Throughout the entire course of “Breaking Bad” there has been plenty of malicious activity. Shootings, bombings, drug making. Some innocent lives lost, others not so much. Walt has learned to live through it. Skyler and Saul would rather not know the details. And Hank has resorted to pure anger.
Jesse, on the other hand, has been the most emotionally affected. A thuggin’ dope slinger earlier in the series, he bonded with Walt and made himself some serious cash in the process. But it came at great cost. He lost everyone he loved around him, became responsible for murder, and got on and off hard drugs more times than he could count. He’s been through a lot being Walt’s partner, and the start of this season has shown the toll.
It’s interestingly enough that the episode opens with Jesse being interrogated. His little stunt of being a money throwing paperboy landed him in some hot water. But Hank is after more than those petty problems. He wants Jesse to squeal on Walt and finally give Hank the ammunition he needs.
Unfortunately for Hank, there’s only one more Jesse loathes more, and that’s Hank. He references their little skirmish that sent Jesse to the hospital and Hank to probation. No matter how Hank pleads to get Jesse to give up Walt, Jesse won’t budge. It’s the lingering sense of loyalty that finally goes to pot in the final five minutes.
But back to Hank for a second. With no tangible lead on Walt=Heisenberg, he continues to focus on some way to tie it all together. At a Mexican restaurant, he meets with Marie, Skyler and Walt. Walt of course tries to play the mediator, continuing to talk about the return of his cancer and how he take care of the kids. Hank makes it clear he only wants one thing: to bring Walt down.
And this is where Walt unleashes his most dastardly Heisenberg plan yet. He tapes a “confessional” that pins all the blame on Hank. It frames Walt as a meek chemist hired by ruthless drug lord Hank. Marie and Hank watch the tape with shock and horror. Walt is planning to bring anything out in order to save his skin and protect his family. Hank is eliminated as a threat for now.
But that still leaves Jesse. Walt meets with Saul and Jesse, where Walt tries to smooze Jesse into taking up Saul’s offer of a new identity. Jesse lashes out — he knows that Walt killed Mike, and that his concern for Jesse isn’t genuine. Jesse even thinks that if he doesn’t accept Walt’s advice he would be dead. Instead, Walt gives Jesse a hug as Jesse breaks down crying.
He accepts the offer begrudgingly. But as he waits for the new identity man to show up, he notices his old cigarettes being where his weed was. And here is where he connects the dots — that Saul’s lackey Huell lifted the ricin cigarette off of him, and that Walt eventually was the one to poison Brock. He busts back into Saul’s office and gives him a beating. Saul maintains some innocence; he lifted the cig but wouldn’t have if he knew what Walt would do.
Jesse steals Saul’s car and heads to Walt’s house to douse it in gasoline. Walt may have gotten rid of Hank, but a bigger problem is now in his hands.
Breaking Baddest: Jesse, who is off-the-rails after figuring out Walt poisoned Brock. The loyalty is out the window.
Now We’re Cookin’… With The Good ‘Ol Days: The episode’s cold open has Todd recounting the train heist from last season. Some badass.