You’re thinking of Gale’s lab notebook. Not the book of Whitman poetry.
Not really, Hank has been obsessed with every tiny detail of the case. He was poring over Gale’s notebook for days. The dedication in his notebook quoted the same poem that he quoted in the note to Walt.
Looks like the cancer is back, too. Hmm.
ETA: Gale gave Walt the book when they were working together, back when he thought they had the makings of a long friendship.
Very true–I had forgotten about that (the quote in the notebook).
Does everyone think that Walt is really out, or that he is just trying to keep Skylar at bay?
I think Hank might literally be shitting bricks right now.
As pointed out, it was the “GB” that was the clincher - the Walt Whitman explanation for the first “WW” was very plausible on its own.
The thing that I didn’t like was how Jesse didn’t even question Walt when he simply said, “Mike is gone.” And also how he allowed Walt to tell him “there is no we” without even bringing up the money he’s still owed to buy out his partnership. I know he was scared and intimidated on their subsequent encounter, but I don’t think he was for the initial encounter.
I think Jesse would/should have been more assertive initially, then grown afraid once he starts to suspect and then learn the truth.
The cancer is back? Why does someone think that?
It’d be random if Hank saw it at a used books store and connected the dots. But it’s in Walt’s home, so it should be obvious to anyone that the written dedication to “W.W.” means Walter White. And it doesn’t take the mind of a detective to connect the “G.B.” who’s a huge fan of Walt Whitman might very well be the same Gale Boetticher. It’s not like Hank is immediately going to arrest Walt because of it, but it’s just a plausible lead he’ll start following up.
I think he really was out, or at least believed he was sincere in it. He (apparently) got a scan and was told his cancer is back. Then he started making amends. And it would be very like this show to have him finally get found out after he was done with it.
ETA:
They showed him getting a PET or CT scan or something, and then he was shown in the bathroom just after punching the crap out of a paper towel dispenser. It would be pretty much a total non-sequitur if it wasn’t meant to tell us the cancer’s back.
I was saying, however they end this half-season, at least show Hank put 2 + 2 together.
As soon as he got up for the bathroom, I saw it coming, but didn’t know how. I was again thinking he might come across his hat, but didn’t think it’d be something so obvious.
A fine, fine way to end this half, and leave us salivating for the last eight.
Of course W.W. means walter white–but that gives nothing away. Certainly the G.B. does along with the Whitman connection. However, the flashback scene focused on Hank talking to Walter about the W.W. in the notebook, as if that was the clincher. G.B and Whitman clinch it–certainly not W.W., but it’s a small detail.
Wasn’t the paper towel dispenser damaged when he punched it out in an earlier episode, not tonight’s?
Well played, Mr. Gilligan, well played.
Never had a chance of thinking things would go this way, yet it all seemed to progress quite naturally.
Nice homage to The Godfather as well.
Remember all the other clues that Hank has; Walt crashed the car as he was driving Hank to the laundry, Walter suggested to Hank that Gale was copying someone else’s work, Walt’s sudden wealth, the weirdness in Walt and Skyler’s relationship. It all makes sense to Hank now.
Now that I think of it, yeah, you’re right. Still… I’m pretty sure that sequence was meant to say the cancer’s back. I doubt seeing the money would make him decide he’s out. It wasn’t about the money any more by this point.
Certainly.
He just needs to match the handwriting against Gale’s journal, and I’m sure it’d be enough to convince Hank if there were any lingering doubts.
The cat’s outta the bag now. From here, it’s all how Hank chooses to dismantle this quandary he now finds himself in.
Also, I agree in that Walt had really given up the business. He made amends with Jesse, and things seemed brighter and loose with Skyler and the kids. He may have closed shop, but that doesn’t mean he’s out of the woods.
So, it’s been 3 months that passed in this episode, and who knows how long since Walt “hung up his hat.” I’m guessing it’s been at least several more, since Holly looked to be around 8-10 mos. old in the end scene.
The clincher wasn’t the initials. It was the hand writing. Hank had studied that other notebook for weeks. He recognized the hand writing.
I think he’s out. When he was by the pool, he seemed to me to reflecting on his life. Maybe he was thinking about whether he still needed to do it. He’d proven that he can be in charge and powerful. His nostalgic conversation with Jesse also sounded like a “I’m getting out of the game” type conversation you see in other movies or TV shows.
Also, it would be hard for him to still be working without Skyler knowing, since she was laundering the money. And he’d have to think of some lie for his working hours.
I don’t think Jesse was scared or intimidated, I think it was more like he didn’t want to argue and he had given up on trying to get the money. Jesse is just tired of the whole business, and it wasn’t worth it to him to argue.
And Jesse knows that Mike is a professional who’s had a plan for running if he needed to. When Walt said “Mike is gone” to the question about if Mike was safe, Jesse probably just assumed that Walt meant Mike is long gone, we’ll never see him again, and probably good but we have no way of knowing one way or the other since we’ll never hear from him again.
Yeah, HOLY SHIT! indeed…
And I was laughing my ass off at that “Crystal Blue Persuasion” montage. Too perfect. I can’t think of another time in the show when they’ve burned up 2-3 months in a few minutes like that.
I don’t know about that. I think it was just the opposite. This time he walked out calmly as opposed to last time when he punched the metal plate.