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.
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 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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According To Jim — Drugs are funny!!!
Did you even know that “According to Jim” is still on the air? Last nights episode prompted me to write. Does anybody remember the old “Dick Van Dyke” episode when Rob took some of Laura’s pain killers? He acted crazy, it was funny and gave the message that you do NOT take other peoples prescribed medicine. This was 40 + years ago. People weren’t knowingly addicted to pain pills, oxy, Valium, codeine and all the other wonderful inventions that make them feel no pain. (or feelings, guilt, responsibility etc.).
This newest episode was about Jim hurting his back and being on pain pills. He was so funny and nice on pain pills. Andy loves him. The kids confess their crimes and all is okay. He’s pleasant and funny and a pleasure to be around.
Then the meds wear off and Jim becomes total dick. So, what does Andy do? He wrestles (yeah, right) with the idea of drugging him. Nice scene with him “making up his mind” if he should drug his BIL so he stops being an ass. After all, Jim is mad that Andy spent a company credit card to get a car to take out a hooker!
After one more huge yell, Andy drugs Jim’s drink and he is cheerful and pleasant again. Everybody happy.
Then the drugs wear off. Cheryl figures out what is going on (Andy can’t keep a secret) and she realizes she wants Jim drugged for her Cake Party that she’s having (even though she knows Jim hates parties and is always very rude to the guests.)
However, Cheryl, having such a big conscious and really caring about her loving husband, doesn’t want to give Jim pain pills for no reason. If he’s not in pain it’s “wrong.”
“Let’s make him in pain again so it won’t be wrong!!” says loving wife, Cheryl. She gets a cake box and puts a cinder block in it and tells Andy to have Jim (because if she tried to trick him it would be wrong) take it to the garage. Once Jim lifts it, he will hurt his back again and need the pain pills. Isn’t this fun!
Jim picks up the box and the cinder block falls out. He gets Andy to confess everything that’s going on and then Jim takes all the pain pills and flushes them in the sink. He replaces them with tic-tacs and it’s time for the party!!!
The rest is predictable as hell. He acts wasted. He falls in a cake. He admits he as faking. “How dare you!!” He forgives her. Kiss and make up.
Hours later I was watching “Chelsea Lately” and I laughed at a drug joke. They were discussing the story about Lindsey Lohan not being able to pay for a manicure. Ross Matthews said. “I’ve lent Lindsey money and I will never do it again!” Someone asked, “How much, ” and he said, “how much does a bag of blow cost?”
Why is this joke funny to me but “According to Jim” offends me?
“Chelsea Lately!” is on at 11:00 at night and is geared for adults.
“According to Jim” is on at 8:00 during prime-time and is a “family show” with kids in the cast and children as viewers.
my Snark 