Breaking Bad on AMC (2 Viewers)

[Walton Goggins]

I don't hate Skyler as much as others seem to. I don't mind the family scenes at all in small doses, and I liked it when she got involved and tried to talk Walt into buying the car wash instead of the laser tag thing. Her stuff in the Season 4 episode was pretty pointless, but that's only one episode.I also don't mind that she's on the somewhat heavy side. She's a chemistry teacher's wife; if she was hot it would be distractingly unrealistic. Kind of like when Dexter's wife got all tanned and toned and added a fake rack. It was nice eye candy, but it totally didn't fit her character or the character's station in life.

Skyler is brilliant casting. She looks like the part she's supposed to be playing. She's a very good actor and not just some talentless eye candy.

She ate the candy over the past season.

I am shocked that she looks twice as big as when she played a pregnant woman. Vince Gilligan should have told her to lose the lbs

 

[Walton Goggins]

Do you guys even watch the show? They spent a bunch of time developing the blackjack angle - Walt counts cards. Then they talked about getting casino receipts from a shady indian casino Saul set them up with, even mentioning that the casino is quite happy to write off losses. This is how they are paying for Hank's medical care. They further talked about this as a means to get the capital to pay for the business which is why they were reviewing laser tag and nail salons to begin with. Hell they even mentioned that the casino receipts are not a long term viable strategy which is why they need the shell business.

I forgot about this.

I would say though that finding someone to lie to the IRS for you is highly unlikely but I guess it's about as good as you can get.

 

[Thunderlips]

Oh and this exact same setup (must set up a dummy corp / get a business) was done in Weeds. So either this is actually what you need to do and you can honestly get away with it or they stole it from that show.

How can one purchase a business for a few hundred thousand dollars in cash without having a job and when the IRS comes to you can you explain where this cash came from?

Do they own the home? Not hard to get a business loan if you own your home. Especially if the home is worth way more then the loan amount. It could also explain why Skyler insisted on the car wash because Walt knows the business and would be easier to explain a business plan to a bank that involves leaving your current job to peruse owning your own business using your home as collateral. A bank could approve based on that information alone; if the business doesn’t work, they’re both skilled professionals and could go back to their professions to pay off the loan.Stretch, I know but I tried to make sense of this last night.

Can't get a loan if you don't have a job and looks like they are going to use cash (drug money)

Walt won the money gambling at the casino. End of story.

Saul will even show you the receipt from the casino and proper tax forms.

wrt the champagne - Skyler is a demasculating b****. Same as day one.

I think that's kind of the play here... she's now in the game and on equal footing with Walt and is resorting back to their old relationship ways. It'll be interesting to see if Walt accepts it.

 

[TobiasFunke]

I don't hate Skyler as much as others seem to. I don't mind the family scenes at all in small doses, and I liked it when she got involved and tried to talk Walt into buying the car wash instead of the laser tag thing. Her stuff in the Season 4 episode was pretty pointless, but that's only one episode.I also don't mind that she's on the somewhat heavy side. She's a chemistry teacher's wife; if she was hot it would be distractingly unrealistic. Kind of like when Dexter's wife got all tanned and toned and added a fake rack. It was nice eye candy, but it totally didn't fit her character or the character's station in life.

Skyler is brilliant casting. She looks like the part she's supposed to be playing. She's a very good actor and not just some talentless eye candy.

She ate the candy over the past season.

I am shocked that she looks twice as big as when she played a pregnant woman. Vince Gilligan should have told her to lose the lbs

Why? So she could more realistically play an unemployed separated forty-something mother of two who is the former wife of a schoolteacher? Since chicks like that are usually skinny and hot and never put on weight suddenly?

 

[Walton Goggins]

I don't hate Skyler as much as others seem to. I don't mind the family scenes at all in small doses, and I liked it when she got involved and tried to talk Walt into buying the car wash instead of the laser tag thing. Her stuff in the Season 4 episode was pretty pointless, but that's only one episode.I also don't mind that she's on the somewhat heavy side. She's a chemistry teacher's wife; if she was hot it would be distractingly unrealistic. Kind of like when Dexter's wife got all tanned and toned and added a fake rack. It was nice eye candy, but it totally didn't fit her character or the character's station in life.

