggage, naturally. Marie stubbornly refuses to leave until Hank tells her that Jesse is staying there. Marie is OK with it, on the condition that Jesse being there is bad for Walter.
Walt has a tender moment with Jr, which is cute but not particularly noteworthy.
Marie and Jesse finally meet each other, for what has to be the first time. She offers coffee, and Hank has set up a video camera with GOMEZ! He's up to speed on things at long last, which is great: Hank needed his partner, and they're a great team. Which he proves: he reminds Hank that even with a Jesse confession, it's just one confession against one denial, and no real evidence.
After taping the confession, Hank uses the message that Walter left for Jesse, wanting to explain things to him, and proof that Walt actually cares about Jesse. Jesse should meet Walt and wear a wire. Jesse is afraid that it might be a trap to kill him. Hank doesn't think so, but tells Gomez that he truly doesn't care if Jesse dies: it would provide evidence on Walt. Yikes.
The meet is set up, but Jesse starts freaking out when a tough-looking guy is standing close to Walter. Time reveals that of course, it's just some random dude waiting for his daughter. He walks off to a pay-phone, calls Walt, and tells him that he's gunning for him. Hank is furious, but Jesse alludes to the fact that there is a different, better way to take down Heisenberg.
Meanwhile, Hank calls Todd-- looks like he has another job for his Uncle Jack.
Final Thoughts:
1. Skyler is officially Lady MacBeth. Did Lady MacBeth live or die, in the end? The latter, offstage...
2. Why is tough guy so tough looking when he's not with his daughter?
3. Hank is a total dick now, for being so unpleasant towards Jesse, who is MAKING the entire case for him. And saving him from the counter-accusations.
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