Before I get to what went down with the Mexican cartel, let’s talk about Skyler, shall we? Because you know how much I love Skyler. Something that occurred to me after this episode — and it’s something I’m surprised I hadn’t really thought about before — is how much control Skyler has over the money Walt’s bringing in. Not only did she make the sole decision on which car their son should get — one that wasn’t quite a “manly” color or model, if you ask me — but she spends over $600k to clean up a mess she helped make in the first place, giving it all to her idiot ex-boss, Ted Beneke.
Regardless of how risky it would’ve been had Ted gone to jail, Walter would (will?) go apeshit if he found out she spent that money without his input. I guess that’s probably why she never brought it up in the first place, since there’s no way in hell Walter and his pride would allow for it; he’d sooner go to jail forever than hand over a dime to that guy.
Incidentally, it’s amazing that $600k is such a drop in the bucket that Walter might not even notice it’s gone.
I’d get into Walt’s breakdown over his spat with Jesse, but what’s there to say? Jesse was Walt’s only “friend” in all that he’s doing, and he effectively ruined that friendship with how he treated him in the last episode. It will be interesting to see how he plans to amend for what he did the next time he sees Jesse, if he has any thoughts of doing so.
The things that went down in Mexico were pretty damned intense, though I think most of us saw it coming. Part of me still wonders if Jesse will find out that the cigarette with the poison in it is missing, and that’s what Mike used to spike the tequila. That seems pretty farfetched, though. It’s more likely the poison is of their own doing. I also thought Gus hadn’t swallowed the tequila shot and chose to sit quietly, spitting it out once the Don started to feel woozy in front of him. Instead we have a Gus who’s hurting pretty badly, and we’re left wondering if he’ll make it or not. I’m pretty confident he will.
While I’m sure Gus will make it out of this alive, it’s Mike I’m wondering about now. A pretty big twist in this story — and this is the theory of mine I was talking about — could be that Mike dies, and Gus offers Mike’s job to Jesse. Jesse will feel much more respected and part of a bigger “family” than he ever had with Walt, and then Walt’s position with Gus is in serious jeopardy. In fact, Walt’s position is already in serious jeopardy, especially when Jesse just proved he can make the recipe without Walt’s help.
What do you think? Could Jesse take over for Mike and then, siding with Gus, decide it’s time for Walter to “retire?” Maybe having Walt out of the business is good for him anyway. Does he really need to be making that much money anymore?
Lastly: Anyone know where I can get some of that Zafiro?
Clacked by Keith McDuffee 
on Sep 18, 2011 @ 23:42 EST5EDT
Recall – the poison in the cigarette capsule is ricin which takes several days to kills someone – hence why it was a good choice for Gus as no one would make a connection. I’m guessing something like Strychnine which within two or three hours of partying and several “tequila” shots resulted in asphyxiation paralysis.
Walt told Jesse to kill Gail. Noww he’s whining. If Jesse kills Gus, who’s going to give Walt 250.000. plus every two weeks. Mmmmmmmm
Good post, but you missed a couple of things….
1. Gus downed an antidote when he was standing next to the pool, prior to his new boss’s appearance at the pool.
2. Jesse found out how vulnerable he was as a cook (not being a good chemistry student) when he found out he couldn’t cook up a standard recipe item for the product.
Regarding Skyler, all the hundreds of thousands she has to manage for her and Walt… I think she’s learned how to keep her mouth shut. She will never tell Walt about the 600K gone to her ex bf to help pay his taxes. Plot speak, she did it to help a friend, but it bit her in the ass… which is typical imo…. Instead of doing the right thing in Skyler’s mind, Ted does the man thing in his mind.. to get his company back in business, to restore his livelihood and status as a businessman. He’ll do the IRS thing a step at a time on his terms, get them to do some sort of settlement for less money and he’s done with it.
When Jesse told his dad… he was real, that imo sealed that father son bond finally, and Jesse will never doubt his father’s situation (ultimate father son bonding), which brings to mind that Skyler’s learned to deal with the truth of Walter’s situation, and next could it be Jesse to learn and deal with the truth too?
Will Jesse become the next big cook?
As Gus was standing by the pool before the Don arrived he downed two charcoal capsules. Charcoal would absorb the poison, it is what they pump into your stomach at the ER for poison victims and drug overdose.
Walt’s son is named Walt jr. Walt called is son Jessie as he was walking out of his bedroom.
OMG…. I did it TOO! LOL!
Walt’s son is Walter Jr. or as he used to be called by his friends and Skyler, Finn.
Jesse is Walt’s ex-student and partner in meth production.
As Gus took his shot I was thinking that he had slowly over time built up an immunity to the active poison. By administering the poison over a period of time you can work up a tolerance that would knock the next guy over. Altho I did find the irony of the Don landing in the pool just like Gus’s old partner found himself, this episode was at a better pace then the previous.