Skyler is brilliant casting. She looks like the part she's supposed to be playing. She's a very good actor and not just some talentless eye candy.

She ate the candy over the past season.

I am shocked that she looks twice as big as when she played a pregnant woman. Vince Gilligan should have told her to lose the lbs

Why? So she could more realistically play an unemployed separated forty-something mother of two who is the former wife of a schoolteacher? Since chicks like that are usually skinny and hot and never put on weight suddenly?

She was never skinny nor hot but this show season was suppose to pick up right after last season's finale so while everyone naturally looks the same in comes Skyler who looks like she doubled her weight. Gilligan comes across as detailed oriented it's logical that all actors should not dramatically change in looks since the new season doesn't jump a year ahead but it's the next day.

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

I don't hate Skyler as much as others seem to. I don't mind the family scenes at all in small doses, and I liked it when she got involved and tried to talk Walt into buying the car wash instead of the laser tag thing. Her stuff in the Season 4 episode was pretty pointless, but that's only one episode.I also don't mind that she's on the somewhat heavy side. She's a chemistry teacher's wife; if she was hot it would be distractingly unrealistic. Kind of like when Dexter's wife got all tanned and toned and added a fake rack. It was nice eye candy, but it totally didn't fit her character or the character's station in life.

Skyler is brilliant casting. She looks like the part she's supposed to be playing. She's a very good actor and not just some talentless eye candy.

She ate the candy over the past season.

I am shocked that she looks twice as big as when she played a pregnant woman. Vince Gilligan should have told her to lose the lbs

Why? So she could more realistically play an unemployed separated forty-something mother of two who is the former wife of a schoolteacher? Since chicks like that are usually skinny and hot and never put on weight suddenly?

Oh I am not saying she does not fit the part being as heavy as she is or that pregnancy will not do that.But that deep down in my heart of hearts I miss the old Skyler.

 

[jdoggydogg]

I don't hate Skyler as much as others seem to. I don't mind the family scenes at all in small doses, and I liked it when she got involved and tried to talk Walt into buying the car wash instead of the laser tag thing. Her stuff in the Season 4 episode was pretty pointless, but that's only one episode.I also don't mind that she's on the somewhat heavy side. She's a chemistry teacher's wife; if she was hot it would be distractingly unrealistic. Kind of like when Dexter's wife got all tanned and toned and added a fake rack. It was nice eye candy, but it totally didn't fit her character or the character's station in life.

Skyler is brilliant casting. She looks like the part she's supposed to be playing. She's a very good actor and not just some talentless eye candy.

She ate the candy over the past season.

I am shocked that she looks twice as big as when she played a pregnant woman. Vince Gilligan should have told her to lose the lbs

Really surprised to see such shallow conversation about such a profound series. Who gives a #### how big she is?

 

[jdoggydogg]

Hank was Corky Sherwood on "Murphy Brown".

He was also in The Firm, he got shot in the leg by Gary Busey.

Dude. One word: Phantasm.

Reg!!!

And Starship Troopers!

 

[TobiasFunke]

She was never skinny nor hot but this show season was suppose to pick up right after last season's finale so while everyone naturally looks the same in comes Skyler who looks like she doubled her weight. Gilligan comes across as detailed oriented it's logical that all actors should not dramatically change in looks since the new season doesn't jump a year ahead but it's the next day.

I guess I can buy that. I don't think she's added that many pounds, but it's enough to be noticeable (mostly in the chin) and it does take away from the continuity just a bit.

 

[Walton Goggins]

She was never skinny nor hot but this show season was suppose to pick up right after last season's finale so while everyone naturally looks the same in comes Skyler who looks like she doubled her weight. Gilligan comes across as detailed oriented it's logical that all actors should not dramatically change in looks since the new season doesn't jump a year ahead but it's the next day.

