Another interesting, heart-pounding, tense and taut Breaking Bad episode. I can't believe there are only six episodes left of this epic. There are so many unanswered questions and so little time left. I have full faith in Vince Gilligan and Co. to make it all worthwhile, and I can't wait to get there.
- So far, this season has been about confrontations. Each of the first two episodes have been filled most of the time with one-on-one confrontations. First was Jesse and Walt, with Walt pleading to Jesse to believe his lie that he didn't kill Mike. Then was Walt and Hank, and now the second episode gives way to the other adult in the White family holding her ground against Hank and then Marie. As amazing as the Walt/Hank confrontation was last week, the diner conversation between Hank and Skylar was absolutely perfect. It was so incredibly tense, perfectly acted and staged. I could just see them both calculating what each other knows and what they don't. It is also amazing how many of Walt's bad qualities Skylar has picked up, like the quick calculating ability, the quick-thinking to scream out 'Am I Under Arrest' to get rid of Hank, and then the what could be false-tears in front of Marie. Skylar didn't take Hank's out, she wants to ride this through with Walt.
- The Marie and Skylar confrontation was far louder and emotional, and despite the fact I should of known, it seemed so jarring to see just how awful Skylar was in her silence towards Hank and Marie. Then, to see Marie try to steal the baby, which was such an great moment, a perfect impromptu idea by Marie. I also loved the juxtaposition of Skylar, who so many times tried to steal her two kids away from the 'monster' that was Walt, having to plead with Marie to return her child from her. Just her face realizing that 'I am a monster, too'.
- I don't think I'm too much of a fan of Jesse's spiral into a guilt-ridden mess. Aaron Paul is a brilliant actor and he is selling it as much as he can, but Jesse is such a better character when he can, you know, speak words. Jesse has gone through this before, namely in early Season 3 after Jane dies in late Season 2. I wasn't a fan of it then and I am not now. I've gone past the idea of any more Jesse/Walt capers, and I will have to live with the fact that the 'Great Train Robbery' is the last one I will ever see, but I don't like the idea of Jesse being a psychotic, robin-hood.
- Of course, that doesn't mean I don't want to know if Jesse flips on Walt to Hank. As Hank said, Jesse hates Hank. Jesse's monologue about ruining Hank forever, making him give all his money to Jesse forever, ending with turning him into a 'little bitch' is one of my favorite Breaking Bad moments. Jesse won't forget that. Jesse does hate Hank, but does he hate Walt more at this point. Personally, I think Jesse just fears Walt, but doesn't hate him like the way Tio Salamanca hated Gus (forcing him to turn on Gus to help Walt, who he hated even less). Jesse knows that Walt has pretty much killed every person who has stood in his way, and that fear is more important than anything else. Clearly Heisenberg's identity is known, and it is an easy link to say that Jesse fed Hank the real information, but that seems just too easy.
- I'll get to the Lydia and Todd part of the episode. I definitely did not see that coming (although I probably should have), and the gunfire going on outside with Lydia, the mastermind, hiding in the underground meth truck, was jarring. The directing and photography of Lydia unearthing herself to see the massacre and bloodshed she just ordered was another "Holy God!" moment. One thing I don't understand (and it feeds into a larger theory I think I have) is how can Todd be the final answer? His quality of meth was 74% (as Lydia stated), which is far closer to the 68% being produced by the now deceased meth group. The Czech deal started at Walt's 90+%, so I'm assuming that a drop to 'just' 74% isn't all that much better than getting 68%.
- Which brings me to my theory: Lydia's real goal is to force Walt into getting back into the business, which is part of the reason why Walt goes undercover, and the reason why he is coming back with muy ammo. Lydia knows that Todd won't be able to produce good enough meth either, and that the answer is Walt and only Walt. They are trying to get Walt, and Walt goes away. In the end, Walt returns with guns in tact to take on Lydia, Todd and her gang of neo-nazis.
