# Breaking Bad "Face Off" 10/9/11



## nataylor (Apr 26, 2000)

Haven't finished the show yet. But that was f'in badass. Love the episode title's levels of meaning now.


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## dswallow (Dec 3, 2000)

That was pure awesomeness. And it worked because Walt didn't need to find a way to lecture Gus before killing him.


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## robojerk (Jun 13, 2006)

I won!


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## SocratesJohnson (Sep 14, 2005)

Why do I get the feeling this series is going to end with Walt dead by Jessie's hand...


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## nataylor (Apr 26, 2000)

Wow, what an episode. So Walt was behind poisoning Brock. He really has broken bad, using an innocent child's life as a way to motivate Jessie. 

And that wink from Tio in the elevator leaving the DEA was great.


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## nataylor (Apr 26, 2000)

SocratesJohnson said:


> Why do I get the feeling this series is going to end with Walt dead by Jessie's hand...


I'm hoping this really ends with some kind of redemption for Jessie.


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## aadam101 (Jul 15, 2002)

WOW! That was the best death scene ever!

It was truly perfect. I was kinda disappointed that Walt used a bomb (as opposed to shooting him face to face) and then I was even more disappointed when he walked out of the room seemingly unscathed......and then BAM! Very well done! This is the greatest show on television!


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## calitivo (Dec 6, 2002)

If you go back and watch the scene from End Times with Walt by the pool spinning his gun, on the third try where it points outward, it points at the plant and you can see the thought come into Walt's mind. Brilliant. I guess we should assume that Huell stole the cigarette pack from Jesse.


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## nataylor (Apr 26, 2000)

calitivo said:


> If you go back and watch the scene from End Times with Walt by the pool spinning his gun, on the third try where it points outward, it points at the plant and you can see the thought come into Walt's mind. Brilliant. I guess we should assume that Huell stole the cigarette pack from Jesse.


The missing ricin is a loose end. There's no way Huell grabbed the cigarette in the scene we saw. No one else knew about it. Jessie certainly seemed to be keeping tabs on that cigarette, so I'm not sure how he could have lost it, though.


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## aadam101 (Jul 15, 2002)

I assumed that Walt took the cigarette.


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## Tivortex (Feb 29, 2004)

R.I.P. Fring. What a great mastermind bad guy. 

Taken out by an even greater mastermind, Walter White.

Saul had all the best lines though. Anal polyps indeed.


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## calitivo (Dec 6, 2002)

In Sepinwall's review, he says Gilligan confirmed that Huell took the cigarette during the pat down.

http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/whats-alan-watching/posts/breaking-bad-face-off-say-uncle


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## GadgetFreak (Jun 3, 2002)

They paused for a second on the closed circuit monitor in gus's office. And then paused on the chicken logo in gus's car at the hospital. Makes me think that he DEA will find recordings next season.


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## SeanC (Dec 30, 2003)

As far as we know, Skylar still doesn't know that Beneke is dead, right? Because when she gets that little bit of news I'm pretty sure she is going to freak.


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## rrrobinsonjr (Nov 26, 2004)

SeanC said:


> As far as we know, Skylar still doesn't know that Beneke is dead, right? Because when she gets that little bit of news I'm pretty sure she is going to freak.


Loose end.....Plus I kept waiting for Mike to show up the whole episode. He has to play prominently in the final season.


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## danterner (Mar 4, 2005)

Some damn nice symmetry even if unintentional:


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

Screen cap!! We need a screen cap of Gus' face...and I mean NOW!!!


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## nataylor (Apr 26, 2000)

When we watched that scene, my wife yelled out "That's so gross!"

Then I pointed out that she has no problem with it on the Walking Dead. 

Maybe they borrowed some of the makeup/CGI people from the Walking Dead to pull off that shot.


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

...and notice that Gus is adjusting his tie until the bitter end...such attention to detail in this series....amazing.


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## NatasNJ (Jan 7, 2002)

When he first walked out of the room I thought he was a terminator. I was like WTF he is a T2 machine? Then I realized that was his SKULL exposed and not a aluminum chasis. 

I really liked this season. Still enough stuff out there to wrap up a final season. Can't wait.


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## xuxa (Oct 8, 2001)

nataylor said:


> When we watched that scene, my wife yelled out "That's so gross!"
> 
> Then I pointed out that she has no problem with it on the Walking Dead.
> 
> Maybe they borrowed some of the makeup/CGI people from the Walking Dead to pull off that shot.


They did indeed use the guys from the Walking Dead, Gilligan confirmed it in his interview.


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## cheesesteak (Jul 24, 2003)

I also thought Gus was like a Terminator.

Walt poisoned Brock. What an a-hole. He deserves something nasty in the series finale.

Is Walt essentially broke now, other than the car wash? 

I loved Saul's secretary getting her revenge for all of Walt's crap.


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## aadam101 (Jul 15, 2002)

cheesesteak said:


> I also thought Gus was like a Terminator.
> 
> Walt poisoned Brock. What an a-hole. He deserves something nasty in the series finale.
> 
> ...


Walt didn't take all of the money under the house. There can't be too much left though.


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## DanB (Aug 14, 2001)

did I miss anything important?


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## robojerk (Jun 13, 2006)

I'm guessing he still has about $100K in cash, and of course the White's own the car wash.

If Walter was smart, (which would make for a boring ending season) Walter and Skylar would just work on making the car wash profitable, clean the remainder of their drug money, and live a normal life. They could even get to the point of being very well off financially if they are smart about owning a legitimate business.

Luckily for us Heizenberg will make things interesting.


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## cheesesteak (Jul 24, 2003)

I was thinking that Walt and Jesse were going to make a few farewell batches of meth when Walt said "We have work to do."

I have a crap memory. How was Skyler familiar with Gus Fring's name?


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## Gerryex (Apr 24, 2004)

After Gus is killed, there's a scene with Jessie working in the lab and some guy watching over him, I think with a gun. Who was that guy? I would have thought with Gus dead the whole organization would be in disarray. And then Walt shows up with another guy and kills them both. Then it leads to them both torching the lab and walking away very triumphantly! That part of the scene was very good but I didn't get who that guy watching over Jessie was and how he was there.
Gerry


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## john4200 (Nov 1, 2009)

cheesesteak said:


> How was Skyler familiar with Gus Fring's name?


Hank and his theory about him.


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## john4200 (Nov 1, 2009)

Gerryex said:


> After Gus is killed, there's a scene with Jessie working in the lab and some guy watching over him, I think with a gun. Who was that guy?


Auxiliary backup Tyrus.


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## NatasNJ (Jan 7, 2002)

Gerryex said:


> After Gus is killed, there's a scene with Jessie working in the lab and some guy watching over him, I think with a gun. Who was that guy? I would have thought with Gus dead the whole organization would be in disarray. And then Walt shows up with another guy and kills them both. Then it leads to them both torching the lab and walking away very triumphantly! That part of the scene was very good but I didn't get who that guy watching over Jessie was and how he was there.
> Gerry


He was one of Gus's goons. Probably one of the guys who grabbed Jesse and called Gus to tell him. He was in the lab when Gus was killed and hence had no knowledge of Gus being blown up!


