Breaking Bad: End Times

Lucky cigarette -
not used as I expected.
Everyone freaks out.

End Times?! End Times?! How can you call this episode End Times?! I seriously panicked when I saw that this was the title of the episode, considering how last week's ended.

This week opens without giving us any time to even take a breath. The DEA protectors are outside waiting to escort Walt, Marie and the kids to Hank's as per Marie's request. As the Whites pack a bag quickly, Walt explains that he's not going - he's the one who is the target - no one is safe around him. Skylar is seriously freaked out:

The many faces of Skylar White.

Marie wants to know how long it will be until Walt is safe. He explains that the negative results of every bad decision he's made is headed quickly in his direction. He calls Hank to blame the car wash on his absence and takes a second to say a goodbye to Holly. I begin to cry. He give Skylar a goodbye look too, it's just not as sad. But it's looks that say, "sorry I slept with Ted when you were recovering from cancer and I had just had our baby" and "sorry I started cooking meth."

At this point I may be the only person wondering where Walt Jr is. Seriously? Shouldn't they be concerned? Or at least have called him? Also, I don't think protective custody should drive with their windows down. Is that just me?

Snipers! Aim here!

Walt takes a moment by the pool to play Spin the Bottle Gun by himself. He's trying to hatch a plan, but I think he realizes - as does the gun - that unless a miracle happens, his time is up.

Aww, crap.

At Hank's we see that Walt Jr. is there - phew, cause I've been imagining [hoping?] that he's gonna get killed this season - and he's upset that his dad isn't there. Marie is equally nervous and in typical Marie fashion, is acting crazy. I'm surprised she hasn't tried to steal something in the last few minutes.

ACK!

Hank shares his theory about Gus with the group. Immediately, Steve tries to blow off his theory. Once again, shady. Hank insults his manhood which in turn leads Steve to head off immediately to the cleaners. He tells some dumb story/lie about a heroin dealing chef with a senator dad being the reason he's there. He then manipulates Dennis, the laundry king, to let Steve and his partner look around. They, along with a drug sniffing dog, look around the premises while Jesse and Tyrus are in the lab. They have to be quiet as the DEA pokes around upstairs. Tyrus gets a call, but it's for Jesse. Of courses - Tyrus is all "Bitch, please." He wanted a phone call for himself:

"No one ever calls for me."

It's Gus! Jesse reminds him that if anything final happens to Mr. White, he's done. Gus ain't scared, he's already come up with an "appropriate response."

Find out what that is after the JUMP!

Jesse gets driven miles away to the middle of nowhere in the back of a delivery truck to where his car is waiting. He's finally realized the gravity of the situation and reaches out to Walt, but doesn't leave a message when he gets the machine. He checks his messages next. Saul's called (wait, aren't you supposed to call Saul?) and left six messages. He heads over and gets searched by Grimmace Huell. Saul explains (after his assistant HT [honey tits - oh, Saul] is booted out) that it's dun-dun-dun End Times. He spills that Walt was taken out to the desert and that his whole family was threatened to be killed. Jesse doesn't like it and rushes out.

Purple!

At the house, Hank is pouring over Steve's pictures of the laundromat as Skylar watches. She walks to the kitchen [Marie has ALL purple gadgets - including coffee maker!] to call Walt who doesn't answer. She's freaked and goes outside to bum a cigarette from one of the agents.

Jesse gets a phone call from Andrea that her son is in the hospital. He rushes over and finds out that they have no idea what is wrong with him. Could it be the lucky cigarette? Sure is - Jesse finds out as he opens his pack to smoke and notices it is gone. Now, I expected this to come into play, just not at all like this. He runs into the hospital and lets Andrea know that he thinks its ricin poisoning. He rushes out.....to see someone. It's Walt of course, who is waiting on edge for his death to knock. Luckily, its Jesse, who only looks like death.