I guess I can buy that. I don't think she's added that many pounds, but it's enough to be noticeable (mostly in the chin) and it does take away from the continuity just a bit.

Obviously you can't have an actor look exactly the same if there's a layoff period but I am surprised by the actress that plays Sklyer it's not as if she gained just a little bit but she is noticeably bigger and the show is a continuation from the previous season. It's not as if this actress suddenly became famous and started doing big time movies where she was told to gain weight. I bet Gilligan was ticked given how different she looks. Sorry but having her wear extra layers of clothes isn't hiding the noticeable difference.

 

[Sebowski]

Oh and this exact same setup (must set up a dummy corp / get a business) was done in Weeds. So either this is actually what you need to do and you can honestly get away with it or they stole it from that show. How can one purchase a business for a few hundred thousand dollars in cash without having a job and when the IRS comes to you can you explain where this cash came from?

Do they own the home? Not hard to get a business loan if you own your home. Especially if the home is worth way more then the loan amount. It could also explain why Skyler insisted on the car wash because Walt knows the business and would be easier to explain a business plan to a bank that involves leaving your current job to peruse owning your own business using your home as collateral. A bank could approve based on that information alone; if the business doesn’t work, they’re both skilled professionals and could go back to their professions to pay off the loan.Stretch, I know but I tried to make sense of this last night.

are they actually getting a loan? if not, how would they explain the lack of paperwork to the IRS?or do we assume that Saul could create some dummy documents?

Hadn't even thought about this, or the possibility that Saul knows of some shady lending institution that is happy to make what they know to be virtually no-risk loans. A shady lender could ask for the full payment plus a fee up front and just fabricate records to show monthly payments going forward.

This is what I was thinking. Saul has to have a "loan guy".

 

[Christo]

I don't hate Skyler as much as others seem to. I don't mind the family scenes at all in small doses, and I liked it when she got involved and tried to talk Walt into buying the car wash instead of the laser tag thing. Her stuff in the Season 4 episode was pretty pointless, but that's only one episode.I also don't mind that she's on the somewhat heavy side. She's a chemistry teacher's wife; if she was hot it would be distractingly unrealistic. Kind of like when Dexter's wife got all tanned and toned and added a fake rack. It was nice eye candy, but it totally didn't fit her character or the character's station in life.

Skyler is brilliant casting. She looks like the part she's supposed to be playing. She's a very good actor and not just some talentless eye candy.

She ate the candy over the past season.

I am shocked that she looks twice as big as when she played a pregnant woman. Vince Gilligan should have told her to lose the lbs

Why?

Because Walt wants eye candy, reality be damned!

 

[The Hardline]

Kind of strange to see these two so chummy in a picture: My link

 

[McJose]

Kind of strange to see these two so chummy in a picture: My link

WHOA! Has Sky ever met Gus? Does this mean they are in cahoots? This really throws a curveball into the mix.

 

[Tiger Fan]

Do you guys even watch the show? They spent a bunch of time developing the blackjack angle - Walt counts cards. Then they talked about getting casino receipts from a shady indian casino Saul set them up with, even mentioning that the casino is quite happy to write off losses. This is how they are paying for Hank's medical care. They further talked about this as a means to get the capital to pay for the business which is why they were reviewing laser tag and nail salons to begin with. Hell they even mentioned that the casino receipts are not a long term viable strategy which is why they need the shell business.

Completely forgot about the casino receipts

 

[Please See Mine]

Do you guys even watch the show? They spent a bunch of time developing the blackjack angle - Walt counts cards. Then they talked about getting casino receipts from a shady indian casino Saul set them up with, even mentioning that the casino is quite happy to write off losses. This is how they are paying for Hank's medical care. They further talked about this as a means to get the capital to pay for the business which is why they were reviewing laser tag and nail salons to begin with. Hell they even mentioned that the casino receipts are not a long term viable strategy which is why they need the shell business.

what show?but yes, i remembered the gambling piece, but obviously not the phony gaming receipts.

