Breaking Bad Recap: The Science Project


To Mike’s dismay, Jesse sides with Walt and won’t let Mike shoot him. 

Mike tries to argue. By killing Gus, Walt has royally fucked the regional narco-trafficking power structure. Which is probably true, but that gets set aside for now. Walt has a more urgent problem for them to discuss: Gus’s video cameras. This must be the source of the “oh shit” Walt had last night in his bedroom.

Walt knows that footage from the Superlab is out there somewhere, waiting to incriminate them. Since Mike was tight with Gus, Mike probably knows where the footage is. Mike isn’t inclined to help them right now, but as Walt points out, Mike’s on the footage along with them, so it’s in his best interests to play ball.

Mike lowers his gun. He tells Walt and Jesse about the laptop Gus kept in the office at Dos Pollos. They have to move fast if they want to get it before the DEA does.

DOS POLLOS HERMANOS

And sure enough, in the very next scene Hank and the DEA are collecting the laptop. Shee-it.

ACT TWO

JESSE’S HOUSE

So now the cops have the incriminating evidence in their possession. What are Walt, Jesse, and Mike to do?

At Jesse’s house that evening, Mike is one the phone with the Albuquerque Police Department. He’s pretending to be a US Postal Service official who’s investigating Gus for mail fraud. He claims he needs access to Gus’s laptop and asks the APD if they have it. Pretty slick ruse, and it works.

He gets off the phone and the news isn’t good. The cops have it, and the APD are keeping it in their evidence room. To Mike, that’s the end of story. You can’t break into a police evidence room.

But Walt wants details. What’s the layout of the police station like. Clearly Walt isn’t giving up. The wheels are turning in Walt’s head.

Mike scoffs. It used to be that Mike could easily write Walt off as a bumbling amateur. If this were happening last season Mike might do that right now. But since then Walt’s blown up a nursing home. So now Walt is something of a mad genius.

Mike assumes Walt is beginning to plan a similar heinous scheme, and he doesn’t like it.  It was bad enough for Walt to blow up the senior citizens’ home, but now Walt wants to kill cops. Mike, an ex-cop, is sour on the idea.

Walt insists he’ll just use some sort of incendiary device that’ll start a fire in the evidence room and not a full-on explosive. They go back and forth.

And while they argue, Jesse offers a solution. The footage is on a laptop, right? Why not just use a magnet and wipe the hard drive clean?

Boom!

PRODUCT PLACEMENT JOKE: “Jesse, not only is that a brilliant idea, but you also clearly know that the most sensible choice in seating furniture is a rattan easy chair from Bed, Bath. You are promoted!” 

 

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.

11 Comments

  1. 1
    Nolongerbre
    Posted July 17, 2012 at 8:26 pm

    Welcome Back! Your absence was very much noted and I enjoyed your recap a lot (but that was to be expected right?). I had a couple of observations/thoughts: The “because I said so” part made me pee a little myself (you are not alone). Its just awesome to see Walt so… idk, GANGSTA this season. Mike and Gus were the most bad ass on the show, they broke bad years ago I’m sure, but now Walt is finally coming into his own. It was a trip for sure, I dont think anyone but Gus could have made Mike shut up in the past (and Im saying this as a BIG Mike fan). This is going to be an interesting final season for sure. About Walt leaving the large tip and showing the waitress his ID- I think that was some foreshadowing of Walt trying to create an alibi of sorts. I mean he would have to know that if asked later, a waitress would remember a guy who made a birthday candle out of bacon, was from out of state, and left a freaking $100 tip ON A FREE MEAL. Yeah theres no way shes going to forget that, I just cant fathom why he would go to all of the trouble to set up that alibi. Interesting theory I am shooting around. Sorry its so long but this is one of my favorite shows ever. I’m with you on the hoping they don’t end an amazing series in a formulaic “Scooby Gang” solve the mystery by end credits kinda way.

