# Breaking Bad 5.05 "Dead Freight" 8/12/12 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 12, 2012, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-05-dead-freight-8-12-12/631256 "2012-08-12T08:54:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-05-dead-freight-8-12-12/631256/61 "2012-08-13T05:44:28Z")
> [@Bytegeist](#): > > Well, so much for the heist that avoided killing anyone. Yes, that was a classic Breaking Bad irony: Jesse comes up with a brilliant (if very heist movie-esque) plan so they can get their methylamine without killing anyone, and someone gets killed anyway. And don’t forget that we already know how upset Jesse is by the killing of children. A couple of seasons ago he almost got himself killed trying to avenge the murder of Andrea’s brother by Gus’ men, and now Todd shoots a child in front of him. It’s possible they could have convinced the kid nothing was going on depending on how much he saw, but it would have always been a loose end - if he’d said the wrong thing to the wrong person it could have brought the plot crashing down at any time. What occurred to me about the shooting was not just that Todd applied Jesse’s comment about no witnesses in a literal way, although it’s true that he did that. It’s that Todd seems to be a professional criminal like Mike and as such he probably thinks the way Mike does, not the way Walt and Jesse do. Unless they’re out for revenge, Walt and Jesse always think they can negotiate through a situation and turn things to their advantage. Mike (and Todd) know that sometimes things go wrong and you need to cut your losses. The show’s weird cold opens are kind of legendary at this point and just before that last commercial break I realized they still hadn’t connected it to the main plot. I saw the tarantula as kind of a metaphor but it never occurred to me that the kid might stumble across the train robbery. So much for those Jesse James jokes last week- they don’t seem as funny now. This episode was the second time Jesse has come up with an unexpected idea out of nowhere. I was concerned this was going to become sort of trite - Walt can’t think of a scientific solution and Mike can’t think of a practical one, then Jesse saves the day - but I am guessing that from now on he’ll probably keep his ideas to himself. Some little touches that I liked: by showing up at Hank’s office, Walt was following in Gus’ footsteps both by appearing at the DEA and by using his personal connections to deflect suspicion. Walt and Mike were fighting in front of Jesse like bickering spouses, sort of mirroring the fact that Walt’s business relationships are now about as bad as relationship with Skyler. And Walt watched Scarface with Walt Jr./Flynn. Hank asks if Jr./Flynn wants to watch Heat. In Scarface Pacino is a criminal, in Heat he’s a cop. ---
**Author:** ![Bytegeist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@Bytegeist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bytegeist)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-05-dead-freight-8-12-12/631256/62 "2012-08-13T06:28:01Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > I think Mike may kill Tod. Todd’s proven himself very obedient. Maybe they could just order him to kill himself. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-05-dead-freight-8-12-12/631256/63 "2012-08-13T06:31:44Z")
Damn, that was a great hour of television. I loved the way that last scene played out: Walt, Jesse, and Todd are celebrating as the train pulls away. The pump engine was still running and I was even thinking, “Why don’t they shut that off now?” Finally Walt reaches over and cuts it off… and we hear another engine running… and I instantly thought “Oh no! The kid!” And sure enough, there he was… ☹ and then :eek:. Earlier, there was an obvious moment when you knew something was going to get fucked up: Walt and Jesse are explaining the plan to Todd and Todd says “Man, you guys have thought of everything.” And Jesse and Walt have big, proud smiles on their faces. ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-05-dead-freight-8-12-12/631256/64 "2012-08-13T06:59:17Z")
This might be the straw that breaks Jesse’s back. He doesn’t need the money like Walt and Mike do. He’s got an $850,000 house that he owns free and clear, and probably at least $250,000 in cash. He’s way ahead of the game for a guy in his mid- to late twenties. He might just say “that’s it—I’m out of it.” ---
**Author:** ![palacheck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a88e57/32.png) [@palacheck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/palacheck)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-05-dead-freight-8-12-12/631256/65 "2012-08-13T08:39:56Z")
Seems to me that Todd is either: a.) a good bad guy/bad good guy like Mike that knows what needs to be done in tough situations(and Walt may gravitate toward him). b.) a clinical psychopath that is going to become a problem for the rest of the crew. c.) a and b(except the good bad guy/bad good guy part) Killing an innocent kid on-screen separates the first-rate crime dramas from the cheesy CSI shows. ---
