Breaking Bad 5.12
Sep. 2nd, 2013 04:51 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenakWhich I'm tempted to call "do it to Julia" as a George Orwell allusion. And/or hum: Under the spreading chestnut tree/I sold you and you sold me. But enough 1984 allusions already.
So the White house as yet remains unburned, though Walt comes up with an elaborate story to explain the gasoline on the floor that even Junior figures out has to be a lie (though what he thinks is the truth is no less untrue) and Skyler sees through immediately. How come Walt can only lie well when committing truly villainous deeds and/or manipulating people? Probably because when he’s being an excellent liar, he happens to know the truth, and this time he has no idea what the hell might be, other than that Jesse was about to burn his house down and then somehow didn’t. An uncertain and confused Walt does not a good liar Walt make. Meanwhile, Skyler, hearing about the near incineration courtesy of Walt’s (former) business partner, arrives at the conclusion that after what they just did (note: Skyler says “we”, not “you”, she knows very well she is co-responsible) to Hank and Marie in order to be safe, there should be one more murder. This probably kills any remaining sympathy for her in Jesse fans, but in addition to being Macbeth logic (you know, “we’ve steeped in blood so far” etc.), the fact remains that Jesse might have been nice and trying his utmost at dinner, but other than that, she doesn’t know him from Adam (as opposed to Walt, who pointedly avoids explaining just what Jesse is so upset about), whereas she does know he’s been in the Meth business for years and Walt’s confederate until very recently. We know Jesse would never torch the house down if Skyler and the kids were in it. Skyler doesn’t. Mind you, this show being what it is, I think this first active encouragement to murder (as opposed to passively enabling) will have karmic consequences for her pretty soon.
Her sister is also in a murderous mood, and we get to meet that psychiatrist Marie once admitted to having the occasional guilty thought about. (Do I know the actor? He looks vaguely familiar.) This is truly the season where everyone goes to extremes (gets broken bad?), so I wouldn’t totally exclude the possibility Marie, who is the least likely person and I think nobody in fandom ever bet upon when it came to Walt’s demise, will eventually be responsible for same in a surprise fashion. (I.e. after Walt did whatever he intends to do with that big gun from the flash forwards and has won one more time, there is a surprise in purple waiting elsewhere. Something like that.) I’m still don’t think that’s likely, but after last episode’s “why don’t you just kill yourself?” and today’s confession to the therapist, I wouldn’t exclude it. Everyone gets morally compromised on this show, after all, and somehow I doubt Vince Gilligan (and scriptwriter Sam Catlin) threw in the scene with Marie and her therapist because they thought the audience was burning to know what that therapist looked like. Other possibility: Marie kills Skyler in a Greek tragedy sibling killing drama. (And then who the hell takes care of baby Holly?!?) At this point, I wouldn’t exclude anything.
Hank finally has his lucky break via Jesse’s confessions (and now has informed his buddy Steve Gomez of the truth), but as he, Steve and Jesse know, without documentary proof, this is still just Jesse’s word against Walt’s, so Hank and Steve persuade Jesse to show up for a wiretaped chat with Walt. At which point Hank manages to overtake Skyler in the disgrace from the hardcore Jesse fans via telling Steve Gomez when the later says Jesse could have a point in suspecting Walt doesn’t want to talk but to kill him, as his reply is that if that happens, they get it on tape. After saying: “The kid? What kid? Oh, you mean the junkie murderer meth dealer puking in my bath tub?” Which is Hank at his most callous (and also, morally compromised), but Hank, too, didn’t watch the last four and a half seasons. What he did just watch was Jesse confessing to aiding, abetting and performing poison production on a grand scale, as well as murder in a more direct fashion. Methinks that if Jesse had gotten shot by Walt, Hank probably would have felt responsible (and so he should have) and would have experienced some guilt under his bluster (see also: Hank’s reaction in s2 to shooting several drug dealers), but he also would have done it again, given a choice.
Luckily (or not), Jesse changes plans last minute when spotting another bald head near Walt at the plaza where they were supposed to meet. This turns out to have been not a secret thug but a harmless dad waiting for his son (oh, the metaphoric irony, it is thick today), but the audience finds that out only after Jesse has left, and of course the reason why Jesse could assume this was a trap Walt had set up for him is everything that Walt has done in the show so far. Jesse would never have assumed Mr. White capable of this back when they started, but Walt isn’t that Mr. White anymore (nor is Jesse that Jesse). So the irony that Walt did, this time, really just want to talk and explain himself (not, err, that there’s much to explain, btw, love how Saul put it about the necessities of child poisoning) and that had Jesse walked towards him, Hank would have gotten Walt’s confession tape as intended, is just another part of how life screws everyone on this show, and yet it’s also their own fault.
And then Walt calls Jesse’s wannabe replacement and well-mannered sociopath, Todd, while Jesse tells Hank there is another way to “get” Walt. Why is not next week already?
Trivia:
- the photo of Skyler and Walt in Christmas gear at the Schrader home when Jesse wakes up is just perfect.
- as are Marie’s purple suitcases
- I’m frustrated Junior still hasn’t met Jesse
- that part where Hank tells Jesse Walt cares for him and pulled half his manipulations to keep Jesse around and Jesse replies "so, what, he's gay for
me?" probably will end up in a thousand gifs all over the internet
- Okay, I’ve decided to go for broke: before this show is over, Marie will kill someone. I don’t know whether Walt, Skyler, Jesse, Hank in a horrible accident (i.e. aiming at Walt), or herself, but someone.
