Breaking Bad takes a Break … In the middle of Season 5
After 8 episodes, A&E has decided that we will not see the remainder of Season 5 for another year! Because Vince Gilligan decided to end the series after 5 seasons, his choice, there are only 8 more episodes before the show is completely finished.
Who will survive? Who will die? Who will keep the money?
So much can happen in 8 episodes and most of this season has been on the boring side. A few WTF moments but overall, season 5 hasn’t lived up to the previous building of the past seasons.
Season 1 was AWESOME, Season 2 was even better and by “Face Off” in at the end of Season 4, Breaking Bad has proved to be one of the most popular and critically acclaimed television shows of all time.
This year, Breaking Bad and it’s cast are nominated for 13 Emmy Nominations.
Big Love, Sister Wives and Creepy Actors
I’ve been watching Big Love the past few weeks. The dynamic of one man with multiple wives is foreign to most of us but it’s worked for thousands of years in certain civilizations. Big Love normalizes it. Sister Wives seems to exploit it.
In another life I had a Mormon roommate. We became best friends and with our
doggies had a sort of little “family.” Her family is very high up in the Mormon community and I learned many things about the religion from her. This Jewish girl even went to a church dance with her!! The men were all gentlemen and I had a good time. Nobody ever tried to convert me and living with her was one of the most peaceful times of my life.
As I watch Big Love now, I’ve learned a new word (shout out to IDModo):
Wife #1 just told Wife #3 she was being obstreperousness. Good word and no red squiggley line..
Harry Dean Stanton makes me cringe!
Sometimes an actor is so good at being bad that one role could haunt you forever.
While watching Big Love, I have now added Harry Dean Stanton to my list of creepy
actors. I always liked him before. Repo Man and my favorite Brat Pack movie, Pretty in Pink, but in Big Love his character is pure evil and he’s very good at portraying the head of a Polygamist dynasty.
Another actor I cannot see with getting shivers is Tony Todd in Candyman. That movie was very suspenseful and about as horror as I will go. I won’t see Saw or any of the over-the-top grotesque gore. I like suspense.
The third actor is a character actor and I don’t know his name or what movie he’s in that creeped me out. I only know I see him often and remember something negative and get an “icky” feeling. Someday I’ll figure out his name.
Breaking Bad Season 3 Finale: “Full Measures”
Thank you to Vince Gilligan, Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul for another amazing season of Breaking Bad. This show takes my breath away.
“Breaking Bad” Season 3, Episode 10, “FLY” — recap and spoilers
No original recap this week. Please check out Allen’s recaps at HitFlix
What Allen’s Watching
“Breaking Bad” Season 3, Episode 9, “Kafkaesque” Recap & Spoilers
This reviewer said in one paragraph what I tried to say in this entire post:
This late in season three, they’re old hands at it, even if their circumstances have changed repeatedly, but there are still lessons for them – and us – to learn, and “Kafkaesque” is all about that. We open up with a glimpse of how Gus’s distribution network operates. Jesse crunches the numbers and realizes how much more Gus is making than they are from their hard work, and Walt later uses that info, and the revelation of Hank getting the warning call about the Cousins, to try to negotiate a raise from the Chicken Man. Saul gives Jesse a colorful lesson in money laundering with the help of some nail salon supplies, then tries to charge him a higher rate than Walt. And Skyler uses Walt’s meth-cooking adventures as the spine of an elaborate but palatable lie about card-counting that she uses to make Walt pay for Hank’s expensive physical therapies. And Jesse realizes how to skim some meth out of their production without being noticed, and then that he has the perfect new market in his 12-step group.
Click HERE for the rest of Alan Sepinwall’s Review
Commercial for the Los Pollos Hermanos, aka “chicken brothers.” Guy’s restaurants. The commercial voice over is talking about his 2 uncles which makes me think of the cousins and Tio. Also makes me think of hot, spicy, juicy, succulent chicken.
Walt and his large crew are packing up the blue meth for distribution.
Weighing, passing, bagging, storing, hiding the blue meth in the the refried bean containers for the chicken places. I’ll never look at beans the same way. All automated with Los Pollos Hermanos trucks picking up the shipments of meth filled retried bean buckets. Gus supervises with satisfaction.
Jesse weighs the junk and they are over 1.5 lbs. Walt wants to ship it as is but Jessie wants to take it out. “why are you purposely giving them fee meth, These bitches are bleeding us already.”