 

[Walton Goggins]

I don't hate Skyler as much as others seem to. I don't mind the family scenes at all in small doses, and I liked it when she got involved and tried to talk Walt into buying the car wash instead of the laser tag thing. Her stuff in the Season 4 episode was pretty pointless, but that's only one episode.I also don't mind that she's on the somewhat heavy side. She's a chemistry teacher's wife; if she was hot it would be distractingly unrealistic. Kind of like when Dexter's wife got all tanned and toned and added a fake rack. It was nice eye candy, but it totally didn't fit her character or the character's station in life.

Skyler is brilliant casting. She looks like the part she's supposed to be playing. She's a very good actor and not just some talentless eye candy.

She ate the candy over the past season.

I am shocked that she looks twice as big as when she played a pregnant woman. Vince Gilligan should have told her to lose the lbs

Why?

Because Walt wants eye candy, reality be damned!

you do know the season is a continuation from the past one, right? Is it possible to gain twice your weight in a few days? Would have loved for Walt when he first saw her a few days later go "Good lord, how did you put on some much weight in a few days?!"

 

[wildbill]

Do you guys even watch the show? They spent a bunch of time developing the blackjack angle - Walt counts cards. Then they talked about getting casino receipts from a shady indian casino Saul set them up with, even mentioning that the casino is quite happy to write off losses. This is how they are paying for Hank's medical care. They further talked about this as a means to get the capital to pay for the business which is why they were reviewing laser tag and nail salons to begin with. Hell they even mentioned that the casino receipts are not a long term viable strategy which is why they need the shell business.

I forgot about this.

I would say though that finding someone to lie to the IRS for you is highly unlikely but I guess it's about as good as you can get.

The casino wouldn't be doing it just to be nice. They get to lower their tax bill without actually reducing their profits.

 

[Walton Goggins]

Kind of strange to see these two so chummy in a picture: My link

Ah this isn't real life, they are actors.

 

[tikitime]

I honestly didn't give any thought to her weight gain, but after reading this thread the past few weeks, all I think when I see her on screen is "I can't believe how much weight she gained". You all suck.

 

[Walton Goggins]

I honestly didn't give any thought to her weight gain, but after reading this thread the past few weeks, all I think when I see her on screen is "I can't believe how much weight she gained". You all suck.

That sort of happened to me although when I saw her on screen for the first time I was thinking perhaps she had plastic surgery since she just didn't look the same.

 

[Walton Goggins]

AMC seems to have a problem with their shows...

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2011/08/breaking-bad-amc-sony.html

Tense negotiations are underway between the cable network AMC and Sony Television, producer of "Breaking Bad," over a deal for a fifth and probably final season of the critically acclaimed drama.

Talks seemed to reach an impasse last week when Sony sent feelers to at least three other cable networks about taking "Breaking Bad" should an agreement with AMC fall through, said two people with knowledge of the matter who requested anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the talks.

To be sure, negotiations between networks and producers are often heated. As shows age, they become more expensive as actors' and producers' paychecks get bigger with success. Both sides have in dictated that they hope to reach a pact that will keep "Breaking Bad" on AMC.



Discussions grew heated when AMC tried to convince the makers of of the show that its fifth season run only six to eight episodes instead of the typical 13. That was rejected by the creative forces behind the show, which led them to approach other outlets.



"Breaking Bad" is not the only show AMC is looking to trim costs on. "The Walking Dead," which became a big hit for the network, is having its per-episode budget cut by about $250,000. Last week the show's executive producer Frank Darabont left, and there is speculation that the budget cuts were the reason. People close to AMC deny that was the case.



AMC's push to lower costs on "Breaking Bad" and "The Walking Dead" comes as the price of its signature hit "Mad Men" is expected to go up: "Mad Men" creator Matt Weiner landed a lucrative new deal to stay with the program for at least two new seasons.

In the unlikely event that "Breaking Bad" does move to another channel, the producers would probably have to agree to make additional seasons. It would be highly unusual for a network to commit to just one season of a show it acquires from another network.

AMC is a unit of AMC Networks, which went public earlier this summer.

 

[Sam Quentin]

AMC seems to have a problem with their shows...

