It is so true that we were not robbed. I was thinking, as someone up thread said, that this is entirely believable. Amazing this story can stay so tight without any shark jumping.
Walt will definitely go back to rescue Jesse, but I have no idea how he learns of Jesse’s situation. The truth about Walt and Jesse’s relationship is that Walt cares about Jesse, and the whole time in the desert when Hank was “arresting” Walt, he felt a deep sense of betrayal. He was hurt, and he told Jesse about Jane to hurt him back.
Here’s one question: what was Jesse telling Todd in the pit? He said something like, “I gave you what you wanted. I told you where the tape is. No one knows about except me and him. Go to his house and you’ll see for yourself.” What is that all about? The confession tape that Walt made in the first episode was crunched up and destroyed, so that’s not it. I am not aware of any other “tape” and the DVD wouldn’t incriminate the rednecks.
Witness protection for Skylar and the kids? Maybe. They have to go somewhere, and the house is empty.
The ricin is for Walt? Maybe. But if he was going to do himself in he wouldn’t choose a drug that takes 3 days.
The ricin is for Lydia? Maybe. But Walt doesn’t hate her and he is no longer in need of trying to maintain his innocence, so there’s no need to eliminate threats to his secret. He doesn’t give a damn about Lydia. I think the ricin is for someone he hates — someone he wants to suffer. I don’t know who.
I really should get out of the Breaking Bad prediction business, because I have been wrong about everything. So I’ll just point out some things I loved about this episode:
Walt rolling that barrel through the desert was sheer poetry, and I loved that truck he bought.
I was impressed with Marie’s confrontation with Skylar — exactly how it might have happened in real life. Skylar’s facial expressions when Marie tells her Walt is in custody is priceless and brilliantly played.
Walt’s desperate attempt to get his family packed and out of the house was chilling. So well acted, filmed, and edited. “We’re a family! A family...” It was then that he realized he lost his family for good. Intense. And when he ever picked up Holly and took off, my mind was blown.
The phone call is evidence that Vince Gilligan is superhuman. Who among us could have imagined such a brilliant turn of events? Such an elegant use of verbal violence designed to absolve Skylar of any involvement, and she quickly caught on with the same sharpness that she has shown throughout the entire series.
I am just happy to have two more episodes to savor. This isn’t just a show. It is an amazing work of art.
>>The ricin is for Walt? Maybe. But if he was going to do himself in he wouldn’t choose a drug that takes 3 days.
The ricin is for Lydia? Maybe. But Walt doesn’t hate her and he is no longer in need of trying to maintain his innocence, so there’s no need to eliminate threats to his secret. He doesn’t give a damn about Lydia. I think the ricin is for someone he hates — someone he wants to suffer. I don’t know who.<<
I’m 50/50 split now.
Himself - you said he wants to use it on someone he hates. He hates himself now, for what he’s allowed to happen to his family. He’s lost them for good, lost his reputation, lost everything he’d ever cared about. The ricin is HIS creation, and his supreme ego/hubris won’t let him die under anyone’s hand but his own. He knows the cancer is going to eat him away to nothing, and he’d rather go out by a device he created, since it was his other creation that lead to so much devastation.
Lydia - I just noticed today in a rewatch of S05E08 when he meets Lydia in the restaurant to get the inmate names...as he’s leaving he palms the ricin vial back off of the diner table. He brought it there with him to poison her in case she didn’t give up the names. But - she’s really no threat to him now - more of an ally really, if he wanted to play that card.
>>Walt’s desperate attempt to get his family packed and out of the house was chilling. So well acted, filmed, and edited. “We’re a family! A family...” It was then that he realized he lost his family for good. Intense. And when he ever picked up Holly and took off, my mind was blown.<<
An incredibly, undeniably intense scene. I was literally yelling at the TV - “STFU AND PACK A BAG...DAMMIT!”