# Breaking Bad 5.03 "Hazard Pay" 7/29/12 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 30, 2012, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-03-hazard-pay-7-29-12/629806 "2012-07-30T02:08:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-03-hazard-pay-7-29-12/629806/41 "2012-07-30T12:37:29Z")
The pest control guys already do this 3 to 4 times a week. If homeowners regularly went back inside their poison-filled houses, the pest guys would have warned Walt and Mike. I didn’t understand why they’d leave the meth lab assembled inside while doing the real fumigating, but maybe they are afraid of picking up whatever infestation they’re treating in the meth lab. If I were Walt and Jesse, I wouldn’t casually watch TV in that roach motel. They could bring it home in their clothes. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-03-hazard-pay-7-29-12/629806/42 "2012-07-30T13:40:52Z")
> [@Sam\_Lowry](#): > > I agree with the others that the discussion at the end was mainly Walt thinking of taking Mike out. Which just shows that Walt has gone full crazy. Because while I could definitely see Walt being able to kill Mike, Walt doesn’t know the business like Mike does. Walt would not be able to keep the distribution going without having major problems. Definitely. If there’s one thing we learned from seasons 1 and 2, it’s that distribution is the primary bottleneck for Walt. ---
**Author:** ![edwards\_beard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@edwards\_beard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwards_beard)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-03-hazard-pay-7-29-12/629806/43 "2012-07-30T13:41:16Z")
So, this episode is about 1 year earlier than the opening scene of season 5. Just before Skyler’s meltdown, Marie was asking about plans for Walt’s birthday and mentioned it has been just about a year since he was diagnosed. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-03-hazard-pay-7-29-12/629806/44 "2012-07-30T13:52:37Z")
> [@DoctorJ](#): > > In case you were wondering: Skinny Pete was playing Solfeggio in C Minor by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, which is the last piece in the last lesson book of Alfred’s Basic Piano Course. Many a teenager has wrestled with that one at the end of many years of piano lessons. Thanks for that. I didn’t notice this, but it does add a nice bit of background. It shows that Skinny Pete at least (no idea about Badger) wasn’t born as a meth addict and dealer, that once he was an ordinary high school kid who took piano lessons. It reminded me of the lives that have been wasted. > [@Sam\_Lowry](#): > > I agree with the others that the discussion at the end was mainly Walt thinking of taking Mike out. Which just shows that Walt has gone full crazy. Because while I could definitely see Walt being able to kill Mike, Walt doesn’t know the business like Mike does. Walt would not be able to keep the distribution going without having major problems. And without Mike the cleaner around to clean up problems, things would start going way wrong for Walt. I agree that there’s no way that Walt can make a go of it without Mike, both as the supplier of the precursor and as the person most involved in distribution. Also, Mike is the muscle of the team. > [@Joey\_P](#): > > Finally, regarding the tented houses. It didn’t seem like a great idea to me, but I’d be surprised if they changed it again since we’re here now. OTOH, that’s going to make for a lot of sets and is going to get really expensive, so it wouldn’t surprise me if they find somewhere more permanent in the next few episodes. As for this, the tented house might actually make the sets easier to set up; they only need to show a few shots of a tented house (which can even be the same one every time) and some shots of Walt and Jesse working in the hospital tent in the house. But there is the slight danger that they leave behind some piece of equipment or some chemical residue that makes someone suspicious. ---
**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:** [July 30, 2012, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-03-hazard-pay-7-29-12/629806/45 "2012-07-30T14:00:07Z")
I smell a rat with Todd. How’s this scenario: perhaps he’s an undercover cop who was gathering evidence against the Vaminos Pest people and their crime contacts. Now he realizes that he’s stumbled into something perhaps much bigger, but doesn’t yet know what it is. He starts ingratiating himself with Walt in order to find out what it is they’re up to. ---
**Author:** ![SykoSkotty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@SykoSkotty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SykoSkotty)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-03-hazard-pay-7-29-12/629806/46 "2012-07-30T14:00:38Z")
I think the opening scene from the season premiere (Walt’s 52nd birthday in Denny’s) is going to take place next season. I really don’t see how they can cover an entire year in just 5 more episodes. I took the Victor comment that Walt made as a reference to Mike taking liberties he shouldn’t have taken. Not sure if Walt is plotting to oust Mike, but it would seem that way. I think Brock recognized Walt - that’s why Walt planted the seed in Jesse’s mind to end it with Andrea - if Jesse found out that Walt poisoned Brock, Jesse would kill him instantly. No doubt about that. And Todd is going to get fired (and maybe turn rat?) because he spoke to Walt - disobeying Mike’s strict orders for the crew not to speak to them unless spoken to first. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-03-hazard-pay-7-29-12/629806/47 "2012-07-30T14:11:03Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > Vominos Pest… Band name! > [@Chefguy](#): > > Vaminos Pest Nitpick: I believe it’s “Vamonos.” Actually it’s kind of odd, because so far as I understand it, “vámonos” means “let’s go.” It seems to me that the more appropriate word would be “Vete!” or “go away!” But then again, I don’t really know much Spanish, so I might be wrong on all of this. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-03-hazard-pay-7-29-12/629806/48 "2012-07-30T14:20:22Z")