Its sad to say but Walt will have to go. He cant just walk away from all of this. I say this because Gus will not stand for DEA to be on his case; which means that Hank must die? But Hank cant die without Walt going down as well?
There no getting out of this hole that they have dug. Or maybe the story isnt so translucent after all
The pills he took while standing in front of the pool were “antidote” pills.
If it were an antidote (remedy that relieves, prevents, counteracts a poison) there would be little to no effect. He defif felt it hard. I dont think Gus’s character would put his life in the chance of a antidote without trial. He must have planed it through and tested before the true run.
“If it were an antidote (remedy that relieves, prevents, counteracts a poison) there would be little to no effect. He defif felt it hard.”
Well you’re thinking that an antidote would be the magic end-all to be-all for anything poisonous, (in a james bond movie). Not true. Gus isn’t Superman. An antidote, to be successful in this scenario, needs simply to prevent a person from dying and causing life long problems – like being the victim of a snake bite.
Just because you live after being administered an antidote to a snake bite, doesn’t mean you won’t loose the leg you got bit on. The word ‘Antidote’ or the appearance of such does not mean an instant miracle cure.
:0
What Gus took before partaking of the Anejo was an emetic. An emetic causes a person who is very recently poisoned to vomit. Children for example are given emetics at the ER if certain poisons are suspected to have been ingested. There is no antidote to Ricin I’m aware of so Gus must have taken something else that has a more immediate effect and as another post mentioned it takes several days for Ricin to take effect. This is why Walt wanted to use Ricin on Tuco as it could not be easily traced back to Walt or Jesse. Jessie is the hero from here on out they all sink or swim together. The big mistake is Skyler by bringing Ted into the mix. Ted now has potential blackmail over Skyler – like where did his broke bookeeper all of a sudden come up with 600+k. Skyler is going to have to have Ted killed to clean up that mess and she needs Walts help to get that job done. I watched the show 3 times and could swear in the first version Mike said to Jesse “I’m beggining to like you” just before Jessie tosses Mike in the car. There is potential for the “family to get extended with Gus bringing Jessie involved with more day to day internal operations and you have to wonder if Skyler doesn’t end up running the whole show in the last season.
No, if Gus took an emetic he would not need to stick his finger down his throat, he would have been projectile vomiting on the way to the bathroom.
It looked like charcoal capsules that Gus took.
The poison was cyanide based, and the two capsules Gus took were sodium thiosulfate, and sodium nitrite.
One reacts with the cyanide to produce thiocyanide (MUCH less poisonous!), and the other counters the action of cyanide on the body.
Batrachotoxin is most lethal by injection, or the South American natives wouldn’t use it to hunt game for food. Plus, it works way too fast, and with no antidote per se.
Not an antidote, charcoal capsules.
No No…. Gus took an antidote before the cartel leader came on the scene… Check the video – it’s right before that dude shows up and wonders what’s in the box…. the death gift. Then to make sure, he went and upchucked in the bathroom to ensure his survival.
I don’t know If anyone noticed that they chose Manny Ribera from Scarface to play Don Eladio, In scarface final scene, Al Pacino takes a bullet from behind and falls dead in his pool.
I guess Al Pacino was an expensive option for the producers.
Nice too how Jesse suddently became Cool after he beats up walt in last episode, symbolicaly “Killing his father” .
This last episode was so intense it makes the rest of the show taste like warm beer.
I don’t know If anyone noticed that they chose Manny Ribera from Scarface to play Don Eladio, In scarface final scene, Al Pacino takes a bullet from behind and falls dead in his pool.
I guess Al Pacino was an expensive option for the producers.
Nice too how Jesse suddently became Cool after he beats up walt in last episode, symbolicaly “Killing his father” .
This last episode was so intense it makes the rest of the show taste like warm beer.
Jesse is Mike! Jesse is Walt!,, Jesse could very well wind up being “Pollos”. Absolutely the best television show ever!!!!!
Gustavo is machavellian genius! As they say ‘revenge is a dish best severed cold’
Can you imagine the planing and calculating involved to kill your emeny by poisioning yourself too! In the next week edisode Jesse will see how much planing Gustavo put in to his vendetta by stockpiling several units of his own blood and having a mobile ER oncall!
I said those same words to my husband when Gustavo poisoned everyone, including himself. Revenge really IS a dish best served cold!
What exact relationship did Gus have with his Pollos Hermanos? The ‘chicken brother’ that was killed 20 years ago?
I may be the only person thinking this but I believe the original partner was Gustavo’s son. As Gustavo is lying next to him in the pool’s edge, I thought I hear him whisper “hijo.” Any thoughts?
