This is the very contrast Tarwater is pointing out. For the previous two or three episodes, Jesse has been nihilistic, apathetic, and self-destructive. A walking dead-man, if not overtly suicidal.
In this episode, after only a day’s ride in the car, he’s suddenly warming up again, taking an interest in events. Taking an interest in his own self-preservation. Talking, even. He seems back to his old self, more or less.
Like Tarwater, I find that change a little sudden and implausible.
You can be suicidal and be convinced on some level that you don’t want to live, but then when actually confronted with the very real threat of death, suddenly have your monkey brain kick in and realize OH SHIT I’M GOING TO DIE and it can certainly change your short term attitude.
I was just going to post that same thing. When he was confronted with the strong possibility of actually dying, he realized that he really didn’t want to die after all.
I found the whole fake “make Jesse a hero” thing to be cliched and unlikely, but I think I do understand what the writer’s intended to be Gus’ motivations for it.
First, make Jesse certain he’s about to die at the hands of Mike, thus making him realize that he really does want to live, then, in the midst of that psychological transformation make him actually fight for his life and in the process become a hero in the eyes of Mike and Gus (at least in his mind).
Gus did not get where he was without understanding people and how to motivate them.
One interesting thing. I recall in a previous episode Gus saying to someone (Mike?) “I do not believe that fear is a good motivator”. He did use fear to motivate Jesse in this instance, so some may say that this is a contradiction. I don’t think it is.
This was not using fear as a motivator in the sense of “If I don’t do my job I’ll be hurt or killed”. This was using the overcoming of fear and the fighting back against it as the motivator. That’s a very different thing.
Ahhh, got it. But from that POV, Jesse has been begging, literally, for some personal interaction with someone. He asked Walt to come with him to the Go Kart track. I think just riding around in the car with Mike for a couple of hours is what he was looking for, I think it’s the reason he shows up to work every day. I’m not sure he was ever truly suicidal, just bored and trying not to become a junkie.
I mean, that’s the reason for the everlasting house party, right? He thought having people over all the time would make him feel better, but they were just there for the free meth, food and money he was giving away. Jesse needs a few close friends he can just hang out with and talk to, like Badger and Pete.
As great as this show has been in the past, it is beginning to look as if AMC has bought into the philosophy that The Killing is the way to go: just write for a while and when 44 minutes is up, put in a cliff hanger looking ending for that episode. Keep plugging how great the next one will be, and move on down the road. Devil take the hindmost.
An excellent episode, and not just for the outstanding payoff of at the dinner party. It really highlighted the detailed story and character connections that makes BB so excellent. Notice all the details built into the episode’s “Walt thread” leading up to that scene:
Although both are present for the contract signing, it’s Skyler sitting with the lawyer and signing the papers for the car wash. Walt’s presence (almost off-screen) was cast as something of a necessary but unimportant formality.
Walt Jr. drinking from a “Beneke” mug, remininding Walt that Skyler really hasn’t apologized for IFT.
Skyler mentioned that their dinner party visits are–according to Marie–“the only reason Hank comes out of the bedroom.” Then–sparked by Walt’s suggestion–Hank digs back into the case files in the couple’s kitchen, where he’s actually quite civil to Marie.
Turning to the “Jesse thread” (which, though interesting, was far more perfunctory IMO), I’m wondering how much Mike knew about Gus’ plan prior to the faked robbery. Mike–in his usual annoyed deadpan–engaged with Jesse only when necessary, and in the long fast-forward sequences of the drive Mike barely seemed to move. Until Mike could no longer hold in his frustration, pulled the car over and told Jesse “You’re not the guy” and “I have no idea why you’re here.” I take him at his word on this–for all his good qualities, I just don’t see Mike being that deceptive. Sure this make the fake robbery attempt even more dangerous, but questions about that were like some of those Mike knew better than to ask.
BTW regarding the robbery, note how Jesse said he was riding “shotgun”, giving viewers who knew the episode title a reason to lean back and go “Ah, so that’s what the title means” moment. These viewers then dropped their guard for the appearance of an actual shotgun, which made it more surprising (though not that surprising. Once it was clear that Jesse was not going to be killed, it seemed pretty obvious Mike and Jesse would have a “bonding” moment. Given the antagonistic trajectory between them I was pretty sure one of the later drops would go wrong).
If there has to be a quibble, it’s probably that scene with the playback of the phone message. Considering how their relationship has grown this season it was clear Walt and Skyler were getting back together, but I didn’t buy that she would not hear the desperation in Walt’s message–and you could see on Walt’s face that he thought he was in for another interrogation from Skyler (similar to the second cel phone in season 2).
My first thought was that Mike was picking up his own cash stashes, and that he was going to take Jesse and run. Anybody else? After Gus killed Victor, I could see Mike rethinking their partnership.
After I dumped that thought (it wouldn’t work), I thought that Jesse just getting away for awhile was all he needed. Get out of his house, out of the lab, out of his rut, out in the beautiful New Mexico scenery where he’d have some time to think.
But Gus’s plan? Very insightful. Make Jesse feel like he had some value. Drug counselors could learn from Gus.
And Walt – this episode was the turning point for me, in wanting to see Walt get his comeuppance. He had the chance to leave Heisenberg behind and he couldn’t take it. So prideful and selfish.
In that same scene, Jr. informed Sr. that Skylar had decided that Sr. was moving back in on Tuesday. Walt and Skylar had talked about moving back together, but hadn’t even officially made the decision. She decided unilaterally. This further emasculated Walt. When he feels like that he always does something crazy or stupid, like the dinner party incident at the end.
Not only did she decide THAT he was going to move in, but WHEN as well. And on top of that, she announced it to other people before informing him of the master plan. I sort of hope, for Walt’s sake, he decides to keep his place and not move in with her and is able to say “Can you see, THIS is why we had problems, THIS is exactly why the marriage didn’t work out etc…”
Hank seems to be on the verge of making a big connection with his observation about vegans not eating fried chicken.
He may connect Los Pollos Hermanos with Heisenberg and the blue meth. That’s a big deal.
There were some numbers, or possibly letters, scrawled on that sheet of Los Pollos Hermanos note paper. Anyone notice what they were? Could it be a phone number? :eek:
Good point. As I’ve said before, until Walt somehow sheds Skyler (and I don’t necessarily mean by killing her) he won’t be free of the old Walt and to let the Heisenberg persona take over for good because that’s where this series is heading.
In the scene with Walt moving barrels around the lab the logo on the barrels was made very obvious. In case anyone is wondering, that Chinese character means “bee” which is the picture on the barrel. This is the same logo on the warehouse that Mike hit in last season’s finale. Add to that what happened in the truck with Mike in the last episode, it’s obviously that the cartel is trying to disrupt Gus’ chemical supplies. This should become a more prominent part of the this season’s plot. In keeping with the overarching theme in BB, Gus is getting his payback from the cartel for what he did last season.
I’m guessing that the MI-MB042266-GER writing on the Los Pollos Hermanos flyer is the serial number for a piece of equipment in the lab.
Certainly great to hear that the series will have a longer final 5th season. That should allow a great conclusion.
I’m thinking that it’s either a part number or an account number.
I did a Google search thinking the writers might have used a real part number for a real piece of lab equipment but all I turned up were discussions like ours.
I have no idea if it fits the format of, for example, a Swiss bank account or something similar.
Yeah, does the Victorian cough of death have to be Victorian? He has a husky, smoker’s voice – maybe it’s natural, not scripted.
I’d like to see what the writers would do with Mike having lung cancer. Mike with nothing to lose would be awesome, but I’d rather see Mike as the last man standing.