No, that was a seperate issue. Walt started off making clear/white high quality meth, but they couldn’t secure enough psuedo-ephedrine, so they stole a 50 gallon drum of methlamine instead. Which changed the color, but left the purity and effectiveness intact. Hank called it “old school biker meth”, so I’m assuming it’s a real-world alternate way of creating meth.
So did Victor leave his vehicle at Gale’s apartment?
Also, I missed it on my first viewing, but the way Mike draws his weapon when Gus slits Victor’s throat is such a cool, subtle nod to his former experience as a police officer. He looked genuinely startled.
I think Gus was sending messages to everyone, including Mike, and I think Mike received the message. He looked gobsmacked. I predict that Mike will side with Walt down the line, because nobody likes working for someone THAT fucking scary hardass coldblooded - you can never feel secure!
More amazing acting from (everyone, really) Cranston. His face when he learns Jesse killed Gale was a masterpiece.
Aaron Paul was excellent, and I love the reversal at the end. It made sense. Jesse is streetwise, he gets it. Walt’s quest to take out Gus won’t really be about fear, it will be about power.
And Victor sealed his own fate with the same thing that seals most people’s: ego.
Also, take note of Walt’s saying I would shoot Gale over and over… taking full responsibility for it, like an already-made kingpin for whom Jesse is merely his bagman. Yeah, Walt’s got plans.
It was on again right after the first airing, but I had it muted. When they got to the part where Victor was cooking and Walt was saying that he would probably forget to add the aluminum I just happened to look up at the screen and thought “Jesus fucking christ he looks arrogant–good job”
But, I’ll always go back to Malcolm In The Middle. He did more acting in that show and portrayed a wider range of ability then most people do in their entire careers.
Yeah, I actually thought Gus’s little show was a bad move on his part for that very reason. Who wants to work for a psycho who so easily kills a faithful employee?
“Get back to work?”
Yeah, OK, I’ll get right to work on thinking of ways to get you out of the picture.
I found it interesting - We see that Gus never really wanted to hire Walt because he knew he was unpredictable. However, it was Gale himself that talked him into it. Unwittingly, Gale talked Gus into hiring the very man who would later kill him.
Then it also had the little call-outs like the lab notes and the explanation why there was a box cutter in the lab.
Yeah, I think you’re right. I haven’t seen Season 1 since the original airings. Maybe it’s the extreme purity that gives it the trademark clarity/non-cloudiness?
Is there anyone protecting Gus? That is, if Walt (and/or Jesse) were to kill Gus would anyone come after them.
And, to follow that question up, if the answer is Mike, let’s just assume, for the sake of argument, that Mike either sided with them or was killed by them at the same time.
The only people I can think of are whoever Gus sells to, but I don’t think anyone knows who does his cooking. I’m not even sure if anyone is still aware of Heisenberg anymore. I have a feeling if Walt/Jesse/Mike were to get rid of Gus (and Gus is now aware that they CAN do it, and they CAN get rid of a body). Walt would make a bumbling mess of things trying to keep the distribution chain going but would probably get it sorted out quickly enough. Come to think of it, that’s pretty much what was going on it there first season.
In the opener, Gus gives Gale the blue meth sample and tells him to dispose of it. Now I’m wondering if he kept it as some sort of souvenir. Along with the lab notes and the cell phone with all those numbers on it (it was ringing when he was killed), it could lead the cops close to Gus and his operation.
“Opinions vary.”
-Dalton, Roadhouse
I’m in the middle of those quoted above. I liked it, but didn’t think it was the best ever, but it wasn’t disappointing.
What was disappointing though, and took me out of the show was the fact that it’s been over a year since I last saw it, so I half forgot what was going on, and the interminable number of commercials. I was half-expecting a presentation with limited interruptions.
For the episode itself, I thought it was very good to show how cold Gus can be. In his stores, he comes across as a genial, if laidback, owner, concerned about his customers. But he has no problem slitting a guy’s throat.
As for why, I like Jesse’s explanation of “even if he can’t kill you, you’ll wish you were dead,” or something to that effect. But Walt’s dead anyway, in a metaphorical sense.
Hydroflouric Acid: I’ve never used this stuff before, does it work?
Did he? I thought Gale was finished analyzing it and either handed it back to Gus who gave it to Victor or Gus told Gale to give it to Victor. Either way, I thought Victor was told to dispose it…or maybe Mike. Either way, I didn’t think it was Gale, but I could be wrong.
Of course, I can’t seem to find it online to double check, and even if I could my internet connection at work is awful and streaming anything here is usually more work then it’s worth.
I remember that they used the hydrofluoric acid in the first season to dispose of a body, but was it explained why they had it? Is it needed as part of the cooking process or was it obtained for that purpose? (I wonder about these things.) BTW, kind of a gruesome bit when we were seeing the body in the drum and the head detached and floated down.
As for the commercials, that’s why I watch the show on tape delay and then skip through all of the breaks.
Same here but it is still an interruption and I was gritting my teeth watching all those minutes speed past what could have been exciting TV.
My favorite parts.
Jessie watching Victor die. Walt was horrified, practically sick, Jessie just stared straight at them. I think something broke inside Jessie when he killed Gale.
Mike pulling out his gun when Gus does something he wasn’t ready for.
Mike sighing and eventually helping Walt and Jessie upright the plastic barrell containing Victor.
Marie taking a moment in the car before she goes into the house to care for Hank.
It was a good opener. Darker and somewhat all over the place.
Re: Skyler moving car – To me it’s a sign that she is getting deeper into it. That she is becoming what Walt insisted she does not do but she did I anyways – complicit.
Re: Victor – Well, he blew it. He was also agitated all the time in the lab and at one point it became clear he’s going down.
As for Jesse taking care of Gale… he had to do it for Walt as Walt did it for him before. Their bond becomes stronger and stronger, albeit based on a pile of bodies.
Another thing, I think, box-cutter has been chosen on purpose as it is somewhat in the general population imagination and it’s always good to work off the existing imagery rather than develop your own (it’s a 1 hr TV show anyways).
And finally, agreed on Cranston’s acting. Pure magic.
I wonder where will police investigation on Gale’s murder go.
Another thing I was thinking about. When Gus killed Victor, they made a big deal about the blood flowing towards them, under their feet and towards the back wall.
On the one hand, that could be all symbolic and stuff.
OTOH, I saw the blood heading toward a shelf behind them. I have to wonder if any of it got under that shelf and maybe not properly cleaned. Leaving DNA/blood evidence of Victor’s presence (and his murder) behind in the lab. Just something else to further connect everything (Victor was at Gale’s crime scene as well) together in a ‘world collapsing’ series of events later on in the series. Whether it’s Walt’s world of Gus’ world, I’m not sure, but it just seemed like they left that open.
Are you kidding? If that lab is discovered by the police, any evidence of a murder there is going to be low on the priority list.
I’m just saying it’s something that may tie things to other things.