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2011/08/breaking-bad-amc-sony.html

Tense negotiations are underway between the cable network AMC and Sony Television, producer of "Breaking Bad," over a deal for a fifth and probably final season of the critically acclaimed drama.

Talks seemed to reach an impasse last week when Sony sent feelers to at least three other cable networks about taking "Breaking Bad" should an agreement with AMC fall through, said two people with knowledge of the matter who requested anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the talks.

To be sure, negotiations between networks and producers are often heated. As shows age, they become more expensive as actors' and producers' paychecks get bigger with success. Both sides have in dictated that they hope to reach a pact that will keep "Breaking Bad" on AMC.



Discussions grew heated when AMC tried to convince the makers of of the show that its fifth season run only six to eight episodes instead of the typical 13. That was rejected by the creative forces behind the show, which led them to approach other outlets.



"Breaking Bad" is not the only show AMC is looking to trim costs on. "The Walking Dead," which became a big hit for the network, is having its per-episode budget cut by about $250,000. Last week the show's executive producer Frank Darabont left, and there is speculation that the budget cuts were the reason. People close to AMC deny that was the case.



AMC's push to lower costs on "Breaking Bad" and "The Walking Dead" comes as the price of its signature hit "Mad Men" is expected to go up: "Mad Men" creator Matt Weiner landed a lucrative new deal to stay with the program for at least two new seasons.

In the unlikely event that "Breaking Bad" does move to another channel, the producers would probably have to agree to make additional seasons. It would be highly unusual for a network to commit to just one season of a show it acquires from another network.

AMC is a unit of AMC Networks, which went public earlier this summer.

AMC - making all the wrong moves

cancelling Rubicon, greenlighting that abortion of a show called The Killing, squezzing Mad Men, knee-capping TWD....now this

They have an all-time great show...a cash cow on the DVD market for decades and they are trying screw that up

 

[Walton Goggins]

http://baldmove.com/2011/08/warning-spoilers-speculation-on-epa-inspector-from-breaking-bad-episode-403-open-house/

On the Breaking Bad Insider podcast this week, Vince Gilligan said “we will see him again” in reference to the EPA inspector that Saul hired in episode 3 of season 4. I suspected as much while I was watching the episode.

Skyler has been making a huge deal lately about minding the details of how they conduct themselves. She doesn’t want to raise suspicions about what they’re doing or where their money is coming from. So it really surprised me that she would hire a fake EPA inspector to convince Eyebrows to sell his carwash. That seems risky. After all, she jumped ALL OVER Walt for letting an employee at random liquor store X see him buy a $300 bottle of champagne.

Skyler, you have some splainin’ to do!

In what universe is it riskier for Walt to walk into some liquor store where the clerks are paid minimum wage and see literally hundreds of people every single day than for Skyler to hire this guy for the express purpose of committing fraud? Guaranteed that clerk forgot about Walt the second he walked out the door.

This all feeds back into why I dislike Skyler. In her opinion, nothing she does can be wrong, yet everything Walt does is too risky. Too self-righteous for my tastes.

I’m going to go out on a limb and speculate a bit.

I think this guy could be Saul’s new Mike. After they butted heads last season, I don’t think Saul is going to want to work with Mike again, and vice versa. Saul will need a new “go-to-guy” and He's certainly isn’t up for the job. He’s just the muscle. I think the go-to-guy will be the EPA Inspector.

What do you think about that?

 

[Don Quixote]

I agree that Skyler putting on pounds is distracting. Jesse and "Flynn" both look much older than when the show started too.

 

[Cunk]

I honestly didn't give any thought to her weight gain, but after reading this thread the past few weeks, all I think when I see her on screen is "I can't believe how much weight she gained". You all suck.

I didn't notice either and it's not going to matter anyway. Sheesh.

 

[McJose]

"The Walking Dead," which became a big hit for the network, is having its per-episode budget cut by about $250,000.

I heard that all of the zombies are being replaced by one dude on quaaludes in a sweater with a snag.

