Breaking Bad: 2-May-2010 "One Minute" [Archive]

Covered_In_Bees!

05-02-2010, 10:36 PM

It was all worth it. Those last few minutes were pulse pounding. Just one question:

Who the hell called Hank and warned him about the brothers?

The answer to that question I guarantee we are not supposed to know at all until future episodes. Maybe they'll reveal it next episode, but possibly the one after. You guys have noticed that sometimes things happen that have zero explanation using the information that we currently have and that they'll be explained in the future, right?

Such as the confirmation of who the bald brothers were. Zero confirmation that they were Tuco's cousins until several episodes into this season.

AuntiePam

05-02-2010, 10:44 PM

I looked -- I swear I did! :)

Green Bean

05-02-2010, 10:46 PM

I'm still processing everything...

Nice background on Tio, the Cousins, and Gus, however.

And best single line: "You're Welcome!!!" Heh.

AuntiePam

05-02-2010, 10:49 PM

I'm assuming the call came from Gus, because killing a DEA agent would be bad for business. Well then, why did he give them Hank's name in the first place? Because he somehow arranged things so that he'd know when the hit was gonna go down (a tracking device? Mike?) and he counted on Hank being able to either get out of the way or kill the cousins, thereby ridding Gus of a couple thorns in his side and keeping Walt safe, at least temporarily.

I'd like to think that Mike was nearby, and that if Hank didn't get rid of the cousins, Mike would.

The question now is how much love the cartel had for the cousins, and will they still be after Hank, or maybe even Gus. I think the cousins were loose cannons and the cartel will be glad they're gone. It can't be that hard to find competent killers.

Dewey Finn

05-02-2010, 10:59 PM

Did Saul know about the hit on Hank? Because I thought the call might have been from him. Didn't we see him using a voice distortion device earlier? And if that hit was immediately after Hank left the office, how come we didn't see anyone from the DEA office come running? Surely they would have heard the shooting, and the car horn.

Hockey Monkey

05-02-2010, 11:07 PM

:eek: Wow! I just finished the episode and my heart is racing!

Joey P

05-02-2010, 11:07 PM

Amp

05-02-2010, 11:09 PM

Yeah, wherever he was he had just bought flowers for his wife. It seemed like a supermarket parking lot to me too.

Green Bean

05-02-2010, 11:11 PM

He was in a supermarket parking lot, not the DEA parking lot. I already deleted it, but I'm pretty sure there were people pushing around shopping carts and I'm 99% sure people were screaming which isn't what I'd expect out of a DEA agent.Even in the DEA parking lot, not everbody is going to be an agent, or even working for the DEA.

I figured Hank was just outside his office, but maybe not.

Jeez, I really hope he's going to be okay.

Oslo Ostragoth

05-03-2010, 12:12 AM

What I want to know is: What's up with the extremely pointy, curved up Mexican cartel enforcer cowboy boots? I have never seen anything like them anywhere else.

I felt that Walt's situation eased up a bit as a result of this week's events.

SenorBeef

05-03-2010, 12:33 AM

Gus made the call. The brothers were a liability to him. He told them they'd have to wait for Walt, and they refused, so he set it up so there'd be at least a chance Hank would be able to kill them.

Walt was in a tough position regarding Jesse. It was either get him back under control, or kill him. I'm not sure killing him wouldn't be the way to go - I mean, he basically guaranteed Walt that he'd land him in jail eventually with his reckless behavior and intent to rat him out. Having Saul get someone to kill him would've been self preservation at this point.

I feel bad for the lab assistant - Walt set him up with the wrong temperature just to get him kicked out of the lab. He was a cool guy.

Tarwater

05-03-2010, 12:35 AM

What I want to know is: What's up with the extremely pointy, curved up Mexican cartel enforcer cowboy boots? I have never seen anything like them anywhere else.

When I was living in Texas, it seemed to me that all the Mexican drug-dealers wore boots similar to the Cousin's and it wasn't until you pointed them out that I realized the similarities. I remember thinking at the time just how vicious-looking the boots were and how it would kill if they hit you in the gut or face. I don't know if there's anything to be made from that experience, but maybe the people behind breaking Bad are hip to the trends in Mexican gangster footwear.

I'm assuming the call came from Gus, because killing a DEA agent would be bad for business.

Who else knew that Gus had given The Cousins permission to kill Hank? Obviously Gus, but maybe the Mexican cartel has been keeping track of The Cousins and knew the death of a DEA agent would cause too much blowback? Gus did have to circumvent the will of the cartel, which strictly forbade the killing of federal officers.

Lakai

05-03-2010, 12:59 AM

Jesus what a great episode. I fully expected Hank to die during that scene. That tells me something about how good the writing is, because I was expecting a main character to die - something that doesn't happen with other shows.

Nice to see Walt has some shred of humility left in him, no matter how scant and self-serving.

nivlac

05-03-2010, 02:37 AM

Fantastic ending! Of course it had to be Gus who warned Hank since only he knew about his siccing the brothers on Hank. This episode also had a dynamite beginning with the flashback and then the Jessie beating. I think what brought Jessie back to Walt was Walt's parting comments about Jessie's meth being as good as his. That was a pretty tough admission for Walt. I really thought that Walt has no choice but to bring Jessie into Gus' operation. If Jessie were "loose" he would eventually get caught cooking and then use his Heisenberg card to make a deal with the feds. Walt knew that. The only thing I've missed in BB this season was that Walt's cancer is no longer being mentioned. Yes, it's apparently in some form of remission, but it still has to have some effect on Walt's actions.

