# Breaking Bad 4.07 "Problem Dog" 8/29 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 29, 2011, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-07-problem-dog-8-29/594449 "2011-08-29T02:12:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-07-problem-dog-8-29/594449/21 "2011-08-29T11:36:13Z")
> [@nivlac](#): > > …Here’s what I think is going to happen. That DEA boss guy, Merket, is dirty and has been giving Gus a free ride… This makes some sense. There’ve been times when it seemed to me that Merket was wearing a “poker face” but I put it down to bad acting or something. It does seem like he’s tried to obstruct Hank’s investigation into the blue meth. He tried hard to get Hank to abandon that investigation and transfer to Mexico. Here’s a thought, was the Tortuga/tortoise bomb meant for Hank? Does it make sense that the cartel would piss off the DEA like that for no reason? As I recall, when the brother’s were gunning for Walt, there was discussion about how it was normally forbidden to go after DEA personnel. If they were so reluctant to directly attack the DEA, would they blow up a bunch of random agents simply because they were using Tortuga as a snitch? ---
**Author:** ![downtown1441](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@downtown1441](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/downtown1441)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-07-problem-dog-8-29/594449/22 "2011-08-29T12:28:36Z")
Sweet baby Moses was Aaron Paul’s monologue incredible… I don’t usually get goosebumps from TV shows but I definitely got them there. > [@](#): > > This makes some sense. There’ve been times when it seemed to me that Merket was wearing a “poker face” but I put it down to bad acting or something. Good call, I’d forgotten about him trying to get Hank to transfer too, it makes sense that maybe he was Gus’s original connection to the DEA and doing all the donor and playing the good citizen stuff. ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-07-problem-dog-8-29/594449/23 "2011-08-29T13:03:19Z")
I’ll once again predict Hank will break bad and join forces with Walt, especially after he finds out his boss is crooked. He’s in zero danger of actually dying for awhile since he just got done with all the PT. I’m surprised they’re still pushing the “woe is me I didn’t want this” angle with Skyler. That should’ve been over when they got back together. I guess they’re gonna show her going all in now as the criminal wife, but it’s taken awhile. Walter Jr. ate…LUNCH! Maybe Jesse will break good? Gus is supposed to be this super shrewd and careful businessman/family man who’s been making mad money for 20 years, presumably with this cartel as his supplier. So why did he want to go independent and spend millions of dollars making an underground super lab and hand picking Gale to be his cook and starting a drug war? Before this season I thought he was a pencil necked geek but when he took his shirt off in the first episode he seemed pretty buff. Is he having his own manhood issues a la Walt? ---
**Author:** ![newcomer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e5b9ba/32.png) [@newcomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcomer)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-07-problem-dog-8-29/594449/24 "2011-08-29T14:34:20Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > Just go ahead and give Aaron Paul the Emmy now. > [@Chefguy](#): > > I’d just like to say: welcome back, BB; we’ve missed you muchly these past weeks. Stellar acting jobs by all parties, especially Hank and Jesse. The plot has advanced nicely, good suspense build-up, intrigue, new people introduced into the drug mix, and the DEA is becoming a player in a serious way. I feared that the series was drifting off course, but this has snapped it back. Agreed on both. Just a little comment… I think this episode is built on the hard work of all those episodes prior that looked like they’re dragging their feet. Now, we realize, the field is laid out, the canvas of character possibilities nicely stretched to the point of breaking (pun intended) and now, it seems, it’s time to scrunch through it for some thrilling action. Favourite scene is the conversation, “the sales pitch” between Walt and Jesse who was painting the walls. Walt’s border-line manipulative monologue hit the nerve in Jesse who still shows certain inclination for fatherly advice vs. becoming a man on his own, especially when “becoming a man” means being a cold blooded killer. There was so much invested in that scene from current and previous season that one can only get the weight of it if one knew the complexity of love-hate relationship Jesse has for Walt. Brilliant! ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-07-problem-dog-8-29/594449/25 "2011-08-29T14:36:44Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I’d just like to say: welcome back, BB; we’ve missed you muchly these past weeks. Stellar acting jobs by all parties, especially Hank and Jesse. The plot has advanced nicely, good suspense build-up, intrigue, new people introduced into the drug mix, and the DEA is becoming a player in a serious way. I feared that the series was drifting off course, but this has snapped it back. Amen to that. I had decided a few weeks ago that AMC had shifted to a _The Killing_ mentality in the writing department(s) of their shows. Glad I was wrong for that thought. This was close to the best episode. Period. I also want to ditto: > [@bouv](#): > > Just go ahead and give Aaron Paul the Emmy now. ---
**Author:** ![newcomer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e5b9ba/32.png) [@newcomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcomer)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-07-problem-dog-8-29/594449/26 "2011-08-29T14:39:32Z")
Multiposts of agreement with same pair of quotes within couple of minutes. This was a really GOOD episode 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![theR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@theR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theR)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-07-problem-dog-8-29/594449/27 "2011-08-29T14:52:27Z")