Good theory.
I have watched that scene over and over since you posted this and I cannot hear what you heard. All I hear is Gus weeping and gasping.
‘Zafiro’ is a violet-saphire mexican humming bird. Any tequila with the word ‘anjeo’ in the title is premium brand made from 100% blue agave.
Zafiro Anejo translates as Vintage Sapphire.
I don’t think Walt necessarily has to die… If anything he’ll buy his way out through Saul, or he will go to jail.
I have a feeling that the DEA will be led to that crime scene and will find Gus’, Mike’s and Jesse’s fingerprints/DNA all over the place, which will lead to an investigation of Gus’ operation. As for Jesse taking over Walt’s or Mike’s positions, I don’t think Gus would have that happen considering Jesse isn’t really experienced enough to be the main man in either roles.
I’m just curious as to how they will get out of Mexico, considering Mike has a gunshot wound and Gus is suffering from that poison…
Right, except that the DEA has no jurisdiction to investigate a crime scene in Mexico.
Exactly, they clearly got on a plane and went to Mexico.
I also wonder how they’re gonna get out of Mexico, especially since the 3 were BLINDFOLDED en route to the superlab.
They were in a Cadillac which comes with OnStar and GPS.
They are all citizens would have no problem crossing the border.
The big problem is getting Mike’s gunshot treated somewhere fast.
what ever to walt and skyler’s baby? i havent seen it in awhile
I’ve been wondering the same thing. I did see a baby walker in her carwash office when the attorney came to visit her. The baby is “around” I guess.
Having a baby on set is expensive, because of child labor laws you can never just have one baby, you need at least 2. That is why most shows will hire twins to play one baby.
Let’s talk about Skyler: she controls every situation she is in, one way or another. She has control of Walter, her son Walt, Jr. and now Ted Beneke. She will force Ted to pay the IRS since she is now in control, letting Ted Beneke KNOW where he got the money. She is very powerful and has changed nearly more than her husband, Walter.
Walter sees Jesse as a son-like figure. This bond may be broken since their fight in last week’s episode.
Jesse got major brownie points cooking his and Mr. White’s blue crystal formula for the Mexican Cartel, and he didn’t put a single dash of “Chili P” in it. Jesse really manned up this episode and I am sure everyone loved it.
Walter bored me silly with his long, drawn out talk to Walter, Jr. about how his Dad died and how he remembered him. Somehow, this will be important later.
Just when I get to thinking some small thing is unimportant, 3 shows later I find out it is a major point. Like that stuffed animal’s eyeball floating in Walter’s pool two season’s ago.
This is so tightly written, no one can figure out which direction it is going. Isn’t that wonderful?
Yes, this show requires a good memory or you can get lost in the plot.
Does anyone out there have a clue as to what exact relationship Gustavo Fring had with his Los Pollos Hermanos co-founder, the chemist that got killed 20 years ago by the Mexican cartel leader?
He said Gus had rescued him from a Chilean slum and paid for his education. Gus has indicated he felt toward this man like a brother, however if Gus had enough money to rescue him from a slum and educate him, Gus must be a bit older.
Was there some kind of love connection between them, or am I just imagining that?
The guy who pissed in the pool 20 years ago, he has the answer.
The Don told Gus the only reason he was not dead like his partner was because he “Knew who he was”. I believe that Gus may have been either the son of a Chilean mobster or was part of the Pinochet Government. But that history has not been revealed to us yet.
Well spotted! Totally agree
Gus is gay! We have never witnessed any “family” moments. Weird how he always said to never trust an addict and now he is only alive because of Jesse……..3 times……Walters poison, making meth and now Annie Oakley shooting of the final Cartel mobsters……go jesse………we are all getting tired of walters whining etc…….so mich for walters statement to skyler that people need to be afraid of HIM!
About the whole Gus swallowing the same stuff that all the cartel members did. It was a very short shot, and I didn’t even realize it until after the whole thing ended, but a minute or two before they cracked open the tequila, Gus was show taking a couple of pills. I suspect that they were some sort of antidote, although obviously he still gets pretty sick. Gus will be fine. I have the same worry about Mike, I am thinking that he is probably a goner, and Jesse may take his place. However I am sad to hear that because Mike is one of my favorite guys, however I see myself respecting Gus more and more with each episode. He is such an intensely drawn and acted character, he should be looking at an Emmy for best supporting actor next year without a doubt…(I am calling it now, exactly one year beforehand.) Also to be thought about, I liked your idea of Mike taking the tainted cigarette from Jesse to use on the cartel, but it was said a few times before that that type of poison takes far longer to kill and wouldn’t have acted that way. Unless Gilligan is leaving a massive hole in his plot (which I highly doubt considering how masterfully he has drawn this entire series) Gus and Mike used a different poison for the Cartel.
