Let me start this review off by quoting every single person on my Twitter feed: “Holy Shit! Holy Shit! Holy Shit!”
To be honest, I was a little worried about the way this episode started out. With only 2 episodes left until the finale, I was worried to see Jesse taking sides with Walt when he talked to Gus and vice versa in Walt’s presence. I was also worried when Walt panicked and purposely wrecked his trusty Aztek and then decided that he needed to get his family out of dodge. This didn’t seem like the actions of a man who would say “I’m the one who knocks” just a few short episodes ago. Of course I should have known better than to worry with Villigan on the case.
The last 10 minutes of this episode has to be the finest television I’ve ever had the privilege of watching. We of course, knew that there had to be consequences for Skyler giving away Walt’s money but I couldn’t have imagined a more fitting set of circumstances leading to a more perfect consequence. Not only did Skyler give away Walt’s money but she unknowingly sealed the entire family’s fate in the process. Ted is presumably dead due to Chekov’s rug, meaning the money is stuck in his checking account, leaving Walt short the money to call the “repair man”. Saul has tipped off the DEA that Hank is in serious jeopardy which will surely anger one of the coldest, most calculating criminal masterminds in television history. Just a small dose of the medicine of consequences Walt has been tasting since season 1 which happens to come at a most inopportune time.
And where can Walt turn? At this point he has alienated every ally he had in the drug world. He can’t disappear and he can’t exactly run to the DEA for protection. His only choice seems to be to become “the danger” that we were promised before this season started.
Oh, and in case you forgot, there were other meaningful storylines in this episode such as the one between Hector and Gus, Jesse and Andrea and Mike’s gunshot wound. Not to mention both A.Ron and I had a prediction come true. If I weren’t still buzzing from the last 10 minutes of the episode, I might talk about them. Then again, that’s what our podcast is for.
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