> [@nivlac](#): > > If you didn’t see Hank connecting the Pollos Hermanos flyer to Gus, you must have been dozing. As I expected, the number was the serial number for a piece of equipment for the lab and the finger print in the Gale murder file was Gus’. So it all tied together. Here’s what I think is going to happen. That DEA boss guy, Merket, is dirty and has been giving Gus a free ride. So I think he’s going to try to slow Hank down. Between the cartel and Hank, I don’t expect Gus to survive the season. How all this ends up in Walt’s favor will be interesting to see unfold. After all, you know that Walt has to make it through this season and next. One other thing, I was wondering how they were going to tie in the title of the episode “Problem Dog”, and they did it with Jesse’s “confession”. What Aaron Paul did with the Jesse character was just brilliant. Walt has to make it through this season, sure. I’ll be pissed if he makes it through next. He was supposed to be terminally ill with cancer and nary a peep about the cancer in many episodes. If he isn’t murdered or doesn’t die of cancer by the end of the series, I’ll be totally let down by the writing. I guess they could leave everyone hanging in the final episode rather than showing him die, but they’ll have to do a really good job to make that acceptable in my mind. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-07-problem-dog-8-29/594449/28 "2011-08-29T14:56:06Z")
> [@theR](#): > > I guess they could leave everyone hanging in the final episode rather than showing him die, but they’ll have to do a really good job to make that acceptable in my mind. I’m not sure another show can do that and get away with it. A series, of this magnitude, pulling a stunt like that, was sort of a one time deal. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-07-problem-dog-8-29/594449/29 "2011-08-29T15:08:10Z")
> [@theR](#): > > I guess they could leave everyone hanging in the final episode rather than showing him die, but they’ll have to do a really good job to make that acceptable in my mind. I really believe that the series will ultimately end with a Jesse vs Walt showdown, with Jesse probably killing Walt. Jane’s death will likely end up being the catalyst for this final confrontation. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-07-problem-dog-8-29/594449/30 "2011-08-29T15:21:15Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Has Gus Fring met Walt Jr. before? In the hospital following Hank’s attack. However, Hank said something like, “Do you remember Walter Jr.” when he would have no reason to know that they had met (being 3/4 dead at the time). ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-07-problem-dog-8-29/594449/31 "2011-08-29T15:30:45Z")
This episode just reinforced my belief that the character of Hank is the best part of the show. Glad to see him back on the case. > [@Bytegeist](#): > > Man, I sure hope Gus isn’t bugging Jesse’s house. I had that same thought. It was stupid to have that conversation there. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-07-problem-dog-8-29/594449/32 "2011-08-29T15:36:59Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#): > > I really believe that the series will ultimately end with a Jesse vs Walt showdown, with Jesse probably killing Walt. > > Jane’s death will likely end up being the catalyst for this final confrontation. Could be, as Walt has yet had to atone for that callous act. Walt can’t seem to keep himself from bringing her up, and it would be easy to make a verbal slip. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-07-problem-dog-8-29/594449/33 "2011-08-29T16:05:05Z")
In another recent thread we joked about how Jr. is always either eating, in a car, or discussing a car. So what was he doing this episode? Eating while discussing a car! When Gus offered Jr. a job, and Jr. showed interest, Hank made a joke about how Jr. would eat all of Gus’ profits. Was that a joke about how often we see Jr. eating? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Lakai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lakai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lakai)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-07-problem-dog-8-29/594449/34 "2011-08-29T16:09:32Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Could be, as Walt has yet had to atone for that callous act. Walt can’t seem to keep himself from bringing her up, and it would be easy to make a verbal slip. It won’t be a verbal slip. I think Walt will probably bring it up on purpose as a way to hurt Jesse once things fall apart between them. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-07-problem-dog-8-29/594449/35 "2011-08-29T16:27:42Z")
Help me get my head around Walt actually killing Gus. I get that he thinks it’d be self defense, that Gus wants Walt dead so Walt has to strike first. But unless Walt plans to get out of the meth business, killing Gus means Walt would have to deal with the cartel. It’s like Skyler and the car wash. It looks easy until you actually start doing it. They didn’t think ahead with the car wash, and Walt’s not thinking ahead with Gus. What happens after Gus (and Mike) are dead? ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-07-problem-dog-8-29/594449/36 "2011-08-29T16:37:06Z")