So the White house as yet remains unburned, though Walt comes up with an elaborate story to explain the gasoline on the floor that even Junior figures out has to be a lie (though what he thinks is the truth is no less untrue) and Skyler sees through immediately. How come Walt can only lie well when committing truly villainous deeds and/or manipulating people? Probably because when he’s being an excellent liar, he happens to know the truth, and this time he has no idea what the hell might be, other than that Jesse was about to burn his house down and then somehow didn’t. An uncertain and confused Walt does not a good liar Walt make. Meanwhile, Skyler, hearing about the near incineration courtesy of Walt’s (former) business partner, arrives at the conclusion that after what they just did (note: Skyler says “we”, not “you”, she knows very well she is co-responsible) to Hank and Marie in order to be safe, there should be one more murder. This probably kills any remaining sympathy for her in Jesse fans, but in addition to being Macbeth logic (you know, “we’ve steeped in blood so far” etc.), the fact remains that Jesse might have been nice and trying his utmost at dinner, but other than that, she doesn’t know him from Adam (as opposed to Walt, who pointedly avoids explaining just what Jesse is so upset about), whereas she does know he’s been in the Meth business for years and Walt’s confederate until very recently. We know Jesse would never torch the house down if Skyler and the kids were in it. Skyler doesn’t. Mind you, this show being what it is, I think this first active encouragement to murder (as opposed to passively enabling) will have karmic consequences for her pretty soon.
Her sister is also in a murderous mood, and we get to meet that psychiatrist Marie once admitted to having the occasional guilty thought about. (Do I know the actor? He looks vaguely familiar.) This is truly the season where everyone goes to extremes (gets broken bad?), so I wouldn’t totally exclude the possibility Marie, who is the least likely person and I think nobody in fandom ever bet upon when it came to Walt’s demise, will eventually be responsible for same in a surprise fashion. (I.e. after Walt did whatever he intends to do with that big gun from the flash forwards and has won one more time, there is a surprise in purple waiting elsewhere. Something like that.) I’m still don’t think that’s likely, but after last episode’s “why don’t you just kill yourself?” and today’s confession to the therapist, I wouldn’t exclude it. Everyone gets morally compromised on this show, after all, and somehow I doubt Vince Gilligan (and scriptwriter Sam Catlin) threw in the scene with Marie and her therapist because they thought the audience was burning to know what that therapist looked like. Other possibility: Marie kills Skyler in a Greek tragedy sibling killing drama. (And then who the hell takes care of baby Holly?!?) At this point, I wouldn’t exclude anything.
Hank finally has his lucky break via Jesse’s confessions (and now has informed his buddy Steve Gomez of the truth), but as he, Steve and Jesse know, without documentary proof, this is still just Jesse’s word against Walt’s, so Hank and Steve persuade Jesse to show up for a wiretaped chat with Walt. At which point Hank manages to overtake Skyler in the disgrace from the hardcore Jesse fans via telling Steve Gomez when the later says Jesse could have a point in suspecting Walt doesn’t want to talk but to kill him, as his reply is that if that happens, they get it on tape. After saying: “The kid? What kid? Oh, you mean the junkie murderer meth dealer puking in my bath tub?” Which is Hank at his most callous (and also, morally compromised), but Hank, too, didn’t watch the last four and a half seasons. What he did just watch was Jesse confessing to aiding, abetting and performing poison production on a grand scale, as well as murder in a more direct fashion. Methinks that if Jesse had gotten shot by Walt, Hank probably would have felt responsible (and so he should have) and would have experienced some guilt under his bluster (see also: Hank’s reaction in s2 to shooting several drug dealers), but he also would have done it again, given a choice.
Luckily (or not), Jesse changes plans last minute when spotting another bald head near Walt at the plaza where they were supposed to meet. This turns out to have been not a secret thug but a harmless dad waiting for his son (oh, the metaphoric irony, it is thick today), but the audience finds that out only after Jesse has left, and of course the reason why Jesse could assume this was a trap Walt had set up for him is everything that Walt has done in the show so far. Jesse would never have assumed Mr. White capable of this back when they started, but Walt isn’t that Mr. White anymore (nor is Jesse that Jesse). So the irony that Walt did, this time, really just want to talk and explain himself (not, err, that there’s much to explain, btw, love how Saul put it about the necessities of child poisoning) and that had Jesse walked towards him, Hank would have gotten Walt’s confession tape as intended, is just another part of how life screws everyone on this show, and yet it’s also their own fault.
And then Walt calls Jesse’s wannabe replacement and well-mannered sociopath, Todd, while Jesse tells Hank there is another way to “get” Walt. Why is not next week already?
Trivia:
- the photo of Skyler and Walt in Christmas gear at the Schrader home when Jesse wakes up is just perfect.
- as are Marie’s purple suitcases
- I’m frustrated Junior still hasn’t met Jesse
- that part where Hank tells Jesse Walt cares for him and pulled half his manipulations to keep Jesse around and Jesse replies "so, what, he's gay for
me?" probably will end up in a thousand gifs all over the internet
- Okay, I’ve decided to go for broke: before this show is over, Marie will kill someone. I don’t know whether Walt, Skyler, Jesse, Hank in a horrible accident (i.e. aiming at Walt), or herself, but someone.
no subject
Date: 2013-09-03 07:42 pm (UTC)I feel like Hank really jumped the gun by trying to wire Jesse, irregardless if it had worked or not. Surely Jesse can lead them to more physical evidence than an illegally(?) taped confession.