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## Family (Jul 23, 2001)

That plant is not found in NM.....


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## DeDondeEs (Feb 20, 2004)

I keep wondering if Mike will pop back up in the next season. Gus seemed to have a pretty extensive network of help in Mexico, I wonder if he had some sort of succession plan? 

When the old cartel guy started pounding on the bell, I thought that it was broken. Was it? Or did Walt set it up so it would take repeated bell strikes to detonate? Then when we saw Gus walk out, I thought somehow the explosive launched the old cartel guy through the door, but didn't impact Gus. That scene showing the "Face Off" was epic.


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## Gerryex (Apr 24, 2004)

NatasNJ said:


> He was one of Gus's goons. Probably one of the guys who grabbed Jesse and called Gus to tell him. *He was in the lab when Gus was killed and hence had no knowledge of Gus being blown up!*


Yes! You're right! I had not realized that. Now it makes more sense!

Thanks,
Gerry


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## justen_m (Jan 15, 2004)

Family said:


> That plant is not found in NM.....


It was in a pot. My mom has banana trees growing in pots. I'm pretty sure they aren't native to Wisconsin. We take the pots inside the house in the winter, using a dolley. They are very large pots.


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## aRKade (May 22, 2002)

DeDondeEs said:


> When the old cartel guy started pounding on the bell, I thought that it was broken. Was it? Or did Walt set it up so it would take repeated bell strikes to detonate?


The bell was wired to detonate the bomb. When Walt was shown testing his detonation system for the bomb originally it took a few tries before it went off. Same with the bell.


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## robojerk (Jun 13, 2006)

DeDondeEs said:


> When the old cartel guy started pounding on the bell, I thought that it was broken. Was it? Or did Walt set it up so it would take repeated bell strikes to detonate?





aRKade said:


> The bell was wired to detonate the bomb. When Walt was shown testing his detonation system for the bomb originally it took a few tries before it went off. Same with the bell.


Walt is a chemist, not an engineer or a fabricator.


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## MikeAndrews (Jan 17, 2002)

nataylor said:


> When we watched that scene, my wife yelled out "That's so gross!"
> 
> Then I pointed out that she has no problem with it on the Walking Dead.
> 
> Maybe they borrowed some of the makeup/CGI people from the Walking Dead to pull off that shot.





NatasNJ said:


> When he first walked out of the room I thought he was a terminator. I was like WTF he is a T2 machine? Then I realized that was his SKULL exposed and not a aluminum chasis. ...


I replayed it. They have the muscles moving behind his missing eye.


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## MikeAndrews (Jan 17, 2002)

Cranston said that Gilligan's concept was a guy going totally bad/evil "from being Mr. Chips."

It has to end with Walt being the biggest bad a* in the southwest, even killing Hank and Jesse along the way.

Now Walt can build a new lab under the car wash, and put Jesse back in charge of distribution.

I figured we'd see the Ricin capsule at the end. Walt should have tossed the plant in his backyard..and what did he do, break into the kid's house and put extra berries in his cereal?


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## MikeAndrews (Jan 17, 2002)

*Vince Gilligan of 'Breaking Bad' Talks About Ending the Season, and the Series*



> at the end of the day, the show is about Walter White and his journey from Mr. Chips to Scarface. In that regard, he has to, with every season, get a little further down that path.


http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2...talks-about-ending-the-season-and-the-series/


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## Family (Jul 23, 2001)

justen_m said:


> It was in a pot. My mom has banana trees growing in pots. I'm pretty sure they aren't native to Wisconsin. We take the pots inside the house in the winter, using a dolley. They are very large pots.


Then how did the kid get the berries? Maybe a minor point, but it wouldn't have been too easy to pull that off.


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

netringer said:


> I replayed it. They have the muscles moving behind his missing eye.


Yeah, I noticed that, too, when I replayed the scene....very cool.


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## MikeAndrews (Jan 17, 2002)

Bierboy said:


> Yeah, I noticed that, too, when I replayed the scene....very cool.


Vince says you can see though his head.

_[EDIT]_ It _doesn't_ add up because Hector was sitting on Gus's left side, but I'll allow for the artistic license for the cool reveal.


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## MikeAndrews (Jan 17, 2002)

DeDondeEs said:


> I keep wondering if Mike will pop back up in the next season. Gus seemed to have a pretty extensive network of help in Mexico, I wonder if he had some sort of succession plan?


Vince has hinted that Mikey may show agian, but Mike has no mission with Gus gone. He could just harrass Walt for money. Or Walt could hire him to be his muscle.

Think about Mike continuing to get care at Gus's MASH unit when the doc hears that Gus is gone and they aren't gonna get paid.



DeDondeEs said:


> When the old cartel guy started pounding on the bell, I thought that it was broken. Was it? Or did Walt set it up so it would take repeated bell strikes to detonate? Then when we saw Gus walk out, I thought somehow the explosive launched the old cartel guy through the door, but didn't impact Gus. That scene showing the "Face Off" was epic.


Walt had designed the detonator so it took repeated pulses to fire.


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## MikeAndrews (Jan 17, 2002)

Bierboy said:


> Screen cap!! We need a screen cap of Gus' face...and I mean NOW!!!


Uhhh, Hank.... It looks like you may have been on to something with the Gus Fring deal.

Oh. And there was a bad fire under the laundry. We found Gale's equipment....etc.

And Fring's car was found parked in the hospital parking lot...while Jesse Pinkman was there...and the cops said he was talking to some beatup bald guy!


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## cheesesteak (Jul 24, 2003)

The best part of the episode was when Marie yelled that she forbade Hank from going to the DEA office and the next scene was Hank in the DEA office.


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## sfenton (Feb 8, 2004)

Walt was pretty cold in sending the neighbor lady over to his house. She could easily been shot walking thru the front door.


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## danterner (Mar 4, 2005)

sfenton said:


> Walt was pretty cold in sending the neighbor lady over to his house. She could easily been shot walking thru the front door.


That's why he did it - better her than him. Cold indeed.


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## vertigo235 (Oct 27, 2000)

So he really is breaking bad. 






Weird


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## thebigmo (Feb 12, 2005)

netringer said:


> Uhhh, Hank.... It looks like you may have been on to something with the Gus Fring deal.
> 
> Oh. And there was a bad fire under the laundry. We found Gale's equipment....etc.
> 
> And Fring's car was found parked in the hospital parking lot...while Jesse Pinkman was there...and the cops said he was talking to some beatup bald guy!


How long will it take for the DEA to find all of Gus' video of the lab?


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## TheLaminator (May 23, 2007)

Family said:


> Then how did the kid get the berries? Maybe a minor point, but it wouldn't have been too easy to pull that off.


Saul delivers money and candy to that mom and kid. One theory is that Walt put some in the candy and had Saul deliver it.


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## nataylor (Apr 26, 2000)

TheLaminator said:


> Saul delivers money and candy to that mom and kid. One theory is that Walt put some in the candy and had Saul deliver it.