  2. 2
    SuburBint
    Posted July 17, 2012 at 9:29 pm

    I LOVE it when they have events in the beginning of the episodes that don’t get explained until the end of the season. Like the detritus and HAZMAT guys at the pool in season 3. Hope Future Walt is a recurring theme as well, building toward the finale. I’m so glad this show is back!!!!

  3. 3
    BLSD
    Posted July 17, 2012 at 10:39 pm

    Enjoyed the recap. A couple of points, nitpicking maybe, but they bother me a little: First, after meeting in the desert, Mike, Jesse and Walt leave one of the cars out there. HUH? They’re desperate to obliterate anything that might bring police attention and they leave a car out in the desert with a door open no less. Hmm, guys, cars have VIN all over them, registrations and so forth. And even out in the desert, the car will be found sooner or later on that pretty well traveled road. Second, Mike and Walt were openly talking in the junk yard about their plan to destroy evidence with the magnet. Don’t you think that was a little careless? Surely the police will canvass every place with a powerful magnet.

  4. 4
    lindaw205
    Posted July 18, 2012 at 6:15 am

    Oh crap! I cannot believe I forgot this was back on and didn’t even DVR it!! ARGH!!!! I’m so disappointed in myself.

  5. 5
    timgunnssister timgunnssister
    Posted July 18, 2012 at 7:06 am

    Love this show. Was discussing it with Mr.timgunnssister. We agree there was something…..lacking…..in this first episode. And I speculate that ‘Walt’ is still missing (remember his fugue state?). I’m not certain Walt ever came back – but Heisenberg did. In the beginning I think we saw mostly Walt with flashes of Heisenberg but now that’s flipped – we see mostly that bad black hatted dude with occasional flashes of Walt – the scene with the baby, for example.

    The opening sequence is definitely one to ponder. Why does he need the big gun? Who is he going to kill next? Just what is Walt/Heisenbergs total body count to date? And does Skye really think Walt will let Ted live? Really?

  6. 6
    MrsMiaWallace MrsMiaWallace
    Posted July 18, 2012 at 11:54 am

    Great recap! It is very impressive to make a recap of a drama funny and you nailed it!

    I loved the baking soda volcano best :)

  7. 7
    mjhhawk
    Posted July 19, 2012 at 10:44 am

    Welcome back!

    I’m not one usually to nitpick, especially on this show where the do a great job of tieing up loose ends…..but with the Gus Fring murder being such a huge deal wouldn’t the police have immediately gone through his computer and not stashed it in evidence?

  8. 8
    maryedith
    Posted July 20, 2012 at 6:22 pm

    St Clare! Awesome recap. And awesome other Gasmi watchers who pick up on all the details. I love it when people “nitpick;” it means they’re as into the show as I am. I look forward to watching this season with you guys.

  9. 9
    SuburBint
    Posted July 21, 2012 at 9:06 am

    @ mjhawk — No, the police would most likely have kept everything in evidence until they had gathered all of the things that they felt were relevant to their case, and then would have started actually sifting through it, piece by piece. It’s all about allocation of resources and the whims of the lead investigator. Also, since Gus is dead now, they probably feel like they can take a moment to breathe before taking down his drugs operation, since his underlings are going to be completely at loose ends now that their boss has so suddenly been all blowed up.

  10. 10
    SuburBint
    Posted July 21, 2012 at 9:07 am

    OMG, did we know about this?! http://youtu.be/risBO1uupRc

    The internet is a magical place.

  11. 11
    Cocodawn Nicole
    Posted July 23, 2012 at 12:41 pm

    “Walt gave the cigarette, poisoned with ricin, to Saul. Saul then had his henchman Huell sneak the poisoned cigarettes into Jesse’s pocket where Brock could find them and get a hold of them.” I’m confused by what you say here, as this is not what happened. Walt originally put the poison in the cigarette and gave it to Jesse to use on Gus. Jesse had it until Huell stole it off him. Walt had him do this to make Jesse think Gus knew about it, stole it, and used it to poison Brock.

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