Sunday, August 21, 2011

Breaking Bad: Cornered

Ego versus Guilt
Walt gets swayed by both of them.
Jesse gets caught up

The show opens with someone breathing in the cold air again? Surely AMC didn't f up and are showing us a repeat? Nope, of course not. It's not Mike in the refrigerated truck this time, it's two cronies, armed with guns. They truck gets stopped and this time the cartel members have a different way of getting their cargo. After killing the driver, they rig the gas so the cabin fills with carbon monoxide and the two cronies are trapped inside. The three vatos hang back, snack and bide their time. Once the two guys are dead, they find the one chicken batter container marked with a star and take off. What a way to die: falling asleep in a room full of chicken batter.

Back at Casa Blanca, and after Walt's drunken rambling the night before, Sklyar realizes that Walt wasn't just calling to say he loved her the other day.


He was in trouble. Seriously trouble. She wakes up the hungover Walt and starts grilling him about Gale. Who killed him? Are you involved with these people? Will they one day want to kill you? "Nah," Walt lies. Again, his lying is improving. Skyler figured it out - that message was a goodbye. His drunken speech at Hank's was a cry for help. "I think some part of you wants Hank to catch you," as did so many viewers last week.

Skyler goes into amazing psychoanalysis mode and her comments hit Walt too close to home.
Now I get the haircut.
He throws everything back in her face: "I am not in danger - I am the danger. A guy opens the door and gets show and you think that's me? I am the one who knocks!" Oh, shit. Someone's ego got hurt.

Shower scene! This is the second week in a row we've gotten to see Walt naked (yay!) and like any good shower, he comes out clean and ready to talk things out with Skyler - but she's gone.
Hoot hoot!

Walt heads over to the car wash to talk to Eyebrows. "Being boss is tough...I  know you think I was hard on you, but you learn being in charge is not easy - it takes hard work....the real important thing is to be tough. A boss has to be tough. Has to make cashiers wipe down cars, even if they don't want to. Can you be tough, Walter? If not, then you can always call your wife." This speech accomplished a few things:

  • Eyebrows got to have a high and mighty moment
  • Walt got his ego bashed in once again about how he isn't as tough as Skyler; and was reminded that he was once a lowly cashier
  • Walt got to hear some words that will likely apply to his role in the meth making world. TV writers like when one situations words of wisdom end up applying to a secondary story (see: House)
Jesse and Mike are having a romantic dinner at the local cafe. Jesse has the shakes which Mike notices. Like a good boyfriend, he offers his food, "Eat something." Mike gets a phone call and takes off leaving Jesse to eat. "Do you need any help?" the eager Jesse asks? "Nope." Does Mike every need help? He's a bad ass. Bad asses don't need help. 

Walt Jr. got a phone call from Skyler and Walt Sr. is trying to get all the info he can out of his son. Walt Jr. takes to Walt Sr.'s side. "Gambling addiction is an illness....she can't even be mad at you." See Walt, even your son recognizes your addiction, he just thinks you are addicted to something else. 

On his way to drop off Walt Jr. at school the awkward topic of him moving in comes back up. You slept with mom but you aren't moving back in? He doesn't necessarily say it out loud, but he says it with his sad child eyes. Immediately Walt Sr. drives to the local used car dealership. Walt Jr. responds, "if you are gonna buy me off...[looks at billboard with shiny Charger on  it] buy me off." Someone is growing up. Walt Jr. gets his wish. Guilt is a powerful weapon. Walt Jr. 1; Walt Sr. 0

Back at the lab Jesse is waiting for Walt. Walt is shocked and pulls Jesse aside to ask about the dates runs he's been going on with Mike. Jesse is still convinced he saved Mike's life. Gus and Mike's plan worked. Walt is suspicious about why it has to be Jesse going along with him, "..do you have to have your hands registered as lethal weapons?" Jesse responds: 

Register THIS!

Find out what turns Mike on after the jump!
 Skyler's powers of deduction have transferred to Walt and he basically lays out Gus's plan. It was all a set up! It's all about me. Jesse does not like this and storms off to the lab. 

