********SPOILER ALERT********
If you haven't watched this week's episode of "Breaking Bad" you really shouldn't read any further. This recap is bursting at the seams with spoilers. I know, you're shaking like Skinny Pete after a week off of the blue, but you really should wait until after you've seen the episode before reading this. You've been warned.
At some time around 10:00 p.m. Sunday night you may have heard the sound of millions of people across the country collectively gasping in shock; the cliff hanger to end the "Breaking Bad" episode entitled "To'hajiilee" left the fate of Walter, Jesse, Hank, Gomez and the entire Aryan gang up in the air.
"Breaking Bad" may be the very first television show to ever end an episode in the middle of a gun fight. The only thing that we know for sure is that Walter is going to survive the shootout, as we noted last week the flash-forwards let us know that Walter leaves town and returns sometime in the future with a shiny new identity. With the amount of firepower Todd and his uncle's gang have at their disposal it's easy to speculate that some combination of Hank, Gomez and Jesse will meet their demise at the start of next week's episode, if not all of them.
Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves; there is still a heck of a lot to go over from this week's episode. One thing that was readily on display was the high level of deviousness every one of the players in the week's drama possesses. Walt showed that he would go as far as reconnecting with the mother of the boy he almost killed in an effort to hunt down Jesse while Hank showed that he was willing to essentially kidnap Huel and fake Jesse's death in order to get to Walt.
It was fun to watch all of the pieces of Jesse's plan fall into place. Hank may know Walt well but Jesse knows Heisenberg and it takes that knowledge to know that the only evidence they can connect to Walt is his money. Jesse's hunch played out perfectly once he threatened to burn all of Walt's money; Walt lost his mind, threw all sense out the window and ran in to their trap. Walt even makes the mistake of essentially confessing to every crime he ever committed in his frantic phone call with Jesse, don't be surprised if we find out later on that it was recorded.
Jesse's love of calling people "bitch" has been well documented throughout the history of the show, YouTube is littered with compilations of every single instance Mr. Pinkman uses his favorite insult. Yet it wasn't until last night's episode that we were given the greatest instance of all. "Fire in the hole, bitch!" may go down as the greatest line in the history of a television show full of great lines.
The hatred on Hank's face is palpable as he arrests Walt. Every act from how he makes him surrender to the force with which he slaps on the handcuffs shows the complete contempt that Hank has for his brother-in-law. Seconds after throwing Walt in the back of the car all of the hatred is gone as Hank calls Marie; it is clear that relief has washed over him. Dean Norris does an amazing job showing the weight that has been on his shoulders and the relief and joy that consumes him once it is lifted. He seems to be enjoying the moment that it almost makes you think that it wouldn't be that horrible if that's one of the last experiences of Hank's life. . . almost.
As we look to the future and speculate what exactly is going to happen in the next couple of episodes there are a few things to look forward to. Firstly, we will learn what happened during the shootout. Even Vince Gilligan isn't sadistic enough to draw that out any longer than a week. Secondly, we know that Walt has promised to cook one last time for the Aryans. This leads to a lot of speculation about the first flash forward; have the Aryans done something, such as kidnapping Skyler and the kids, to force Walt to cook for them permanently after he has left town?
We'll be able to find out the answers, or at least come closer to learning them, in six short days when the third to last episode of "Breaking Bad" airs. Go ahead and comment on what you think of the way Gilligan is wrapping up the tale and what you think might happen below. And don't forget to come back next week for another recap.