Sampiro

05-03-2010, 02:47 AM

Better call Saul, but don't yank Hank.

I totally though the ass kicking was justified even if misdirected. And what an ass whoopin' it was.

How long before Walt is asking Gus "Hypothetically, if someone were to kill a former student turned disastrous meth dealing partner turned arrogant lab assistant how would you hide the body?"

Great money shot of Twin 1's head coming off. The twins had the biggest balls and the stupidest criminal minds on Earth- they were freaking terminators more than human. Amazing they lived this long.

I totally hadn't recognized Mark Margolis (http://www.filmdope.com/Gallery/ActorsM/22848-27051.gif) as Don Salamanca when he was in the wheelchair and 'decrepit' makeup (http://blogs.amctv.com/breaking-bad/Mark_Margolis_325x200.jpg). I've always thought he had great presence whether playing a mob boss, priest, perfumer or a mossad agent and he's one of my favorite character actors, but without the voice or body language it's hard to be recognized.

Sampiro

05-03-2010, 04:33 AM

I have to say I had a major credibility issue with the vest buying segment though.

Even if it's your first day on the job and your previous experience is at Banana Republic, if you're now a guy who deals bulk assault weapons, ammo and accessories from the back of a truck in the middle of the desert you probably know that your core customer base is less likely to be Mormon Scoutmasters hoping they can reconfigure your merchandise into paintball guns and BBs than people who

1- Don't mind killing
2- Probably don't have terrible problems with jacking merchandise
3- Are less than enthusiastic about people being able to connect them to a murder weapon

You're probably going to take precautions and be a bit less trusting than this guy. Particularly you're probably not going to turn your back on them and walk into the back of an 18 wheeler trailer while talking about a woman who's into water sports.

I can only assume this guy somehow somewhere had some backup, though the fact that backup didn't come running when Twin Uno shot his salesman doesn't speak well of him either. This guy needs to be happy all he got was a broken rib.

Evil Jon

05-03-2010, 08:43 AM

Speaking from past experience, arms dealers generally are referred clients from trusted organizations that they have past dealing with. The twins didn't look up "arms dealer" in the yellow pages or randomly happen upon him in a parking lot. I assume that the cartel recommended him to the twins. It's in the cartel's best interest for him to live because, frankly, a good arms dealer is hard to find. That's his best protection.

The twins "testing" the vest was a mistake. Chances are the arms dealer won't do business with the cartel again. I wouldn't.

AuntiePam

05-03-2010, 08:48 AM

I have to say I had a major credibility issue with the vest buying segment though.

Me too. The scene would have been just as effective if there had been more than one guy in the truck. Motormouth was funny though. :) IMDB doesn't have a listing for him. Anyone know who the actor was? He looked familiar.

The "previously on" stuff showed Skyler with her lawyer and I was expecting something divorce-related in this episode, but it didn't happen. Maybe the scene was to remind people who've missed episodes that Skyler and Walt are over.

what do I type here

05-03-2010, 08:59 AM

Sage Rat

05-03-2010, 09:07 AM

AuntiePam

05-03-2010, 09:10 AM

3) I think I missed a very important plot point, which is surprising because I was sober while watching this episode. Why did Jesse drop the charges against Hank just because Walt gave him a partnership?

Alan Sepinwall's take on that (http://sepinwall.blogspot.com/2010/05/breaking-bad-one-minute-magic-bullet.html). Basically, Walt is a father figure to Jessie. Walt praising Jessie -- "Your product is good" -- was what Jessie needed to hear, praise from dad. It fits with what I've seen in parent-child relationships, especially abusive ones. Kids can be like puppy dogs -- they'll forget being kicked as soon as you scratch their ears.

I think Saul's comment about making other plans for Jessie is what decided Walt to do whatever it takes to get Jessie back in the fold. Walt doesn't want another death on his conscience.

Green Bean

05-03-2010, 09:44 AM

This show provided more reason than ever to like Hank better than anyone else on the show. What he did to Jesse was horrible, but he turned himself in and took his lumps--more lumps than he had to. Did he turn himself in only because Jesse needed medical attention or because he did something wrong? Doesn't matter, really, but I got the feeling that Jesse's needs trumped all.

Marie really redeemed herself as well this episode. She has been portrayed fairly unsympathetically so far, but throughout the course of the season, we've begun to see her good side and also her frustration and pain. It must be very very difficult to be married to a DEA agent and a man like Hank. But when Hank got himself into trouble, she was totally supportive. I don't remember her chastising him at all about what he did and/or losing his job, either temporarily or permanently.

I hope the fact that he was suspended without pay doesn't affect his benefits, etc., with regard to the costs of his medical treatment.

Motormouth was funny though. :) IMDB doesn't have a listing for him. Anyone know who the actor was? He looked familiar.Someone IDs him in the TWoP thread, but I can't access it at work to check.

