Breaking Bad Recap: Sunny Skies and Meth

Recaps

By Saint Clare of Assisi | Monday, July 30, 2012 | 8:41 pm | 10 Comments
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Posted in: Breaking Bad, Featured, Recaps

You know how know this show was made in Hollywood? It’s got a scene about someone screwing over the buddies who helped him become successful

VAMANOS PESTS OFFICE

Meanwhile, Mike is briefing the employees of Vamanos Pests. And look, here’s Landry!

My quick take on Todd…underachieving white dude. I bet he’s got a college degree. What else are you gonna do in a recession besides cook meth?

Mike’s message is simple: Todd and the other exterminators are to stop stealing, effective immediately. They are out of the game for good. Behind Mike, Walt and Jesse stand in the doorway. Mike tells Todd and co. that as far as they’re concerned, Walt and Jesse don’t exist.

JESSE’S HOUSE

Walt and Jesse are going over the particulars of the new portable meth lab. There’s some mechanical wrinkle or other that’s caused a problem, but Jesse’s come up with an idea to fix it and Walt like the plan. Jesse is taking initiative! Also, Jesse had an idea for how to deal with the smell from the lab, from his time in Mexico—

But at this point, Andrea and Brock come home. Awwwkwward. Jesse introduces Walt to them as his “friend”, but Walt already knows them both very well, you know, since he used Brock as a pawn in his scheme to kill Gus and even friggin’ poisoned him!

I shouldn’t say “awkward”. It would be awkward for me to be in this situation, meeting the mother and kid you poisoned. But it seems fine for Walt. He immediately turns on the charm and makes a great impression. He even agrees to stay for dinner!

Jesse and Andrea disappear in the kitchen, leaving Walt and Brock alone. This is a little more uncomfortable. Brock just sits on the couch playing a handheld game. Walt sits down next to him and they both sit in silence for a moment. Walt finally looks over at Brock and Brock looks back. Walt looks away.

ACT THREE

THE FIRST HOUSE

Ira the pest control guy and his crew arrive at the first house that will also serve as the first meth lab of the post-Gus era. Ira gives the homeowner the usual rundown of the pest control services while his employees unpack the huge roadie cases that say “Vamonos Pests” on the side. The homeowner is a littler perturbed with how many cases there are and how large, but Ira reassures him.

As the homeowner and his family pull away, Walt and Jesse pull up in a white Vamonos Pests pickup. They are dressed in exterminator coveralls and walk up to the house.

But first, Todd approaches. Mike already told him and the others not to speak to Walt and Jesse for any reason, so Todd is taking a big risk here. He tells them there is a nanny cam in the living room clock, but that he already disabled it. Walt asks Todd his name. Good work, Todd. Hmm…looks like Walt and Jesse may have found a new prospect to bring into the inner circle.

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Saint Clare of Assisi attended Boston University and has written for The Onion.  He took his name from the patron saint of television, who was a virgin and saved a boy from a wolf one time.

10 Comments

  1. 1
    MrsMiaWallace MrsMiaWallace
    Posted July 31, 2012 at 12:10 am

    Great recap! I especially loved the Ed Wood reference, that part is hilarious.

    I do not believe Andrea is out of Jesse’s life. The poisoning will come back to haunt Walt. It has long been my belief that this series is leading up to a confrontation between him and Jesse.

    Speaking of Walt – do you remember the WW reference Gabe (was that his name-the chemist-in-training) had in his notebook that Walt convinced his b-i-l was about Walt Whitman? I clearly have a terrible memory for seasons gone by, but it makes me wonder if Leaves of Grass isn’t some kind of symbol or even secret book full of info, formulas or emergency money. Or I am getting way too deep here!

    I believe Walt’s genius was revealed when he manipulated Jesse into breaking up with his gf,he knew exactly how to pull the strings on Jesse’s emotions and good intentions and it was scary how smart it was and how perfectly it worked.

    And yes, that Scarface scene was major foreshadowing. His son had clearly seen the movie before and they were having “family fun” but Skylar seeing it form the outside in, it was eerie. Especially when Walt said, “doesn’t everyone die in this?”. Dun dun dunnnnn!

  2. 2
    annie anniedawg25
    Posted July 31, 2012 at 8:18 am

    Great recap! There’s so many things that can go wrong this season, it’s nerve-racking trying to watch it sometimes.
    I like the sneaky-ness of the fumigation tent also very ballsy! Of course it does have it’s logistical problems, like dealing with the workers of the company, and nosey neighbors and home owners. I mean, right away the large equipment they used raised concerns with the homeowner dude….why couldnt they wait until he left to haul in all that equipment? Also, I am assuming the fumigation process will take double the normal time (cook for a few days first, THEN fumigate) so wouldnt that raise some flags too?

