I don’t disagree with Vince Gilligan often, but the title of this episode clearly should have been “Franch” rather than Madrigal. Clearly. And LOL more high fructose corn syrup for the American Midwest. The German geniuses at Madrigal Electromotive know what we fat Americans want!
With that said, last night’s episode of Breaking Bad, particularly the last half of it, was riveting — it made last week’s magnets escapade look like an episode of Three’s Company in comparison. I’m honestly not sure if a television show has ever had me more on the edge of my seat than last night’s episode did.
So let’s get right to it, shall we? Here are a few notes I made during last night’s Breaking Bad about characters, scenes, etc. I found interesting for one reason or another. (Also, don’t forget to check out Josh’s Breaking Bad Power Rankings.)
- First off, I love that this episode was Mike-centric. I mentioned last week how I love this character so hard — glad to see him become the centerpiece of a show, for once. Mike taking time out from killing people to play Hungry Hungry Hippos with his granddaughter was especially great.
- Was I the only one who almost leaped off their sofa when the ricin cig featured prominently in the episode preview that ran right before the show started? It’s obviously going to come back into play at some point — the question is who will Walt attempt to use it on. Jesse? Mike? Personally, my money’s on Hank. More on that in a minute.
- Props to Herr Schuler of Madrigal Electromotive for finding a new and innovative way to off oneself in the event of an emergency. Death by first aid kit defibrillator was definitely a first for me.
- Props also to whatever genius made this…
- Can we talk about “Gomie” for a moment? I’m torn between whether the actor who portrays him is just really bad or if the character’s just supposed to be an idiot. Because that character just strikes me as a bit of joke of a DEA agent. His slow mannerisms do make me laugh occasionally though. If I were a drug lord, he’s exactly the guy I’d want on my tail.
- Jesse’s Roomba deserves an Emmy nomination for that performance last night. Made me actually think about buying one. That’s some goddamn acting right there!
- Also, thanks for the new hiding place idea, Walter White! Behind electrical sockets is where I’m totally going to keep my ricin stash from now on!
- Walter Jr. eating breakfast! Drink!
- “You are a timebomb, tick-tick-ticking, and I have no intention of being around for the boom.” -Mike sees what’s coming with Walt, and we know he’s right based on the machine gun in the trunk scene we saw last week. Meanwhile, I’m starting to feel sorry for Jesse. Walt has mind-f*cked him to the point that he obviously owns his ass and I fear for how this will all end for him.
- I think without question that the most significant development in the episode was the light that seemed to go off in Hank’s head when his boss mentions how Gus Fring was “right under his nose” all that time. Throughout the course of the series, Walt has operated right under Hank’s nose without Hank seeming to have even a glimmer of recognition about what was going on. I have a feeling that is about to change. A seed has definitely been planted and a showdown is on the horizon. Enter the ricin when Walt feels Hank is getting too close?
- Speaking of Hank, I had a mild lump in my throat during the interrogation scene with Mike. Those two matching wits and butting heads was some pretty goddamn good television. And there’s obviously no doubt the revelation that the DEA had seized all offshore assets tied to Gus is the triggering mechanism that led Mike to accept Walt and Jesse’s partnership offer.
- Let’s pause for a moment to get Walter White’s take on Jesse Pinkman’s appearance on The Price Is Right…
“GET BACK TO WORK, JESSE!”
- “The Crystal Ship’s been pretty good to us.” — Jesse Pinkman. I, for one, miss the “crystal ship.” Any scene involving that Griswold-esque RV just added another layer of comedy for me. Of course, “Breaking Development” wasted no time jumping all over that line.
- Saul Goodman looks absolutely terrified of Walt. He’s completely neutered. I want the old, brash, swinging dick Saul Goodman back. Not feeling this pussified version of him. At all.
- I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but poor Skyler. She seemed to have a distinct “If I don’t f*ck him right now he may kill me” look on her face when Walt was comforting/romancing her in that final scene. Meanwhile Walt’s God complex seems to be spinning out of control. I liked him a lot better when he was a hapless, petty criminal and not an aspiring drug kingpin. I can feel myself actually looking forward to seeing him fall from grace, which is something I’ve never felt throughout the course of the show.
- I don’t know about you, but I miss the hell out of Gus Fring. So to scratch that itch, here’s a video, via a Reddit AMA he did a while back, of Giancarlo Esposito cackling like a chicken on a plane. (Please bring him back in flashback scenes Vince Gilligan PRETTY PLEASE!!!)