They argue and Jesse complains about the deal. Jesse isn’t satisfied because he did the math and realized that Gus is making 96 million to their 3 million. “That is messed up, yo.”
“Jesse, you are now a millionaire and you are now complaining. What world do you live in?”
He walks off as Jesse is still yelling.
Hank in hospital with Marie fawning over him and Skylar in the room too. Gomie comes in to visit and Marie allows it.
“His color looks good” Hank calls him closer, all the way to his face and says, “asshole”. Walt Jr. says, “heh, he got you good,.”
He gives Hank info on the blue meth popping up all over the place. Walt is in the room. Skylar is obvious. Hank doesn’t really care that he predicted this. He wants more meds. Marie says, “no shop talk.”
Hank says he didn’t see it coming. he tells Gomie about the warning call before the attack by the cousins. Watl listens intently.
Walt goes to his car looking guilty and sick to his stomach. He knows Gomie news about the blue meth being all over the place is his blue meth. Skylar gets in the car and he says he has nothing to do with it. Sky just wants to know if they are safe. She’s breaking bad . . .
“are you safe.”?? “Absolutely.” She leaves the car and walks back into the hospital.
Jesse is in his 12 step meeting. He shares with the group that he’s working at a laundromat. It’s corporate owned and very strict. They have secrets and the employees don’t know anything. He complains about his boss, the job and the group leader (Jere Burns) says it’s “Kafkaesque””
Marie is opening flowers and get-well gifts for Hank. He doesn’t give a fuck. My allergies are acting up just seeing all the different flowers. Skylar’s boss/lover gives a generous gift, along with time off. Gee, I wonder why.
Doctor comes in to check Hank for feeling in his legs. None. He says he feels a tingle but he can’t rate it. He’s lying. He lies again “6” — I can tell he’s lying and I think the doctor did too. He puts the covers back on and says “looks like some nerve function is returning.”
Doctor explains to Marie alone that they can’t have high expectations. Of course they can’t start physical therapy until the damn insurance papers come through and our accepted. There is an insurance lady there to explain what isn’t covered. It’s all about $$, not Hank’s care. Great example of our health care problems. They want to start therapy now but the health plan won’t allow it because it might not be in the network.
The insurance lady starts talking about the money. “If you don’t follow the insurance companies procedures, they may never pay you back. I’ve seen families go bankrupt.”
Sky is thinking about all the money she and Walt have and continue to make.
Saul getting mani/pedi and Jesse walks in but doesn’t want the pampering. Saul says the nail Salon is “all his” and he’s the new owner. Might have been Walt but Jesse showed up first. He bought it for 312k so Jesse could look legit and have a money laundering establishment. Jesse tries to walk out but Saul calls him back in and mentions IRS. He explains that he needs the “cover” and the nail salon would be the perfect example.
“You want me to by this so I could pay taxes? I’m a criminal, yo.”
Saul says he’ll get 17% and Jesse walks out.
Walt sees the trucks pass him as he’s heading to to Gus’s desert hideaway. He gets out to talk to Gus.
“How is your brother-in-law?”
“He’ll live.”
“Good I’m glad. Walter you seem troubled, How can I help you?”
“I asked to see you in order to clear the air. There are some issues that could cause a misunderstanding between us and I think its in our best interest to lay the cards on the table.”
that’s the best way to do business
“My brother-in-law got a call, I think that same person was protecting me from those 2 men and somehow they were steered away from me and to my brother-in-law. Because of this, I’m alive. And I think this person is playing a much deeper game. He made that phone call because he wanted a SO , in one stroke he blooded both sides, sent the MA gov against, stopped supply, if this man had his own supply, has market to himself. The rewards would be enormous.’ We’re both adults. I can’t pretend I don’t know that person is you. I want there to be no confusion. I know I owe YOU my LIFE. And more than that, I respect the strategy in your position, I wouldC done the same . One issue which troubles me-0– i don’t know what happens when our 3 month contract ends.”
“What would you like to happen?”
You know why I do this, I want security for my family.”
“You have 3 million for 3 months work. Extebded annually, 12 mil a year. Call it 15, open ended. Will that be agreeable?”
Walt drives. He starts speeding, faster faster, flooring it at 90 and going faster and closing his eyes, swerving into the wrong lane, truck walking and he wakes up to swerve in time but he’s out of control and crashes into the road. shaken up. Exhales.
He puts on his turn signal, gets back on the road and drives off.
