Tonight, Breaking Bad‘s new episode “Buried” aired. After last weeks big confrontation, it was expected this week’s episode would have some big bangs. But there weren’t big bangs. There were a lot of small bangs that seemingly is setting up for big things to come. And with as many loose ends as there were last week, there seem to be even more after tonight.
Now.. here be spoilers..
The episode starts with one of the recipients of Jesse’s money finding it on his front lawn and seeing other neighbors who have stacks of cash on their lawns. The man then finds Jesse in the park beyond the neighborhood. Was Jesse purposefully waiting there? Did he want to be arrested? Is he still empty inside? Unfortunately, we don’t find out in this episode, but Jesse obviously doesn’t care about anything anymore.
Next, Walt and Hank have a pretty good stare down on Hank’s driveway. Walt tries to call Skyler, but Hank beat him to it. Skyler then meets Hank at a restaurant. The scene, like many throughout this episode is a lot of Hank talking at Skyler rather than an actual conversation. Hank is very calm towards Skyler, almost babying her to give Walt up, yet when he talks about Walt, he gets angry, gritting his teeth, and he never calls Walt by name, but rather “animal” and “monster”, distancing himself from Walt by not calling him by name. Skyler is calculating as Hank talks to her. She wants to make sure she isn’t involved in Hank’s mind. When she realizes she is not on Hank’s radar, she states she needs a lawyer for her own protection; she is not thinking about Walt or the kids. She is thinking of what her crimes are and, I think, she is really thinking about Ted and how she is responsible for his injury. Then Skyler does the very Skyler thing and causes a scene in the middle of the restaurant yelling, “Am I under arrest?!” very much like her outburst to Marie to “SHUT UP!”
The comedic break of the episode was my favorite. Saul’s henchmen, Huell and Kuby, go to the White storage unit to move the money. Upon seeing the amount of cash, Huell feels it absolutely necessary to lay down on the bed of money. After making fun of Huell with “We’re here to do a job, not channel Scrooge McDuck”, Kuby lays down in the money, too. Really, who wouldn’t lay down in a bed of money if they saw it?
Walt is in Saul’s office and Saul is calling Jesse. He tells Jesse’s voicemail to hide the money, but obviously, they don’t know what Jesse has done with it. Saul suggests to Walt that he give Hank the same vacation Mike is having in “Belize.” It is funny that this is how Saul words it, but it also proves that Saul knows that Mike is dead. Walt’s reaction is important for two reasons: 1. He doesn’t deny that Mike is dead and 2. He exclaims that Hank is family. This temporarily puts the kabosh on the theory that Walt will kill Hank. This could change, because everything in Breaking Bad changes, but Walt is so angry when he says it, I think he may actually stick to not killing his family member. There is a knock at the door, and Walt casually says “Belize. I’ll send you to Belize.” Does he??? If Walt kills Saul, that would be pretty messed up. I hope this was not foreshadowing.
Huell and Kuby return with the money in barrels in a white van. Walt gives them and Saul a cut, adding they need to find Jesse before he drives to the New Mexico desert. He drives to what looks like the same spot he and Jesse do their first cook. He pulls out a pick axe and shovel and begins digging. Back in the ABQ, Marie approaches Skyler at the White residence. Marie talks at Skyler about how long she has known Walt was the guy, without Skyler saying much if anything to Marie. And then Marie slaps the shit out of Skyler’s face. Those Schraders sure are violent people. Marie yells “You won’t talk to Hank because you think Walt is going to get away with this.” Which is the truth. Then crazy klepto Marie tries to kidnap baby Holly. After Hank intervenes in that hot mess, Marie gives Holly back to Skyler. Later, Walt is still digging to some pretty awesome Mexican music. He makes sure he finds his GPS location and memorizes it. When he returns home, he pins a lotto ticket to the fridge marking the same numbers of where his money is buried. Two thoughts on that lotto ticket. If Hank is able to get back in the house, and sees that ticket, he will be smart enough to wonder why the Kingpin of Albuquerque is playing the lottery. Also, what if Walt won the lottery? Wouldn’t that be kinda cool?