If Huell really did lift the cigarette, then Saul is certainly in on Walt's plan and likely was involved in the poisoning. Seems Saul's sense of self preservation is just as strong as Walt's.


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## gchance (Dec 6, 2002)

Bierboy said:


> Screen cap!! We need a screen cap of Gus' face...and I mean NOW!!!


Face Off!  That's gonna leave a mark.

Earlier today Bob Harper from The Biggest Loser posted to Facebook, asking what people thought. One response made me chuckle.



> The whole thing with Gus/Terminator reference was cute(in a really sick way) but theres no way he'd have been able to get up n walk out of that room after having half his HEAD blown off.


That's right. Totally blew it all for me.

Greg


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## xuxa (Oct 8, 2001)

sfenton said:


> Walt was pretty cold in sending the neighbor lady over to his house. She could easily been shot walking thru the front door.


and it was Vince Gilligan's mom playing the role


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## rrrobinsonjr (Nov 26, 2004)

netringer said:


> I replayed it. They have the muscles moving behind his missing eye.


Hi Def rules.....

Also upon replay I noticed the severed leg (presumably Salamanca's) on the floor after Gus collapses....awesome.


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

netringer said:


> Vince says you can see though his head.
> 
> _[EDIT]_ It _doesn't_ add up because Hector was sitting on Gus's left side, but I'll allow for the artistic license for the cool reveal.


Watch that scene carefully; as Gus realizes what's happening and screams, it appears to me that his right side is closest to Tio (he was actually facing Tio and not on one side of him or the other). Hence the most damage to Gus is on his right side.

EDIT: Upon further review, it looks like Gus was directly facing Tio right before the blast.


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## tonestert (Nov 15, 2007)

robojerk said:


> I'm guessing he still has about $100K in cash, and of course the White's own the car wash.


As for the money I'm wondering if the two guys that were in Walt's house took the money from the crawlspace ? I'm sure they would have looked down there after they opened the door and saw the crawlspace hatch and then saw all that money.


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

tonestert said:


> As for the money I'm wondering if the two guys that were in Walt's house took the money from the crawlspace ? I'm sure they would have looked down there after they opened the door and saw the crawlspace hatch and then saw all that money.


Why would they see the crawlspace hatch? They showed a shot of the men looking into the bathroom (not sure if it was before or after he escaped) and not seeing anything different about the floor. And, if they checked AFTER Walt escaped, I'm sure Walt would have closed the opening before he made his escape...


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## MikeAndrews (Jan 17, 2002)

sfenton said:


> Walt was pretty cold in sending the neighbor lady over to his house. She could easily been shot walking thru the front door.


I was waiting for the house to blow up.


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## MikeAndrews (Jan 17, 2002)

rrrobinsonjr said:


> Hi Def rules.....
> 
> Also upon replay I noticed the severed leg (presumably Salamanca's) on the floor after Gus collapses....awesome.


Heh. I'll have to watch again. It did occur to me that there would have to be Hector and Tyrus parts all over that room and there was too much wheelchair left, and since the bomb was below Gus his gut and legs would not have survived to let him walk out. Not enough blood, either.

I was thinking that Walt could just have attached the magnetic mount of the bomb to Hector's oxygen tank, but that's probably aluminum. BTW, that bell would not have made for a electric switch like that. All of the moving parts are continuous metal. You'd have to put a microswitch under it and then you might as well give Hector the switch. Artistic license, again.

I have to stop insisting on realism on this show that does so much so well.

How about that cast? There's not a bad note among them.


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## MikeAndrews (Jan 17, 2002)

tonestert said:


> As for the money I'm wondering if the two guys that were in Walt's house took the money from the crawlspace ? I'm sure they would have looked down there after they opened the door and saw the crawlspace hatch and then saw all that money.


Weren't those the same two guys that kidnapped Jesse?

It looked like the one with Jesse in the lab was another who coudl take over once he knew the methods. "Now you add the CO2..."

How about Jesse, having been tazed and abducted off the street, forced to work at gunpoint and handcuffed, in the end asking Walt if Gus was really bad enough to have to die? No Jesse, Gus really loved you like a son and you might have worked it out. 

That way that Walt rang in on the elevator was almost a lift from the scene with the assassin and the twin bodyguard in Godfather III, except that Walt didn't pose the dead guy like he had bagged Walt.


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## tonestert (Nov 15, 2007)

Bierboy said:


> Why would they see the crawlspace hatch? They showed a shot of the men looking into the bathroom (not sure if it was before or after he escaped) and not seeing anything different about the floor. And, if they checked AFTER Walt escaped, I'm sure Walt would have closed the opening before he made his escape...


The crawlspace looked visible to me maybe it was not ?


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## rrrobinsonjr (Nov 26, 2004)

netringer said:


> \
> 
> You'd have to put a microswitch under it and then you might as well give Hector the switch. Artistic license, again.
> 
> I have to stop insisting on realism on this show that does so much so well.


Of course he used the bell to trigger a switch. The bell _disguised_ the switch. Gus wouldn't have been lured into sitting down next to Hector if the switch wasn't hidden. The bell was a perfect cover.


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## john4200 (Nov 1, 2009)

tonestert said:


> The crawlspace looked visible to me maybe it was not ?


The outline of the trapdoor (and the handle) was quite visible in the shot that they showed of the floor of the utility room. Whether the thugs actually heard something distinct or not, and whether they decided to lift the trapdoor and have a look, I don't know.


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## justen_m (Jan 15, 2004)

netringer said:


> I was waiting for the house to blow up.


:up: Me too. I expected the house to go BOOM! when the neighbor lady opened the door.


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## Fleegle (Jan 15, 2002)

rrrobinsonjr said:


> Of course he used the bell to trigger a switch. The bell _disguised_ the switch. Gus wouldn't have been lured into sitting down next to Hector if the switch wasn't hidden. The bell was a perfect cover.


Which is why the bell didn't give the clear ring that we've heard before, it made a dull thunk when he triggered it.


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## SeanC (Dec 30, 2003)

justen_m said:


> :up: Me too. I expected the house to go BOOM! when the neighbor lady opened the door.


I was expecting a blood splatter on the curtains.


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

SeanC said:


> I was expecting a blood splatter on the curtains.


Time to call Dexter...


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## mrdazzo7 (Jan 8, 2006)

sfenton said:


> Walt was pretty cold in sending the neighbor lady over to his house. She could easily been shot walking thru the front door.


I know I'm being naive but I really didn't see it as him risking her life... I think he was just testing if anyone showed up. I don't see Gus being careless enough to kill a neighbor who happened to enter the house... Walt figured she'd go in and he could gauge if anyone shows up, which is what happened. The guys knew it wasn't him so they didn't go in after her. I don't think Walt sent her in there expecting her to die... then again who knows.

To me, the entire poisoning thing was a weak spot in terms of the caliber of writing we've seen on the show... It's just too out there and make it seem like Walt is some kind of super villain able to predict the outcomes of events like no one else. His plan was to poison brock and make Jessie think Gus did so he'd be back on his side--that's fine. But the way it played out was weird.