    Walt is becoming more and more like Scarface, it’s crazy. Very aggressive, manipulating, scheming, and money hungry. That reminds me…is money REALLY an important factor for him anymore? I mean at first he needed it for medical bills, but at this point he’s gotta be in the clear money wise. At this point, I think Walt is addicted to the business and power….hell, he even gets off on the power he has over his own wife. Yikes!

    I think he’s gonna off Mike at some point (or try to). Mike is the only link between Gus and Walt, so he’s a liability….plus Walt’s going to become more pissed about that “Legacy Pay”.

  3. 3
    MrsMiaWallace MrsMiaWallace
    Posted July 31, 2012 at 9:05 am

    @anniedawg: Seems to me that Walt is ALWAYS in the red. He’s been paying his bills and Hank’s all this time, then his wife paid off the $600k IRS bill for Ted I think.

    So he didn’t even have enough to put in for the startup or pay for the magnet from the season premiere – both times Jesse ponied up. Jessie is the one sitting on a mountain of money with nothing he wants or needs to spend it on. That’s why he didn’t care if they took all the legacy costs out of his pocket.

  4. 4
    BlueCanary
    Posted July 31, 2012 at 9:24 am

    I don’t trust a single thing that comes out of Walt’s mouth anymore. Every word the last couple episodes has been designed to manipulate, and he’s just become completely, stone-cold diabolical. I suspect he brought up Jesse’s obligation to tell Andrea because he knew Jesse wouldn’t, and he’s trying to isolate Jesse in the long run. I have a feeling the Brock thing is going to come back and bite his ass, though. As for Skylar, he knows she’s scared to death of him, and he’s using it to manipulate their situation as much as he can.

    I barely see any sign of the old Walt anymore. He’s almost all Heisenberg at this point.

  5. 5
    sweetblondie
    Posted July 31, 2012 at 10:18 am

    Prediction: Jesse will somehow find out all that Walt is responsible for, and he’ll burn eveything and everyone down by end of season (genius in traning?).

    Also, I love the character arcs of both Walt and Jesse…Jesse was the “bad” kid..and Walt was the upstanding teacher/family man…now they’ve crossed over and their situations are almost completely reversed. Great friggin show…!

  6. 6
    sheesh sheesh
    Posted July 31, 2012 at 10:42 am

    I thought that when Walt was staring at the kid and the kid stared back Walt was trying to “relive” (maybe not the best word) through empathy what the kid went through when he was poisoned.
    I didn’t like the look he gave the kid, it was ugly.

    I am just starting to watch this so forgive me for asking.

    Was Walt’s sociopathy latent ?

  7. 7
    cosmonala
    Posted July 31, 2012 at 11:04 am

    Cat piss tortillas, followed by Jesse grabbing a hot tortilla, and their names are “yes, sir” and “no, sir”, followed by the looks Jesse and Walt give each other may have been my favorite moments this week.

    There are so many ways this can go to the crapper for our favorite meth manufacturers, but getting to know HOW is so exciting!

  8. 8
    BlueCanary
    Posted July 31, 2012 at 11:09 am

    @sweetblondie, I agree–no way will Jesse stay in the dark forever. That’s going to be what breaks their relationship, no doubt about it.

    @sheesh, if you haven’t watched from the beginning of the series (please do yourself the favor and watch!), you missed a great character transition. It does seem like the sociopath was always just beneath the surface, but it’s such a gradual emergence. Bryan Cranston is stunning in that respect. And honestly, the more I watch, the more we’re theorizing in my living room that “Walt” was the cover persona, and he’s really just been psycho all along. When he was sitting there looking at Brock, I remember thinking that I wouldn’t be surprised in the least if he just reached out and slapped him or something, because at this point, I’m almost not surprised by anything. The writing and the performances on this show have been so well-executed that even the most extreme behavior doesn’t seem out of place, because they’ve done such a good job of leading up to it.

  9. 9
    annie anniedawg25
    Posted July 31, 2012 at 2:51 pm

    @miawallace—-DUH you’re right, lol! Already twice this season Walt has borrowed large amounts of money from Jessie for the “business”.

    My prediction for the end of the season / show is Walt is going down in (meth) flames. But who’s gonna do it, and how is the exciting question. He’s making tons of enemies and good ol’ Hank is just a few steps behind him.

    @bluecanary…..awesome point about Walt’s sociopathic side just waiting to emerge all these years. I see him as mad genius “Unabomber” type in a super boring and mundane life as a husband, father, and under-appreciated high school chemistry teacher…..seemed like even before he became Heisenburg’ed out, he was about to snap at any second. Now that I think of it, I dont think I can even recall one good thing Walt has done for anyone.
    Also, excellent point of the slow development of his madness by the writers, it was so subtle….

  10. 10
    timgunnssister timgunnssister
    Posted August 1, 2012 at 8:46 am

    Remember Walt’s fugue state and the ‘Missing’ flyers Skyler made?

    Well, in my opinion, Walt’s still missing. He’s all Heisenberg now.

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