Breaking Bad - Season 5 (AMC) (1 Viewer)

[TravisR]

Poor Hank. His life and probably his career are both ruined by Walt. I certainly wasn't expecting him to confront Walt already.

Aaron Paul was a standout tonight.

Whoever had the idea of Skinny Pete telling Badger how something was from Voyager is a genius. I know almost nothing about Star Trek but that whole scene cracked me up.

For those keeping score, Walt's chemo must be working because that flashforward should be about 8 months away.

 

[Joe_H]

I was a little worried about built up expectations over the long wait for this season, but wow, that was about as amazing as expected.

I didn't expect the confrontation yet either, especially because when I looked at my clock as the garage door closed, it was 9:59 and so I thought the episode would end there. Glad to be wrong though.

 

[joshEH]

Wow. Just...wow.

Some initial thoughts, coming right off the episode:

[*]
Todd confirmed for World's Worst Cook™.
[*]
Walt is sticking his face where Hank's ass has been for the better part of a year.
[*]
Speaking of Hank, that was one hell of a dump. Blew the house apart.
[*]I like how we hear Marie say to Walt, "You are the devil!" right when Hank opens the bathroom door.
[*]
I would totally watch Badger's Star Trek episode.
[*]
It's interesting that a junkie who murdered someone has essentially become the moral compass of the show. Such a great character.
[*]
Walt went to Jesse's in his car with the tracer...
[*]
Charging $15 for a "standard" car wash is a bigger crime than anything else seen on this show.
[/list]
Television doesn't get much better than that final scene. I stood up when that garage door went down. My jaw dropped, and I put my hands on the top of my head like I was witnessing the biggest "Oh, shit..." moment in history.

...Damn, it feels good to be this excited about a show again. Welcome back, Breaking Bad. Welcome back.

 

[ScottH]

I certainly wasn't expecting him to confront Walt already.

Actually, I would argue that it was more Walt confronted Hank. By the time he shut the garage, Hank knew Walt knew he was on to him. Not sure Hank played that one right, but the cat was out of the bag. It certainly does seem Walt holds the cards now. Although it seems Hank could break Jesse in about 3 seconds in an interrogation room at this point.

I've been waiting more than 5 years for that Walt-Hank confrontation, and now it's over just like that. I'm sad.

 

[joshEH]

I've been waiting more than 5 years for that Walt-Hank confrontation, and now it's over just like that. I'm sad.

I wouldn't get too misty-eyed yet -- that next-episode preview that ran during Low Winter Sun sure makes it look like Hank's about to bring the Hankpocalypse down on Walt, coming up sometime soon, here ("I can be the guy who takes him down!").

Some more thoughts:

[*]I don't believe I've ever seen an exercise in tension built and executed as well as this episode did it. Regarding the sound design, I loved the choice in using the car door-beeping and the RC car buzzing mixing in with the music. Dave Porter does amazing work, as usual.
[*]If this were an episode of Dexter, that final scene between Walt and Hank would have been the season finale, and then next season would have started six months later with Hank and Walt happily playing soccer with Walt Jr.
[*]During the mid-season break, Hank was on the can so long that Holly grew bangs.
[*]Badger's Star Trek script definitely beats out Paul Kinsey's script. I want Badger's Star Trek fan fiction and Ben Wyatt's Star Trek fan fiction to go head-to-head in a battle of some kind.
[*]Also, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine features a character who dramatically shaves his head as he becomes cooler and the show gets better and better and better.
[*]Badger and Skinny Pete undoubtedly have regular, weed-fueled slap-fights over whether they're bigger fans of Cumberbatch or Tom Hardy.
[*]Awesome bong.
[*]It seems that Hank busted Walt's glasses during the punch in the garage, which explains, perhaps, why Future Walt has thicker frames as "Lambert."
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[*]Possibly my favorite part of the entire episode (besides the ending) was the bit where Walt was once again lying through his teeth to Jesse. The line was, "I need you to believe." There are so many ways one can say that, and his word choice was so telling. And Jesse's expression. Clearly not believing. That was absolute gold.
[/list]

I seriously hope this turns into Jesse looking for redemption in the form of taking on a Robin Hood-type role, and bringing down all of those who ever had anything to do with destroying everything in his life, or in the lives of those around him.

Will it be like Punisher Kills The Marvel Universe, where he kills himself at the end? Being that he got himself into it, and all that. (Directed by Shane Meadows.)

I think the fact that Jesse's attempts to either give away his money and then literally throwing it away are pretty good tells that he wants to die now. He's been wasting away in his home for months, with only his shithead friends to occasionally keep him company. He now knows what Walt is about regarding Mike (he would kill Walt outright if he only knew about about Brock and Jane).

It's all but over for Jesse, now.

 

[Dheiner]

Hanks best bet right now is to put a bullet or six in Walt. He should have done so in the garage.