Walt tells Saul to have his guy pat down Jessie (how'd he know Jessie would go to Saul's?). The 400lb bodyguard morphs into Kriss Angel and somehow takes the ricin cigarette out of the pack while it's in Jessie's pocket (unless I miss something, this part makes the least sense). A few hours later Jessie's GF tells him her son suddenly got very ill, and Jessie magically connects that it must be ricin poisoning. And somehow Walt knew Jessie would think he did it (?) so when Jessie came calling he used the opportunity to convince him it was Gus.

Basically Walt orchestracted the greatest pick-pocket of all time, then somehow got a random 10 year old to ingest berries that mimic ricin symptoms, knowning that Jessie would not only conclude that it _was _ricin, but come looking for him as the culprit, giving him the opportunity to turn things on Gus so that Jessie will want to kill him...

I don't know. It is what it is but it's a little sloppy to me. I love that it sets things up for the now-irreversable wedge that will come between them next season. I don't remember but Jessie still doesn't know that Walt could have saved his previous girlfriend but instead let her die, does he?

It's definitely weird watching this show sometimes because you're supposed to be able to root for the main guy--even if they're despicable in ways there's always some kind of "reason" given that allows you to be ok with it (i.e., Dexter kills people, but he only kills _bad _people). But with Walt there's no redeeming qualities now. He's a selfish lying ego-driven sociopath whose actions will almost certainly get everyone he knows hurt or killed... This season gave some hope because he was mostly doing bad things under the threat of death/coersion, but obviously they're taking him the other way now... dude is all kinds of bad. He's going from "anti-hero" to "villain".

Love it but it's weird.


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## john4200 (Nov 1, 2009)

mrdazzo7 said:


> To me, the entire poisoning thing was a weak spot in terms of the caliber of writing we've seen on the show...


Well, since the writing has been weak in several areas recently, at least they are consistent.


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

john4200 said:


> Well, since the writing has been weak in several areas recently, at least they are consistent.


You can quit watching the show anytime now...just skip next season(s)....


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## MikeAndrews (Jan 17, 2002)

Remember when Gilligan said that Tyrus was going to be a major factor / player toward the end? Not so much.

For anyone who says that Tyrus could have survived. On rewatching the TV reporter Skyler and Hank and family are watching says "three are dead."


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## nataylor (Apr 26, 2000)

mrdazzo7 said:


> Walt tells Saul to have his guy pat down Jessie (how'd he know Jessie would go to Saul's?). The 400lb bodyguard morphs into Kriss Angel and somehow takes the ricin cigarette out of the pack while it's in Jessie's pocket (unless I miss something, this part makes the least sense). A few hours later Jessie's GF tells him her son suddenly got very ill, and Jessie magically connects that it must be ricin poisoning. And somehow Walt knew Jessie would think he did it (?) so when Jessie came calling he used the opportunity to convince him it was Gus.


I don't think Walt was thinking that Jessie would think it was Walt who poisoned the kid. Walt wanted to get Jessie to think Gus did it, so he could turn Jessie against Gus.

And Walt didn't necessarily have to hand the kid a handful of berries and tell him to chomp away. Being a chemist, Walt likely extracted the chemical from the berries and put it in something else, like a candy bar Saul gave the kid. Or maybe he formulated something that would work just via skin contact or inhalation.

The only problem I have with the plan is Huell getting the cigarette. I just don't see how it was done, but given the overall quality of the show, I'll let it slide.


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## john4200 (Nov 1, 2009)

Bierboy said:


> You can quit watching the show anytime now....


Really? Are you sure about that?


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## MikeAndrews (Jan 17, 2002)

My prediction: When Mike comes back, being a hired gun, he won't feel the need to get revenge for Gus, and he should have a soft spot for Jesse having saved his life. 

Walt and Jesse need the one guy who knows Gus's organization so they can use the 200 or so that have to be out there doing distribution of product. Besides we can guess that Mike has a good size stash of cash as he got paid nearly as much as Walt and Jesse did. Jesse has some but Mike can invest.

Besides there is more to the Mexican cartel than just the Don. They are going to jump in to the vacuum to serve the territory, and maybe still have the lab that Jesse gave the tutorial to.

In any case we can look forward to a new huge ruthless organization/guy to serve the unkillable villain role that Gus did.


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## tgrim1 (Sep 11, 2006)

sfenton said:


> Walt was pretty cold in sending the neighbor lady over to his house. She could easily been shot walking thru the front door.


I kept waiting for the house to blow up


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## JLWINE (Jun 18, 2002)

Fantastic season and fantastic series--but the whole "terminator" act was a little over the top.


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## robojerk (Jun 13, 2006)

Cool article on Ars discussing how Science has left the world of Breaking Bad.

Breaking Bad remains great, but we miss geeky chemistry of early seasons



> Breaking Bad began with an amazing premise: what if a man with nothing to lose had to leverage whatever skills he had to make the most money in the shortest possible time? Walter White was a chemistry teacher with a mind for science and cancer that was going to eat him alive. He turned to cooking meth to earn as much money as possible before he died, pairing with an ex-student who had a few connections in the criminal underworld.


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## classicX (May 10, 2006)

Bierboy said:


> Watch that scene carefully; as Gus realizes what's happening and screams, it appears to me that his right side is closest to Tio (he was actually facing Tio and not on one side of him or the other). Hence the most damage to Gus is on his right side.
> 
> EDIT: Upon further review, it looks like Gus was directly facing Tio right before the blast.


Except we don't know how much time passed before Gus's scream and the actual blast - he could've turned to run and caught it on the right side.


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## bigrig (Jul 1, 2004)

So is Gus dead for sure? He walks out of the room, and has damage to half his face. I think he probably is, but the writers left the door open...


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## john4200 (Nov 1, 2009)

bigrig said:


> So is Gus dead for sure? He walks out of the room, and has damage to half his face. I think he probably is, but the writers left the door open...


He was also missing a lot of brain tissue....


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## danterner (Mar 4, 2005)

bigrig said:


> So is Gus dead for sure? He walks out of the room, and has damage to half his face. I think he probably is, but the writers left the door open...


It sounds like you missed the scene in the end-credits, where a runaway train ran into the nursing home, struck him, and carried his body off the edge of a steep cliff. Then a safe fell onto him. Did you not see that?


----------



## Hank (May 31, 2000)

bigrig said:


> So is Gus dead for sure? He walks out of the room, and has damage to half his face. I think he probably is, but the writers left the door open...


Yes, he's confirmed dead. The writers said when writing season 4 that only one could be left alive at the end of the season in a "this town isn't big enough for both" fashion. This was before they knew there would be a season 5.

eta: I also thought he might be alive and that could have been a non-fatal injury as he did stand up, walk out, and straighten his tie. But then my g/f sent me an interview she found that he was actually dead.


----------



## Hank (May 31, 2000)

SeanC said:


> As far as we know, Skylar still doesn't know that Beneke is dead, right? Because when she gets that little bit of news I'm pretty sure she is going to freak.


