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BB s4e7 – The Waiting is the Hardest Part 33

Meanwhile, Goodman.

We’re waiting for Bloom.

But are we waiting for Bloom?

We’re waiting for something, cause that’s what 90% of this job is, kid.  We’re waiting.  Waiting for something to jump off, for some sign that we should, for a call, for the guy to show up, for the guys to come outside, for the other side to tip their hand.

We’re waiting.

And, yes, he thinks he sees something in you.  If I had to put it in a word, I’d say loyalty.  Though I think it’s to the wrong guy, and I’m not gonna hesitate in telling you that.  I mean, you did ask.  And I see it.  Because, to be honest, kid, that guy you’re loyal to, that guy who seems to be your protector, he’s weak.  He is delusional about who and what he is.  He’s a fool.  He’s not the guy I’m loyal to.  Hell, he ain’t even me.  In fact, you’ve got a hell of a lot more of me in you than he does.

See, you think he’s protecting you, and he thinks he’s protecting you, but he ain’t.  He doesn’t have the power to do that.  My boss, well, my boss can do what he wants.  You see him thumbing his nose at the Mexican Cartel?  Gus Fring’s one crazy mofo, kid.  And don’t forget it.  Occasionally, he takes an opportunity to show us all just how crazy he can get.  So you gotta stay on your toes.  But I’m gonna show you how to do this thing, here.  Show you how to walk on the razor’s edge.  Show you how you can stand next to a psychopath like Gus and not even get blood on your loafers, kid.

So pay attention.  Pay attention and wait.

*********

The opening sequence saw our continuing education of Jesse Pinkman.  It was an interesting and unusual scene, not really for the content, as that was kind of boring, but more for what it tells us and what Jesse is not doing.

Jesse playing some Wii-type shooter game, with a gun similar to the one with which he shot Gale.  It’s clearly triggering some kind of psychotic episode–a vague sense of PTSD pervades the scene.  He obviously is reliving the shooting through the game, an experience that is clearly unpleasant.  But.

And this is a big fat hairy but.

But he is fully embracing it.  He is no longer running from shooting Gale.  He is no longer running the 24-hour party store out of his nice suburban home.  He is clearly troubled by the event.  That much is self-evident by his visceral reaction to reliving the trauma.  But he is facing it.  In addition, given the choice between retry and quit, Jesse chooses retry.

The look he gives at the end of the opening scene says it all: Jesse Pinkman is determined to live.  He’s determined to fight back.  He’s determined to make something of himself.  Increasingly, it would appear, to prove Gus Fring right.

He’s painting.  He’s stopped the 24-hour party.  He’s got quiet and calm and serenity somewhat back in his life.

The reality is that the longer this story goes on, the more respect I have for Jesse.  I’m not entirely certain the Pollos Hermanos Gang is trying to make Jesse Pinkman into Jesse the Cleaner, that they’re being genuine, but I do know that he’s beginning to realize his own worth under their auspice of Mike and Gus. Their playing with him though does not seem to jive with either Mike saying that he thinks Gus sees loyalty in Jesse, but with the wrong horse or the fact that he gives Jesse a gun right there with Gus.

The calmness with which Jesse acquiesces to Walt’s prodding (Walt was being clumsily manipulative, though I was proud of Jesse for cutting through the bullshit and recognizing exactly what Walt was doing–though that’s not a real big challenge any longer–basically, any time Walt’s interacting with you, look for the angles, because he is playing one)

The utter look of disgust on Mike’s face when Jesse asks him if the gun is loaded makes the entire episode for me.  I love the actor who’s playing Mike.  Seriously.  He does so so much with very little.

So, let’s talk about the meeting.

The first thing I need you all to realize is that was not an accurate portrayal of what an AA or NA meeting is.  It is pretty similar to what they would do in an aftercare meeting, which would explain why the counselor from the rehab was playing such an important. prominent role.  There are strict rules in place for most meetings, and they don’t really do check-ins and there is no cross-talk allowed.  And the way the meeting was conducted was not what you’d see or get at a meeting.  That said, I have been to some outpatient meetings and aftercare meetings similar to it.