 

[Raider Nation]

AMC - making all the wrong moves

cancelling Rubicon, greenlighting that abortion of a show called The Killing, squezzing Mad Men, knee-capping TWD....now this

Rubicon was trivial slop. I had high hopes for it but it never delivered.

 

[McJose]

AMC - making all the wrong moves

cancelling Rubicon, greenlighting that abortion of a show called The Killing, squezzing Mad Men, knee-capping TWD....now this

Rubicon was trivial slop. I had high hopes for it but it never delivered.

Slow, dull, and took itself too seriously. By the time they got to the "pay off" it was way too little and way too late.

 

[toadstool]

Started watching this show about 3 weeks ago and got all 3 seasons, and the aired part of season 4 in. This year I have done the same with Rescue Me, The Office and How I Met Your Mother. Breaking Bad is easily the best show.

 

[boofatty]

Great episode, set up a few different major plot lines. Leaves ya hanging on for next week.

 

[Apple Juice]

Not that last week's episode was poor, but a lot more going on this week.

Jesse has reached the bottom he was headed towards after shooting Gale. Just doesn't give a #### anymore. Mike:

The looks on Walt's face watching Gale's music video and Jesse's face when Walt was replaying the night Gale got killed were

 

[Major]

Great episode, set up a few different major plot lines. Leaves ya hanging on for next week.

Yep. I was on the edge of my seat most of the show. The Gale cameo also brought some as did the appearance of Walt Jr only b/c I was imagining RN's grimace with his appearance. Lots to chew on with this episode.

 

[Abraham]

Great episode.

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

Great episode.

 

[Red Forman]

don't forget dipping sticks, yo

 

[Abraham]

"and get some dipping sticks, yo".

 

[Harry Manback]

"it's a doozy, hold onto your hats!"

 

[Abraham]

So is mike taking Jessie to kill him?

 

[prosopis]

Great episode. I am 3 episodes short of finishing season 3. It has been strange watching season three and knowing some things that would happen from what I have seen in season 4. Still enjoyable but strange. I have three episodes left in season three.

Just saw the "fly" episode. Some really good acting there.

 

[Red Forman]

So is mike taking Jessie to kill him?

No. It's gonna be a meeting.

 

[prosopis]

So is mike taking Jessie to kill him?

No. It's gonna be a meeting.

yo

 

[EYLive]

I just watched the pilot and I like it. The first half was depressing, but the 2nd half was highly entertaining.

 

[McJose]

So-so episode. Not playing the entire Peter Schilling song was bullcrap.

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

So is mike taking Jessie to kill him?

No. It's gonna be a meeting.

Maybe (just maybe) going to help Mike bury the driver of the truck that got shot in the beginning of the episode.

 

[biggamer3]

Who were those guys shooting at Mike? And why was he in the back of a truck?

 

[PlasmaDogPlasma]

Is going from a scene involving Mike in a gun battle in the desert to a scene that starts with Skyler in bed the biggest dropoff in the history of TV? I thought the argument about Skyler's script was never going to end.

AMC seems to have a problem with their shows...

http://latimesblogs....d-amc-sony.html

AMC's push to lower costs on "Breaking Bad" and "The Walking Dead" comes as the price of its signature hit "Mad Men" is expected to go up: "Mad Men" creator Matt Weiner landed a lucrative new deal to stay with the program for at least two new seasons.

I may not be able to watch another episode of Mad Men if I think they're screwing Breaking Bad to pay for it.

Who were those guys shooting at Mike? And why was he in the back of a truck?

TBD

 

[Sebowski]

Who were those guys shooting at Mike? And why was he in the back of a truck?

Cartel guys. They reminded you of the cartel storyline in the intro. Mike was guarding the meth which is shipped in those batter buckets. Gus has more than Walt on his mind.

 

[Raider Nation]

Jonathan Banks (Mike) is so ... all his appearances are solid. What an amazing opening sequence.