Why? He was a loose end.. now that the IRS is paid off, and he's dead, they don't have to worry too much about the IRS investigating the Whites. It's not like she was still having an affair -- her feelings turned to hatred when he took her $700k and bought a new mercedes and told her outright that he's not going to pay the IRS. No love lost there. Also, the fact that she admitted all that money was hers -- he could have used that as blackmail against the Whites to keep quiet. I think she'll be happy he's dead.


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## SeanC (Dec 30, 2003)

Hank said:


> Why? He was a loose end.. now that the IRS is paid off, and he's dead, they don't have to worry too much about the IRS investigating the Whites. It's not like she was still having an affair -- her feelings turned to hatred when he took her $700k and bought a new mercedes and told her outright that he's not going to pay the IRS. No love lost there. Also, the fact that she admitted all that money was hers -- he could have used that as blackmail against the Whites to keep quiet. I think she'll be happy he's dead.


Yeah, the story could go that way, I don't think it will though, I think she is going to feel personally responsible for his death, and it's going to tear her up.


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

Hank said:


> ...I also thought he might be alive and that could have been a non-fatal injury as he did stand up, walk out, and straighten his tie. ...


But then, of course, we saw the OTHER side of his face/body, and it was quite apparent those were NOT survivable injuries...


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## MikeAndrews (Jan 17, 2002)

A new interview on that scene with Vince Gilligan:

http://popwatch.ew.com/2011/12/18/breaking-bad-vince-gilligan-season-finale/

With this:



> Wonderful make-up, but *theres no way you can take away parts of a persons face without giving them grave medical damage*. The make-up on his face was a placeholder.


WTF? I thought these pampered actors were supposed to be dedicated to their craft!

...If you won't let them pop out your eyeball for the art...


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## photoshopgrl (Nov 22, 2008)

I shall miss that bell.


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## MikeAndrews (Jan 17, 2002)

photoshopgrl said:


> I shall miss that bell.


He gets lotsa work. He just showed up on "Person of Interest." Turns out he can speak _English_ jest fine.


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

netringer said:


> A new interview on that scene with Vince Gilligan:
> 
> http://popwatch.ew.com/2011/12/18/breaking-bad-vince-gilligan-season-finale/


Great, great read! Thanks for posting it...


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## MikeAndrews (Jan 17, 2002)

If you slow mo the scene's last "face-on" (heh!) perspective you can see that the (screen) left side is the model and the right side is him.


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## danterner (Mar 4, 2005)

Just saw a commercial for something (Samsung, I think - wasn't really paying attention), that featured a guy trying in clothes in a changing room. I knew I recognized the actor from somewhere, but couldn't place him. Just came to me in a flash -- it was the guy who plays Badger. Figured I'd post here and save anyone who has a similar "where do I know him from" brain-freeze.


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## Hank (May 31, 2000)

I have no idea, but I was just re-watching this episode last night!


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## aadam101 (Jul 15, 2002)

danterner said:


> Just saw a commercial for something (Samsung, I think - wasn't really paying attention), that featured a guy trying in clothes in a changing room. I knew I recognized the actor from somewhere, but couldn't place him. Just came to me in a flash -- it was the guy who plays Badger. Figured I'd post here and save anyone who has a similar "where do I know him from" brain-freeze.


I saw that. It was strange to watch him act like a real person and not a strung out meth head.


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## tgrim1 (Sep 11, 2006)

danterner said:


> Just saw a commercial for something (Samsung, I think - wasn't really paying attention), that featured a guy trying in clothes in a changing room. I knew I recognized the actor from somewhere, but couldn't place him. Just came to me in a flash -- it was the guy who plays Badger. Figured I'd post here and save anyone who has a similar "where do I know him from" brain-freeze.


I just caught up on my NCIS and he played an agent Dorneget guarding Tony Sr. When I seen him I said "Badger!"

He cleans up good!


----------



## Peter000 (Apr 15, 2002)

I've had a "Breaking Bad" marathon over the holidays, from the beginning, and finally have caught up. I was pretty impressed with this season finale, aside from the cartoony looking face-offed Gus.

Some general season comments since I haven't participated in the show threads so far...

While the car wash wasn't a bad way to go to launder money, and a great call-back to the beginning of the series, I thought for sure Walt was going to steal Gale's coffee formula and open up some coffee shops.

Walt's pretty much broken bad all the way now. He has no compunction about killing anyone or ordering anyone killed who gets in his way, or threatens his way of life. The only people he hasn't gone that far with are his family & Jesse. But I hope he gets some sort of redemption in the last season.

Jesse sure came a long way this season. Even though he was totally manipulated by everyone, he arguably came out a better person. 

Anyway, BB is probably the best series on TV... I can't think of another that has compared to it during it's run. TV at it's finest.


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## getreal (Sep 29, 2003)

Peter000 said:


> I've had a "Breaking Bad" marathon over the holidays, from the beginning, and finally have caught up. I was pretty impressed with this season finale, aside from the cartoony looking face-offed Gus.


I agree that having Gus walk out of that blown-up room and pause at the door was pretty ridiculous and cartoony ... especially since the rest of the entire series had more believable elements.



Peter000 said:


> ... While the car wash wasn't a bad way to go to launder money, and a great call-back to the beginning of the series, I thought for sure Walt was going to steal Gale's coffee formula and open up some coffee shops.


I had never considered that, but I think Walt would be too proud to steal another (lesser) chemist's formula for anything. Did Gale make the coffee at the lab? If anything, Walt would have perfected the coffee formula, thereby making it his own, if he was to open coffee shops.



Peter000 said:


> Walt's pretty much broken bad all the way now. He has no compunction about killing anyone or ordering anyone killed who gets in his way, or threatens his way of life. The only people he hasn't gone that far with are his family & Jesse. But I hope he gets some sort of redemption in the last season.


He has coerced Jesse into killing for him.

I agree that BB is amongst the top shows on television.


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## robojerk (Jun 13, 2006)

getreal said:


> I had never considered that, but I think Walt would be too proud to steal another (lesser) chemist's formula for anything. Did Gale make the coffee at the lab? If anything, Walt would have perfected the coffee formula, thereby making it his own, if he was to open coffee shops.


The beaker making coffee has been a staple in the lab since Gale was introduced. Since Gale is no more, obviously Walter has learned how to do it.


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## Hank (May 31, 2000)

In case you're really addicted to the show, this is what I got my g/f for hanukah... she loved it:

http://www.cafepress.com/+los_pollos_hermanos_mug,573544648


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## moondoggie (Jul 19, 2000)

Hank said:


> In case you're really addicted to the show, this is what I got my g/f for hanukah... she loved it:
> 
> http://www.cafepress.com/+los_pollos_hermanos_mug,573544648


Love it!


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## HomieG (Feb 17, 2003)

Hank said:


> In case you're really addicted to the show, this is what I got my g/f for hanukah... she loved it:
> 
> http://www.cafepress.com/+los_pollos_hermanos_mug,573544648


Looks like they have a bunch of cool stuff!