Jesse attends in an attempt to reconcile what he thinks of himself and his actions.  He’s killed this guy and he doesn’t really know what to do with the emotional hangover from it.  He’s essentially got PTSD from being a murderer.  The answers he finds there are simplistic and don’t really apply to his set of problems–particularly when you consider that the group is discussing Jesse killing a dog, and he’s talking about about putting Gale down.  He doesn’t think that self-acceptance is a worthy or attainable goal for someone who is as evil as he believes himself to be.  In order to prove this, he throws it into the face of the group that the only reason he began attending these meetings was to sell them all meth–kind of a self-fulfilling prophesy, wherein Jesse forces the group to reject him.

Basically, Jesse is breaking bad or has broke bad against his will and his soul is still struggling to either find acceptance for his new found lifestyle–namely that of Jesse the Cleaner, or to change it and return to being a functioning member of society–whatever he was being as “Captain Cook,” he was not running around killing innocent people because they were in the way.

And Hank.  Jesus, Hank, I didn’t know I still loved you.  A chan ge for Hank Schrader, hero of the DEA, to show his quality.  My God, that was fine policin’ and detectin’!  Wow, the scene with Walt Jr. and Gus and the manner with which Hank is deceptively and disarmingly charming is amazing, and, again, the way they’ve ended the last three episodes has been through the roof amazing!  I am in love, I think, more with how they end the show, than anything these days.

There were two scenes with which I noticed something unusual.  In both the scene when Walt first gives Jesse the poison with which to kill Gus, there is one scene where they flash from Jesse to Walt back to Jesse in a matter of about a half a second.  It was interspersed with the intense scene.  Again, in the meeting scene, Gilligan does the exact same trick, from Jesse, to the counselor, back to Jesse in a matter of about half a second.  It’s interesting and meant to show tension between the two in the scene, but it’s also all about a power exchange–one between Walt and Jesse, where Jesse is once again giving his license to Walt, and the same between the counselor and Jesse.  Hitchcockian.

Also, we need to talk about the Mexican Cartel and Gus Fring.  it’s obvious that they have no respect for him.  He was clearly disappointed and Mike was surprised.  They did not wish to debate or negotiate with him at all.  And, quite frankly, what they want is unclear to me.  I presume, since the show is essentially about Walt (though I think at this point you could have a real serious discussion about this show being properly called “The Education and Fine Times of Jesse Pinkman,” or something similar to Eddie’s Father or Lauryn Hill), that what they want is Walt’s head on a fucking platter, as the cartel doesn’t really seem to be the forgiving type (see Turtle).  But they could just as easily want a cut of that good blue meth.  So…I dunno.  I’m thinking it’s probably Walt dead.  But I also think it’s equally clear that whatever they want, Gus is going to respond poorly to being disrespected once again.  It’s so hard to be the chicken man and get any respect at all.  The fact that Mike thinks he should teach Jesse to shoot and thinks things are gonna get hairy suggests that Mr. Fring and the Pollos Hermanos Gang is about as close to giving the Cartel what they want as I am to fitting in the size 32 shorts…

The name of the episode is Problem Dog, and I love that.  I love their titles.  Gale was a problem dog.  No, he never bit anyone, and no, he wasn’t in pain.  We had to put him down because he was a problem dog.  It was a problem to let him live.


33 thoughts on “BB s4e7 – The Waiting is the Hardest Part

  1. nevermoor Aug 30,2011 12:11 pm

    It was a really good episode, but if you haven’t been watching at all it probably wouldn’t work as well for you.

    "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
    • FreeSeatUpgrade Aug 30,2011 12:44 pm || Up

      The Narcotics Anonymous scene was amazing, and probably works if you’ve never even heard of Breaking Bad before.