**Author:** ![Jules\_Andre](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jules_andre/32/9334_2.png) [@Jules\_Andre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jules_Andre)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-05-dead-freight-8-12-12/631256/66 "2012-08-13T10:36:07Z")
I’m thinking the guy in the truck (that pushed the broken obstacle truck) is the boy’s father. The father lets slip about the thing with the truck when questioned about his son being missing. The train happened to be stopped by a truck, and it happened to be carrying methylamine, and it happened to return diluted, and it happened to stop just over a bridge? The connections will create a lead for Hank. ---
**Author:** ![Jules\_Andre](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jules_andre/32/9334_2.png) [@Jules\_Andre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jules_Andre)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-05-dead-freight-8-12-12/631256/67 "2012-08-13T10:44:51Z")
I forgot to mention in the previous post that, when Todd was cleaning up his part of the heist, there was a very quick, very close up tight shot of the clip he uses to close the latch. (I think it had some numbering on it?) I think that’ll a significant lead in investigating the train. It’ll be wrong somehow and lead the investigation to the bridge site (and maybe the dig sites? The body? The driver of the stopped truck?) Just a fun guess. Can’t wait to see what happens next! ---
**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:** [August 13, 2012, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-05-dead-freight-8-12-12/631256/68 "2012-08-13T11:20:27Z")
If the kid just disappears, the entire desert is going to be locked up in a manhunt for weeks or even months, helicopters and everything. ---
**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:** [August 13, 2012, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-05-dead-freight-8-12-12/631256/69 "2012-08-13T11:23:55Z")
> [@Jules\_Andre](#): > > I forgot to mention in the previous post that, when Todd was cleaning up his part of the heist, there was a very quick, very close up tight shot of the clip he uses to close the latch. (I think it had some numbering on it?) I think that’ll a significant lead in investigating the train. It’ll be wrong somehow and lead the investigation to the bridge site (and maybe the dig sites? The body? The driver of the stopped truck?) > > Just a fun guess. Can’t wait to see what happens next! Both Todd and Jesse used some kind of tie that said “secure” or something like that. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-05-dead-freight-8-12-12/631256/70 "2012-08-13T12:57:01Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > Nitpicking the heist (since thinking about the kid makes me sick): Didn’t Lydia say that she’d be able to tell them **which** car had the methylamine? But didn’t they bury the tanks **before** she checked in and said “I’ve got it”? > > Lydia must have been able to control the placement of the cars, no? The tanks had to be buried in that ravine, or the engineers would have seen them siphoning. So were all the cars destined for Madrigal? And a corporate desk jockey can tell Union Pacific how to place their cars? > > Also, I’ve heard it takes a mile for a train going 55 mph to stop. That wasn’t a mile. Still waiting for someone to explain the above. Jessie’s measurements came way before they could have known the details on that particular train. It’s possible that it was a standard load…except that they made a bid deal about how she would get all of the details just in time. ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-05-dead-freight-8-12-12/631256/71 "2012-08-13T12:57:58Z")
Hank made a very big deal about the watch. There is so many pieces of evidence that Hank has now. My guess is that when eventually Hank gets some irrefutable proof of something pointing to Walt then Hank will let slip that he’s known for some time. Really if Hank is surprised I will bitch slap the writers. That ethernet tap and bug in the Hanks office is going to come back and bite Walt, that was a really incredibly risky and bizarre thing to do just to find out if Lydia was lying or not. First time Hank needs anything from the DEA IT help desk they’ll find the ethernet tap. How is Walter going to remove them? ---
**Author:** ![Reverse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@Reverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reverse)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-05-dead-freight-8-12-12/631256/72 "2012-08-13T13:15:20Z")
> [@Jules\_Andre](#): > > I’m thinking the guy in the truck (that pushed the broken obstacle truck) is the boy’s father. The father lets slip about the thing with the truck when questioned about his son being missing. The train happened to be stopped by a truck, and it happened to be carrying methylamine, and it happened to return diluted, and it happened to stop just over a bridge? The connections will create a lead for Hank. I’m thinking Walt and Gomez are secret gay lovers. I mean, they were both in the DEA building, there has to be something going on there. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-05-dead-freight-8-12-12/631256/73 "2012-08-13T13:21:38Z")