 

[TravisR]

Although it seems Hank could break Jesse in about 3 seconds in an interrogation room at this point.

I don't think Jesse will go to the DEA on his own but if he was brought in, I don't even know if he'd bother trying to work a deal for himself (which I imagine he would have no problem getting) and giving up Walt and himself for all the things that they've done.

Somewhat related to that, the more I think about the flashforwards, I'm not so sure that Walt is going after Jesse. For Walt to come out of hiding, he must be after someone who has done something very serious (violent) or personal to him or his family. I don't see Jesse hurting Walt's family and I don't see Walt plotting to kill Jesse just for informing on him. Not that he would be happy if Jesse snitched but if Walt has gotten away and set up a new identity, I find it hard to believe that he'd risk that for what looks to be a suicide mission (even if the cancer meant that his number was up) to kill someone that he loves like a son.

Hanks best bet right now is to put a bullet or six in Walt. He should have done so in the garage.

I was actually wondering if Walt was going to kill Hank at the start of that scene.

 

[ScottH]

Somewhat related to that, the more I think about the flashforwards, I'm not so sure that Walt is going after Jesse. For Walt to come out of hiding, he must be after someone who has done something very serious (violent) or personal to him or his family. I don't see Jesse hurting Walt's family and I don't see Walt plotting to kill Jesse just for informing on him. Not that he would be happy if Jesse snitched but if Walt has gotten away and set up a new identity, I find it hard to believe that he'd risk that for what looks to be a suicide mission (even if the cancer meant that his number was up) to kill someone that he loves like a son.

I think Jesse would be capable of doing something to Walt Jr, Holly or Skyler if he finds out about Brock or Jane. I don't think he would find out about Jane since Walt is the only one that knows, but if Saul knows about Brock that's certainly possible.

However, given the amount of weaponry he has, it seems to indicate that he's after more than one person, particularly with going back for the ricin.

 

[Michael Henry]

Pardon the interruption,

But can someone run down the book revelation again? How did Hank put 2 and 2 together, etc?

I haven't re-watched and 5.0 episodes and it's been a while...

Thanks!

 

[Dheiner]

My best guesses:

Hank decides to just let Walt die.
Skyler finds out Hank knows.
Skyler takes the whole family and runs.
Walt finds them, forces "Reconciliation" "until the cancer gets him."
Todd and friends need Walt.
Todd and friends kill Hank and/or Marie, to threaten Walt and family.
Walt goes after them with his "little friend."
Apocalyptic ending.

 

[TravisR]

I think Jesse would be capable of doing something to Walt Jr, Holly or Skyler if he finds out about Brock or Jane. I don't think he would find out about Jane since Walt is the only one that knows, but if Saul knows about Brock that's certainly possible.

I could see Jesse killing Walt over Jane or Brock but I think it'd be a stretch that he'd go after Walt's family. Not impossible but he's so eaten up with guilt over what they've done that I find it hard to believe that- even in a rage- he'd kill Walt's innocent family.

But can someone run down the book revelation again? How did Hank put 2 and 2 together, etc?

Hank realized primarily because he recognized Gale's handwriting in the front of the book (Hank got a copy of Gale's lab notebook after he was murdered so he'd know Gale's writing). Also, the inscription in the front of the Walt Whitman book read "To W.W." just like a page in Gale's lab notebook with a Whitman poem written in it. At that point, Hank knows that Walt has a book from Gale so he has to come to the conclusion that Walt is the other chemist that Hank had suspected was still out there.

 

[joshEH]

Pardon the interruption,

But can someone run down the book revelation again? How did Hank put 2 and 2 together, etc?

I haven't re-watched and 5.0 episodes and it's been a while...

Thanks!

Back in Season 4, after the Gale Boetticher shooting, Hank (about to close the case), looks at the poetry book after dinner one night with Walter, and comes across the inscription -- "To W.W. with affection. It's been an honour working with you" (or words to that effect).

Walt, his ginormous ego unable to take Hank's line of reasoning about Gale likely being the criminal mastermind behind the entire meth-operation (Walt viewing him as an inferior chemist to himself) can't just shut up and let Hank drop it -- he keeps suggesting to Hank that there's someone else out there higher up working behind the scenes, and Hank looks down again at the poetry book's inscription.

"W.W.? 'Woodrow Wilson'? 'Willy Wonka'?



" 'Walter White'...??"



"...You got me."

And so, Hank keeps on the trail for still more months and months, until finally, one fateful day on the crapper...


EDIT: Woops, Travis just beat me to it! LOL.

 

[ScottH]

joshEH, you seem to imply that Hank was suspicious of Walt prior to finding Walt's 'Leaves of Grass' book. I don't think that was the case at all. I think his initial "Walter White" comment was just a joke, no different than saying Willy Wonka. I believe Vince Gilligan as even said as much.

Another thing I was thinking, does it seem a bit of a stretch that Hank already pinned all of those murders on Walt? I know he's really good at what he does and spent a few days in his garage putting all the pieces together, but it seems to me he has no reason to think he was anything more than the head/master cook.