      "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
      • andeux Aug 30,2011 1:21 pm || Up

        The opening scene with the video game as an extension of Jesse’s living room was also great by itself.

        But what really made the whole episode work was all the various threads from this season – the cartel, Hank’s return to the chase, Jesse’s and Walt’s various erratic behaviors – starting to converge, and the impending “Oh shit” feeling that went with it.

        TINSTAAFK
      • nevermoor Aug 30,2011 1:41 pm || Up

        Yeah. I’m really looking forward to LB’s take on that.

        "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
  2. FreeSeatUpgrade Aug 30,2011 12:44 pm

    BUT WHAT DOES THE CARTEL WANT FROM GUS?

    "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
    • nevermoor Aug 30,2011 1:41 pm || Up

      everything.

      "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
  3. monkeyball Aug 30,2011 1:10 pm

    Walt and Jesse could really use one of these.

    you better hope to God you don't show up in this little community, because you'll wish you had never come
    • nevermoor Aug 30,2011 1:42 pm || Up

      Nah. Their home solution works fine.

      "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
  4. Leopold Bloom Aug 30,2011 2:13 pm

    A placeholder? For me? Yay!

    Tonight, then. Not before.

    Gonna go see Horrible Bosses, then meeting, then salad or burritos, then gym…then BB dissertation!

  5. FreeSeatUpgrade Aug 31,2011 9:07 am

    By the way, you look fantastic in those boots of Chinese plastic.

    "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
  6. FreeSeatUpgrade Aug 31,2011 9:45 am

    Among the many things that are changing for Walt is his view of the money. He started desperate for everything he could eke out, which is of course the hook for the entire series. Now, he’s cavalier about the bi-weekly $250K which Skylar may or may not be able to handle, and he casually joyrides and torches the new Dodge Challenger to the tune of $50K, just for fun and/or petulence vis his wife’s orders.

    If the cartel’s demand of Gus comes down to “give us Walt and we’ll let you stay in business,” then I don’t understand why Gus wouldn’t just capitulate. Yes, it won’t be easy to get a new premier meth cook (as Walt spelled out after Gale got waxed). But it is possible, and the risk/reward for the ever-calculating Gus would seem to me to argue on behalf of accomodation rather than war. So either the cartel wants something more, more than Gus believes he can afford. Or maybe, just maybe, Gus Fring is also changing, becoming emotionally invested in retaining what he’s built, even if that’s not the wisest decision.

    "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
    • nevermoor Aug 31,2011 10:01 am || Up

      I can’t imagine the cartel would prefer killing Walt to $50M. It has to be about the drug supply.

      "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
      • FreeSeatUpgrade Aug 31,2011 10:48 am || Up

        I was thinking they might be wanting to enslave Walt in their own meth lab. But yeah, we’re missing some vital piece of the puzzle here.

        "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
        • nevermoor Aug 31,2011 11:57 am || Up

          My guess is that they don’t want some upstart chicken guy monopolizing the AZ meth trade. After all, enough meth to pay the cook $7M/year is a LOT of meth.

          "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
          • andeux Aug 31,2011 12:00 pm || Up

            Yeah, I assumed it was a territory thing.
            Though the FSU/LB theory that it has something to do with Walt makes more sense in the context of the show.

            TINSTAAFK
            • Leopold Bloom Aug 31,2011 3:00 pm || Up

              I completely agree with this, by the way.

              It makes much more sense for the Mexican cartel to be bothered by Gus selling 5,200 lbs. of meth a year to the greater South West region of the United States. But there’s also an escalating thing between Walt and one of the families. Granted, Gus killed the head of that family, but…mafia families tend to take things personally, and in the context of the show…I think it’s about handing Walt over. It may be to enslave him to cook the blue meth, but…

          • Leopold Bloom Aug 31,2011 2:43 pm || Up

            He’s making what did they say? 200 lbs. a week?

            • nevermoor Aug 31,2011 3:06 pm || Up

              I think that’s right.

