This week’s episode of “Breaking Bad” was all about the awkward moments. From Walter hugging Jesse in the desert to a tense meeting with Walter, Skyler, Marie and Hank, you just never knew where things were going next.
And I have to say, I did not anticipate that confession. When I heard the episode was titled “Confessions,” I thought, you know, maybe a real confession. Not a dark confession that would strike fear into the hearts of those who heard it. Though I must admit, it was brilliant. Just the sort of thing I hope that I – or rather, my evil alter ego – would think of in a no-way-out situation.
The beginning of the ep was a little bit of a disconnect for me. It started with Todd calling Walter from outside a cafe and saying that things got messy. “Just a heads up, there’s been a kind of change of management,” he told Walter. Then proceeded to reveal the whole episode about the train and the hose and the dump truck (you remember that debacle) to a couple of guys, who discussed having him run his own lab. I did love the Burt Reynolds “Hooper” reference.
And that’s when the episode really started. Jesse was at the station having an out-of-body experience in the interrogation room when Hank walked in. “Mr. Pinkman, how are you today?” says Hank cheerfully. “Not so good, huh?”
Hank proceeds to tell Jesse that he knows who Heisenberg is. “Lucky for you, I’m more interested in him,” he says, adding that he has an offer. He’ll make Jesse’s troubles go away if the youngster tells him all he needs to know about his brother-in-law the cooker.
“Eat me,” says Jesse. “Why don’t you try and beat it out of me? That’s your thing, right?”
Then he gets all up in Jesse’s face. Personal space, Hank! (Awkward Moment #1) But Jesse’s not talking, and then Saul walks in. Hank leaves, and Saul says he can’t believe Jesse’s been tossing money out the window of his car. “Did you hit your head or something?!”
At home, Walt’s on the phone to Saul telling him to use the money he gave him to fix Jesse’s problems. Walt, Jr. is headed out the door to “help Aunt Marie with a computer problem,” and probably stay for dinner. Walt goes into manipulation mode (is no one safe from his machinations?!). He tells Junior about the cancer, and it works. Junior stays with Walt. (Awkward Moment #2)
Hank and Marie argue about whether Hank should tell the feds about Walt. Marie says yes. Hank says no.
Then we jump back to Walt’s house, and he’s making a video confession as Skyler looks on. At first, I figured he was finally trying to do the right thing to save his family any further grief, but oh no. That’s not Walt’s style.
Later when he and Skyler meet Hank and Marie at a Mexican restaurant – things are happening fast in this episode! – Walt tells his in-laws, “There’s nothing to confess. We’re here to talk about Walter, Jr.” (Awkward Moment #3) Walt says he and Sky don’t appreciate Marie trying to lure Junior to their house.
Meanwhile, the waiter provides Awkward Moment #4, as he keeps trying to interrupt the obviously tense group of people at that table.
Marie tells Walt he should just kill himself (Awkward Moment #5). That would make it all go away, she says. Hank adds, “There’s only one solution. Step up and be a man, and admit what you’ve done. There is no other option.”
Walter puts the confession disc on the table, and he and Sky leave. Later, Hank and Marie watch the tape in disbelief. In the video, Walter says that Hank has been building a meth empire for over a year now and using Walt as a chemist. He talks about how Fring tried to put a hit on Hank, and how Walt paid Hank’s medical bills. It all adds up, right down to Hank taking the kids for three months.
“I live in fear every day that Hank will kill me or worse, hurt my family,” says Walter on the tape. “All I could think to do was make this video and hope the world will finally see this man for what he really is.” Sheer genius!
Hank didn’t know about Walt paying his hospital bills (Awkward Moment #6). Marie said they told her it was gambling money. How was she to know? Yeah, they’re between a meth rock and a hard place.
In the desert, Jesse and Saul meet Walt. Jesse says Hank wants him to inform on Walt, but he doesn’t think Hank’s told the rest of the DEA. Walt goes into fatherly mode. Says he wants to help Jesse. He doesn’t like to see him hurting like this. He suggests that Jesse get out of town, get a new identity, hit the reset button, don’t look back.
Jesse accuses Walt of only thinking of himself (which we’ve known him to do). He needs Jesse to disappear, says Jesse, and if he says no, Walt will probably kill him, just like he did Mike. Then – Awkward Moment #7 – Walt goes over and hugs Jesse. You know, sometimes you just need a good hug.
Saul puts things in motion to get Jesse a new identity, then gives him a Hello Kitty phone (Awkward Moment #8). Jesse starts talking about going to Alaska. Yeah, that’s the ticket. Alaska. But Jesse is so volatile right now – is anyone else worried that he’ll off himself?
But as Jesse waits by the side of the road for his new identity to show up, he realizes that Saul’s bodyguard stole his weed. And then it hits him. Saul stole the Ricin cigarettes from him. He doesn’t get into the car holding his new identity. Instead, he goes back to Saul’s office and beats the crap out of him. Wow, do not get Jesse mad at you! We’ll call this Extreme Awkward Moment #9.
At the car wash, Walter asks Skyler if everything’s ok, then he starts babbling about the latch on the soda machine not working right. He’ll fix it, he says. But his real motive is to get the frozen gun where he left it in the bottom of the machine.
Meanwhile, Jesse is hellbent for leather and breaks into Walt’s house where he throws gasoline all over the place and … end of episode! Really, Vince Gilligan?! Really?!’
Your thoughts on this episode of “Breaking Bad”? What in God’s name will happen next?!!!
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