The "previously on" stuff showed Skyler with her lawyer and I was expecting something divorce-related in this episode, but it didn't happen. Maybe the scene was to remind people who've missed episodes that Skyler and Walt are over.Do you mean the scene in the show or the "previously on" stuff. I don't think they're bothering to explicate stuff for people who missed episodes except during the opening segment. The scene served to further demonstrate the deterioration of the relationship, and the way Walt lashed back at Skyler could have been foreshadowing. Though I absolutely think Skyler was right to kick Walt out, her method of handling it served to anger Walt more than necessary. I guess it's going to come back to bite her.

And isn't a major theme of the show how actions lead to unexpected consequences?

Green Bean

05-03-2010, 09:53 AM

Forgot to say--From Alan Sepinwall's column:

And Gus's willingness to go along with that plan torpedoes my theory that he was using Gale to appropriate Walt's methods and then say goodbye to the loose cannon. It's entirely possible he still has that in mind (maybe the Walt-cave is tricked out with surveillance gear?), but could Gus have far grander plans for Walt that extend past the initial three month agreement?

I disagree with that. I think Gus probably DID plan for Gale to learn the method, either in anticipation of getting rid of Walt or just as insurance, but there's no reason to think he wouldn't be willing to change his plans, even if we don't know exactly why.

Maybe Gus realizes that Walt just has "the touch" with making meth and that he should preserve him as long as possible. Jesse's wasn't as good as Walt's regardless of what Walt said. It might have produced the same high, but it was cloudy instead of clear. That's not as good from a marketing standpoint. Nevertheless, it was extraordinarily good for a first solo effort, showing that Jesse might have more potential than Gale to be the second-best meth maker ever even though he's no chemist.

Dogzilla

05-03-2010, 10:05 AM

Great money shot of Twin 1's head coming off. The twins had the biggest balls and the stupidest criminal minds on Earth- they were freaking terminators more than human. Amazing they lived this long.

And, as it turned out, that arms dealer/truck driver guy was right: those hollow-point bullets really do "shred your head like a cabbage." (As soon as he said that line, I knew we were going to get to see what that would look like.) I love it when there's actually truth in advertising.

cmyk

05-03-2010, 10:12 AM

Hot damn! My favorite episode since "Fulminated Murcury". Also, give the actors who play Jessie and Hank the Emmys this year, they deserve them just from this one episode.

Dogzilla

05-03-2010, 10:13 AM

1) The brothers called Hank because they wanted him to be prepared so he could put up a fight. Remember how the one brother declined to shoot hank because it was "too easy?" Well that's why they warned him, because it would be "too easy" to just walk up and kill him and they wanted a challenge.

That's my theory. But I know I'll be proven wrong the next episode.
It almost had to be Gus or one of his people because he ordered the hit and presumably, was the only person who knew about it. Perhaps he wanted Hank to have a chance to take out the brothers, knowing they were a threat to Walt. Of course, he'd have no way of knowing that Hank had just been relieved of duty and did not have his gun anymore. The brothers bought the Kevlar vests because they knew a DEA agent would be carrying.

2) Why didn't Hank just drive away? If I heard "men are coming to your location to kill you" I would...drive away from that location. Immediately.
Remember him telling Marie that he'd been freezing up in high-pressure situations and, what was the word, unraveling? He completely panicked and froze up. Frankly, he should be suspended from duty for that reason and no other, nevermind the Jesse beatdown.

UncleRojelio

05-03-2010, 10:17 AM

Did they even speak English?

And if they do, why bother disguising their voice?

troub

05-03-2010, 11:40 AM

1) The brothers called Hank because they wanted him to be prepared so he could put up a fight. Remember how the one brother declined to shoot hank because it was "too easy?" Well that's why they warned him, because it would be "too easy" to just walk up and kill him and they wanted a challenge.

That's my theory. But I know I'll be proven wrong the next episode.

That's a neat theory, I guess it could be true (though I don't think they speak that much English...but I just watched the scene (http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid75704699001?bctid=82107696001) again with headphones, and for some reason I really think the voice sounds like Saul's. Even with the distortion, it sounds like his enunciation and every now and then the modulation seems to mix in a normal voice tone that sounds right for Saul. If Gus wanted to give Hank a heads-up, there's no way he'd call him himself. We know Saul has Hank's cell phone number and I think has used a voice modulator before. So it leaves us with the question of why, and it seems obvious that Gus thought the brothers were psychos who would keep causing problems. I doubt he expected they would both be killed, but he probably expected Hank would make a call for backup and generally make things very difficult.

Also, I wasn't sure the "too easy" remark referred to the level of difficulty in killing Hank, but rather that a gunshot to the head would be a "too easy" way for him to die in retribution for Tuco. I can't imagine it would be any more challenging to kill a severely wounded man with an axe than with a gun.

Vinyl Turnip

05-03-2010, 11:44 AM

I would've enjoyed the episode more if my FUCKING DVR HADN'T CUT THE RECORDING OFF JUST WHEN THE GUY WITH THE FUCKING AXE WAS WALKING TOWARD HANK AS HE FUMBLED WITH THE FUCKING BULLET!!!

Dammit.

Covered_In_Bees!

05-03-2010, 12:11 PM

Yes the cousins speak English, they understood Motormouth Arms Dealer enough to at least answer his question of what they were looking for.