Jesse again in meeting. Talking about relapse triggers to head off the disease before it comes back. Free license to bitch and moan. Jesse, . . .?? ”
The leader asks Jesse what he would do if he had all the money he needed. He says he’d like to work with his hands. He liked wood working. He explains about a past class project. Other people look bored. Another great monologue by Aaron Paul. “is that the best you can do” is what the teacher asked him because he rushed through it. By ehe end of the semester his 5th box was “insane.” He used special wood, screws, sanded it for days, it was perfect and he was proud of it. He told the group that he gave it to his mom.
No, he traded it for an ounce of weed.
Marie and Skylar talking about the insurance crap. Sky’s lover shows up and she introduces Marie to Ted. Marie thanks him for the gift basket. Marie invites him in and offers him a glass of wine. She decides to leave and take a bath. She must smell; bad because Skylar just suggested the same.
Sky is not happy to see Ted but he wants to talk. He’s acting all needy and whiny, “I haven’t heard from you in days”d She’s explaining that this whole thing iwhth hank is a non-stop horror show. She wants him to go. He gets pushy about being hidden and she starts yelling at him he leaves telling her to take as much time off as she wants.
SP and Jesse talking about the joys of cooking in the RV. Sitting w his druggie buddies have useless talk. He’s pissed about paying taxes and says it’s Kafkaesque and I believe he’s using the term wrong. He wants to start cooking alone again to sell on the street. He claims to have a whole new market. All they need is the Meth.
Walt and Jesse in the lab. Jesse slamming things. asks about th yield 201.8
He’s thinking and if he had a mustache he’d be twirling it.
Coming attractions for next week. Fuck you AMC.
Jesse back in group. New faces don’t want to speak up. Brandon, one of Jesse’s friends, I think he wants them to get clean so they can sell and not be addicts. He talks about his meth addiction and how the new version is on the streets and skinny peat says, “not that blue stuff” and they start talking about the stuff that “lights their whole head on fire” They talk about the same of running out and and that it’s back in town. All the addict ears perk up. Jesse smiles with pleasure. This is low.
Marie threatening to go to the press if Hank doesn’t get the care he needs. He might be in a wc if he doesn’t get ps immediately. Walt offers marei “anything” but he can’t say he has money. Sky says, Walt, we can always [pay their bills”
“We have the money, more than enough” Walt’s starting to panic, “Marie needs to know the truth”
She starts lying about the problems they’ve been having and money. She starts explaining
that he’s providing and he paid his own medical bills. Explains he wouldn’t take charity. He’s nervous but I think he trusts she will come up with a story to explain his money. Yep, she praises him and says he came up with a blackjack counting card system. Yeah, like Rain man. Says Walt went to all the casinos and didn’t want his winning to be reported to the IRS. Claims he’s been going to illegal back yard casinos. That’s where he was when he was missing. Leading a double life. Walt is so proud of how wonderful Sky lies. She says that the night he disappeared he lost his pension, savings, etc. Marie scolds him.
Sky says the system got to work and lets just say we have the money, no more gambling
“How much?”
“Walt?”
“Uh, well, uh, it’s in the 8 figures”
“oh dear god”
“What can I say, I did very well, Marie, you will take our money and use it to take care of Hank. Please.”
“Marie, let us help.”
“Please don’t tell Walt Jr.”
Marie needs to thing about it.
Walt asks Skylar, “How could you come up with that?”
“I learned from the best. Something tells me Hank is here because of you and I’m not forgetting that.”
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“Breaking Bad” Season 3, Episode 8 “
Jesse removing hospital gown and getting dressed. Wincing in pain with every move. He’s skinny and has a skull tattoo on his back and other tattoos on his arms. He’s being wheeled outside and the orderly is going to just leave him out front. Jesse lights up and the orderly tells him he has to be 20 feet from the front door to smoke.
“Roll me further, bitch.” Jesse, ever the charmer. Orderly walks away.
Ambulance pulls up and it’s Hank. Jesse rolls up and sees. He’s in shock and follows the EMTs and the gurney. Hank is on the way to the OR.
Jesse goes back outside and sits back in the chair and starts rolling/walking down the block. One of his druggies picks him up and asks how Jesse feels, he says, “actually, I’m great” and has a big smile.
Gale is upset with being fired. Doesn’t understand and he’s whining to Walt. He wants Walt to elaborate and Walt won’t and is trying to get out of having to explain his reasons to Gale. “We have different rhythms. It’s as if I’m classical and you are more Jazz . . .””