With all the love for Aaron Paul this season, it's sometimes easy to forget how good Bryan Cranston is. He is flawless in every scene. Oh, BTW... I am a gambler and I've been around gamblers all my life. Winning gamblers don't attend G.A. meetings or feel remorse for their actions. They keep winning and laughing and buying stuff. (I know Skyler went to the meeting for research -- but they mentioned Walt's remorse and the 12-step program at dinner with Hank and Marie)...

BB is dangerously close to surpassing The Sopranos as my favorite show ever. Yeah, I said it.

Sepinwall's review:

A review of tonight's "Breaking Bad" coming up just as soon as I have actual hobos living with me...

"Oh, God. How did everything get so screwed up?" -Walt

"Bullet Points" is a very oddly-structured, but never uninteresting, episode of "Breaking Bad." We get our usual self-contained teaser sequence, this time with a chilly Mike taking out a pair of Gus's rivals who were attacking the latest shipment, but after that, things get a bit... different.

There's an extremely long segment about Skyler prepping herself and Walt for unleashing their gambling lie on the rest of the family, then an almost-as-long bit at Hank and Marie's house for the telling of the lie and Walt's discovery that Hank is looking into the late Gale. And just when it seems like this might be the first episode of the series to not feature Aaron Paul, Jesse turns up around the midway point and the episode suddenly becomes all about him. Even when he's not on-screen, he's all anybody can talk about.

What ties all these vignettes together, though, is the larger sense that everything has become a huge mess.

Regardless of the fancy chess moves he played against the cartel last season, Gus is not invulnerable, and his operation still leans heavily on Mike to keep things functioning. Skyler is fumbling around, desperately playing catch-up to the criminal life we've watched Walt live for three seasons, trying to take control of a situation that's been out of her control - and knowledge - for most of that time. Walt is so busy going forward and ignoring his horrible deeds in the past that he's especially thunderstruck to see Gale singing karaoke at him on TV. (The apology he gives to Skyler during their rehearsal is bogus; the one he gives Walter Jr. is real, even if it's not about the thing Walter Jr. thinks it's about.) Jesse has managed to find a way to take off his mind on what he's done and whom he's become, but only so long as someone like Mr. White doesn't come and force him to think about it.(*) And Walt and Mike both realize that Jesse has become a liability, even if Mike is the only one able to do something about it - whatever that may be. (My money's on another stint in rehab, but who knows?)

(*) Great combination of acting and directing in the way the camera pushed in on Jesse's agonized face as Walt kept asking him to remember details of the murder.

The Walt/Skyler stuff took up the great chunk of the episode's first half. Based on the comments about last week's episode, it seems a good many of you are not Skyler fans. I'm not going to try to analyze that, but what I will say in defense of Skyler is that she's kind of been run over by a freight train here. Walt kept this deep, horrible secret from her, and has backed her into a corner where she either has to take his drug money or go broke. Yes, Skyler is controlling by nature, but so is her husband, and she's only had a few months (in show time) to catch up on things that we and Walt have known about for far longer. It's a damned uncomfortable position to be in, and I can understand her trying to grab the reins of a life that is stampeding in a direction she's understandably terrified of. Does she go way over-the-top in preparing for the dinnertime confession to Hank and Walter Jr? Absolutely. But has Walt ridiculously sweated the details in the past? All the damn time. It's what he does. It's what the show is about. It's a show that devoted two of its first three hours to a corpse-disposal job that any other crime drama would have dispensed with in 30 seconds or less. Skyler's just trying to cram three-plus seasons' worth of criminal on-the-job training into the span of a few episodes.

And though she can be overbearing, it's clear Walt could use a moral compass. Jesse is consumed by what he did to Gale, while Walt has pushed it to the back of his mind, and only gets upset when Gale starts singing to him from the past. Right now, Walt and Skyler are at odds, but I can see a point where things get settled and he realizes she's a good influence on his reckless, destructive life.

Strangely, the person thinking the clearest, and with the least amount of self-deception, is Jesse. Yes, he's high much of the time, and has turned his aunt's house into a hellpit, but he has no delusions about what he's doing. He knows that the only way he can get through the day is to overload his senses to distract him from memories of shooting Gale. When Walt panics about fingerprints, Jesse immediately understands why he shouldn't be worried, just as he takes one look at the blindfold Mike and Tyrus put on the thief and recognizes that they're not going to kill him. Jesse doesn't take the sheer pleasure in outsmarting people that Walt does - his ego's never been especially large - but he does it repeatedly in this one.