> [@Erdosain](#): > > This is a great point. It seems Mike could have made a much better case for paying off the nine guys. Argument 1 being, Dennis saw you two assholes going into the meth lab all the time. Argument 2, if these guys flip, they’ll bring down the rump end of Gus’s network which moves Walt’s 50 pounds of meth a week. Walt is free to try to sell 50 pounds with Badger and Pete slinging teenths and getting a couple grand a week. > > Bottom line: Walt is being an idiot because he doesn’t realize how valuable and irreplaceable Mike and his distribution network are. Not to mention that’s where he gets his precursor. Walt is actually the most replaceable guy in the scheme. And he’s lucky as hell to get his $133,000/week. Seriously. Mike could have handled that better. Just saying these guys need to be made whole because they are MY men isn’t really going to sway anyone. But pointing out that if they talk, there goes the distribution network and the supplies and all of a sudden people start understanding. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-03-hazard-pay-7-29-12/629806/49 "2012-07-30T14:44:32Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > Seriously. Mike could have handled that better. Just saying these guys need to be made whole because they are MY men isn’t really going to sway anyone. But pointing out that if they talk, there goes the distribution network and the supplies and all of a sudden people start understanding. There’s a power struggle going on there, and Mike doesn’t want to _have to_ explain himself to Walt. That would make him more like Walt’s subordinate, and he’s not having any of that. Hence the “I handle the business and you don’t tell me how to do my job” bit. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-03-hazard-pay-7-29-12/629806/50 "2012-07-30T14:50:01Z")
> [@voltaire](#): > > The Badger and Skinny Pete scene was amusing, but slightly :dubious:-inducing. Why wouldn’t Jesse just go get the rolling-crates himself? What’s he need them for? > > They now know the name and location of the cover business, and I can’t imagine Mike just being cool with that when it was so unnecessary. This wasn’t stated in the show, but while I was watching I just assumed it was because they were trying to get everything set up quickly. Jesse and Walt were busy getting equipment and Mike was busy with business stuff, so Jesse sent two guys he could trust to get the cases. But also I think it was to show us how Jesse’s changed. He used to be a kinda goofy guy, often joking around and laughing with his friends. But this time when he saw his friends, he seemed a bit sad. > [@SykoSkotty](#): > > I think Brock recognized Walt - that’s why Walt planted the seed in Jesse’s mind to end it with Andrea - if Jesse found out that Walt poisoned Brock, Jesse would kill him instantly. No doubt about that. I’m not positive, but I don’t think Brock recognized him. I didn’t see any glimmer of recognition, and kids aren’t usually that good of actors. And we still don’t know how Walt poisoned him, it might have been another third party doing it. I think it was just Walt covering his bases. If Jesse ever started to distrust him, he might think back on how it was weird that it seemed like Brock was poisoned by ricin and might talk to Brock more about what had happened. Or Saul comes to visit Jesse with a henchman and Brock might recognize the henchman. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-03-hazard-pay-7-29-12/629806/51 "2012-07-30T14:54:14Z")
> [@Sam\_Lowry](#): > > I’m not positive, but I don’t think Brock recognized him. I didn’t see any glimmer of recognition, and kids aren’t usually that good of actors. And we still don’t know how Walt poisoned him, it might have been another third party doing it. > > I think it was just Walt covering his bases. If Jesse ever started to distrust him, he might think back on how it was weird that it seemed like Brock was poisoned by ricin and might talk to Brock more about what had happened. Or Saul comes to visit Jesse with a henchman and Brock might recognize the henchman. I agree with this. If Brock had recognized Walt, he would have given some indication. Walt was just being careful. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-03-hazard-pay-7-29-12/629806/52 "2012-07-30T15:06:15Z")
If Mike wasn’t a major character this season, the show would suck. They better get somewhere with this. ETA: Anyone notice the bug crawling around inside the tent? Plot point? Some house doesn’t get completely fumigated and an investigation is triggered? ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-03-hazard-pay-7-29-12/629806/53 "2012-07-30T15:12:43Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > If Mike wasn’t a major character this season, the show would suck. They better get somewhere with this. > > ETA: Anyone notice the bug crawling around inside the tent? Plot point? Some house doesn’t get completely fumigated and an investigation is triggered? The house wasn’t fumigated until they left. I think it was just setting. They really were working in a bug infested house. ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-03-hazard-pay-7-29-12/629806/54 "2012-07-30T15:19:24Z")
Walt didn’t poison Brock directly. He had Saul do it (it’s not clear if Saul did it or Huell did). So there’s no chance Brock would recognize Walt, but Walt might have noticed how uncommunicative Brock was, and realized that’s part of why he’s gotten away with this till now. If future Brock becomes less traumatized and starts talking about how he got sick, that’s nothing but trouble for Walt. Better to get rid of a loose end that could easily get Walt killed. ---