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## MikeAndrews (Jan 17, 2002)

HomieG said:


> Looks like they have a bunch of cool stuff!


Thanks for that. I was trying to figure out how to search for other items.

I bought a couple of shirts. The stuff is on sale and the code JAN20 adds another 20% off.

Another TCF buying impulse resistance fail.


----------



## The Flush (Aug 3, 2005)

I finally finished catching up with Breaking Bad. My thoughts without having read anyone else's comments:

What a great series finale!! But wait, that wasn't the series finale, it was just the season finale, so what are they going to do next season? I can't wait to find out. It seems like they completed this season before they knew there would be another season. I am kind of glad there was no huge cliff hanger at the end.

Are we being led to believe the Walt did actually poison Brock with Lily of the Valley or was that just a coincidence? There does not seem to be many coincidences in this show, so this could play out next season. If Walt did do it, it was a huge desperate risk, but Walt has already assumed he was dead, so it did not matter much to him.

I assume Walt does not have much money left now, but perhaps he can make enough to live off with the car wash. However, what about paying for Hank's therapy and his own cancer treatments? What will be the driver to get back into the meth business? They will have to start over, but how will another super lab be funded?

The only thing I did not like was Terminator Gus. Most unrealistic part of the show.

Now off to read other comments, which may answer some of my questions.


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## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

I'm glad this thread popped back up.

My wife and I JUST finished this season up. Wow...what a finale!

I just wonder what next season will focus on:
Will Walt try to take over Gus' empire?
Will it just be the DEA closing in on Walt?

I can't wait


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## Hank (May 31, 2000)

There's no doubt in my mind that Walt poisoned Brock with the Lily of the Valley. They set it up to be questionable, but I don't see any other explanation of how Brock got ahold of it.

Next season is going to be weird without Gus and the superlab. I do think it will concentrate on Hank/DEA closing in on Walt and Jesse. I'm not sure if there will be any meth cooking, unless Gus had a duplicate superlab built somewhere as a backup, and Mike, Walt, and Jesse take it over. But with the real superlab exposed and destroyed under Gus's business, their "laundry" cover is blown... so there's no easy way to get the chemicals they need. And I don't think they'll go back to an RV. Maybe they'll set up shop in a basement under the car-wash, but they still have the distribution problem.

There's also the wildcard of Mike's return and what he's going to do.


----------



## Peter000 (Apr 15, 2002)

Well, there are more drug lords in the country than just Gus, and someone will try to fill the vacuum. 

It's my suspicion that next season will deal with Walt trying to fix and clean up the damage that his meth cooking did.


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## danterner (Mar 4, 2005)

Peter000 said:


> It's my suspicion that next season will deal with Walt trying to fix and clean up the damage that his meth cooking did.


Could be, but I kind of see the Walt-to-Heisenberg transition as a one way trip. Fixing and cleaning up implies he'll be seeking redemption, and I don't think redemption is his focus. I suspect the only fixing and cleaning would be done out of a selfish sense of self-preservation, and that it won't go very well if he tries - it'll just create bigger deeper problems.


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## CharlieW (May 30, 2001)

Speculation about the direction of the plot of this show is usually a frustrating parlor game in which Gilligan makes a left when you expected he would make a right. That being said, I'll throw my hat in the ring anyway. I expect that the final 16 episodes will see Walt's world come crumbling down around him. There's no question now that he has broken bad. He sat in the backyard, spun that gun and formulated his plan to poison a child to save his own skin. In Walt, I think Gilligan has created a character who can't possibly survive the series.


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## Hank (May 31, 2000)

Or if he survives, nobody else does, and he's alone in the end.


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## CharlieW (May 30, 2001)

Hank said:


> Or if he survives, nobody else does, and he's alone in the end.


That's a possibility. One of the scenarios that I mentioned to a friend recently played out in my mind like this: Walt survives, barely. His family is all gone. Walt still is not suspected of any crimes and is now in a convalescence home confined to a wheelchair and his injuries no longer allow him to speak. In the final scene of the series, a nurse from the home comes in and straps a bell onto the arm of Walt's wheelchair and leaves. The End.


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## Hank (May 31, 2000)

Wow.. that's great.

But kinda cheesey hollywood, too.


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## danterner (Mar 4, 2005)

CharlieW said:


> That's a possibility. One of the scenarios that I mentioned to a friend recently played out in my mind like this: Walt survives, barely. His family is all gone. Walt still is not suspected of any crimes and is now in a convalescence home confined to a wheelchair and his injuries no longer allow him to speak. In the final scene of the series, a nurse from the home comes in and straps a bell onto the arm of Walt's wheelchair and leaves. The End.


I love that.


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## CharlieW (May 30, 2001)

Hank said:


> Wow.. that's great.
> 
> But kinda cheesey hollywood, too.


Maybe a little, but that train left the station on this show when Gus walked out with half his face blown off.


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## photoshopgrl (Nov 22, 2008)

Am I the only one that thinks he series HAS to end with Jesse killing Walt? I just don't see any way around it.


----------



## CharlieW (May 30, 2001)

photoshopgrl said:


> Am I the only one that thinks he series HAS to end with Jesse killing Walt? I just don't see any way around it.


I think they may set up a situation where it could be Jesse, Skylar or Hank that might take him down -- and in the end, in a shock ending, it's Walt Jr. who takes him down.


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## MikeAndrews (Jan 17, 2002)

Peter000 said:


> Well, there are more drug lords in the country than just Gus, and someone will try to fill the vacuum.
> 
> It's my suspicion that next season will deal with Walt trying to fix and clean up the damage that his meth cooking did.


Not likely. Vince Gilligan said the original premise was taking a guy from Mr. Goodguy to full on eevil.

We could see Walt really becoming the kingpin and having family members, like Walt Jr., Hank or Skyler get killed.

BTW, consider that Hank has been vindicated by Gus's blowed up body being at the home.


----------



## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

The Flush said:


> I finally finished catching up with Breaking Bad. My thoughts without having read anyone else's comments:
> 
> What a great series finale!! But wait, that wasn't the series finale, it was just the season finale, so what are they going to do next season? I can't wait to find out. It seems like they completed this season before they knew there would be another season. I am kind of glad there was no huge cliff hanger at the end.
> 
> ...


I thought I remembered that Walt didn't end up using all his money because he didn't have as much as he thought. He was planning to disappear with all his cash and never be heard from again. But when he didn't have enough to make that happen, he resorted to other means, and kept the money he had. so IIRC, he still has hundreds of thousands of dollars.


----------



## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

DevdogAZ said:


> I thought I remembered that Walt didn't end up using all his money because he didn't have as much as he thought. He was planning to disappear with all his cash and never be heard from again. But when he didn't have enough to make that happen, he resorted to other means, and kept the money he had. so IIRC, he still has hundreds of thousands of dollars.


IIRC after Skylar paying off Beneke, I think they had about 200K left.

I've seen a carwash basement mentioned here a couple of times, is that based off of anything or are people assuming there is one? I wouldn't make such an assumption.


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## Hank (May 31, 2000)

I'm just assuming that a basement is the best, most "controlled" place they could set up show. Not based on anything in the show to date. 

