by: Michael Shields
We are literally a month away from the concluding season of in-arguably one of the greatest television shows of all time, Breaking Bad. The wait is proving to be as unbearable as imagined so let’s dive in. Here presented for you viewing pleasure are all the poignant moments of (a “hypothetical”) Season 5, laid out episode by episode, counting down to the finale….
Episode 1 – Normal
Walt and Skyler are vigorously making love. It turns out that the woman she has become is turned on fully by the criminal he now is. Two words moistened her like a towelette…”I won.” They finish and Skyler utters one word…”wow.” Hank shows up at the office with a giant smirk and his big dick wagging. He was onto the “chicken man” for some time and is not afraid to tell everyone about it, especially Steven Gomez. The investigation is put in his hands completely which he believes is a waste of time as “the chicken man’s been fried boys!”. Saul and Hank meet to discuss all that has happened, and they go back and forth proud of themselves. Saul then tries to gingerly divorce himself from working with Walt or Jesse anymore…he’s had enough. Walt, not mincing any words, let’s him know that he will let Saul know when they stop working together…not the other way around. Saul comes around, as he has no other choice, and then points out the obvious; that the market is theirs for the taking now. Walt tells Saul frankly “For now….It’s over”. Jesse is seen at home cooking (food!) with Andrea and a recovered Brock. They seem happy. A camera zoom in on the coffee table highlights a thick yellow book, “Investing for Dummies”. Skyler receives a phone call at home, one that upsets her deeply. We see a tear fall from her eye as the episode ends. She has just learned of Ted’s death.
Episode 2 – Diversity
Jesse, looking cleaner-cut and more presentable than we have seen him, walks into a Fidelity Investment Bank with Saul in tow who does all the talking (mostly). They want to spread around a large investment in low risk bonds. “Diversity yo!” Skyler attends Ted’s funeral, visibly shaken. We see Kuby in attendance watching Skyler’s every move. A eulogy is in progress portraying Ted as a man with strong beliefs “who stuck by them, no matter what”. Hank and Gomez are talking, Hank still boastful. Gomez believes there is much more to what happened. He wants to know who killed Gus which is easily explained away by Hank – as Gus was “grilled by the cartel through the rolling diaper”. Gomez isn’t so sure. Walt is at home relaxing in front of the TV. He is watching the local news which is doing an in depth story on Gustavo in which we hear them discussing Gus moving methamphetamine through his fast food restaurant and producing them, presumably, at a laundry facility which recently burned to the ground, and the end of an era. Walt smiles a wry smile. He yells to Skyler in the kitchen “I’m thinking about growing my hair back.” She says that she likes it the way it is. He stares at the TV intensely…”yeah, me too.”
Episode 3 – Boss
Mike returns. He finds Walt in a grocery store and approaches him leisurely. He plays stern at first and then with a smile utters “I must say I am impressed. You actually did it.” Walt plays humble and after a pause in conversation Mike looks at Walt and says with the seriousness Mike is only capable of “So…what’s next….boss?” Walt smiles and reassures him that he is out. “We’ll see” Mike says “We will see.” He isn’t buying it and can smell the stink of Hank’s new-found bravado a mile away. Skyler is in Saul’s office berating him to the full extent of her power. “How do you fuck this up so badly!!” Saul tries to calm her unsuccessfully and finally asks her how he can make this up to her. He slides her a piece of paper…”Will this work?” Her faces lights up for a minute and then she cools down. “Double it.” Badger and Skinny Pete are visiting Jesse. They discuss what’s happening and want to know whats next. Jesse looks over at Andrea and Brock playing in the yard…”Nothing bro, I got other things going on.” “Ahhhh shit” Skinny Pete lets out while giving Jesse some dap and a hug. A door opens and we see Steve Gomez standing at the threshold to Gus’s office. As he looks around he mutters to himself that he isn’t finding anything, that Gus was too smart. He sits down and opens Gus’s computer defeated. When the lights of the screen hit his face upon loading a small smile comes to his face. “What’s this?” We see a screen full of boxes, all surveillance videos. The top two are blacked out, 3 are of the store, and one of the chicken farm.
Episode 4 – Active
Walt is back at the hospital, back in the tube for further test. Post inspection he is back at a familiar doctor’s desk where we have been both devastated and overjoyed in the past. This time the results show that Walt is no longer in remission. In fact the cancer has spread minimally. The doctor continues that although minimally it has spread to “certain locations” that are “troublesome”. Walt puts his head in his hands as he listens to the rest of the prognoses. We follow Walt (the entire stylized episode we are with Walt) to his car which he sits in for a moment, overcome, and then drives to drives to “El Pollo Loco” and sits in the parking lot just staring at the store-front. He stops by his old school briefly, a drive by the car wash, and continues to drive around town seemingly aimlessly, shook up. He is thinking, plotting. He drives to Saul’s office and walks through the lobby like a zombie right into Saul’s office. Saul is with a client but Walt cares little…”We need to talk”. After the discussion Walt drives away, determined, and we see him pull into the driveway of Elliot and Gretchen Schwartz.