Walt then goes to take a shower and Skyler talks at him asking if he moved the money and that Hank knows nothing. Walt does not respond, per usual, but then he collapses half naked in the bathroom. When he comes to, Skyler tells him she knows the cancer is back. He asks her if she is happy that the cancer is back and she says she can’t remember the last time she was happy. The scene is touching in a way because it seems that Skyler still does love Walt. He tells her that he wants to give himself up as long as she and the kids have the money. After everything Walt has done, its hard not to feel sorry for him. At the crux of it all, it was all for her and their families well-being. I think Skyler knows that. Plus, she won’t narc if it means being rich, which we know Skyler wants. Skyler informs Walt that Hank doesn’t seem to have real proof, and echoing Walt’s “best move” speech from last week, she advises Walt that their “best move is to stay quiet.”
Lydia arrives blindfolded to a junky looking desert area. Once Declan appears, we can assume this is the desert of Phoenix, AZ. Lydia is told she can take her blindfold off and confronts Declan about the low-quality blue his cook is producing as the Czech’s aren’t happy. She asks to see the lab and she is taken to a man hole. She goes down and comments on the filth of the place and that Todd (who by the by I was wrong about last week) should be cooking as his quality was better. Lydia then clicks a button on her watch. Instantaneously, there is a problem above and Lydia stays in the lab. She checks her phone and then seeks cover. There is a struggle above and then gun shots. Lydia set up this hit. When the dust settles, a voice so politely asks Lydia if she is ok. Todd is above and helps her out of the hole. She refuses to look at the bodies of the dead men (even though she virtually pulled the trigger), so Todd navigates her through the carnage as her eyes are closed. Todd is freakishly polite for someone who is quick to kill little children. We see that the Arizona guys have been taken out by the White Supremacist group who orchestrated Walt’s prison hits. It seems to me that these are the people Walt must be at war with in our future scenes. He wouldn’t bring a gun like that to a one man show. Also, now that Todd will be cooking again, it seems that the blue stuff will be coming back to Albuquerque, which could throw the DEA off it’s investigation as to who Heisenberg is. Just a thought. But the killing of the AZ guys by the Aryan guys is where we have created so many more questions. There are a lot of holes to fill between now and the final moments of the series.
At the Schrader residence, Marie instructs Hank that he must involve the DEA into the investigation of Walt. Hank knows that if he tells his partners and boss this information, he will be done in his career. He insists that when he brings it up, he will have the proof and be the guy who brought the Heisenberg down. And I think this may be Hank’s undoing. Just like Walt, Hank is a prideful man. He must be the hero and the winner. Will he do something illegal in order to get Walt and in the process not be able to get him behind bars because of it? Marie tells Hank he must tell or else he will be in trouble for not once the DEA finds out. Hank goes into work asks Gomez to set up a conference call with their boss. Before Gomez does, he tells Hank that Jesse is in interrogation for throwing money. We cut to Jesse and see his favorite douchebag cops talking at him. Jesse doesn’t respond. Hank, going against Marie’s demands, asks the cops to go in and then we get the credits. The credits! So upsetting, but a brilliant cliffhanger.
Theories:
Will Jesse flip on Walt? In the past we have seen Hector flip on Gus because of Walt’s way with words (and bomb making). Will Hank’s smooth talking get Jesse to talk? I think he may. But I fear that means Jesse will die.
Next week’s episode is titled “Confessions.” This may not refer to Jesse talking to Hank, but it could mean Walt confessing some if not all his infractions to Jesse.
Lydia just has to die. Maybe not next week, but eventually.
Neither Hank nor Walt will bring each other down. Their own pride will be their own downfall.
“Buried” gets a B+. Jesse had practically no screen time and no dialogue. Otherwise, Hank is treading hard, Blue Sky is on its way back to ABQ, making money angels, and Walt and Skyler 2gether 4eva.
written by Adrian Puryear
Hush Comics 