Walt (Bryan Cranston) has laid low for most of the season, despite the proclamation that "he is the danger." He and Jesse are plotting the death of their employer Gus Fring.When we last left "Breaking Bad," the Cartel robbed a Los Pollos Hermanos truck of its blue crystal meth, and sent a message to Gus' crew via the lid of a shipment asking if they're ready to talk.
Walt makes Skyler aware that he is dangerous, and therefore there’s no reason to worry. She runs away with Holly, only to return two days later and rebuke Walt for buying their son an expensive car with dirty money.
Meanwhile, Jesse surprisingly makes a career as an assistant hitman, or an assistant to the hitman. The benefits are yet to be determined.
This week, Jesse is shooting at the mutants and bandits who populate the video game “Rage,” when a flash of real-life shooting victim Gale Boetticher – how does this ghost splice himself into every episode? – pops into his head. He shakes it off and plays again.
Skyler sweet-talks the general manager at the Dodge dealership down to the stocking fee of $800 for two days’ use. Now, all Walt has to do is arrange to return the car he bought Walter Jr. Instead of returning it, Walt goes for a joyride in an empty parking lot, sullying the asphalt with circular skid marks. He stuffs the registration form in the gas tank and lights a flame that engulfs the Challenger. Walt’s recklessness is set to the tune of “Boots of Chinese Plastic,” thus reminding viewers that the Pretenders still record music.
Saul’s underground handiwork saves Walt from jail time and a marred criminal record, but costs $52,000. Walt asks to be put in touch with a hitman who could take out Gus. Saul warns that Mike has the regional network of hired guns in his pocket. Also, the lawyer fears Mike may break his legs any day now.
Walt learns Jesse has the upper hand in getting to Gus. While painting away the graffiti from the house's Skid Row phase, Jesse tells Walt he's willing to kill their horrible boss the first chance he gets. One minute they're trying to decipher Gus' paternal "I see things in people" line, the next they're in revenge mode.
Walt grinds up some castor beans to create ricin that can be sprinkled on Gus' food, which would kill him within 36 hours. Jesse hides it in one of his cigarettes and Walt urges him not to accidentally smoke it. Their previous attempt to poison Tuco's food with ricin was foiled. Jesse inadvertently talked Tuco out of it because he claimed it has chili powder in it.
Over the car wash, Skyler is hesitant to deposit Walt’s biweekly earnings of nearly $300,000 in the company safe. She had no idea his annual salary comes in at $7.5 million, an outrageously improbable intake for a car wash in a year, let alone years.
“I never wanted any of this,” the operation’s chief money launderer groans. When Skyler joined the criminal side, I assumed there would be less bickering, because she’s actively culpable, too. No such dice.
Hank (Dean Norris) is less of a bedridden mope these days. Consultation work on a meth-related Albuquerque Police Department case has given him a new reason to live. The decrepit duo -- Hank with a walker, Walter Jr. on crutches -- eat at Los Pollos Hermanos. Gus greets them with gusto, proclaiming Hank a “DEA hero” and even offering Walter Jr. part-time work. He kindly refills a soda that Hank uses to snag the man's fingerprints. Hank appropriately finds it weird that Walt bought his son a nice car only to return it.
Gaff attends the drug meet on behalf of the Cartel. It's held at the same trailer in the desert as last season's failed truce over the ill-advised use of children in the drug business. You remember how that turned out. Jesse as the de facto intern is put in charge of the coffee, which he considers poisoning until Mike awards him a loaded gun for emergencies only. Gus offers Gaff $50 million signifying an absolute severance of ties. But Gaff clarifies this is not a negotiation – they want the pure blue product.
Mike says he will teach Jesse how to shoot a gun. But Jesse still doesn’t get it: What does Gus see in him? “If I had to put it in a word, I’d guess ‘loyalty,’” Mike says. Aww.