But I also strongly feel that the meth cooking is done for now, and if Heisenberg still needs to generate illicit funds, it will be by some other means, chemisty or not.


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## aadam101 (Jul 15, 2002)

Next season is already setup. Everybody has a boss. We already know that the cartel was afraid of Gus's boss and that's why they didn't kill him. We also know there is a huge corporation behind the funding. Hank made a call about some equipment that was purchased and found out it was purchased through a (German?) company. I can't remember exactly. There are more players in the game. We just haven't met them yet.

There is a reason why the DEA can't find any information on Gus's past. It was wiped clean for a reason.

I agree that the series should probably end with Jesse killing Walt. Walt stood by and watched Jane die and then he poisoned the kid. At this point, he isn't much better than Gus.


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## photoshopgrl (Nov 22, 2008)

^ HA! Off subject but I love your sig.


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## aadam101 (Jul 15, 2002)

photoshopgrl said:


> ^ HA! Off subject but I love your sig.


I've been thinking of changing it as many people have long forgotten Veridian Dynamics or never knew what it was in the first place since nobody watched the show


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## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

Gus's past was wiped clean because he was a drug lord in that country, which was substantiated when his "brother" was killed and the guy told him that the only reason he is alive is because he knows who he is/was.


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

aadam101 said:


> Next season is already setup. Everybody has a boss. We already know that the cartel was afraid of Gus's boss and that's why they didn't kill him. We also know there is a huge corporation behind the funding. Hank made a call about some equipment that was purchased and found out it was purchased through a (German?) company. I can't remember exactly. There are more players in the game. We just haven't met them yet.


I never got the sense that there was a bigger corporation behind Gus' operation. I just saw that as meaning that Gus set up a complicated structure of entities to hide the true ownership of his assets.


----------



## Hank (May 31, 2000)

Oh, but I think there is. When Hank was investigating the air-scrubber, he got totally sandbagged by the German company. Gus had a boss, and it's this huge German company who backed Gus's investments like the Superlab. I'm certain we'll be learning more about this in the last season. 

It also occurred to me that Gus may have an older lab set up somewhere that he was using before Hiesenberg came along. Perhaps that's were they will continue cooking when Mike and this German company get back to town.


----------



## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

DevdogAZ said:


> I never got the sense that there was a bigger corporation behind Gus' operation. I just saw that as meaning that Gus set up a complicated structure of entities to hide the true ownership of his assets.


I agree. That was all Gus. That's also probably how he knew he was being investigated and was so prepared when they questioned him.


----------



## bsnelson (Oct 30, 1999)

Hank said:


> I'm not sure if there will be any meth cooking, unless Gus had a duplicate superlab built somewhere as a backup, and Mike, Walt, and Jesse take it over.


Um, unless I'm smeeking and just missed it in the thread (or one of the other episode threads), there already IS another lab - the one in Mexico that Jesse cooked at. Now that Gus and the other cartel boss is gone, they're probably looking for a new leader. Hello, Mr. White 

Having said that, I doubt it will happen, but that's why we watch the shows. 

ETA: And the LPH gear at Cafe Press got seriously neutered; copyright C&D, I'm sure. There are plenty of ebay sellers, though; the UMF is strong on this one. I'd love to have a LPH tee. 

Brad


----------



## appleye1 (Jan 26, 2002)

photoshopgrl said:


> Am I the only one that thinks he series HAS to end with Jesse killing Walt? I just don't see any way around it.


I hope not, because I think as it stands today, that would just tear Jesse up mentally. They still seem to have that bond between them that's weathered a lot of bad ****.

But you never know what will happen before the season ends. That bond might totally break down. Actually now that I think of it, that's pretty likely.


----------



## Hank (May 31, 2000)

bsnelson said:


> Um, unless I'm smeeking and just missed it in the thread (or one of the other episode threads), there already IS another lab - the one in Mexico that Jesse cooked at. Now that Gus and the other cartel boss is gone, they're probably looking for a new leader. Hello, Mr. White


I wasn't counting that lab because it's too far away, and I just don't see Hiesenberg or Jesse going back to Mexico to cook.


----------



## Hank (May 31, 2000)

Hank said:


> I wasn't counting that lab because it's too far away, and I just don't see Hiesenberg or Jesse going back to Mexico to cook.


Just to elaborate--- I think it would raise a lot of eyebrows (i.e. DEA/Hank) if Walt and/or Jesse were suddenly taking trips to Mexico.. even if it were just to train a local crew -- I think Walt already demonstrated that his recipe is very touchy, and they need a real chemist onsite to make sure it is cooked properly. So they'd have to find another Gale to run the lab. I guess I'm not saying this isn't possible, but in reality, they only have one season left and plenty of other plots to explore and tie-up.

The only way I see this happening is if in the first episode of S5 - "One year later...", the Mexico lab is up and running and Walt has already taken over, and then they tell that story via quick flashbacks. But they still have to deal with the return of Mike somehow.

Anyway, IMHO, I don't see the Mexico lab playing a big role in S5.


----------



## getreal (Sep 29, 2003)

bsnelson said:


> ... the UMF is strong on this one. ... Brad


WTH is UMF?


----------



## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

getreal said:


> WTH is UMF?


WTF is WTH? 

UMF is Unseen Mystical (or Magical) Force. It's a term that I think was coined here at TCF by sallypnut to describe the urge you get to buy something after reading about it here at TCF (or elsewhere on the 'net).


----------



## getreal (Sep 29, 2003)

DevdogAZ said:


> ... UMF is Unseen Mystical (or Magical) Force. It's a term that I think was coined here at TCF by sallypnut to describe the urge you get to buy something after reading about it here at TCF (or elsewhere on the 'net).


Thanks. You can see that I did my due diligence in trying to look it up for myself, but the results I got showed my efforts to be a huge waste of time. But I will suppress the urge to rant about rarely used acronyms which are only known to a handful of people who post to the world at large. Use them in private emails all you want, but at least give the rest of us a clue when used publicly.


----------



## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

getreal said:


> Thanks. You can see that I did my due diligence in trying to look it up for myself, but the results I got showed my efforts to be a huge waste of time. But I will suppress the urge to rant about rarely used acronyms which are only known to a handful of people who post to the world at large. Use them in private emails all you want, but at least give the rest of us a clue when used publicly.


I would agree with you in general, but UMF is pretty ubiquitous here on TCF. Given how long you've been a member and how much you've participated, I'm pretty surprised you've never encountered it before. It's like "smeek" in that it's just become a part of the lexicon here.


----------



## bsnelson (Oct 30, 1999)

One other thing I thought about on the way to work today: What the hell was the thing with Hank's whole storyline with the "minerals" all season? I expected some big, crazy, totally out of left field to-do regarding that, and the only thing they even halfway tied it into was a cover for one of his and Walt's "surveillance" trips. Did I miss something, or was that just a lot of buildup for nothing?