Ricin is poisonous if inhaled, injected, or ingested, acting as a toxin by the inhibition of protein synthesis. It is resistant, but not impervious, to digestion by peptidases. By ingestion, the pathology of ricin is largely restricted to the gastrointestinal tract where it may cause mucosal injuries; with appropriate treatment, most patients will make a full recovery. Because the symptoms are caused by failure to make protein, they emerge only after a variable delay from a few hours to a full day after exposure.
I believe that Gus took charcoal capsules to absorb most of the poison and then vomit it out.
hey mandog i think gus had a thing for that guy…. gus is obviously gay…
hey free, i was thinking the same thing about mike being shot and gus being sick as heck, but if you watched next seasons previews you will see gus alive and well… sorry for that spoiler if you didnt watch previews…
its VERY possible that Mike will die here and be left in mexico…
walts character has lost all power. i will call it now, he is going to gain back power by joining forces with “OFF THE BOOKS hank,” and the DEA…
Jesse’s character has grown to be very likeable.. im sure the writer will change that up soon enough…
i like where youre going with that. Walt gets out of the meth game by joining Hank to bring down Gus and Jesse or get blasted. sounds like an interesting twist and final battle between the two sides.
Hi Josh,
I disagree with you. I don’t think Gus is “obviously gay.” I think he has been waiting for twenty years for another visit with Eladio. I believe the original partner was Gus’ son. Twenty years is a long time to wait for revenge for the death of a sexual partner, but for for the death of a son one can wait forever. Gus appears to have no family, and fewer friends, but in Latin America family and friends are used as pawns for revenge. Perhaps Gus has loved ones hidden away. Thougts?
Marty
there are many fans of the show who post on blogs who also feel as if gus is gay……if you watch the show with the notion that he is gay, it becomes pretty obvious….it is not necesserily a “given” that he is gay, but small mannerisims and actions of gus lead one to believe that he is on the “Asexual/homosexual” spectrum of sexuality. i personally do not think that it makes a difference whether gus is gay or not, but people from other forums strongly believe that gus’s sexuality will play into the storyline somehow…
Botulinum toxin. Fast-acting neurotoxin, fits the symptoms, antitoxin available, lethal in quantities too minute to be detected by taste in anejo.
And to the guy asking about Gus and his chicken co-founder. I can almost guarentee you that they were a couple. I have suspected from very early on that Gus was a homosexual. It was never said, but very subtly Gilligan has hinted at it many times. The way he dresses, how nicely furnished his house is, him cooking those meals, and even the way he looked when his partner was killed. At the very least it is obvious that they meant a lot to each other but I am pretty sure that Gus is gay, however I don’t really expect Gilligan to go right out and say it unless it eventually has something to do with the plot of the story. Another thing I thought was very cool in this past episode was that it is very obvious that during that scene in the cartel’s lab, Gus is really starting to gain a lot of respect for Jesse seeing how he and Mike both make a slight smirk when Jesse started to chew out that other chemest.
Mike removes the necklace from Don Eladio’s neck. Why does he do that?
i am going to go out on a limb and say that mike is going to be left behind in mexico….. dead….. and perhaps he will have Don Eladio’s necklace on his person when he is discovered by mexican authorities…. this information might help aid the DEA in tracking down Eladio and his capos’ murderer(s)…….
Mike dying in this episode will be shitty because he was a good character on this show… i really liked the dudes attitude… his death will obviously pave the way for jesse to do the job…. but is jesse capable of the shit mike was capable of? Its hard to say…
I agree with some of you that Mike is next in line to die, which is a bummer as I love the character for some strange reason. Maybe it’s his slow appreciation of Jessie’s spirit, the same thing that Walt is attracted to. Jessie is good deep down and if he is offered Mike’s job it will be a big mistake that Gus will make. In the end Jessie will side with good over bad.
And I agree that Gus is gay, he is connected by mob or blood, and he will go down in the end. We will be sad because Gus will also grow fond of Jessie and anyone who is fond of Jessie has a heart & soul. This show goes way beyond the amazing scenery & creative scenes, music, plot, casting, etc etc (yes, best show ever) because this show is about our true human nature and what prevails in the end. I love this show!
Also I think the actor who plays Gus is a rockstar and agree he should be considered for an Emmy and I hope your prediction is right! The character of Gus is one of the most interesting characters on TV besides Walt.
I also think that Walt Jr. will end up saving his Dad somehow in some way.