> [@theR](#): > > Walt has to make it through this season, sure. I’ll be pissed if he makes it through next. He was supposed to be terminally ill with cancer and nary a peep about the cancer in many episodes. If he isn’t murdered or doesn’t die of cancer by the end of the series, I’ll be totally let down by the writing. > > I guess they could leave everyone hanging in the final episode rather than showing him die, but they’ll have to do a really good job to make that acceptable in my mind. Keep in mind that the whole show since day one has barely covered an entire year, if that, so Walt continuing to be in remission is not so unusual. > [@Bob Ducca](#): > > Jane’s death will likely end up being the catalyst for this final confrontation. I predict (on some smart attention-paying, actually) that Jane’s death will become a topic between the two of them before this season is over. In fact I thought it was going to be last night. What I can’t figure out is how they are supposed to EVER recover from that, since their relationship is barely holding together anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Bytegeist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@Bytegeist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bytegeist)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-07-problem-dog-8-29/594449/37 "2011-08-29T16:57:27Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > It’s like Skyler and the car wash. It looks easy until you actually start doing it. They didn’t think ahead with the car wash … That bit was quite surprising to me, I must say. Shouldn’t the size of Walt’s income have come up in their discussions already, _before_ they bought the car wash? Or the proposed laser-tag arena, for that matter. This simple but crucial number would seem to be one of those “known knowns”, as Donald Rumsfeld would put it. It’s all about _communication_, folks. You need communication in a happy marriage. That’s my advice anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-07-problem-dog-8-29/594449/38 "2011-08-29T17:18:50Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > It’s like Skyler and the car wash. It looks easy until you actually start doing it. They didn’t think ahead with the car wash, and Walt’s not thinking ahead with Gus. What happens after Gus (and Mike) are dead? > [@Bytegeist](#): > > That bit was quite surprising to me, I must say. Shouldn’t the size of Walt’s income have come up in their discussions already, _before_ they bought the car wash? Or the proposed laser-tag arena, for that matter. This simple but crucial number would seem to be one of those “known knowns”, as Donald Rumsfeld would put it. I enjoy imagining those writers’ meetings where they review what they’ve already done and where they can go from there, and how little bits and pieces can serve to move the plot or a character’s arc in an unpredictable direction – just to try to stay ahead of the audience and the critics. What if they suddenly realized that nowhere had dollars and cents been mentioned, and how cool it would be to have that fact underscored in order for Walt and Skyler to look even more foolish. It could have happened. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-07-problem-dog-8-29/594449/39 "2011-08-29T17:19:41Z")
> [@Bytegeist](#): > > That bit was quite surprising to me, I must say. Shouldn’t the size of Walt’s income have come up in their discussions already, _before_ they bought the car wash? Or the proposed laser-tag arena, for that matter. This simple but crucial number would seem to be one of those “known knowns”, as Donald Rumsfeld would put it. > > It’s all about _communication_, folks. You need communication in a happy marriage. That’s my advice anyway. He said that even if he told her how much he made, she wouldn’t believe him. Yes, communication is needed for a happy marriage…this isn’t a happy marriage. I think that’s only some of the money. I think he’s keeping quite a bit more for himself. Last week he told her she wouldn’t believe him if he told her and then this week he tells her…and $7.1m seems believable. Also, he never said that’s how much he made, all he said is that he’s going to bring her $274,000 ever other week and agreed with the total she came up with for the year (after expenses). Lastly, he must know by know, that if he gives her all the money, he doesn’t get to have any fun. He just did $50,000 worth of doughnuts in a parking lot when last week he got yelled at for buying a $300 bottle of champagne. My guess is that he’s giving her $274,000 ever other week and either keeping $50k or so for himself (in that he actually gets $324k) or he makes $274k every week and he’s just turning half of it over to her. My money is on giving her the bulk of it and just keeping a small portion for himself. Just a little chunk so that he can feel ‘in control’ and go out and blow $50k on a car to run off the road and spend $100k in vegas some weekend. ---
**Author:** ![nivlac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3bc359/32.png) [@nivlac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nivlac)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-07-problem-dog-8-29/594449/40 "2011-08-29T17:36:09Z")
> [@theR](#): > > Walt has to make it through this season, sure. I’ll be pissed if he makes it through next. He was supposed to be terminally ill with cancer and nary a peep about the cancer in many episodes. If he isn’t murdered or doesn’t die of cancer by the end of the series, I’ll be totally let down by the writing. > > I guess they could leave everyone hanging in the final episode rather than showing him die, but they’ll have to do a really good job to make that acceptable in my mind. When I said that Walt will “make it through” next season I meant that the character will appear in every episode of next year’s finale season. I’m totally convinced since last season that the character Walt will be dead by the last episode of the series. Based on everything written or podcasted by the creator and his creative team, Walt will get his just “reward” for his deeds. I guess the fun is anticipating how the writers will make this inevitable ending as interesting and acceptable as possible. To me, it’s sort of like the old Columbo series. You knew up-front who did the murder. The fun was in seeing how Columbo figured it out. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-07-problem-dog-8-29/594449.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-07-problem-dog-8-29/594449.md?page=3)