Brad


----------



## Hank (May 31, 2000)

I think it was just to show how OCD Hank is, and that leaving law enforcement wasn't enough for him -- he yearned to return. It also showed his dogged attention to detail, which is what will eventually lead to Heisenberg's downfall.


----------



## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

Hank said:


> I think it was just to show how OCD Hank is, and that leaving law enforcement wasn't enough for him -- he yearned to return. It also showed his dogged attention to detail, which is what will eventually lead to Heisenberg's downfall.


I would agree with this. I think it showed that his mind has to focus on something to be happy and when law enforcement was taken away he stuck his energy into rocks...er...gems!


----------



## danterner (Mar 4, 2005)

pmyers said:


> I would agree with this. I think it showed that his mind has to focus on something to be happy and when law enforcement was taken away he stuck his energy into rocks...er...gems!


MINERALS!


----------



## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

DevdogAZ said:


> ...UMF is pretty ubiquitous here on TCF. Given how long you've been a member and how much you've participated, I'm pretty surprised you've never encountered it before....


I've been around eight years, and you can see my post count, yet I've NEVER seen "UMF"...


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## CharlieW (May 30, 2001)

Bierboy said:


> I've been around eight years, and you can see my post count, yet I've NEVER seen "UMF"...


Then you should get over to the "Happy Hour" more often.


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

CharlieW said:


> Then you should get over to the "Happy Hour" more often.


Ah...that may be why  This is my major hangout on TCF....


----------



## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

danterner said:


> MINERALS!


Dang it! you're right.


----------



## Johnny Dancing (Sep 3, 2000)

Finally after watching on and off for 3 years I caught up tonight. Great episode even with the crazy Gus Terminator scene for comic effect.

I could only ever take 4 - 6 episodes at time then need a break. The close calls and the foiled plans get to me after a while.

So it's back to Walt being broke again with no lab and distribution channel. Skylar gave away half the money to her ex boyfriend and the other half looks like it would have been taken by the guys coming after him. The shot of the floor made it look obvious there was a hatch to the crawl space. Even if they didn't get the cash, he is very low on money again with no easy way to start a shiny new lab.

Next season I see Jessie as being in charge since Mike has taken a shine to him and he still seems to have most of his money. Walt won't like being number 2 to the student so I see more conflict as they rebuild the business.

To end the show, in the end Walt will need to die at his student's Jessie's hand leaving Walt's family a ton of money. Jessie will walk away with some type of redemption. I could see Jessie taking the money and getting out of the business and not being addicted to the thrill, power, status, and an flow of money as Walt was/is.

Random though: Walt Jr. is very annoying to me. Probably because he is so clueless and we know everything. But still he seems dumb as wood but I guess even smart 16 year olds act pretty dumb. My genius Ivy bound son has no street smarts while my younger "average student daughter" could move out on her own at 10 if she had to. 

I thought it was enlightening that even Walt Jr.'s dad called him Jessie accidentally a few episodes back. It seems Jessie is the son Walt never had.


----------



## Beryl (Feb 22, 2009)

I'm still on Season 2 but expect to be caught up by the time S5E1 is aired. I now see why it is popular.


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## Hank (May 31, 2000)

Johnny Dancing said:


> Next season I see Jessie as being in charge since Mike has taken a shine to him and he still seems to have most of his money. Walt won't like being number 2 to the student so I see more conflict as they rebuild the business.


Sorry, but that will *never* happen. Walt is a skilled chemist. Jesse is just a junkie-turned lab assistant. While Jesse might be able to cook up a good batch in the super lab using Walt's recipe, he really doesn't understand the chemistry behind it all. Bits and pieces, yes, but the knowledge Walt has, never. This is why Jesse will always be #2.

Now I could see maybe Mike and Jesse go off on their own to start up a new lab without Walt (remember that Gus was backed by that German company, who might fund a new superlab), and Jesse could be the main cook, but if something really goes wrong, Jesse won't know how to handle it. They'll be forced to bring Walt back in to get things back on track. But Walt would never be #2 to Jesse.

What I see is with Mike's help, Walt taking Gus's place in running the show with the Germans. They've got the funding and connections to get back to cooking as soon as possible.


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## robbhimself (Sep 13, 2006)

jesse was originally a cook, not just a junkie turned lab assistant. he wasn't as good as walt, but he learned. i can see them putting a little more faith in jesse to run a lab.


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## Hank (May 31, 2000)

robbhimself said:


> jesse was originally a cook, not just a junkie turned lab assistant. he wasn't as good as walt, but he learned. i can see them putting a little more faith in jesse to run a lab.


Yeah, I know he was a cook, but he wasn't a chemist. He cooked dirty meth in a kitchen using pseudoephedrine... that doesn't give him the cred that Walt has to make the pure blue meth using a completely different process. Like I said, sure, he can produce it following Walt's recipe, but he's no a chemist. I can follow a recipe as good as anyone else.. that doesn't mean I can *create* the recipe.


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## robbhimself (Sep 13, 2006)

sorry, i misread, you're right


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## Johnny Dancing (Sep 3, 2000)

Hank said:


> Yeah, I know he was a cook, but he wasn't a chemist. He cooked dirty meth in a kitchen using pseudoephedrine... that doesn't give him the cred that Walt has to make the pure blue meth using a completely different process. Like I said, sure, he can produce it following Walt's recipe, but he's no a chemist. I can follow a recipe as good as anyone else.. that doesn't mean I can *create* the recipe.


Jessie apparently made a fine blue batch without Walt when he was shipped to Mexico to teach them how to do it right. Give him the tools and some assistants and he'll do fine. If Mike and the Germans set him up with the same lab and chemicals he can cook just fine even if he has to follow a recipe.

I am thinking Jessie has hand right now over Walt. Walt still has the DEA brother-in-law which makes him a poor choice as a cook - although, the inside information he gets has helped him several times. Still, if I am funding a multimillion dollar illegal drug operation I don't trust a cook with a DEA relative.

However, I am not sure if Jessie has the confidence and cutthroat personality needed - that's Walt's big edge.

We'll see the direction it goes in a few weeks


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## Hank (May 31, 2000)

Sure, Jesse made the blue meth without Walt, but he was just following standard procedure. If everything goes right, it's pretty easy. But he has NO CLUE how to manage the process if any one little thing goes wrong... at a minimum, he wastes a batch of chemicals and has to dump everything, at worst, he poisons everyone in the lab or starts a reaction that destroys the place. 

It's like when my g/f and I leave her teenage kids home alone for a day or two -- if nothing happens, it's great.. but if there's an accident or fire or other natural disaster, it's big trouble.


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

Johnny Dancing said:


> ...I am not sure if Jessie has the confidence and cutthroat personality needed ...


....um....didn't he put a bullet in Gail's noggin?  That seems pretty cutthroat to me.


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## Hank (May 31, 2000)

Only by Walt's directive and influence. 

That's badass, not cutthroat.


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## Robin (Dec 6, 2001)

Bierboy said:


> ....um....didn't he put a bullet in Gail's noggin?  That seems pretty cutthroat to me.


Yes, but the repercussions were steep. Walt has handled murder increasingly well over the course of the show.


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