Carol the Impaler

05-03-2010, 12:13 PM

Sampiro

05-03-2010, 12:15 PM

What he did to Jesse was horrible, but he turned himself in and took his lumps--more lumps than he had to.

It was horrible but completely understandable. And which of us wouldn't at least want to do that under the same situation?

I think Gus probably DID plan for Gale to learn the method, either in anticipation of getting rid of Walt or just as insurance, but there's no reason to think he wouldn't be willing to change his plans, even if we don't know exactly why.

Also, Gus knows that Walt has terminal lung cancer. He may or may not know that it's in remission, but even if he does he probably knows that could end at any time.

Spoke

05-03-2010, 12:20 PM

Gus made the call.
I'm thinking it was the bald guy we met earlier. It had to be someone who was tailing Hank, and was somewhere in the vicinity. (Otherwise, how would he know the twins were a minute away?)

Sampiro

05-03-2010, 12:23 PM

I'm thinking it was the bald guy we met earlier. It had to be someone who was tailing Hank, and was somewhere in the vicinity. (Otherwise, how would he know the twins were a minute away?)

Good call- I hadn't thought about him.

Spoke

05-03-2010, 12:27 PM

And, as it turned out, that arms dealer/truck driver guy was right: those hollow-point bullets really do "shred your head like a cabbage." (As soon as he said that line, I knew we were going to get to see what that would look like.) I love it when there's actually truth in advertising.

Yeah, but that means Hank's insides have to be pretty hamburgerish right now, too.

Sampiro

05-03-2010, 12:36 PM

The gun dealer was played by an actor named Nate Mooney (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1183102/) whose big role seems to be McPoyle on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

Carol the Impaler

05-03-2010, 12:40 PM

Yeah, but that means Hank's insides have to be pretty hamburgerish right now, too.

No, the Hombre only had the one Black Death bullet. They made a point of showing him putting it in his pocket. The Hombre reloaded a clip at one point and the Black Death bullet fell out onto the ground where Hank found it.

Covered_In_Bees!

05-03-2010, 12:42 PM

The gun dealer was played by an actor named Nate Mooney (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1183102/) whose big role seems to be McPoyle on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

Oh God! That's where I recognized him from. The McPoyle's are so damn creepy that I really wish I didn't know where he was from now.

Morbo

05-03-2010, 12:58 PM

And for all you Flight of the Conchords fans, the actor that plays Gale is Doug, Mel's husband.

Spoke

05-03-2010, 01:01 PM

No, the Hombre only had the one Black Death bullet.

I guess you're right. I was just assuming they took more from the dealer, but now that I think about it they just walked out with the vests, didn't they?

Great episode, but you know, I'm going to sort of miss the twins. Hope the writers come up with some interesting replacement bad-asses.

Enright3

05-03-2010, 01:43 PM

The way the gunfight was playing out; I thought there for a moment we were going to see one of the cousins point a gun at hank just as he gets blasted by Mike. I like the way this turned out much better.

Sampiro

05-03-2010, 01:52 PM

According to a spoiler site that's pretty reliable, Hank lives (no surprise) but with severe physical problems, and the remaining twin lives but loses either his legs or their use and I'm sure is not out of the game.

Carol the Impaler

05-03-2010, 02:18 PM

He can get matching wheelchairs to go with his uncle's!

Sampiro

05-03-2010, 02:18 PM

Carol the Impaler

05-03-2010, 02:51 PM

Huh, well that's brilliant. Would certainly force Jesse's hand (re: giving up Heisenberg) if they want to pin it on him.

troub

05-03-2010, 03:31 PM

I wonder if Jesse will be a suspect in the attempted murder. Obviously he wasn't one of the hit men but the attempted murder happened just after he dropped the charges, he had the motive to want Hank dead, and the fact he recently bought a $800,000 house without any observable means of income would imply to the DEA he's a lot better connected than he really is.

Hmmm, great theory. Add to it another mystery cell phone call like the one that Jesse used* to distract Hank from the RV...

*We know it was Walt's idea, but as far as Hank and the DEA, it was Jesse or someone connected with him.

Sampiro

05-03-2010, 03:59 PM

I thought the elevator scene was one of the tenderest sweetest husband-wife scenes ever on television.

Unless of course he was coming down from the second floor in which case it's just evidence of really rapid cycling.

Carol the Impaler

05-03-2010, 04:02 PM

Stop it! I just took a slug of water!!!

SenorBeef

05-03-2010, 06:28 PM

So I was thinking that Walt setup Gale (the lab assistant) by giving him the wrong temp simply to get him fired (or reassigned) so he could bring Jesse in to keep an eye on him. But that may not quite be it.

Gus assumed that Walt would be better off with a qualified, intelligent assistant and not the more scatterbrained Pinkman. But it's shown that Gale was super organized and competant, already having done the prep work when Walt came to work, and Walt may have been a little annoyed. It seems like he likes having someone around who makes him feel superior, rather than having an almost equal. Gale's competance may have hurt Walt's ego.

AuntiePam

05-03-2010, 06:39 PM

So I was thinking that Walt setup Gale (the lab assistant) by giving him the wrong temp simply to get him fired (or reassigned) so he could bring Jesse in to keep an eye on him. But that may not quite be it.

I thought that too. At the least, it appeared that Walt may have given Gale the wrong temperature and didn't want to admit it. Walt and his ego, ya know.