Your own thoughts and observations are of course welcome in the comments. On that note, I’ll leave you guys with this…
(GIFs via Topher Chris, Jest)
![[image]](http://cdn.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2013/05/andy-dwyer-reacts-150x150.gif)
![[image]](http://cdn.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2013/05/walter-150x150.jpg)
![[image]](http://cdn.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2013/05/both-the-great-gatsby-movies-combined-nbcs-she-ra-other-mashups-150x150.jpg)
![[image]](http://cdn.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2013/05/skyler-hazard-pay-650x364-150x150.jpg)
I’m late to the discussion here, but I believe that this is all going to come down to Gus’ life in Chile. Don Eladio chose to kill Gus’ partner rather than Gus himself because he knew who Gus really was. We don’t know yet who Gus really was, though. I think whatever scared Don Eladio out of killing Gus is going to be the force future-Walt is reckoning with.
all signs point to walt. example: gas mask from season 1. hank will figure it out by the 8th episode to set up the next 8.
Steven MIchael Quezada is actually an incredible, classically trained actor. He’s a good friend. I can’t say what he tells me about the show aside from the fact that Gomie is in every episode this season save for one. They just don’t give the character enough to do/say- if they did SMQ would act the hell out of it.
He reminds me of Tim Meadows with a beard. That said, I think he’s just fine and don’t understand the criticism.
I’m going to go out on a limb and say Lydia was Gus’ ex-wife. When Walt had dinner with Gus that one time, there were children’s toys on the floor. The first thing she asks Mike is who killed Gus, and her kid speaks Spanish.
I’m also going to guess that she kills somebody close to Mike, or Mike himself, because Mike took half-measures again. No more half-measures Mike.
She was second to the right of the Head German at the DEA powwow. I like a sexually interesting Chekhov’s gun.
I think the money is definitely a factor of why he didn’t kill her, but I don’t think it was the biggest reason.
Mike is too practical not to kill her, but he didn’t want to. So he had to come up with a practical reason not to, which is that she is financially valuable to him.
There is a saying like this “Only one himself knows if the shoes match his feet or not”。If you really love her /him, race, color or age. ain’t nothing but a number for these loved-up A-Listers. My BF and I both think so! He is a banker .We met via _______Blackwhiteplanet,,C0′M____, For hot and sexy singles online dating. If you are interested in meeting lovely beautiful interracial single, you have reached the right place.
Gilligan’s moving to turn Walt into a truly evil villain, and I think the tipping point on that is killing Hank. I still strongly believe Walt’s going to kill Hank (or try to) and Jesse’s going to kill him.
Argh, after that awesome episode that showcased Mike I am really worried about him getting offed in the next episode or two. I hope he makes it, Mike rules.
My vote for getting the Ricin smoke is Badger. Gotta bring him back for something!
This season has been noticeably lacking in Badger greatness.
I was getting scared he’d get offed THIS episode.
Whenever I see the Roomba, I always think of this:
The Roomba should be a stand-in for the tortoise. There should be an episode where it rolls through the room with someone’s head on it.
‘I dont often disagree with Vince Gilligan’
Because u wouldnt dare to!
I apologize if this has already been mentioned in comments below, but i don’t have time to read them all.
In that scene where the seed is planted for Hank re: “right under his nose” Hank’s boss specifically mentions “drinking wine” with Gus. Considering the closest Walt has ever come to revealing his secret was when he got too drunk on wine at Hank’s dinner party, I feel like there is some significance or parallel going on there. Maybe as simple as showing the dichotomy between Walt and Gus, showing how much better Gus is at staying measured, but regardless, considering the detail of this show, I don’t think that was coincidental.
Good pickup! This show is often 2deep4me
ohh you turned this into a rivebrog, thus I lose my top spot
Meant to do that from the start but a few minutes passed before I realized I’d forgotten to do it.
I LOVE how Gilligan sets up each character’s weakness WAY in advance (i.e. Mike and daughters/grandaughters, Jesse and kids, Gus and Uncle Tio) so that when they come into play it doesn’t seem like some easy plot device.
That’s just good storytelling. Loved everything about this episode. Can’t wait for pancakes to come into play for Walt Jr.
RICIN PANCAKES!
Fun Fact: when Herr was walking through the Madrigal lobby past the restaurant signs, one of the signs was for Burger Matic…which is from the movie “Home Fries”….which was written by Vince Gilligan. Boom.
When I read DanceGrooves comments…
Nicely done.
(Picks self up off the floor. Shakes the kinks out)
Try this.
I don’t know if it’s me, but was that Lupe from Arrested Development playing the nanny at the end of the episode?
Just assume it’s her and pick her up from the bus bench.
Every time they pick up Lupe it’s such a fiasco.
[www.youtube.com]
“I Dust Buster No More!”
Woah and there was a roomba in this episode too. Just wish someone could have yelled “I’M A MONSTER!!!” at some point.
I particularly enjoy every episode ending with Walt moving in on a Skyler that’s absolutely fucking terrified.
