Confessions is the title of the episode, but the episode was really about a bunch of lies and the only real confession happened by chance. Jesse finds out about one of the two big horrors that Walt has committed to people Jesse loved, and I feel like that sets this whole thing in motion.
- Seeing Hank and Marie (who looks great this season, by the way, probably because she has worn colors that aren't purple) stare silently watching Walt's face lying at them, calling Hank out and basically screwing Hank forever was great, but their dinner scene with Walt and Skylar was about as brilliant a scene the show has ever done. There are so many relationships and connections there. First, is Skylar and Marie, who after all are sisters and have been shown to be close. What do they think that one of their husbands has basically been the cause of everything wrong with the other one's husband? Then comes Walt and Hank, who obviously had that confrontation earlier, but the most interesting was the other two, with Hank trying to ply information from Skylar and then the best moment, where Marie repeatedly, calmly tells Walt to kill himself. Unbelievable scene.
- Walt and Jesse is the big takeaway from this episode, though they only shared one (brilliant) scene together. The first scene reminded me so much of Hank's first interrogation of Tio Salamanca, who spelled out, in his excruciating ringing-the-bell way, 'Fuck You' to Hank. Here, Jesse answers 'Eat Me' to Hank. Both hate the man that Hank is trying to make them flip on, but they hate Hank more. For Tio, it was just the normal cartel behavior of never working with the police. For Jesse it is because Hank nearly killed Jesse after finding out that he had some part in tricking Hank into thinking Marie got into an accident. Jesse showed, I think, some level of respect to Walt. He didn't spill on Walt out of some form of affection, and not solely because he feared for himself.
- It would be poignant if Walt and Jesse's hug is the last true moment they share on scene together. Since Walt spent almost all of that episode lying to people, it is hard to read what exactly the hug meant, but I do think it came out of affection for Jesse. Sure, Walt wants Jesse gone because then Hank can't turn him, but he probably does want Jesse gone for his own good as well. Walt knows that Jesse has never overcome the death and destruction they've caused and a trip to Alaska could help Jesse out. Of course, Jesse calls him out (in an amazing bit of acting by Aaron Paul, who plays the vulnerable side of Jesse so damn well), and Walt consoles him. Again, it is really hard to read exactly what Walt is doing there, but if it is the last semi-affectionate moment between those two, it was quite nice.
- I mentioned Walt potentially taking Saul's identity-change-guy connection to fake his death a while ago, and I think the idea being brought up, even if for Jesse, sets it in motion for Walt to use it later. I still think at some point Walt fakes his death, as the reaction from 'Carol' is one of 'I thought you were dead?!' and not 'I can't believe I'm seeing a drug kingpin', but we'll wait and see.
- The one knock I have with the episode is the same one I have had with Breaking Bad overall. For such an exacting, calculating show, they've stretched the limits of realism more and more as the show has gone on. Because of this, Jesse immediately connecting the dots when he realized Huell lifted the pot to Walt poisoning Brock is quick and hard to believe, but not out of line with what the show has done. But then I thought, I immediately made the connection. The initial storyling with Huell lifting the ricin, and Jesse realizing it (but then leaving it when he found the fake ricin in the roomba) was two years ago in real time and far less in Breaking Bad show time. If I could connect the dots, I'm sure Jesse could too.
- I love the episode ending with Jesse throwing gasoline around the White home. Since the home is still standing in the flash-forward, we now that Jesse's plan doesn't succeed. Some may say that knowing that cheapens the ending of the episode, but I argue the opposite. There are still so many answers to the question of: Who stops Jesse? Here are my potential answers:
- Walt: We've already seeing him leaving the car wash with a gun, and the easy assumption is that he is heading home. Of course, Jesse, at this moment, would probably kill Walt, so I doubt it is him.
- Walt Jr.: he might be at home. Jesse has been seen to love kids, and I doubt he would follow through on his plan if Walt Jr. is in the house. He might force Jr. to leave, but I doubt it is Walt Jr. either.
- Hank: this is the option that makes the most sense. Hank was recently tailing Jesse, and we don't know if he actually pulled his guys off of Jesse soon enough. Of course, Jesse hates Walt right now more than ever, and is perfectly vulnerable to agree with Hank and flip on Walt. I think Hank comes to the house and Hank and Jesse put aside their differences for what each sees as the greater good.
Can't wait for next week.
