Gus didn’t seem like he was particularly clever or all powerful this episode, did he? I’d almost go so far as to say that the cartel is to Gus what Gus is to Walt. Gus is in over his head, negotiating from positions of weaknesses, his foe is dealing with him through middlemen and they are refusing to expose themselves. What does the cartel want? Walt? Does Gus even believe if he hands over Walt at this point that it will be over? And the kicker is, Gus doesn’t even know that the situation is worse than he thinks.
What’s worse about it? I wrote an article a few weeks ago speculating that Walt would figure out a way to sic Hank on Gus. Now it looks like he’s siccing himself, thank you very much, and Walt should probably be worried about that.
What Walt is worried about is getting to Gus, and he puts two and two together with Saul’s help and figures his angsty partner is the one with the access. It’s interesting, I thought Walt, even though it was a typically hamfisted attempt at “selling” Jesse on the concept, did make a lot of smart, solid points that connected. I found myself at the beginning of the scene cringing and thinking Walt was blowing it, to totally buying Jesse siding with Walt by the end.
But why isn’t Walt or Jesse asking the obvious question here: then what? We kill Gus, and then what? Yeah, you can handle Mike later, I guess, but what about the meth? The cartel? I forget, does Walt know about Gus saving him from the cousins? Even a hypothetical Jesse/Walt/Mike conspiracy can’t do everything Gus is now doing. Now that we know that Gus is involved in several large international concerns, this is even truer. Even if Walt had the resources money wise to build a lab like Gus’s, he couldn’t possibly order everything in secret, have it built in secret, nor launder the crazy amount of money he’d have to to keep perpetuating this. Hell, he can’t launder his own salary yet.
Speaking of hamfisted, I think the meth support group wasn’t particularly well done. It was really well acted and wrote, but I think the counselor played by Jere Burns wouldn’t have handled the situation as poorly as he did. A guy like Jesse venting that much truth and pain and feelings, I don’t think he’d be kicked out. I think the group leader would see this as the kind of honesty and emotional bedrock that you can actually build a real recovery on. That’s what group therapy is all about.
Other observations:
- Damn, Walt and Skyler were really close to having an adult conversation where they were just honest with each other without making attempts to guilt, shame, or manipulate one or the other. I’m solidly in the camp that says Walt gives as good as he gets in manipulation department, so this isn’t me saying “Skyler finally quit being a bitch!” This made their kiss in the lobby fascinating. I still can’t tell, if this is a front again for Marie’s benefit, or if this is legitimate. I don’t think they know either, which really made Walt’s “if you want out, just say so” line really work for me.
- The opening joy ride illustrates everything we love, and everything we hate about Walt. On the one hand, it’s totally badass and vicariously thrilling, on the other hand, it’s incredibly reckless and stupid.
- Our old friend Rice ‘n’ Beans is back!
- The writers impressed me by pointing out an operator of Mike’s skill and experience would know everyone Saul would know in the region. That’s a nice piece of realism and attention to detail.
- Eyebrows of Doom. Heh.
- You know, am I crazy, or is Jim maybe, ever so slightly, on to something about this Coffee thing? It really seemed to be hammered home tonight. “Watch the coffee. It’s significant and perhaps deadly.” I feel like I’ve been brainwashed by a crazy cultist! The especially brilliant thing is that he doesn’t even HAVE a damned theory! There is no what does it mean, or what is it symbolizing, or what it’s foreshadowing, or anything like that. No, it’s just “Coffee is significant, in some way.” And damn me if it doesn’t seem like it is!
- Speaking of crazy theories, one that Jim and I cooked up in the spoilers section was that maybe Jr. would work for Los Pollos Hermanos at one point. There was some heavy foreshadowing going on here that this is going to happen. Not only that, but when Hank said “watch out, he’d eat you out of product!” was I the only one that shouted at the screen “STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM METH, JR!?”
- The last scene with Hank, Gomez, and his old DEA boss was masterful. Hank is so good at his job, and the scene was so well framed and acted, in such a conservative way. No music cues, crazy camera angles, just three excellent actors in a room.
- I don’t think that Gus has bought off Hank’s old boss, or Gomey. But, wasn’t there just a BIT of hint in that scene in the actor’s faces that if it turns out Gus does have these guys in it’s pocket, it is not going to really come as a surprise? Or is that just me?
So that’s what I thought. What did you think? Let us know, because if you get it to us by 7PM EST, we’ll probably read it online. Podcasting tomorrow night, and we’ll have it out before midnight. Of course, follow us on Twitter and Facebook if you want to know the second we put it out there. See ya all tomorrow for Breaking Bad News, and tomorrow night for the podcast!