Sampiro, at first I thought your idea of Jesse as a suspect in Hank's shooting was kinda out there, but the more I think on it, I agree it's a great theory. The DEA will assume Jesse's connected, and that dropping the charges was a ruse to show that he didn't hold a grudge.

But is there a chance the DEA will think that dropping the charges means Hank and Jesse are connected? That Hank and Jesse made a deal, and Jesse reneged?

There's so many ways this can go.

emcee2k

05-03-2010, 09:24 PM

I have to say, those last few scenes were expertly done. It seemed like it was going to be the "retirony" trope played perfectly straight. I mean, he actually used the phrase "I think everything is going to be alright". I was sure he was going to have a bullet hole in his head as soon as those words left his mouth.

Carol the Impaler

05-03-2010, 09:42 PM

What was awesome for me about the one minute scene is that I was actually on the edge of my seat. The way this show is, who knows how the tension is going to resolve. I absolutely love how it's so unpredictable. (Well, except last week I said there'd be an attempt on Hank's life that he would survive, but they way it's written you doubt yourself when you're watchin' it go down!) I rarely, if ever, get this engaged in any drama anymore, whether on tv or the movies. You can always see where it's going.

Plus, the actor (who's name I should know) did a simply outstanding job portraying terror. I really, really believed it. Great job.

Enright3

05-03-2010, 09:47 PM

Lakai

05-03-2010, 10:05 PM

Gus doesn't need anyone to spy on Walt to get the formula. When Walt starts dying he could just ask him or threaten his family to get it. I don't think it would be too much trouble.

Now that Jessie is cooking with Walt, Gus could easily offer Jessie a job once Walt dies. It's not like Jessie has any other plans.

nivlac

05-03-2010, 11:14 PM

Regarding Walt and Gale... I think that Walt intentionally gave Gale the wrong info so that he COULD fire him. I still think it would be cool if Walt unintentionally saved himself from being spied on by Gus (through Gale). It's not like it'd be the first time that Walt narrowly avoided trouble by accident!

Of course, this was it. When you take into account how meticulous were both Walt and Gale (who took notes) in the lab, it had to be a ruse on Walt's part to justify canning Gale so he could hire Jessie. Getting Jessie as a partner solved a lot of problems for Walt -- (1) get a wild card off the streets who could give him up as Heisenberg, (2) let him keep an eye on Jessie, and (3) get Jessie off Hank's back. It cost him $1.5 million, but that was the price he was willing to pay. As to all the conjecture on who called Hank to tip him off about the hit, it had to be Gus (or his henchman). He had the knowledge and the motivation. If the brothers had finished off Hank, guess who those two psychos would've gone after next? Walt, of course. And that would derail Gus' plans for Walt. And I'm pretty sure that the DEA will connect the hit attempt on Hank to his killing of Tuco since the brothers are related to him. No way they'll pin it on Jessie (but I could be wrong!).

Sampiro

05-03-2010, 11:56 PM

I think Walt seriously erred in asking Gale to be replaced with Jessie. Gus is going to be majorly pissed.

He already doesn't like Jessie- knows him as a junkie and he's of the "once a junkie always a junkie" mindset. In the second place, he's correctly pegged Jessie as an arrogant whining irresponsible dumbass. Next up it means that Gale is running around with Gus's MAJOR secrets and nothing to do- would anyone here sell life insurance to Gale right now? Then there's the notion of who would you rather have hold you over a barrel if Walt should die- Jessie or Gale?

Both Gus and Saul are of the "things would be better if Jessie accidentally shot himself a few times while falling off a mesa onto a land mine variety". Truth be known I think Walt is of the same mindset, which is why he was so offended when Saul voiced it (without exactly voicing it)- it had occurred to him. However, he hasn't done murder yet- well, not cold blooded murder anyway (the guy in the basement was proactive self defense and Tuco [who Hank killed but Walt tried] needed killin' if ever anyone did) and he knows that's the point of no return.

The surprising thing to me about Don Salamanca (aka Tio the dinging crimeboss [aka the Mexican Community Theater version of Christopher Pike] ) is that he would take Tuco's death so hard. Yes, I get that he was a nephew and whatever th equivalent of a made-man is in the Mexican cartel, but even his uncle had to realize he was a loose cannon and had totally gone Pesci, making him unreliable and a liability to his own employers.

Maybe he's old school in that he felt he should be handled Pesci-style (in Goodfellas and Casino it's done in-house). Of course in last night's episode when you see him back when he still could speak and move we learn that Tio wasn't quite all there himself, so maybe he saw himself in Tuco, though I can't imagine Tuco living to sit in a back yard and have a rational conversation. (Gus must have had a "Free chicken fingers for everybody" special when he learned Tuco was dead.)

Sage Rat

05-04-2010, 12:00 AM

The surprising thing to me about Don Salamanca (aka Tio the dinging crimeboss [aka the Mexican Community Theater version of Christopher Pike] ) is that he would take Tuco's death so hard. Yes, I get that he was a nephew and whatever th equivalent of a made-man is in the Mexican cartel, but even his uncle had to realize he was a loose cannon and had totally gone Pesci, making him unreliable and a liability to his own employers.
"Family is everything."

sleepy67

05-04-2010, 12:45 AM

I wonder if Jesse will be a suspect in the attempted murder. I'm pretty sure the DEA will quickly be identify the shooters as Tucos cousins, known hit men for the cartel and with enough motive of their own to go after Hank. Especially as the incident takes place only a few days after Hank hospitalises Jessie.

needscoffee

05-04-2010, 12:57 AM

Sampiro

05-04-2010, 12:58 AM

I think they need to have another music video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxYrjWMvmdg). Maybe the next one could have the twins as backup.

