Of course, that was his training. 
Now we know why they chose to show those scenes earlier in the season.
The only thing that distracted me was Don Eladio – same guy from the flashback? Or his near-identical looking son? Because that flashback was like 30 years ago. Hector became ancient, young Gus grayed, but Eladio looks the same. Younger, even. He should be in his 50s-60s I would think.
The flashback was twenty years ago. Vince commented in the podcast that their make-up department made Bauer ten years younger for the flashback and ten years old for this most recent episode, but since he’s such a naturally attractive fellow, it’s difficult to tell.
I’m surprised no one’s mentioned the line from Skyler to Walt Jr. this episode:
“Since it’s almost noon, I think your first big birthday decision is: breakfast or lunch?”
It almost felt like the writers read the SDMB and were making a self-deprecating in-joke.
I think the pills Gus took were something like charcoal pills or possibly the antidote to the poison. They could also have been pills that you ingest to help make you throw up later.
Ha- I thought the same thing!
The scene with Walt crying and holding on to Jr. on the way back to bed really brought home to me how pathetic and weak he has become. I thought, “Oh, Walt. :(”
I think Gus’s plan is to bring the necklace to Hector for more torment.
I just now listened to the Breaking Bad podcast for this episode, and “charcoal tablets” are the very thing Vince Gilligan had in mind here.
It’s not necessary to puke up activated charcoal; if someone does heave, they’re heaving because it’s nasty stuff. Most just crap it out (which makes for a wonderful-looking toilet bowl).
(paraphrasing): “Either his signature or his brains will be on that check.”
Anyone have any clue as to how Jesse’s going to cross the border with two medically unstable passengers?
Best exchange of the episode:
“I speak English.”
“Good, then you know what ‘asshole’ means.”
mmm
Especially with Jr. having to put down one of his crutches to support him. (Mitte’s turning into a handsome young man, btw.)
I’m sure Gus has some sort of exit strategy- a getaway plane or a safe house or whatever.
No idea whether Mexican CSI teams share info with U.S. CSI teams but Gus left his fingerprints all over that bathroom.
I’m sure Gus has some sort of exit strategy- a getaway plane or a safe house or whatever.
No idea whether Mexican CSI teams share info with U.S. CSI teams but Gus left his fingerprints all over that bathroom.
Would puking be for the worse if you’ve taken charcoal? Because it seems you’d puke up the charcoal as well.
I looked up some info on highly desirable tequilas and there is apparently a market. There are some very famous peasant operated tequila distilleries where everything is still done by hand using clay vats, bamboo tubes, etc., and some of them put out literally a few dozen bottles per year and they sell for exorbitant amounts. If Gus came across one, had a duplicate bottle designed and then poisoned before it was sealed it could explain the gift and the how.
The same way they came in, by private plane. Obviously the car was just for getting the hell away from that house - not for crossing the border. They can meet the plane anywhere now (but they might have to either see a doctor in Mexico first or arrange to have a doctor on board the plane when it comes to meet them. Neither of which should be a problem for Gus - he is a mega-rich drug czar, remember.
I can’t imagine Gus didn’t have a contingency plan in place, knowing he’d be drinking poison (despite the activated carbon), and creating a very dangerous situation. He’s got a doctor hanging on a line, somewhere nearby.
Completely agree. I was thinking about them rocking up at a Mexican hospital until I realised that there’s probably and evac plan in place - plane, team of doctors, mobile medical unit with stomach-pumping capabilities.
Did everyone else love it when Mike said to Jesse, “We’re either all going home or none of us are”? That’s when I knew whatever was in the box was going to take the Cartel down. Although I had my suspicions as soon as I saw it.
You left out the best part! “Good, then you know what ‘asshole’ means … asshole.”
The real best part was the oh-so subtle grin on Gus’ and Mike’s face when Jessie hit his home run.
Already mentioned, I know. I re-mention because, day-um, that may have been the finest scene in the entire series.
mmm
I think even solid heterosexual males like myself can comfortably acknowledge that he’s already there.
mmm
I was thinking about the scene in the Mexican lab. It was great, but Jesse could have played it just a little cooler, and not been so excited at the 96% purity. Instead, he should have been, “Well, it would have been better, except for the quality of your raw materials and the condition of your lab.”
Yep it was a gaffe. There’s nuance there - he hasn’t completely emerged from the chrysalis.
Eladio had silvering hair in the present, he was definitely given makeup to look older but if you look at Steven Bauer out of makeup he’s 54 and he is one of those guys at 54 who could easily pass as being in his early 40s maybe even mid-30s, so the makeup job to make him look like a man in his late 30s/early 40s wasn’t a stretch at all, but the job to make him look like a well preserved 60-something didn’t work quite as well because he looks like a younger man than he is at 54.
Great episode but this season is still a mess. Gus and Walt are both behaving contrary to their established characterization.
Gus “Never Trust a Junky” is now BFF with Pinkman. Did we all forget about the last few episodes of the last season? Jessi went off on a crazy spree, went against direct orders from Gus, and generally really fucked things up. Oh then he killed Gale.
Ok ok, so Gus can get over things and forgive people. If so, why the hell isn’t he forgiving Walt too? Walt’s primary malfunction was his devotion to Jessi. So… Gus is cool with Jessi, but not the guy who tried to protect him?
Further, Gus doesn’t need to provoke Walt or drive him and Jessi apart. Walt has demonstrated over and over that when pushed against a wall he’ll fight back. However, he is content to just cook.
In this episode, Gus’ planning is a little wonky. If you’re taking a trip to Mexico under the pretense of showing off your chemistry, you’re gonna take a tool like Jessi? The events as happened were too Machiavellian for my taste. Procedure, while important in chemistry, is nothing without the equations. Jessi has procedure, but doesn’t know shit about the latter; see Walt’s speech earlier this season. The Cartel chemist would have given his upper people a similar speech and Gus would have been in deep shit.