**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:** [July 30, 2012, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-03-hazard-pay-7-29-12/629806/55 "2012-07-30T15:19:25Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > If Mike wasn’t a major character this season, the show would suck. They better get somewhere with this. But he is, so it doesn’t, so what’s the problem? > [@](#): > > ETA: Anyone notice the bug crawling around inside the tent? Plot point? Some house doesn’t get completely fumigated and an investigation is triggered? That’s the thing about roaches, right? They’re survivors. Plus, they hadn’t fumigated yet. They turned the foggers on after they were done with the cook. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-03-hazard-pay-7-29-12/629806/56 "2012-07-30T15:32:06Z")
This was definitely a setup episode. There wasn’t much action, but we now know many of the basics for this season: the guys have a new scheme and they are back in business, but tensions are emerging. Hank is going to get back on the case, tensions between Mike and Walter will rise, Skyler is going to continue to struggle with her expanded role in this. Walt and Jesse’s relationship is the strongest it has been since early in the series, but that won’t last through the remaining episodes. > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Wait, what was the point of Walt’s last comment, about Victor flying too high and getting his throat cut? Was that an implied threat to Mike? Yes. Walt had no logical reason to be such a pain in the ass over the hazard pay thing; if he’d been interested he could easily have understood that these guys are potential liabilities. (Incidentally didn’t someone predict last week that we’d seen Dennis again?) Even if they don’t know anything about Walt and Jesse, they know more about Fring’s operation and anything they tell the cops could become damaging to Walt and Jesse in addition to Mike. Even if it were only bad news for Mike, they _do_ need Mike. This was Walt lashing out because he just has to have his way and be the boss, and it’s why he is not good at the business side of the meth thing. I don’t know if the tent plan is a good idea or not, but it’s clever and it’ll change things up for the show. It didn’t occur to me at the time that Walt was actually manipulating Jesse as opposed to being honest from his own experience, but in hindsight that must’ve been what he was doing. It keeps Jesse reliant on Walt and it also means Walt won’t have to come near Brock again. I thought he was uncomfortable during that scene. He doesn’t want to have to think about what he resorted to in case he starts feeling guilty. I did like the use of Scarface here. It looked like Walt just related to the exciting parts and badassery, but Skyler saw the unintended meaning in “everybody dies in this movie.” This show is very good at using symbols that mean different things to the characters at the same time. Walt even had the baby on his lap. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-03-hazard-pay-7-29-12/629806/57 "2012-07-30T15:37:26Z")
The cockroach wasn’t inside the tent, was it? I thought it was on the kitchen counter in teh foreground as the establishing shot of Jesse and Walt watching TV. ---
**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:** [July 30, 2012, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-03-hazard-pay-7-29-12/629806/58 "2012-07-30T15:46:00Z")
I read that in order to use the Scarface clip, Gilligan had to get permission from not only the movie studio, but from Al Pacino himself. He was apparently very cool about it. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-03-hazard-pay-7-29-12/629806/59 "2012-07-30T15:48:22Z")
I am kinda curious about potential bugs (heh) in the tent-house plan. If they leave the hospital tent up while fumigating, could insects _inside_ the tent survive and reinfest the house? For that matter, since these insects were present during a meth cook, they could be, like, _superbugs_, man. I suppose the process could be: - pick an open spot for the cook tent. - very thoroughly vacuum/clean that area, to reduce or eliminate any bugs that might get into the cook process - set up tent and equipment - cook - disassemble equipment and tent - bomb house - disinfect cook equipment off-site. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Like\_Pie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9f8e36/32.png) [@I\_Like\_Pie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Like_Pie)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-03-hazard-pay-7-29-12/629806/60 "2012-07-30T15:51:58Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > I am kinda curious about potential bugs (heh) in the tent-house plan. If they leave the hospital tent up while fumigating, could insects _inside_ the tent survive and reinfest the house? For that matter, since these insects were present during a meth cook, they could be, like, _superbugs_, man. > > I suppose the process could be: > > - pick an open spot for the cook tent. > - very thoroughly vacuum/clean that area, to reduce or eliminate any bugs that might get into the cook process > - set up tent and equipment > - cook > - disassemble equipment and tent > - bomb house > - disinfect cook equipment off-site. They bomb the house after Walt and Jessie are done cooking, it looked to me that it included the tent as well. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-03-hazard-pay-7-29-12/629806.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-03-hazard-pay-7-29-12/629806.md?page=4)