How come Walt kept showing up at Jesse's hospital bed? Obviously it was only for dramatic impact, because if even one person in law enforcement had seen them together, he'd have been made. I think this is the biggest flaw I've seen in the show yet - usually they're much better about this.

I don't think he knows that many in law enforcement- or they him- other than Hank, and as for avoiding Hank being with Jessie is probably the safest place you can possibly be.

Occurred there was no Walt Jr. this episode and he really wasn't missed.

needscoffee

05-04-2010, 01:09 AM

I just noticed looking at the cast listing on IMDb that in the episode No Mas from March 21, Bryan Cranston's wife and daughter each had a small part - Emotional Woman (Robin Dearden) and Sad Faced Girl (Taylor Cranston). Seems to me maybe I heard this somewhere before? Now I have to go watch that episode again.

needscoffee

05-04-2010, 01:14 AM

I don't think he knows that many in law enforcement- or they him- other than Hank, and as for avoiding Hank being with Jessie is probably the safest place you can possibly be.But surely Walt knew there must have been a chance somebody would be keeping an eye out for who is coming to visit Jesse in the hospital, especially since they don't know who placed the phony phone call to Hank.

Green Bean

05-04-2010, 06:57 AM

That actually could be a good set-up for some plausible deniability later if they are seen together. There's a good cover story in there somewhere. For example:

Walt is just a teacher who was concerned about a former student who landed in the hospital. (Whom he heard about because his brother-in-law put him there, of course.) While he was visiting him, he learned about Jesse's recent troubles with drugs and his family, and his successful stint in rehab. So Walt continued to keep in touch with him to provide support and to try to help him stay clean, because Walt is such a great guy, you know.

ETA: I don't think that Walt was visiting him in order to put a cover story in place or anything, but if he is caught, there are opportunities there to make some lemonade.

Revtim

05-04-2010, 08:00 AM

Doesn't Hank already know the story about Walt bought pot from the kid? That plus being a former student is enough to explain Walt visiting him, I think.

AuntiePam

05-04-2010, 08:08 AM

That actually could be a good set-up for some plausible deniability later if they are seen together. There's a good cover story in there somewhere. For example:

Walt is just a teacher who was concerned about a former student who landed in the hospital. (Whom he heard about because his brother-in-law put him there, of course.) While he was visiting him, he learned about Jesse's recent troubles with drugs and his family, and his successful stint in rehab. So Walt continued to keep in touch with him to provide support and to try to help him stay clean, because Walt is such a great guy, you know.

I think the brother-in-law being responsible would be a good reason to stay away. Unless Walt visits all his former students who've been hospitalized, needscoffee is right -- Walt was taking a risk. Not a big risk though, since the DEA would have no reason to keep track of Jesse's visitors. And if Walt visited after normal working hours, he wouldn't have to worry about running into DEA people.

UncleRojelio

05-04-2010, 08:26 AM

No, the Hombre only had the one Black Death bullet. They made a point of showing him putting it in his pocket. The Hombre reloaded a clip at one point and the Black Death bullet fell out onto the ground where Hank found it.

Speaking of which, didn't that bullet travel from one end of the truck to the other by itself?

Hombre #2 started out on the driver's side of Hank's truck. When he approaches the window, he sees Hank is gone and then walks around the front of the truck. While he is at the front, a bystander yells and Hombre #2 shoots him. When another bystander screams, Hombre #2 tries to shoot her but has to reload. This is when the bullet falls from his pocket. After reloading, Hank pops out at the rear of his truck, Hank shoots and then Hombre #2 shoots. Hank falls back and Hombre #2 walks fifteen or twenty feet over to Hank at the rear of the truck before deciding to go get his axe. Hank finds the bullet where is is lying, far from where it was dropped.

Took me right out of the moment.

needscoffee

05-04-2010, 10:13 AM

Doesn't Hank already know the story about Walt bought pot from the kid? That plus being a former student is enough to explain Walt visiting him, I think.Is this correct about Hank knowing that Walt bought pot from Jesse? It's been such a long time that I no longer remember.

Carol the Impaler

05-04-2010, 10:17 AM

Yes. IIRC, Hank mentioned it in the phone call he made to Walt asking about whether Jesse had an RV. Something along the lines of, I know you bought pot from him but that's not important right now...

needscoffee

05-04-2010, 10:37 AM

Yes. IIRC, Hank mentioned it in the phone call he made to Walt asking about whether Jesse had an RV. Something along the lines of, I know you bought pot from him but that's not important right now...Thanks.

Spoke

05-04-2010, 11:30 AM

How come Walt kept showing up at Jesse's hospital bed? Obviously it was only for dramatic impact, because if even one person in law enforcement had seen them together, he'd have been made. I think this is the biggest flaw I've seen in the show yet - usually they're much better about this.

