Shows like Breaking Bad have their characters teetering between the good and the bad. Their morality lies in the foggy grey area that both condemns and justifies their actions. In this week’s episode multiple characters take the show’s name to heart and finally break bad.
The episode starts off with Walt returning to his house thinking he’ll encounter Jesse, who ended the last episode by splashing gasoline around Walt’s house. Walt enters the house to find that Jesse is nowhere to be found. He alerts Saul and has Saul’s henchmen watch the car wash and Walt Jr’s school just in case Jesse shows up and tries to start trouble. While everyone is keeping an eye out for Jesse, Walt unsuccessfully tries to get the gasoline smell out of the carpet before his family comes home. He comes up with a cockamamie story that Skyler doesn’t believe, Walt Jr. believes it to an extent. Walt Jr. is slowly becoming to savvy to his father’s lies and no longer blindly believes everything that comes out of his father’s mouth. The family stay at a hotel until the carpet can be replaced, it’s also the safest thing to do with an inconsolable Jesse still on the loose.
At the hotel Walt meets up with Saul and one of his henchmen, Huell, to discuss Jesse’s MIA status. Saul thinks that Jesse has finally gone off the deep end and should be taken out of his misery like a rapid dog. Walt balks at the idea and gets mad at Saul for even suggesting it. He threatens Saul to never mention something like that again. When Walt returns to the hotel room Skyler confronts him on his meeting with Saul. Walt confesses that there is a problem with Jesse but it is nothing that he can’t handle. Skyler’s moral devolution hits its precipice when she tells Walt that Jesse is a risk to everything they worked for and he needs to be taken care of. Switching roles, Walt refuses to even fathom such an idea and tells Skyler that Jesse is a person and it’s not right. Skyler isn’t deterred and is adamant that Walt do something about Jesse considering this isn’t the first time Walt has had to “take care” of someone.
Viewers are treated to a flashback scene to where Jesse is maniacally spilling gasoline all over Walt’s house. In the flashback he has ever intention on setting the house ablaze and comes close to completing his task but is stopped by Hank bursting in with his gun. Hank convinces Jesse that there are better ways in taking Walt down. He leads Jesse out of the house and into his car and the two drive off.
After a terse, unhelpful meeting with her therapist, Marie comes home to find that Hank has packed a few bags and wants to send her off to some spa weekend holiday. Marie refuses to leave and its discovered that Jesse is hiding out in their house so Walt and his associates don’t find out where he is hiding. While Jesse is sleeping off his latest trauma his Hello Kitty phone starts goes off. Hank grabs the phone and listens to the voice-mail from Walt.
Back at the hotel, Walt and Walt Jr. have a short conversation about Walt’s cancer and Walt Jr’s fears that his father may not survive this time. It’s unbelievable that Walt Jr. is the only person who doesn’t know about Walt’s involvement in the meth business. It’s sad to see this poor boy go through life utterly clueless to his father’s dealing, especially when so much danger could befall him.
When Jesse wakes up at Hank’s house he finds that Agent Gomez is there as well and the two have set up a camera to take Jesse’s confession. Jesse is hesitant, he believes his confession won’t be much help in taking down Walt since they don’t have any other proof other than his own word. Gomez agrees with Jesse, they don’t have any sort of physical evidence that could tie Walt and Heisenberg together. Hank thinks he has the cure to all that and he play another voice-mail Walt had left Jesse saying that he wants to meet up with Jesse and talk about everything. Jesse is certain that the whole meeting is a trap and Walt will kill him the moment he shows up. Hank has a theory that Walt secretly cares about Jesse and that he would never do anything like that. Jesse isn’t very keen on the idea but agrees to the plan. After Jesse walks off, Gomez questions Hank on what he’d do if Jesse does walk in a trap. Callously, Hank informs Gomez that he doesn’t care if Jesse lives or dies, he just wants to get everything on tape. Hank has always been seen as the yin to Walt’s yang. Hank is the good guy to Walt’s villain, even though he’s done some questionable things, Hank has always been on the right path—morally. This newest development is without a doubt is the lowest Hank has ever been moral-wise.
With Hank and Gomez as look-outs, Jesse starts making his way through the plaza to meet with Walt. Jesse is extremely paranoid and eyes everyone in the plaza with wide eyes. As he gets closer to Walt he spies a suspicious looking man standing nearby to where Walt is sitting. Thinking that the man was sent to kill him Jesse starts panicking, he diverts off his path and runs to a pay phone. He uses the pay phone to call Walt. He gives Walt a message that he is “coming for him” and Walt should be on the alert, because Jesse is through with following him. Hank is furious with Jesse’s screw-up but Jesse seems to be elated with a plan forming in his mind to take down Walt.
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Walt, on the other hand, is worried, he rises from his seat and returns to his car. Viewers learn that the suspicious man was not a hit-man but an everyday day. In the car, Walt makes a hurried call to Todd, telling him he has another job for his uncle.
Poor Jesse, no matter how much Walt insists Jesse is not a dog, he really is treated like one. Everyone kicks him down and no one cares for him. His years of mistreatment have made him wary of people. When someone shows him genuine compassion he pushes them away like a stray dog would. He really is like a rabid dog and this episode just emphasized that point. To follow the theme, Jesse’s been let off the leash and now there’s no stopping him. Both Hank and Skyler’s moral compasses have broke and now there’s no one to try to reign in Walt and he’s left to his own devices. When these two men meet up again, it’s certainly going to have disastrous consequences
Rating: 9.5/10
Here’s a promo for next week’s episode 5×13 “To’hajiilee”
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