Then Jesse comes in. “Oh, shit, this is the bomb! What’s up PARTNER!” Gale realizes it’s his replacement. “It’s all shiny up in here” Jesse is yelling with glee and Gale says, “this makes no sense. So, I guess this is . . . .” and they shake hands.
Jesse sounds like he’s having an orgasm. “Wow.”
Walt wants to get right to work, show Jesse the new things and start cooking. Jesse realizes that Walt doesn’t know about Hank because Walt has been locked in the lab for many hours.
Back at the hospital, doctors, big words, beeps, blood, Walt comes to hospital and they let him in because he’s family. He and Marie hug. Walt Jr. and Skylar are there too. He’s hugging Marie and saying “I’m so sorry.” and Hank is still in surgery. Marie says, “They shot him 4 times.” Walt Jr. leaves to get fresh air when his dad asked how he’s doing.
Walt starts asking for details and finds out the tattoos showed a drug cartel. No motive, could be a message to the DEA or against Hank for his investigation.
Hank’s partner says, “They had an axe.”
“Where are they,” asked Walt,
“Hank got then. Considering he didn’t have his gun . . .” His boss explains that he took away Hank’s weapon. Marie starts yelling at the boss. Walt is right between them. Marie is blaming his partner for not backing him up and his boss for not supporting him and taking his gun. Marie kicks them out of the hospital room and tells them the “DEA is not welcome here.”
“It’s not just them, it’s YOU Walt. This Pinkman that Hank was looking for. Hank would have never even heard his name if you hadn’t bought marijuana from him. . . .” She’s blaming Walt but Skylar is saying “It’s not his fault.” Marie breaks down and Walt comforts her.
Hospital, elapsed time. Walt staying with Marie, Skylar and Walt Jr. and a few guards. Deafening silence. Walt rips annoying card out of magazine to steady wobbling table in the waiting room.
“HELLO,” Jesse yelling,. “Helloo hello heloooooooo”
Jesse is enjoying the lab. “Yo yo yo, Jesse Pinkman in the house.” Starts banging on the big steel drums, laughing, going around in circles on the cool chair. I guess he feels like king of the world. He’s actually “high” without doing drugs.
Walt gets a page at the hospital. Skylar gives the bitchy face to him but he gets up to get the phone.
“Yo, we working sometime this year?”
Walt mad that Jesse called the hospital. Jesse wants to work, it telling Walt about responsibilities. It was cute because for a moment their roles were switched and Jesse was telling Walt what to do. Jesse said he’ll just cook on his own and Walt says “you will do no such thing.” Jesse, said, “Hey, I’m not your bitch to order around.” Skylar came up to Walt and as he was hanging up the phone Jesse yelled, “hey tell your douche bag brother-in-law to head towards the light.”
Walt wants to lie to Skylar about the call, she just walks away. She doesn’t care.
They all go to breakfast, things still silent and tension filled. Marie starts freaking out over a filthy fork. Sky says water spots and Marie is spazzing saying it’s filled with sick-people germs. Marie is losing it over what she thinks is a dirty fork. She calls the hospital a death trap.
Walt gives a nice speech about how he survived and how scared he was before his cancer surgery. More Emmy winning acting for Bryan Cranston. Discussing his fear of surgery is universal to everybody who’s had it or has waited while a loved one is in surgery. He reminds Sky how when driving there every light was green. All he could think about is ” why today. Why cant a have a few extra minutes in the car with my family. I never wanted to be stuck in traffic so much in my life.”
“I survived this place and I’m not half the man your husband is.”
He reaches for Skylar’s hand and she holds his back.
Juan from the cartel is blaming Gus claiming the cousins wouldn’t act on their own. He’s wondering who ordered the hit against Hank. One cousin survived and is in custody. Gus knows that cousin must die.
Hank is out of surgery on his way to recovery. They can’t see him till he stabilizes
Marie doesn’t want to go home and either does Walt Jr. Walt asks if anybody else is dying to brush their teeth and he offers to “swing by” Marie’s place and get a few things.
Downstairs. DEA agents and cops are everywhere waiting to hear about Hank. Hank’s partner introduces him to the other cops who are all worried about Hank.
Hank’s partner talks about the surviving twin. He’s pissed off that the scum gets great medical care and pain meds. He wants to show Walt what “Hank did to that bastard”
Tons of cops “Comfortable you piece of shit?” he says to the man in the sleeping man in a hospital bed.