Not sure if it was mentioned here, but I love the idea that Breaking Bad’s hero is actually Hank, and the entire series is shown from the point of view of the villain aka Heisenberg.
And Mike’s the best. Always will be.
I like Hank, but I guess first impressions stick with you. No matter how cool he gets, I always think back to him being an obnoxious, overly familiar dickhead from episode one.
Yeah they’re really building up the Skylar and Walt relationship because both episodes have ended with a scene with them two in it and Skylar is just scared shitless.
Not so much that Walt is a killer, but how calm he is about it.
Anyone else spending too much time looking for Pink Bears?
Guilty. Last night we had the pink pig hanging from Chow’s door. Totally threw me for a loop.
Did anyone see the Funnel Cake Fries in the Diner Scene? Are those a real thing? If so I would like to eat several of them.
Oh yes. They are real… and they’re really not bad, either.
I like that for once Walt didn’t say the right thing at the end of the episode. Skyler is absolutely not soothed by the idea tha Walt can easily “get over” what he’s done.
I was not worried at all about Mike’s interrogation. I immediately thought, “Here’s the opportunity for Mike to look badass.” I was right.
Has Skyler taken up smoking yet? Just sayin’. Good time to get her to start.
Grrrrrrrrrr
I personally will never get tired of hearing some German dude utter the words “Cajun Kick Ass”.
Also, Jesses Roomba
Argh, my comment got chopped up.
(Silently judges John Chimpo)
Jesses Roomba
What part of the payroll was the “hitman” on? I take it that Lilith(?) is the chemical warehouse manager since she is able to get methylamine, and I assume Chow runs the laundry based on asian stereotypes.
Yes. Lillith had money so she paid that idiot to kill everyone on the list. That’s why Mike was going to kill her because of that. Of course the Asian guy runs the laundry. However, there was a scene where Chow was shot in the hand and Mike saved him from some Cartel a while back.
Chow doesnt run the laundry, I don’t think. He worked at the Pollos Hermanos corporate center where Gus would have his meetings with Walt/Jesse or the Cartel.
Pretty sure the gal’s name was Lydia, not Lilith.
Lydia, Lilith, I suppose it does make a difference what her name is when she is staring down the barrel of Mike’s gun begging not to be shot in the face.
And Earl Grey tea sucks.
Chou runs the chemical warehouse, no? He gets shot in the hand by Mike (in an exceedingly memorable fashion, natch) in the season 3 finale
Yeah, Chow runs/ran the chemical supplier where Mike kicked ass/took names/threw shoes/shot hands. The place was full of barrels of chemicals, so it stands to reason that he’s the one in charge of the managing chemical shipments in some capacity.
I’d assume the dude running the laundry was the one who Gomez talked to when he brought the dog to check the laundry out for Hank.
Yeah, I’ve always wondered that too about Steven Michael Quezada.
My money is Walt Jr getting a taste of that ricin.On accident of course.
I’m so glad you brought up that last scene with Skylar. It was so uncomfortable to watch; you can see how petrified she is — she couldn’t even get out of bed! I miss the give no fucks Skylar and would hope that she’d make a triumphant return, but with the way things seem to be going — there’s going to be this massive fall from grace for all of the Whites soon and it feels catastrophic.
Good episode. That scene with Hank where the “light went off in his head” may be something a bit more serious, the previews with Marie in the next episode got me so motherfucking anxious.
she probably just stole something again.
Yep. Seems like a good time for Marie to distract the hell out of Hank.
Jesus Christ, Marie!
also, Madrigal is a vaguely Latin name, odd for a German company, no?
It’s a type of song from the Renaissance. Voices only.
About as odd as a company in the Bronx called Häagen-Dazs
ahh. I only have met Mexican people with that last name, so just associated it with latinos. INTERESTING.
You’ve met Mexicans with the last name Häagen-Dazs?
Have you not?
Mike isn’t the one who knocks….he just lets himself in through the back
That Batman shit he pulled last night was fucking AWESOME.
Shall I make a GIF out of this one? Your copyright.
has there been any indication of Mike’s children? Where are his granddaughter’s parents? why does Mike have the money in the granddaughters name instead of theirs? Plus, since his granddaughter isn’t 18, they would be entitled to the money instead of her.
I took it two ways: an insulator in case anyone found the account and also a way to leave something to her in case he died.
I’m guessing that might have something to do with why he’s not a cop in Philly anymore. Chekhov’s Conspicuously Off-Screen Offspring
I feel like Hungry Hungry Hippos will come up again later.
oooh….wonder if “granddaughter” is actually his ex-partner’s kid. Or something to that effect.
In the 3rd season finale, Mike is seen … dropping off (? I can’t remember exactly) his granddaughter at a woman who can reasonably be assumed is the mom’s house. Other than that, no mentions/appearances