Except for Mike’s insistence on legacy pay, there was a chance that the three of them were going to get along, be a real team. That’s over now. I think that’s why the kid is dead – a catalyst for a messy breakup. Jesse will want to stop but Mike and Walt (and Todd) can’t let that happen. They’ll have to move the kid’s body to where it can be found fairly quickly. The kid’s parents will know he roamed the desert looking for spiders, so they’ll also have to do something about the bike tracks. Investigators will probably know the kid wasn’t shot at wherever they find him. ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-05-dead-freight-8-12-12/631256/74 "2012-08-13T13:40:13Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > Except for Mike’s insistence on legacy pay, there was a chance that the three of them were going to get along, be a real team. No except for Walt’s ego having a problem with it. Walt was still clearing $130,000 per cook even with the legacy pay. Thats pretty decent money. ---
**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 13, 2012, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-05-dead-freight-8-12-12/631256/75 "2012-08-13T13:45:22Z")
> [@coremelt](#): > > That ethernet tap and bug in the Hanks office is going to come back and bite Walt, that was a really incredibly risky and bizarre thing to do just to find out if Lydia was lying or not. First time Hank needs anything from the DEA IT help desk they’ll find the ethernet tap. How is Walter going to remove them? Maybe he’ll just go back under the guise of apologizing from breaking down in the office and “I don’t know what came over me…hey, can I get another cup of coffee, wow, you two [Hank and Marie], you really are amazing aren’t you.” ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-05-dead-freight-8-12-12/631256/76 "2012-08-13T13:50:25Z")
They’ve only done one cook, maybe two, with the exterminators. ---
**Author:** ![SykoSkotty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@SykoSkotty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SykoSkotty)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-05-dead-freight-8-12-12/631256/77 "2012-08-13T13:57:31Z")
I actually covered my mouth in shock at the last scene. Wow. I didn’t see that coming at all. I’d completely forgotten about the kid at the beginning. I was thinking it was one of those scenes you’d piece together over several episodes, like the pink teddy bear in the pool. They have to kill Todd. But if they do, how will that affect their cooking business with the pest control company? ---
**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:** [August 13, 2012, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-05-dead-freight-8-12-12/631256/78 "2012-08-13T14:14:37Z")
Why do they have to kill Todd? Mike has never had to protect murderers in his organization? ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-05-dead-freight-8-12-12/631256/79 "2012-08-13T14:24:43Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Why do they have to kill Todd? Mike has never had to protect murderers in his organization? Agree, Mike will be pissed but ultimately let him off with a warning not to do it again. Walt will see him as a potential asset to be used to advantage. Todd is quiet, ruthless when needed, ambitious and has only ever seen Walt as the boss. A perfect muscle man who has no memories of a weaker walt to get in the way. Jessie is the only one who will have a major problem. Anyone else think they are setting up walt / todd and lydia vs jessie and mike. Walt will recruit lydia and todd to help clean up Mike’s legacy 9. ---
**Author:** ![iamnotbatman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/858c86/32.png) [@iamnotbatman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamnotbatman)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-05-dead-freight-8-12-12/631256/80 "2012-08-13T14:24:44Z")
> [@Jules\_Andre](#): > > I’m thinking the guy in the truck (that pushed the broken obstacle truck) is the boy’s father. The father lets slip about the thing with the truck when questioned about his son being missing. The train happened to be stopped by a truck, and it happened to be carrying methylamine, and it happened to return diluted, and it happened to stop just over a bridge? The connections will create a lead for Hank. I’m guessing that the tarantula in a bottle will come into play somehow. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-05-dead-freight-8-12-12/631256.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-05-dead-freight-8-12-12/631256.md?page=5)