I disagree with ‘Gus being gay’. If you recall, I think perhaps in season 2, Walt is invited over to Gus’s home. There we see, but are not introduced to Gus’s wife. Read the character bio on the BB Wiki, it mentions that he has a wife and children. Those facts don’t preclude him being a homosexual, but I’ve never had that kind of inference from his character. I think that his partner who got killed, ‘the chemist’ to Gus’s “Businessman” was a brother, or some other close relation unlikely a lover. I lean more toward it having been a brother, or family member. Don Eliadio killed that guy because Gus the ‘businessman’ had intruded into Don Eliadio’s business with a product which was in competition with his chief product cocaine.
Giancarlo Esposito was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series last year, but Aaron Paul wound up winning it.
Biggest problem with the idea of using the ricin in the anejo is that it would not be miscible and therefore impossible to hide.
What are you talking about?
“Part of me still wonders if Jesse will find out that the cigarette with the poison in it is missing, and that’s what Mike used to spike the tequila.”
That’s such an awful statement it makes me think you aren’t really paying attention. When did Mike suddenly get the ricin from Jesse that he doesn’t know about? Mike obviously doesn’t know anything about the ricin you think he used. If Mike knew the intended purpose for the ricin, Jesse would most likely be dead. He doesn’t know and he didn’t use that.
Lastly, when people keep putting forth their theory, they keep saying things like this person is gonna die or this person is gonna get this job because this guy died or when this guy is done then he will run the operation. PLEASE STOP. Those two ‘civilians’ don’t want to do this underworld stuff anymore so please stop suggesting that they are taking over anything. Ugh. So tired of hearing it. Sorry for the rant.
*POST AUTHOR*
Creator Vince Gilligan has said his plan for the series was for Walt to become a drug lord. Yes, he doesn’t appear to “want” to be where he is, but that’s what’s been said.
As for Mike and the cigarette poison, hasn’t Mike surprised the hell out of us several times before in how he’s one step ahead of these guys? Wouldn’t surprise me if he knew about it somehow.
Yeah, Vince Gilligan has said nothing of the sort. I’m sure the writers wanted Walt to become prominent in the drug underworld but to become a ‘drug lord’ is not something that has been talked about.
As far as Mike surprising us… sure, but just choosing to ignore the murder if his boss. Unlikely. Do you get paid for this?
*POST AUTHOR*
Actually, Danny, we get paid pretty much jack shit around here. Ad money pays for the lights to stay on and little more.
But, yes, I misquoted there. It was’t Gilligan who stated it — Cranston did. Obviously he has no say in the direction of the show as a whole (I believe), but for what it’s worth, he said it during a panel a while back: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/triple-threat-234428
Thanks for the clarification. That makes more sense.
I feel you on the ‘paid jack shit’ end.
a little game of “what if” never hurt anybody!
Maybe the zafiro was a bit too añejo.
Perhaps I should refrain from saying this, but I think Eladio died too quickly. I would have loved to see him suffer. Gus is too classy to mock a dying man, but I would have loved to see that too.
I’m not usually this morbid, but that POS Eladio killed a Chilean. Who cares if he was just another inept Usach graduate? Even they deserve to live, I think. Sucking at everything when compared to the UC isn’t reason enough to be executed like that. Besides, Gus seemed to love him.
Chileans don’t believe in an eye for an eye. For us, it’s two eyes for an eye. You throw a punch, we throw a knife. You throw a knife, we age your zafiro.
It has been said and I will reiterate it for those who have very poor observation skills and bad memory:
1) Ricin takes DAYYS to take effect, therefore it WASN’T ricin.
2) Gustavo takes two pills when he is standing by himself in front of the pool. To increase his survivability, he then goes to the bathroom to throw up.
Probably the pills he took just slowed down the effects of poison, very probably one of them was activated charcoal which binds with many toxins, it is standard procedure for poisoning, but that doesn’t really make him immune, it only gives him more time by reducing its toxicity.
That’s why he makes sure to throw up to empty up his stomach before the toxin continues its way to the rest of his digestive system.
I’m not sure about Mike dying, but Gus must be on the way out. It’s the only sure way that Walt and Hank will be safe here. Maybe he won’t die, but perhaps end up incapacitated in a similar way to that Hector guy and is unable to control his business, paralysed from the poison effects.
The one thing I’m sure about, is that Walt takes charge. Mike will work for him in the same capacity, and Jesse will have his role as the cook. It’s time Walt stopped hiding underground and got back to serious business; the past episodes have seen him hit the bottom, by the end of this season I’m certain he’ll rise again.
My prediction for final episode of season 4: Jesse phones Walt for help. Walt helps them to safety. Kills Gus in cold blood. Turns to Mike for the final line before the credits…
“You work for me now.”
you are so wrong….
Agreed. Mike would never work for Walt.
