Breaking Bad Season 5, Episode 5 Deconstructed

by: Michael Shields

We are set up early in this week’s Breaking Bad…only to be eventually knocked dead…..

“It’s all about the weight yo!”

I forgot about him too…..I’ll admit it.  It wasn’t just you.

For the first 25 minutes of this week’s Breaking Bad episode, entitled ‘Dead Freight’, I could think of little else besides the kid on the dirt-bike who doesn’t share my fear of spiders.  I couldn’t get him out of my mind.  It was obvious his involvement in our story would come full circle as Vince Gilligan is a master of unleashing the chickens home to roost, but I quickly became distracted by ‘The Great Methylamine Heist of 2012’ ((We have our second Jesse James reference of the season, the first in the episode entitled ‘Hazard Pay’.)).

If this were any other show, and a team such as this, comprised of “professionals” in fields such as drug dealing, drug production, and pest control ((Lydia calling Walt, Mike, and Jesse out on their professionalism was a strong play…point: Lydia)), were devising a plan to rob a train I might have to call Shenanigans.  I might put up my guard and choose not to buy it – until they successfully sold it to me.  We have already withstood a plot-line involving an elephantine magnet ((Please note that both plans were conceived by Jesse as Walt and Mike verbally assaulted each other in Jesse’s home – Jesse was aided in devising this plan by practicing a little fluid displacement with his soda)) but this seemed absolutely outrageous at conception.  But when Walt coldly and proudly responded “robbing a train!” to Skyler, who noticed Walt’s dirt stained pants and condescendingly, and actually innocently ((She still doesn’t know how scared she really should be.)), questioned him by asking “out burying bodies?”….I knew it was time to buckle up for a hell of a ride.  They delivered  ((This episode was written and directed masterfully by George Mastras)).

Some of this week’s most memorable lines:

“Everyone sounds like Meryl Streep with a gun to their head.” -Mike

“You mean like the mafia??” -Jesse   /  “Yeah, like the mafia.” – Mike

“What about Emo McGee?” -Hank

“Who said anything about barrels, I’m talking about an ocean of this stuff.” -Lydia

We know little about Todd ((It is indescribably hard for an FNL fan such as myself to not refer to him as Landry for the rest of my days)), but we now know two things.  We know that he shares Mike’s philosophy about there being two types of heists….”those where the guys get away, and those where they leave witnesses.”  We also know that he will shoot a kid ((In the first scene the young boy, after capturing the tarantula, hears a train whistle and then drives towards it – attention to detail.)) at the drop of a hat if that is what it is going to take to get the job done.  Although Walt and Mike will assuredly have few problems with Todd’s bold decision ((Undoubtedly a decision inspired by his conversation with Walt and Jesse earlier.)) to rid the world of this future entomologist, you can be sure of one thing……Jesse is not okay with it.

Jesse, as well are all fully aware of, has a storied history of keeping kids out of ‘the game’.  It took Walt’s ‘Full Measure’ ((The thirteenth episode and finale of the third season.)) to keep this wholly intact segment of Jesse’s moral code of conduct from getting him killed in the past – and the Brock situation must only heighten his sensitivity.  Jesse will not be pleased, that is for certain…..the real question is:  Is the fact that Walt will be okay with this the beginning of the end for these two?  Is this the straw that will break the camel’s back?  Even as Walt placed him in the precarious position of being beneath a moving train Jesse, after seeing Walt’s joy in the heist’s success, joins him in celebration instead of chewing him out for cutting it wayyyyyy to close.  They are tight right now, as tight as two people can be while one fully manipulates the other, but this may just be too much for Jesse to handle.  We all know that this is likely to send Jesse over the edge…..I am curious how he lands…..

The BIG FINISH !!!! (Some closing thoughts brought to you at a blistering pace and with no regard for cohesion):  Hank ((I you haven’t – check out Hank’s blog!)) noticing Walt’s watch ((The birthday gift from Jesse in ‘Fifty-One’)) so quickly is both another piece of the puzzle to Hank’s full realization and also another manifestation of Walt’s sloppiness ((2 new cars)).  Hank looked comfortable holding and playing with little Holly White…..I could see those three, including Marie of course, together when all is said and done.  The fact that Mike was able to take part in this heist is befuddling as the DEA should be draping him like a blanket, but I believe next week’s episode entitled ‘Buyout’ delves into that further.  It turns out Mike is still bitter that Lydia put a hit out on him….and I believe Lydia may find some favor from Walt due to that.  And, if Walt and Skyler’s relationship continues down this precarious path all clues lead to an unpleasant conclusion….death…..by ricin ((Still hidden in the outlet in the bedroom))……in the Virginia Slim’s……in the Living Room.