Aside from the possibility of being made by his mere presence, I thought it odd that Walt and Jesse kept having rather loud conversations in a hospital room about making meth. (Including Walt's right-out-loud parting comment that "Your meth is as good as mine.")

Carol the Impaler

05-04-2010, 11:43 AM

Maybe Saul's buying off the nurses. ;)

Enright3

05-04-2010, 12:24 PM

But surely Walt knew there must have been a chance somebody would be keeping an eye out for who is coming to visit Jesse in the hospital, especially since they don't know who placed the phony phone call to Hank.

I feel the same way. Was I the only one thinking "Why the hell are you talking about cooking meth in the hospital bed? They could have that room bugged!"

kath94

05-04-2010, 12:32 PM

<snip>

Remember him telling Marie that he'd been freezing up in high-pressure situations and, what was the word, unraveling? He completely panicked and froze up. Frankly, he should be suspended from duty for that reason and no other, nevermind the Jesse beatdown.

While Marie was trying to make up the story about Jesse coming after Hank with a pipe, I was thinking that Hank could pin this all on the way the DEA handled his emotional well-being following his shooting of Tuco & the exploding head-on-a-tortoise incident at the border. Couldn't Hank just claim that he didn't get enough or inadequate counseling, and they had no business putting him back on the job or putting pressure on him to go to El Paso? I mean, a partial truth is definitely better than something completely made up, right?

AuntiePam

05-04-2010, 02:50 PM

kath94, Hank's all about putting up a front, "being a man". He's not gonna admit he has PTSD, even to himself. But he might now, after the hell he went through.

UncleRojelio, maybe the bullet rolled? It does seem weird that they'd drop a bullet in one place and then move it. But the set people screwed up before, in the episode where Walt was holding an empty file folder. It shouldn't have been too much trouble to put some papers in that folder.

Morbo

05-04-2010, 02:52 PM

Speaking of which, didn't that bullet travel from one end of the truck to the other by itself?

Hombre #2 started out on the driver's side of Hank's truck. When he approaches the window, he sees Hank is gone and then walks around the front of the truck. While he is at the front, a bystander yells and Hombre #2 shoots him. When another bystander screams, Hombre #2 tries to shoot her but has to reload. This is when the bullet falls from his pocket. After reloading, Hank pops out at the rear of his truck, Hank shoots and then Hombre #2 shoots. Hank falls back and Hombre #2 walks fifteen or twenty feet over to Hank at the rear of the truck before deciding to go get his axe. Hank finds the bullet where is is lying, far from where it was dropped.

Took me right out of the moment.

I thought Hank was advancing as he shot and Hombre #2 was falling backwards due to the impact of the bullets hitting his vest.

Lakai

05-04-2010, 06:46 PM

Speaking of which, didn't that bullet travel from one end of the truck to the other by itself?

Hombre #2 started out on the driver's side of Hank's truck. When he approaches the window, he sees Hank is gone and then walks around the front of the truck. While he is at the front, a bystander yells and Hombre #2 shoots him. When another bystander screams, Hombre #2 tries to shoot her but has to reload. This is when the bullet falls from his pocket. After reloading, Hank pops out at the rear of his truck, Hank shoots and then Hombre #2 shoots. Hank falls back and Hombre #2 walks fifteen or twenty feet over to Hank at the rear of the truck before deciding to go get his axe. Hank finds the bullet where is is lying, far from where it was dropped.

Took me right out of the moment.

When Hank pops up it's behind the rear of a different truck.

Hombre #2 was walking from Hank's truck to another row of parked cars when he dropped the bullet. Then Hombre #2 starts walking away from the bullet and into the second row of parked cars. Once Hombre walks in between two parked cars, Hank pops up behind him and exactly where Hombre drops the bullet.

You can watch the scene again here (http://www.amctv.com/videos/). Go to Breaking Bad and then look under talked about scenes.

SenorBeef

05-05-2010, 08:57 AM

Just FYI Bryan Cranston and Dean Norris (Hank) were on the Adam Carolla Podcast a few days ago. They didn't talk about Breaking Bad too much, but it's mostly entertaining. It's too bad I didn't notice ahead of time they'd be on or I'd call up and ask about the Epic Pizza Throw.

(The salmon salad needs friction though).

This (http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/nyc.podcast.play.it/media/d0/d0/d0/dU/dO/dM/dT/UOMT_3.MP3) is a direct link to the mp3, otherwise just use whatever podcast software you use to grab it.

SenorBeef

05-05-2010, 09:07 AM

Joey P

05-05-2010, 09:51 AM

Oh, also, I'm rewatching the episode. The scrambled call that Hank gets kind of sounds like his boss - the guy with the giant mustache. It's probably just a coincidence and an effect of the voice scrambler, but if Hank's boss ends up being a mole for Gus or something I want credit.

I can't picture who you're thinking of, but would that be the person who kept trying to get Hank to go back to El Paso?

SenorBeef

05-05-2010, 09:59 AM

Yeah, with the deep voice. I think he's Hank's direct superior. He was the one Hank took the ATM photos of the RV to, who told him in this episode that Pinkman was dropping charges and maybe that he had a guardian angel (hmmm........), etc.

nivlac

05-05-2010, 01:16 PM

Oh, also, I'm rewatching the episode. The scrambled call that Hank gets kind of sounds like his boss - the guy with the giant mustache. It's probably just a coincidence and an effect of the voice scrambler, but if Hank's boss ends up being a mole for Gus or something I want credit.
Excellent conjecture! That can also explain how he knew that Jessie would be dropping charges against Hank, having heard it via the Walt to Gus connection. Very interesting indeed if true.