I dunno, this show has surprised us. It would be a journey, but not one too impossible to take with the last season. I like the flavor of that ending since the real show is not so much about what happens TO the characters, but all about the happenings INSIDE them that changes their moral compass from North to South-by-Southwest a little at a time. All it would take is for Walt to start acting in a manner that earns some respect (really EARNS it, not just demands it – especially concerning Mike.) And there may have been a reason we saw Mike’s home life too – a parallel with the little girl and baby Ashley maybe?
I could see Walt becoming very much like Gus should the right set of adversity hollow him out enouh to let that reasoning and scientific mind finally overrule the emotion which makes him so unstable. He was ruthless before because he was dying, but now that the cancer may not be so terminal after all, he has FEAR clouding his judgemnt as he lets those emotions interfere with the science and calculations which are his strengths. (Remember the conversation with Don Eladio: “no place for emotions…business is business.”) If he LOSES enough that he once again feels he has nothing left to lose, he is free from caring about anything other than what needs to be done. Then that last barrier to total ruthlessness falls away and we get a cold calculating Walt instead of whiny weenie Walt again. It could happen if Walt loses someone he loves. Loves like, say…. a son?
And now there is also a whole cartel without a head, too(unless you count the one that might still be riding around on back of the turtle – or did that get blown up?) Gus already is fluent in Spanish, unlike Walk or Jesse. Clearly he has got the stones for the job: “…or fight me and die!” EPIC! I’m really starting to like him. I’d like to see him and Walt on the same page at some point, however briefly.
If anything, I think Jesse is the real wildcard right now – what will become of him? Not the stupid punk everyone took him for, and more savvy than many suspect still I think. Jesse is a bit of a force without a focus, but it seems unclear to me what will end up motivating him to reach whatever potential he has yet. Improvisation seems to be his strong suit, and he is learning fast when to shut up and when to speak up. I am most curious about the developments for him and whether he will make the full transition from boy to man whether he is a “good” man or not when all is said and done.
And I wonder what is going to happen with Marie and this clepto thing she has going on? And am I the only one who thinks Hank is kind of a dick? Skyler I think is going to become perhaps the most ruthless of all – especially if something happens to one of her kids. That bit with the IRS agent was well played, and she seems to act less rashly than Walt. That sort of mental game is likely the attraction that Walk and she had for each other in the beginning – neither of them could have fallen for someone stupid, I think. I’m thinking Walt Jr.’s untimely demise is an inevitable plot device any way you slice it, but everyone else is fair game also.
But whatever… Awesome writing that at this point is amazingly unpredictable yet still believable at the same time? Niiice!I love that they have advanced notice of the end date so that they can exit the series with some closure. Sixteen eps should be enough to take it somewhere cleanly if they don’t get too sidetracked with subplot filler (which is easier to avoid creating since they have a target end also.) This could end up to be a sort of television equivalent to a REALLY excellent and well-crafted book that couldn’t be done in a single feature or miniseries – a developmental plot thickening that still contains all the good character development and details that so often get lost going to the screen.
This is the last episode of this season then? only 10?
If Mike dies, Jessie can shoot Gus in the head. Or feed him the ricin and blame it on the poison in Mexico. Gus and Mike have been good to Jessie, but at least until the fight he still seemed to be on Walt’s side. What happens next is interesting. There’s only going to be one more season, correct? So I think the cartel angle is finished, Mike can die because he won’t be needed anymore. Now it maybe shifts to Hank and law enforcement closing in on the operation, with Jessie, Gus, Walt and Skyler watching their world fall apart and trying to find a way out.
You’re right djasdas … Gustavo does take two items from a pill box and swallow them. You can’t see the first, but the second is a light brown capsule and one last capsule remains in the tiny box.
The fist time I watched it I thought he had just swallowed one pill/capsule. Good catch.
The spelling of the name of the drug lord is indeed Don Eladio … even though every time they pronounce it it sounds like Don Elario.
The liquor is called Zafiro. That means sapphire in Spanish. Añejo means old (or aged). As noted above there is a hummingbird found only in Mexico called Zafiro Mexicano. If there is such a Mexican liquor (a variety of aged tequila) I can’t pin it down. The only references I find are to a song or to a website that appears to be about psychology. The after show quiz on the Breaking Bad website absolutely says it is tequila. When I first saw the bottle in the Salud episode I thought it might be aged rum, but this is Mexico so we get tequila.
I think Walt was crying because his ‘mistake’ was getting into the drug trade in the first place. Even though Jesse has been his right hand man for the entire series, the way that Jesse presented his dilemma to Walt made it seem as if he was just trying to get Walt’s secrets, so Walt wouldn’t have forgiven him so easily, or cried about him.
I think, the necklace Hank is taking from the mobster will become in handy when Gus is visiting the old guy again – the killer of his former associate.
Maybe just to break him or to push him. Didn’t Gus say something like “Is today the day?” to him on his last visit? And then “maybe next time” when he leaves?