Cousin wakes up. Opens eyes. SEES WALT. Nostrils flair and he tries to sit up. Beeping increases and he throws off his covers and shows no legs. He falls out of bed trying to get to Walt and is crawling on the floor with his leg stumps bleeding all over the floor.
Jesse back in the lab playing on the chair. He’s in the yellow suit and trying to entertain himself, I guess. He’s groaning, bored, poking around the lab looking for something to help him blow up his yellow suit. He finds an inflating device and blows up his yellow suit to look like the Michellin man . . . goof ball.
He hears someone and says “Finally, about damn time” but it’s one of Gus’s guys and he asks “why isn’t there anything cooking,.”
Walt in car gets another call at the hospital. Surrounded by DEA agents he pretends Jesse is a Reverend. He calls back on his cell phone and Jesse wants to start cooking. He tells Walt that some guy came by the lab and Walt was startled when he asked if it was Gus. Jesse said no, it was one of the non important dudes.
Walt asks Jesse if he remembers what Tuco said in the desert. He remembered that Tuco said someone was coming after them. “The Cousins,” Walt remembered and Jesse agreed.
Back in the waiting room Walt brings stuff for everybody. Marie and Sky go to wash their faces. Walt & Walt Jr. are alone and he gives him a book and tries to talk to him about it. “Uncle Hank gave it to me.” The book is about a big drug lord in the 80s. A DEA book. Walt Jr obviously admires Uncle Hank and explains how the criminals are always famous but the good guys never get ink like the bad guys do.”
Walt’s cell phone rings and he steps away from Jr. He’s lying to Gus saying they are hard at work. He tells Gus he can’t keep the schedule and he blames it on Gale screwing things up. He’s hemming and hawing, making excuses. Assures Gus they will cook through the weekend and have 400 lbs by next week. He gave his word. “Thank you for the update,” says Gus.
Walt still at hospital talking to Hank’s partner and trying to get information. He’s asking about who the men are and he’s trying to be subtle and casual. Ah, partner’s name is Steve. How could I not know that? Steve. . . . . STEVE. . . . ok. sorry, I like the name Steve.
Steve says, “I’d love to walk in and shoot that bastard right in the head.”
“Me too,” says Walt.
Food is being donated and brought in from Gus’s Chicken place and he’s feeding the entire DEA! He’s even bringing it by personally. Walt looks scared, elevator dings. Commercial.
I didn’t pay attention but AMC just showed scenes from next week. Why do they do that? I heard others complain about them doing it last week and they did it again. I was busy fixing typos . . . .
Walt’s family is eating chicken and Mr. Fring is talking to Marie and SKylar. Walt is stiff and scared. Fring is good. because he knows how to talk to the DEA and isn’t nervous. Boss explains that Fring was a sponsor to a charity Mr. Fring tells Mr. White that his name came up. Fring explains that he heard about Walt’s health and hopes all is okay. He says he saw that by Hank’s expression that it was clear how deeply Hank cares for him.
They Thank him. Walt sits. He looks petrified but he says he didn’t say thank you and will walk him out. Fring asks all the DEA if they are enjoying the chicken. Walt tries to speak with him. “You knew, you knew my brother in law was with the DEA” Walt says, “he’s not a problem.”
“You being here, is this some sort of message” asks Walt.
“I hide in plain sight, same as you.” Says Mr. Gustav Fring.
He asks about he attack on Hank and Gus says nothing. They fake thanks and Gus Fring walks away.
Some cops start running up the stairs. The surviving cousin is crashing. No pulse. He’s dead. All the DEA see it and are glad. Walt is not sad.
Chicken place. Gus gets call and goes outside. Juan tells him he has Federalies surrounding his house. He suspect Gus is behind this. Gus stays cool. Juan is right and realizes that Gustavo probably set this up so he can have a bigger territory.
Juan threatens Gus, “When I get proof and the other find out what you’ve done, we pay you a visit.”
Glass breaks and gunfire. Spanish yelling and Juan gets gunned down… Gus smiles, breaks his cell phone and walks back into the restaurant.
At the hospital, Skylar is leaning on Walt sleeping. Doctor says he’s stable enough for visitors only family. Marie says “We’re ALL family” they all go into Hank’s room and surround his bed. Marie kisses his head. They all look scared and worried, especially Walt. Marie grabs Hank’s hand. Show over.
my Snark 