              "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
    • Leopold Bloom Aug 31,2011 3:00 pm || Up

      It is interesting that his relationship with money has so drastically changed. I don’t think any of us would not even blink over a $50k joy ride. Does not even faze him.

      • nevermoor Aug 31,2011 3:06 pm || Up

        Yeah. Because Saul takes cash.

        I remember when him buying a tankless heater was a major moment of personal satisfaction.

        "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
  7. monkeyball Aug 31,2011 1:09 pm
    you better hope to God you don't show up in this little community, because you'll wish you had never come
  8. danmerqury Aug 31,2011 3:10 pm

    As amazing as the Hank/police and the Jesse/NA scenes were (Jere Burns!, I love you)…that cartel/Gus scene absolutely blew me away. Remember the box cutter? Gus is untouchable. Every time Walt even tries to get within 500 feet of him, he gets humiliated and turned away. Gus is THE MAN. No one fucks with Gus. And in 30 seconds this week…he went from powerful boss in charge to an emasculated shell. Amazing stuff.

    • nevermoor Aug 31,2011 3:18 pm || Up

      That’s what you get when you bring a Safeway veggie platter to a $50M conversation.

      "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
      • Leopold Bloom Aug 31,2011 3:25 pm || Up

        Good thing we brought crudite. Does anyone even NOTICE my tag lines?! Buncha FKers…

    • Leopold Bloom Aug 31,2011 3:27 pm || Up

      In the same sense, I think it’s a mistake that the cartel continually underestimates Gus. Remember the bell-ringing uncle, when holding the youngest brother’s head under water in the beer cooler, told whoever was on the other line of a very big wireless phone, that Gus was a dirty chicken man and South American and not to be trusted.

  9. danmerqury Aug 31,2011 3:31 pm

    So I’ve been watching the cinematography pretty closely, since I really like that kind of stuff.

    One thing I noticed that was very subtle: in the Hank/police scene, they’re all sitting at a table that is two tables pushed together. There’s a couple shots where they set the camera down on the table and aim it centered at Hank. And since the table surface isn’t exactly level, every time Hank moves, the camera rotates around him a tiny bit. It’s almost like Hank’s about to shake the world with what he’s about to say. Which he does.

  10. danmerqury Aug 31,2011 3:32 pm

    And what do you guys think of the possibility that Gus has a mole in the DEA? My money’s on the police chief, but it could also be Steven, his former partner.

    • Leopold Bloom Aug 31,2011 3:36 pm || Up

      I would say that the idea of either of them being on the take for either Gus or the Cartel is a pretty strong one. If I had to bet, I’d say the chief is on Gus’s take and Gomez is on the cartel’s, but it would make more sense for both of them to be the exact opposite. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer type of thing.

      I loved Hank’s final scene. The way he laid it all out, piece-by-piece, was amazing. And it seemed to disturb both Gomez and the chief.

      • danmerqury Aug 31,2011 6:30 pm || Up

        Ooooh, I didn’t think of that. One with Gus and one with the cartel? That would make for fantastic TV. Wow.

        • Leopold Bloom Aug 31,2011 7:03 pm || Up

          Si. You figure that, like The Wire, when the federal gov’t tipped off the Greeks because htey were valuable to them in other areas, the DEA in Juarez?/El Pso would be willing to team with the likes of Gus to combat the Cartel and vice versa. If I’m only worried about here and now (IOW, NIMBY), then what happens to you and yourn is your problem, not mine. The devil you know and all that, too. Thank you, Todd Snider.

  11. ptbnl Jul 28,2012 11:51 pm

    Finally caught up this far, and though I’m still loving the show there are lazy writing holes that are bugging me. Specifically here, the idea that Walt’s income is a beyond-laundering surprise to Skylar (an accountant setting up such a business surely starts by ascertaining the amount to be laundered) and by extension to Saul, since to first order his laser-tag business would have a similar turnover to the car wash.

    If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.

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