But he simply can't continue on like this, either from a mental health standpoint or from a logistical standpoint. Sooner or later, one of the junkies from the house is going to lead to trouble for Jesse, Walt, Mike, Gus, etc., or cops will respond to a noise complaint, or some other unnecessary complication. Walt can't get through to Jesse. Jesse's not afraid of Walt, and no doubt blames him for what his life has become. But Mike at least has the gravitas and muscle to put Jesse in a car to a destination and solution unknown.

Earlier in the episode, Saul suggests a potential end to the series when he tells Walt about a man he knows who could help the White family disappear into anonymity in another part of the country. I don't think that's quite what Mike has in mind for young Mr. Pinkman, but I imagine the best thing that could happen to Jesse, and Walt, and Skyler, and nearly everyone on this show, would be to begin a new identity somewhere far, far away from the legend of Heisenberg.

Some other thoughts:

• Admittedly, we saw with Tim's visit last week that Hank is capable of putting on a good front for company, but he does seem to be doing better emotionally thanks to his work on Gale's case. (And, naturally, he's assuming Gale was Heisenberg.) He got prickly a few times - like when Walt turned out, unsurprisingly, to know more about Hank's mineral collection than Hank did - but that was in the usual prideful Hank Schrader way, as opposed to the self-pity of recent episodes.

• The opening scene was a nice refresher on Mike's bonafides as an enforcer, yet the most interesting thing about it - besides the great look of resigned disgust on Jonathan Banks' face when Mike contemplated his damaged ear - was what wasn't there: despite spending hours in a refrigerator truck, Mike didn't do a whole lot of coughing. So it's possible that the coughing from episode 2 this season was, in fact, a rare coincidence and not foreshadowing that something his medically wrong with Mike. Though I still wouldn't be shocked to see Walt taking him to chemo by season's end.

• I liked how the scene in Saul's office transitioned from the usual comedy about Saul's naked self-interest into one where you could tell that Saul does, in fact, have some empathy for Walt and his situation. Good work from Bob Odenkirk.

• Walt is correct about "The French Connection," which ends - as the real Popeye Doyle's investigation did, I believe - with the bad guy getting away. Though that just allowed John Frankenheimer to make "The French Connection II: The Frenchening."

• Gus is still absent from Walt's life, but we knew that Giancarlo Esposito wasn't going to disappear from the series. (Other than the folks who for some reason were convinced that Mike had killed him off-camera after the events of the premiere, that is.) So we get a brief Gus appearance here as Mike expresses his concerns about the Pinkman situation.

• I also have to assume that Jesse will be back in the Super Lab eventually, both because too much of the show leans on the Cranston/Paul chemistry, but because of the scene in this episode where Walt realized the surveillance camera can't follow them both at once. That has to pay off eventually - let's call it Chekhov's Spycam.

• When I did the set visit to Albuqueruque a few months ago, I made what I thought was a huge mistake in glancing at the call sheet for the actors scheduled to appear on set that day. One of the names listed was David Costabile, and I groaned, assuming that I had just spoiled myself that Vince Gilligan had changed his mind about having Jesse murder Gale. Instead, Gale was dead in the premiere, and I figured the call sheet was about another flashback - which it sort of was, only involving karaoke and ascots. (Of course Gale wears an ascot when he karaokes. Of course he does.)

 

[Raider Nation]

• I also have to assume that Jesse will be back in the Super Lab eventually, both because too much of the show leans on the Cranston/Paul chemistry, but because of the scene in this episode where Walt realized the surveillance camera can't follow them both at once. That has to pay off eventually - let's call it Chekhov's Spycam.

I don't think I agree with Sepinwall here. Was Walt really thinking the camera can't follow them both at once? Or was he noticing that the camera was ONLY following Jesse?