Episode 5 -Hat in hand
Walt stands at Elliot and Gretchen’s door, not nervous but in thought. He takes a deep breath, puts on his best face, and rings the door-bell. True to form both answer and Walt seems humble and happy to see them. They are surprised yet polite. Walt asks to speak with Elliot alone. He tells Elliot he has little time left, things have changed for the worse. Walt summarizes that before he goes he wants to be productive. He wants to do something, to matter again. He wants a job, if only for the time being, and needs access to…..a lab of his own. Gomez becomes obsessed with the case. He is leaving the office where Hank is now a full time desk jockey to visit the farm. He invites Hank. “What are you wasting your time for, case has been cracked like a rock…by yours truly.” Gomez goes anyway, their roles reversed. Skyler is seen shopping for jewelry, her hair done up lavishly and multiple bags in her hand. She points to a bracelet she likes asking how much. The cost is steep, she accepts with a smile. Jesse and Andrea are out together on a date, obviously happy and in love – a Jesse we hardly see. He is flirting and then questioning her about bigger things in life, “What if we just took Brock, got out of here to start over, start a family?” She pushes back on why she can’t just run off, but is beaming. Skyler returns home from shopping to find Walt sitting with a very upset Walt. Jr. He has good news (a new job) and very bad news (imminent death, for sure this time).
Episode 6 – All Hail
Elliot pulls open the garage down to a chemistry facility, a large open space with scattered equipment. Walt trails him in and immediately starts looking around the room, up top for ventilation, knocking on the large bins with his fist. “It may not look like much, but I assume it will have all you need to get started, and just let me know what else you will need.” “I certainly will” Walt responds, impressed. “This will do just fine.” Gomez sits at his desk pouring over some papers he took from the farm. Hank comes in and scoffs at him “You still looking for the other half of the chicken man’s face?” Gomez wants Hank to help him decipher a piece of paper he found in the office at the farm, that just had street names on it. Looking at it Hank realizes one of the street names is his, another Walts. “Huh?, Strange.” Walt Jr., at dinner, is very angry with his father for working. He wants to know why he won’t focus on getting better instead of work. Walt explains that work does help him, and assures him that it will help him very much too. Walt Jr. doesn’t have time for it and excuses himself. Skyler seems fine with the arrangement. She asks when the next payment comes in. Walt looks at her funny and she responds that “she needs to know – for the books”. It’s late and we see Mike pull up to the same facility Elliot showed Walt earlier. He opens the back door and 3 men begin unloading equipment and barrels of chemicals. He stands back and takes in the new digs, seemingly happy. Hank, at home, is talking to Marie about what Gomez found. “I understand why our street is on the list but why Walt and Skyler’s, you think they have neighbors involved?” Marie asks. “I am not sure.” Hank is staring at his beer and then looks over to Marie’s wine glass, a similar style to the one Walt was drinking when he, while intoxicated, mentioned that Heisenberg could possibly still be out there.
Episode 7 – The King
Late in the evening two meth heads are breaking into what we quickly realize is the car wash. They are clumsy and noisy, giddy even. Walt is in back scrutinizing over plans and hears them. He doesn’t blink an eye, walks to the safe to grab a gun, and heads out to investigate. The two meth-heads, being meth-heads, are talking loudly and asking each other where the safe would be. Walt responds “over here!” They look up just in time to see Walt staring them down, pistol aimed right at them. He pulls the trigger…twice. Dawn has risen and police lines have been drawn around the car wash. Hank is talking sympathetically to Walt who is in a chair, seemingly confused. “Didn’t know you had it in you partner. Where’d you get the gun?” Walt responds that it was the meth-heads – he pushed one down and stole it as they were high – and answers all questions with brevity. Hank, after the discussion, looks at Walt in a way he never has before. He sees something else in him, finally. Saul calls Jesse to bring him in for a meeting, a meeting he initially refuses but Saul charms him into it..”for old time sake kid!” When Jesse arrives Walt is in the office with Saul. Like old times indeed. Walt has an offer, one that Jesse accepts begrudgingly…..just to help him get off the ground and then Jeese wants out. “Of course Jesse, I don’t have very long anyways. I want what’s best for both of us.”
Episode 8 – Bad Ideas
The crew is back together, working the late night shift at the lab. Working half the night-cooking; the other half making the facility ready for the day ahead. Productivity is down but all profit is Walt’s – and his team. They seem happy, music is playing as they clean. They joke some as Mike arrives with a truck and a new henchman to take away the goods. Kuby visits Saul for his weekly report, he has been trailing Skyler as they both are concerned of her being a wild card after Ted’s death, that her grief over his loss could lead her to action. He tells Saul of her spending. “Stick with her, I see red flags with this one.” Jesse gets home from work and Andrea is not pleased. They fight and he reassures her that this won’t go on for long, it’s just to make some money for them to build their life together. Walt meets with Mike to discuss the details of their distribution. He figures he can increase production. He asks Mike if he has any connections left with the cartel, with whoever is left down South as….”they must be in demand down there”. Mike thinks its a bad idea, but can possibly help. “This is a bad idea Walt, but you have had worse. I will see if I can set a meeting.” Walt thanks him and gets in his car to drive home. As he turns the corner a car begins to follow him. It’s Hank.
To be continued – Episodes 9-16 (the series finale) to follow….