The phone rings. 
It's not Ghostface - this time.
It's for Jesse. He's gotta bolt and leaves Walt to clean up on his own. This is really turning into a love triangle - feelings hurt, accusations, messes to be cleaned up. Walt makes the STUPIDEST decision and runs upstairs to ask three cleaning ladies for help. He does this via bilingual charades:

1st word, 2 syllables
Once the women realize that he wants to take them to his secret lair, they, like all women should, refuse. However, he uses the universal language of dinero to convince them to go downstairs. Turns out his decision wasn't so stupid after all. This is all a game for the cameras. You take my Jesse, I start acting a fool. Your move, Gus.

We finally get to see where Skyler went off to. The four corners: where Utah, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico meet. She flips a coin and it lands in Colorado. Nah, best two out of three. Flips again and it ends up in Colorado again. Shucks. She slides the coin to New Mexico. Her cute baby can't talk yet but looks on with judging eyes.
You are only lying to yourself, mom.

Mike and Jesse are on a stake out at a meth house. They need to get some property back. Meth heads are unpredictable so they can't break in. They have to wait. Luckily, Mike packed a picnic with pimento cheese sandwiches. This makes Jesse run out of the car asap. I too would choose a meth house over pimento cheese. Jesse gets shut down by Tucker. He still doesn't want to be in the car with the cheese, so he grabs a shovel and again heads to the meth house. He starts digging up the front yard dirt which causes Tucker to come outside. Somehow he gets Tucker to start digging for him and uses that opportunity to get inside the house. This excites Mike:
Thatta boy.
Jesse explores the house and comes across an extra from the Walking Dead:

Meth is bad, kids.

It doesn't go very well, but luckily there is a bong near that he uses to knock him out. Mike walks in and finds the fry batter container with the words: "Estas listo para placticar?" written on it. Are you ready to talk?

Back at the lab Walt is still flirting with the three cleaning ladies. Tyrus Kitt (I just learned his name) shows up and takes the women away. They are being sent back to Honduras. The only thing we learn is that Gus does blame Walt. Walt wants to be cutthroat, but he doesn't have the cojones to let innocent people get hurt. Once again, his guilt wins. Is Walt Catholic? Do we know?

Gus interrupts Mike and Jesse's third date. Mike relays the message: the cartel wants to talk. Mike wants to attack. Gus does not. He'd rather settle things gracefully and set up a meeting. On his way out Gus stops to exchange (a few) words with Jesse. "Why me?" Jesse asks. "I like to think I can see things in people." Or, he likes to use people to his advantage.

Sklyer is back and sees the car. Walt Jr. repeats a commercial for the new Charger so that his mom doesn't make him take it back. He then leaves his parents alone so he can go joy ride around the block. 
Walt takes this opportunity to tell Skyler she is safe. Everything he does is to protect his family. She says the car has to go back. It does not go with their story. From $300 bottles of champagne, to flashy cars, people are going to start to question what is going on. Once again, guilt comes out: "I just worry that he'll blame you for this." Only this time, Skyler stands up to him, "Someone has to protect this family from the man who protects this family." You are becoming your own worst enemy Walt, and Skyler is the only person watching your back.

What did you think about this week's episode? This to me was one of the episodes whose sole purpose is to take us to where we are going and I am still a little worried about where that is. Do you think Walt is becoming a liability to himself? Are his stupid moves going to hurt him in the end or do you think he can outsmart Gus and his crew?


4 comments:

  1. awesome review, had me cracking up.

    Rat

    ReplyDelete
  2. WTF was Mike eating at the diner? Pimento cheese sandwiches are party food, not stakeout food. I would question if it even qualifies as food. BTW if Gale was 34, I hope I don't look that bad when I'm 34.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'll need to go back and see what he was eating. Gale looked 43.

    ReplyDelete
  4. "Register this" made me laugh.
    Also when Walt said "It's all about me!" hahaha. He should have a show.
    Bilingual charades...HA! I know that game.
    That baby is cute with her little ear-hoodie.
    I feel like Mike could have been on Dick Tracy. I'm mean, I know he probably wasn't, but his face is Dick-Tracy-mobster-esque.
    Skyler's last line was great.
    Yay Breaking Bad!

    ReplyDelete