With all due respect to Hank and Mike, Skyler might be the best investigator on the show. Her ability to make connections, recall previously incidental points to complete an overall pictures, and sweat information out of Walt are unparalleled. I’m wondering if the last two episodes will change any Skyler hater’s minds, since they are really highlighting the consequences of her supporting Walt.
And she does. Walt is acting unbelievably reckless and self-absorbed. With his partner, Jesse, he screws up what is, in the end, a mostly accurate point of view on Jesse’s situation, that Gus probably doesn’t care about him, that he is trying to drive a wedge between them, etc, with his “everything is all about me” speech. At his job, he just got three women deported, at least, if not shot and buried in the desert, just as a “fuck you” to Gus. He can’t even let Eyebrows have the last word. Odds on that coming back to bite him in the ass?
With his son, instead of giving him some honesty, he buys him off, and both of them knew it. Look, I don’t expect Walt to open up to Jr. just quite yet about his drug business, but Jr. does seem to be having a pretty mature and sensitive take on his dad’s cover story, and I think Walt probably should have gone with that. Skyler would not have looked nearly so bad, even though it seems Jr. is all on his dad’s side, and she certainly wouldn’t have had to be the one to put her foot down on the car.
I don’t really know what she’s thinking, other than, “I’m afraid, and my family is in danger, and I’m over my head.” I’m really looking forward to other people’s analysis of the visit to the “four corners” and the coin flip and what signifigants there was to the crossing of the state line. But I really like what her character is doing.
Jesse is clearly relishing his expanded role in the enterprise, just as clearly as he is starting to hate Mr. White. I think Mike is interesting here, as the patient instructor who is willing to let his new pupil freelance and color outside the lines. I wonder how much slack there is for Jesse in this relationship, because he’s still sitting at the kids table when the adults are in the room. I think at this point, Mike is genuinely appreciating Jesse, but not to the point of recklessness. The man hates unpredictable, after all, and Jesse is anything but predictable.
Other observations…
- They are using the sped up video technique a lot this season, more than any other, I think. I want to ask Jim what he thinks of this, since the creative analysis is usually up to him. I’d guess that it’s showing how fast things are getting out of control.
- Nice to see Walt finally own his badassness to Skyler, even if he tried to take it back, later.
- I like the fact that a war that has racked up at least six bodies can be described as “cold” by drug dealer standards. I wonder what Walt would think of that?
- For a nobody, Marius “Eyebrows” Stan sure stood toe to toe in that scene with Cranston.
- Holly is the best baby ever.
- “Register this!” Now that’s the Jesse Pinkman we all know and love!
- “I like to think I see things in people.” Yes, Gus is using this to drive a wedge between his two problem children, but it wouldn’t work if there weren’t a kernel of truth to it. I totally buy that Jesse’s reaction to Victor impressed Gus enough to try this gambit. I also found it brilliant how when Walt and Jesse were arguing in the laundry facility / superlab parking lot, they were BOTH right about everything they said, and yet left thinking they completely disagreed.
- What the hell is Gus waiting for? I believe Mike could take down the cartel if the kid gloves came off. And what is going to come of this meeting?