 

[joshEH]

Note to everyone: the Breaking Bad episode of Mythbusters (with Vince Gilligan and Aaron Paul) airs tonight at 10 PM EST.

That garage scene at the end...they could have ended the series right there, and I would have been satisfied. "Tread lightly," indeed.

To me, the most provocative part of the teaser was the "HEISENBERG" graffiti. That tells us that when things blow up, they'll blow up in a very visible way -- the world knows Walter White is Heisenberg. That's a lot to gnaw on, in and of itself.They're really setting the stage for the apocalypse here. Whether he's willing to admit to it or not, Walt won't be able to take an attack from fifty sides. Lydia's unhappy, Hank fucking knows, Jesse's a wreck and prone to reckless behavior (and a perfect person for Hank to visit), and on top of that, Walt's sick as hell.

He has zero chance of containing all this, and as deserving as he is of catastrophe, I think his futility to stop it is going to be anything but cathartic to watch, mostly because the consequences will extend to the innocent, or at least the more honorable guilty.

It will be interesting to see what Lydia's next move is. She's ruthless enough to make a play against Walt directly, but perhaps she'll simply try to get Todd replaced -- cue Neo-Nazi blowback.Extremely intrigued by the Walt/Skyler dynamic on display here. They seem to be on relatively decent terms now, and there was something weirdly satisfying about her being Walt's "muscle" against Lydia. It's pretty clear that she believes that protecting their situation is the best way of protecting the family. I doubt that leads to a good place for her (or if it will be maintained when she learns of Hank), but it will be fascinating to watch.And of course, that ending. Great performances, and I share the gladness that the confrontation happened this early -- those two didn't need to keep bullshitting each other any longer than they did.

 

[joshEH]

joshEH, you seem to imply that Hank was suspicious of Walt prior to finding Walt's 'Leaves of Grass' book. I don't think that was the case at all. I think his initial "Walter White" comment was just a joke, no different than saying Willy Wonka. I believe Vince Gilligan as even said as much.

Right, yeah -- I should've made that a bit clearer, there, that Walt's feigned "guilt" (him throwing his hands up in the air) was done totally jokingly. Hank had absolutely zero reason to suspect Walt until after he found the poetry book, months later.

Walt was the one who put him on the trail (even inadvertently) in that moment at the dinner table.

 

[ScottH]

To me, the most provocative part of the teaser was the "HEISENBERG" graffiti. That tells us that when things blow up, they'll blow up in a very visible way -- the world knows Walter White is Heisenberg. That's a lot to gnaw on, in and of itself.

I was very intrigued by that graffiti. You know we will find out exactly how that got there.

 

[joshEH]

Another thing I was thinking, does it seem a bit of a stretch that Hank already pinned all of those murders on Walt? I know he's really good at what he does and spent a few days in his garage putting all the pieces together, but it seems to me he has no reason to think he was anything more than the head/master cook.

Hank had been on the evidence-trail for some months leading up to last night's episode (his supervisors at the DEA were getting exasperated with him over it), and knew the material well enough (including everything connected to Gus Fring, his death, and the superlab) to reasonably place Walter there in each scenario after it occurred to him that Walt was actually Heisenberg.

Suddenly, it all would've made total sense -- Walt's (and Hank's) lives being threatened by Gus, Walt blowing up the nursing home to get Gus, taking out the remaining superlab employees in prison to avoid getting caught himself, running afoul of Tuco, wasting Mike, etc.

He didn't register the faintest hint of smugness at having sussed out the truth, just anger at the realization of everything Walt has done. Though he may be able to be persuaded to let Heisenberg walk, simply because of the sheer amount of misery that exposing Walt will bring down on the rest of the family.

Also, was that the first time we've seen Jesse at the Dog House since Season 1? (More nostalgia: the photo of Hank posing next to No Doze's corpse with a mile-wide grin among the case files.)

 

[Sam Posten]

Loved the episode, first I have ever seen broadcast live.

I got hooked on using the second screen website app along for the ride, I wanted to hate it but it was actually pretty fun!

 

[TravisR]

One piece of evidence I didn't realize that the DEA had was the sketch of Heisenberg. I guess the idea is that they found it on the cousins back when they died in S3.

Also, was that the first time we've seen Jesse at the Dog House since Season 1? (More nostalgia: the photo of Hank posing next to No Doze's corpse with a mile-wide grin among the case files.)

I'm pretty sure that it was in S2 a couple times when Jesse bought a gun to use against Tuco and I think you might have seen Skinny Pete selling some meth there in the episode when Pete got robbed by the skank and her husband.

 

[Sam Posten]

That chair that Jesse has in his house looks super comfortable. Anyone ever tried one? Picture of it here:
http://www.wired.com/underwire/2013/08/breaking-bad-blood-money-recap/