(any ideas whats ment with that?)
Oh, and I really doubt that Jessy could ever become the next Mike. It’s not just the attitude that makes Hank so special. All the contacts to other cleaners, for example, is something Jessy never can match with. Who should he call – Pete and Badger? Mike is unbreakable anyways ;)
if you watched closely, mike was hit with a gunshot to the abdomen area… in next weeks previews they show the guys dragging a heavily bleeding body (obviously mikes) into a hospital or something of the sort… if mike lives through this ordeal i will be EXTREMely shocked… mike said “either were all going home, or none of us are”…. perhaps that line will come back to bite him in the ass, and HE is the only one not going home… it is not easy to cross the border with a mortally wounded gunshot victim, so it may be in gus and jessies best interest to leave mike behind… maybe gus will just snap mikes neck or put a gun to mikes head to take him out of his misery..
also, if you watched the previews they played at the end of “salud” for next weeks episode you will see that Hank has already gotten word of the bodies they found down in mexico…while on a spy drive with walt, hank gives walt this information…walt had been so eagerly interested in – “what happened in mexico??”………
mike grabbing that necklace from Don Eladio will have a ton of significance in the near future…..
I thought that Gustavo was bad ass in last night’s episode.
Anyone notice that at towards the end of the episode Mike was about to shoot Jesse in the back when he was shot by one of the cartel’s henchmen. It was almost unnoticeable but I slowed the frames down with my DVR and noticed that Jesse was about to get whacked. Take a look. I guess after Mike was hit and Gus dying they still needed him to get them medical help. I thought then that they were using Jesse up until they no longer needed him.
But I think Mike will die and Jesse will take his job.
I just watched the very ending 3 times in slow motion. YES! Mike was about to shoot Jesse in the back! OMG! After Gus’s suppressed smile when Jesse told off the Cartel chemist, Gus’s ensuring that Jesse did not drink the poison, and Mike’s poolside promise to Jesse that they’d all leave or stay together, very surprising that Jesse appears to have been about to be killed!
no way, Mike was going to shoot Jessie in the back? I need to download that episode now! This is what I love about the show, all the subtle stuff that always comes into play later on.
nah thats bs….. mike was discombobulated from being shot in the abdomen… tried shooting the same dude jesse was going for…
Great episode!
no need to ruin it, by disrespecting the charchter and intelegence of Mike (and Gus etc.) :P
Mike was not about to shoot Jesse. Mike lifted his piece towards the pool house path direction they came from; the same direction Jesse was looking at. His gun was pointed across the hood of the car, not at Jesse. When Mike noticed the shoot and the shooter his gun briefly passes by Jesse’s direction, in response…
again, Mike was not about to shoot Jesse.
top five reasons
1. they still needed Jesse to assist in the escape.
2. they still need Jesse to help them deal with Walt etc.
3. it would be unnecessary to shoot Jesse in the back…
4. they are not crazy murderers.
5. Jesse is a helpful asset to the business team.
lastly, while Jesse has learned a lot since his Cap’n Cook days… he is far from taking Mikes job.
To those of you that have watched this scene (or episode) repeatedly.
did you notice how Mike was posted up with his back to the light post as Gus heads in to the toilet… and by the time Gus is headed back out to the pool The Cartel man in black is the one who has been posting up back to the light post. hhmmmm? even though somewhat inconsistent, it felt right; the counterpart players, with similar positions, preferences and procedures.
again, I’m not complaining. I thought it was kinda nice… seeing how that was the last we were going to see of that guy :\
BTW how raw was that scene con los chikas : )
I also really like the music (Bang Data) from that scene.
What a great episode!
Give this a thought. I think Hank knows that Walt is involved & has for some time. A couple weeks ago when he called Walt to drive him out to Gus’ wharehouse to poke around, Walt declined stating he was “indisposed”. They way Hank says ” no problem , I’ll get someone else to take me”. Its almost like he knows Walt can’t resist, because he knows Walt is involved. Look, Hank is alot of things, he is obnoxious, & often provides moment of comic relief on the show but all the things Hank is, stupid isn’t one of them. I don’t think he bought Walt & Skyler’s story about the gambling & how they got the money to buy a carwash. He is a smart guy who is playing Walt like fiddle right now. I also agree with all the other posters that stated that Giancarlo Esposito should win the supporting actor Emmy next year HANDS DOWN ! His “Gus Fring” is the creepiest villan I’ve seen since Javier Bardem in No Country for Old Men. Giancarlo is disturbingly creepy, I LOVE IT!
Great comparison! Creepy and so facinating.
Agree with your Hank theory too.
1. Mike will die in Mexico, and the necklace will some how be traced back to the don.
2. Jesse will see how cold Gus is when they leave Mikes body behind on their way back. This will play into Jesse’s choice in killing Gus at some point in the future.