Further descending into an identity crisis, Jesse returns to the support group he joined after Jane’s death. The rehab counselor (Jere Burns) is curious about how Jesse is coping. The answer: not too well. He is a whopping four days sober, and is still slumming it at the alleged “laundry.” For the sake of making actual progress, he tests out another lie in metaphor form.
Jesse admits to killing a dog for no particular reason. It was a “problem dog” but one that never bit anybody. The crime was said not to be drug motivated, and he doesn’t know how he feels. The counselor assures him self-abuse won’t ease the pain. Jesse says he initially joined the group to sell them meth, hoping the counselor will cease to excuse his actions and prove affirm futility of acceptance. The counselor says it's not okay.
“About time,” says Jesse.
Hank fills in his former DEA partner Steve Gomez (Steven Michael Quezada) and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Merkert (Michael Shamus Wiles) on the consulting he's doing for the local police department. His report is a mix of facts we do and don't already know he knows. He suspects Gale was Heisenberg's former cook, not Heisenberg himself. The number on the napkin refers to a high-volume industrial air cleaner. The system's manufacturer, which shipped a machine that Gale signed for, is highly diversified in other industries such as fast food, namely Los Pollos Hermanos. Merkert and Gomez think the connection is far-fetched, as the napkin could have very well been from KFC.
Hank anticipated a cold reception, so he saved the best for last. Fingerprints left at Gale’s apartment the night he died belong to none other than the restaurant chain’s CEO.
QUOTES AND NOTES
Jesse (Aaron Paul), left, and Gus (Giancarlo Esposito) on "Breaking Bad." - “That’s what the kids call ‘Epic fail.’” – Saul to Walt
- “Please. One homicidal maniac at a time.” – Walt to Jesse, on plotting Mike’s death after Gus’
- “No matter how many dogs I kill, I just do an inventory and accept?” - Jesse to rehab counselor
- The "problem dog" monologue dealt with the emptiness he is feeling in a riveting way. Jesse's emotional connection to Gale obviously was a lot weaker than his relationship with Jane. The writing allowed Aaron Paul to flex his acting muscles in this showcase of a scene. Such opportunities have been scant compared to last season, which was chock full of monologues with beats and levels. At the same time, the show has progressively become an ensemble piece where second-tier regulars and bit players get enough screen time to show off.
- For the third episode in a row now, Walt is seriously acting foolish with money. After the champagne and the car purchase, he sets the car ablaze just to watch it burn. He will pay the price for it, just not in the form of a finger wagging from Skyler. The audience is left to passively frown upon his behavior. Props to Jesse, though, for painting his house himself and not paying off Honduran women to finish the job.
- Apparently, Mike did misinterpret the Spanish scrawled on that bucket. Because a “talk” was clearly not what Gaff had in mind. I understand these are two major drug operations portrayed on a weekly TV show, but I expected to see more muscle when head honchos meet like this. Gaff showed up with one bodyguard. Mike brought a few security guys … and Jesse. Give the kid a few more months in a sweaty car with Mike and he’ll be as cold and detached as Tyrus or Victor.
- Hank seems to be the only cop in the Southwest invested in busting the meth industry. In all the time that’s passed since his breakthroughs in the case, not a soul has attempted to make headway. He has been out of commission for a couple months -- about 13 episodes, or a full season load, in TV time. And this episode, the sixth since the premiere, tells me he’s not just the first guy to pull off fingerprint evidence from Gale’s home but likely the only guy to make a relevant connection.
- With his supersized sound system and violent video games, Jesse -- if he were a decade younger -- would be the poster boy for Luddites.
- Although Mike always worked for Gus, he felt a lot closer to Saul when we first met him. These days, he’s most certainly Gus’ guy, even if the two don’t have an exemplary verbal rapport.
- The best thing about this episode is that it precedes one titled “Hermanos.”
What did everyone think? Who wants to see Walter Jr. working the cash register at Los Pollos Hermanos? Leave your comments below.