Sampiro

05-05-2010, 01:54 PM

In the episode when Jesse and Walt kidnapped Saul and took him to an open grave and he was panicked and pleading for mercy he mistook them for somebody else and was visibly relieved when he realized it wasn't them but just two amateurs who wanted to look tough. I don't remember the name of the person he thought they were associated with, but I've wondered if that's ever going to come back into play again.

Now that Hank has shot more Mexicans than Davy Crockett I wonder if he'll need to enter some sort of protection program. Killing one twin and seriously wounding another, even if in self defense, is probably just going to make Don Salamanca more determined than ever to get vengeance.

AuntiePam

05-05-2010, 01:55 PM

If there is indeed a mole in Hank's office, I'll be pissed. It'd come out of nowhere.

True, we didn't see how Hank's boss knew about the dropped charges, but the show doesn't show us everything. He could have found out from Jesse or from Saul. Once Jesse made his decision, he'd want them to know ASAP so they would (he hopes) get off his ass.

Has anything else happened to indicate a mole?

Sampiro

05-05-2010, 02:15 PM

I'm going with Mike. It had to be someone who was tailing Hank and the twins because they were at a shopping center, and I figure Gus sent Mike to kill three birds with one cell phone.

c_goat

05-05-2010, 04:04 PM

I think Mike made the call and this had to be Gus' plan to get rid of the twins. Gus was alone with the twins when he approved the DEA hit, and since it's forbidden in the cartel the twins probably wouldn't have told any cartel people about it. So it should look like the twins took it upon themselves to go after Hank. Gus' warning was to give Hank the upper hand in hopes that he'd kill the twins, but he wasn't expecting Hank to not have a weapon.

On a different note, I was kind of annoyed the way Walt handled Jesse by getting rid of Gale. I figured he would try to bribe him at least. I get that it was probably the only solution due to the father/son-like relationship where Jesse just needed approval. I feel bad for Gale. What happens when you get fired from a meth lab like that anyway? I suspect Walt may end up with another indirect death on his conscience. Although Gale should be smart enough to keep his mouth shut, so maybe Gus will just keep him on the side to take over when Walt is gone.

I liked how the flashback also shows that Gus has been in this business for a long time, as well.

Spoke

05-05-2010, 06:10 PM

I feel bad for Gale. What happens when you get fired from a meth lab like that anyway?

That really can't look good on your résumé.

SenorBeef

05-05-2010, 07:27 PM

In the episode when Jesse and Walt kidnapped Saul and took him to an open grave and he was panicked and pleading for mercy he mistook them for somebody else and was visibly relieved when he realized it wasn't them but just two amateurs who wanted to look tough. I don't remember the name of the person he thought they were associated with, but I've wondered if that's ever going to come back into play again.

It was probably just background to establish how scummy Saul is, and doesn't necesarily need to be important to the story.

Perciful

05-05-2010, 09:12 PM

And for all you Flight of the Conchords fans, the actor that plays Gale is Doug, Mel's husband.

I need to see this show! What night and what channel? Everyone seems to really like it.

needscoffee

05-05-2010, 09:50 PM

I need to see this show! What night and what channel? Everyone seems to really like it.You have to watch the episodes in order from start to end. Don't even try to watch any episodes out of sequence or it will ruin the story for you.

needscoffee

05-05-2010, 09:52 PM

I need to see this show! What night and what channel? Everyone seems to really like it.There are people who don't like it, either. My husband quit in the 2nd season; it was too grim for him. There were times I almost felt the same way. Luckily, I got through it.

Mariemarie

05-05-2010, 10:42 PM

Excellent conjecture! That can also explain how he knew that Jessie would be dropping charges against Hank, having heard it via the Walt to Gus connection. Very interesting indeed if true.
I thought it sounded like the boss too. Does the boss have a mole in Gus's operation? Who does Gus work for, really? The Juarez cartel? Maybe not. In the flashback scene, Don Salamanco said "never trust a South American". Is Gus secretly working with a Colombian or Brazilian cartel that has bad history with the Mexican cartel? Who is this chicken man really?

Lakai

05-06-2010, 12:04 AM

I thought it sounded like the boss too. Does the boss have a mole in Gus's operation? Who does Gus work for, really? The Juarez cartel? Maybe not. In the flashback scene, Don Salamanco said "never trust a South American". Is Gus secretly working with a Colombian or Brazilian cartel that has bad history with the Mexican cartel? Who is this chicken man really?

I think Gus is probably South American himself.

AuntiePam

05-06-2010, 08:13 AM

I need to see this show! What night and what channel? Everyone seems to really like it.

AMC Sunday, two showings, one after the other.

needscoffee is right about watching out of sequence though, but if you've been reading the episode threads (or TWOP recaps or episode guides at the AMC website), you probably have enough background to enjoy it, if you want to start now.

My daughter started watch Mad Men halfway through the third season. I didn't think she'd get anything out of it, missing all the back story, but she loves it.