3. Don’t know if this as be mentioned I haven’t read every comment, but to me it looked like Mike may have been about to shoot Jesse as he was getting in the car right before he got shot. The way he swung around after Jesse turned his back looked a bit out of place to me. Perhaps Mike will tell Jesse on their return trip before he dies from the gunshot, leading Jesse to kill Gus.
4. Far out idea… Gus and Mike both die, Jesse will be stuck in Mexico for a while and thus Walt will regain importance.
What about the video recording of Jesse, Gus, and Mike cooking Meth which was left behind? There is so much evidence against them that even the Mexican Police can’t look the other way.
who says it was at the villa though? there were loads of cartel there who weren’t at the party… they have the formula now, sure. but the mex cops don’t have the tape yet
dunno about Gus’ gayness now…. when he makes dinner for Walt he does mention that the chilean dish he is preparing is not one he gets to cook often, as his kids have no taste for it. Whilst he does exude a certain… flamboyance, I find it difficult to write him off as a steamboat due only to a snappy dress sense and gentlemanly manner. Even if the Pollos logo features a pair of grinning, satisfied Cocks. Nonetheless, I do acknowledge the obvious implication of his love for the other Chicken Brother, but his emotional reaction could also be at the savage execution of a dear friend and partner he had built his restaurant chain and meth lab ‘demo tape’ with. All that said, I could wholeheartedly embrace him as gay, and it would answer certain eccentricities… but like another poster said, if this is the case Gilligan is more likely to imply this rather than make a song and dance out of it. After all, which slot the man’s pennies go into is not really a crucial fulcrum in the grand scheme of the show, and a certain amount of intrigue and mystery is the cornerstone of his character. There was a moment where Hector, having just pissed in the pool was mocking them, effectively saying they were faggots who liked what they saw etc… and indeed the younger version of Gus is even more ‘fabulous’ looking… but hey, it was the 80’s….. and I think little tidbits like that are all we need, too many characters on TV and celebs are totally ‘defined’ by their sexuality. Get over it like, we’re all human, there’s more to us than that…..
After receiving multiple requests for our premium products, we have decided to sell our top shelf alcohol line called Zafiro Anejo to the public. The price points are $550 US dollars per pint, and $950 US dollars for a fifth.
Upon request, we can also sell you charcoal tablets for an additional $200 each… which keeps you from jumping into swimming pools face first, gagging on your own volmit, or simply shooting up the neighborhood during the party.
Just send cash money in a envelope to 83469 Poverty Lane NW, Cell block 231, San Quenton, CA, 93481 and your product will be delivered quickly.
If you can’t afford the cost of a full bottle, we have a half bottle left over from the show “Breaking Bad” that we would be happy to sell you. We have deeply discounted it as there was a lot of sedement in the bottom of the bottle… Salud~
1. Gus is an ex-military general or very influential Colonel during the Pinochet regime. Or, he is the son of the Chilean elite class who were with Pinochet. Gus is from money- hence his finer taste in things- not necessarily cocks.
2. There is a very obvious Mentor/Protege’ theme to this show: Walt/Jesse, Walt/Gale, Mike/Jesse, Gus/Jesse, Jesse/Pete, etc. So, Gus initially found a promising boy in the slums and educated him to become a chemist to make meth/synthetics. After he was killed, Gus had to find another chemist, so he started a scholarship/grant to outstanding chemistry students and that’s how he knows Gail who was a recipient of the scholarship.
3. Gus fled Chile after the 1982 economic crisis and began his attempt and starting a drug distribution and manufactoring in the Mexican cartels backyard. The intellectuals of South America and their European influence makes them a hate target from the gruff Mexican’s- especially the Cartel thugs- hence, the pool peeing remark.
4. Gus is patient and see’s the future: he builds Pollos to a distribution network while simultaneously waiting for his new chemist to emerge, waiting until Gus is strong enough to take on the cartel, but using intelligence as his strength because he can never match them thug for thug.
I think they should off Walt Jr. His character is beyond boring and the performance is lackluster compared to the other cast members- nobody will miss him and it can easily be done in a dramatic and interesting way- I’ll bet a keg of beer he will be dead by the end of the season.
I will wager another Keg on this theory:
Gus took two activated charcoal tablets, these protected his GI tract from the absorption of the poison. He threw up within 30 minutes of the gestation which is added insurance- he should have taken more charcoal afterwards and passed it out threw his bowels at a later time. He had some reaction to the poison because some of must have not been fully absorbed but not enough to kill him.
The poison was not Strychnine- it’s extremely bitter and would have been detected immediately. It was “Batrachotoxin” from the South American Poison Dart Frog. The key word is South American….