Jesse has calmed down incredibly on his drive from the hospital to Walt's....or has he? He lets Walt tell his tale of the Adventures in the Desert. Walt hears a car pass by and hops up to the window. When he turns around, Jesse is holding the gun on Walt. He thinks Walt poisoned Brock (the kid). Walt argues back with logic. Walt finally realizes/posits that Gus is behind it: Gus manipulates Jesse enough to think that Walt poisoned Brock so that Jesse would finally be ok with Walt being dead.  FUCKING INTENSE:

I was seriously bracing myself for a gunshot - either Jesse killing Walt or Jesse killing himself. When Jesse finally accepts that Walt's theory makes more sense that what he came up with in his head (bless his heart), he decides to leave and kill Gus. Walt stops him. Awwww, they are kinda friends again, real partners in crime. Walt won't let Jesse go off to kill Gus alone, and since Jesse won't leave town, Walt wants to help. Two brains are better than one.

Jesse goes back to the hospital. Tyrus shows up and tires to make him go to the lab. He yells that he's being attacked (reminiscent of when Walt called the cops on him...remember how well that turned out) and Tyrus leaves - while immediately calling someone Gus. Seriously, who else would he call? Does he have friends? What do you think he does on his time off? Sing karaoke? I bet Gale could've recommended a good place. RIP Gale.

Back at the house, Walt is cooking up the nastiest looking stew ever:

Double, double, meth leads to trouble.

He gets a text from Jesse: "I think I got his attention." Turns out Walt's working on a bomb. I clap. This show has always won me over most when science wins. Yeah Mr. White! Yeah Science! So I'll be really happy if this works out [there's still one more episode, so it probably won't].

Problems are bad for Gus, so much so that he heads to the hospital to talk to Jesse. They have a stare down in the chapel.

What Would Jesus Do?

Gus and his associates walk towards his Volvo where Walt has placed the bomb he's created. Walt's across the street watching through binoculars and he sees that Gus stops dead in his tracks. Something is off. He looks around, waits, and finally walks in the opposite direction of his car. Walt [not literatlly] does what I've [literally] done no less than 7 times in this episode and shakes his fists in the air. Gus's awareness makes me realize that I do not pay enough attention in my everyday life - then again, I am not a drug kingpin. I need to be more aware in case someone puts a bomb/tracker/murderer-in-the-backseat in my car.

I love how almost everyone was freaked out in this episode:

Seriously, if this was Friends, this episode would have been called The One Where Everybody Freaks the Fuck Out.

Man, Aaron Paul better not get screwed out of the Emmy. He's really been phenomenal all season. Everytime he makes his cry face, I want to cry.

The only person I might be ok with him losing to is Giancarlo Esposito. The scene where he looked out of the parking garage - you could just see how his mind was supposed to racing - figuring out what the hell Jesse and Walt were up to.

Gus and Walt constantly try to one up each other in manipulation and smarts. I love it, and it keeps me wanting more.

Where's Mike? Still in Mexico? I'd have thought he'd have miraculously recovered by now. I seriously hope he shows up next Sunday. I think he's really developed a bond with Jesse that I hope comes into play. Was this the first episode where Tyrus got to speak more than 4 words? I love how this show really changes when looking at different levels of the drug game. Two weeks ago I was rooting for Gus to kill the Don and cheering at his overall bad-assness. This week I still think he's a bad-ass, but I want him to die (ok just not yet, after all there are still 17 episodes left and he's such a good actor).

Exchange of the night:

Hank: Someone doesn't like how I've been spending my free time.
Walt Jr.: Minerals?

Perfection.

Best detail of the night:

The imprint of the gun left on Walt's head.

Genius.

This show has never won the Best Drama Emmy and I believe that next year will be the year it wins. The only way something else should win is if Mad Men kill Roger and makes Don impotent which in turn would make him drink more and yell more insults. Breaking Bad deserves it.

Thoughts? What do you think is gonna happen next week? Do you have any predictions for next Sunday's season finale? Follow @haikutv