Just A Minute

Bold moves and big action in the latest Breaking Bad, "One Minute."

The show starts, like others this season, with a flashback. I wonder if you put all the titles together that have these flashbacks it spells out something.

Anyway, we see the Mexican cousins as kids, playing, while a young, healthy Tio watches. Tio's on the phone, talking down Gus as a connection. Then he teaches the kids an important lesson--family is everything. Don't like this scene for two reasons. First, I always figured Tuco may be an important local player, but I never figured he was tied in to the top people in Mexico. As I've said before (regarding Boba Fett), when you find out your character is more important than you thought, it often lowers the stakes--the world gets smaller and everything seems less mysterious and exciting. And second, as for the famiglia stuff, yeah, we've all seen The Godfather. We also already get how important it is to the cousins. I'd be more impressed with a ruthless cartel that just cares about money.

Back in the present, we take up where we left off. Hank approaches Jesse at home. He's not talking to Saul, he wants Jesse. In fact, he beats Jesse senseless. He'd like to know how Jesse knew so much about him (like "The Ex-Cops," he keeps asking questions when the suspect is unconscious). Hank is a smart cop, but he's got a blind spot--Jesse's obvious connection to Marie is Walt. Heck, it could even be innocent--Walt and Jesse lighting up a joint and joking about his brother-in-law at the DEA. Anyway, Jesse is gurneyed off to the hospital and for Hank, it's time Internal Affairs stepped in.

Saul is thrilled. This is a get-out-of-jail free card--the cops had better keep away from Jesse now, unless they want trouble. Walt drops by (dangerous move on his part, though he checks to see no one is around). He feels bad about the outcome. Jesse is not grateful for Walt saving his ass at the lot, either. In fact, Jesse, who perhaps isn't thinking straight, is gonna go after Hank, brother-in-law or no. He'll ruin his life, hopefully drive him to suicide. Both Saul and Walt note now is the time to lay off, and he's home free. Otherwise.... But Jesse's got an even better get-out-of-jail card--if (really when) arrested, he can always give up the great Heisenberg. Knowledge is power.

Neither Walt nor Saul are violent men, but they know violent men--no matter how angry Jesse is, should he be talking this way? In private, Walt tells Saul he won't talk, but Saul, who's seen a lot, suggests they discuss their options, none of which are pretty for Jesse. Walt must still have a soft spot for Jesse, or he'd jump on board. Actually, I was a little sad Jesse didn't feel some of that old warmth from last week, when he and Walt were having adventures in the RV like the old days. I guess neuralgia beats nostalgia.

Hank is giving a statement, but his lawyer has him take the Fifth before he admits to the beating. When Jesse presses charges, I don't think Hank'll be allowed to tell the whole story up to the beating and stop there. Speaking of which, they checked, and Jesse's clean--no longer a meth head--not good for the case. They photograph Hank's bloody knuckles. There was a time when some might have thought you have a Fifth Amendment right not to have this done, but no longer.

Hank leaves his office. He'll be gone a while, maybe for good. He puts on a brave face, but it looks like he's finally opening up to Marie, not to mention leaning on her. Hank tells Marie not to tell anyone, but she predictably tells Skyler. We don't see that scene, but we see the results. Skyler makes the connection and goes to Walt's new digs, telling him the "news" about Hank. She thinks maybe he can talk to Jesse, get him to drop the charges. Walt, no longer pining for Skyler (at least outwardly) has returned to his cold and secretive ways. He denies knowing Jesse well and shows her the door.

But he's troubled. More about Jesse than Hank, I think. At the "office," suddenly lab assistant Gale can do no right. Poor Gale, the perfect man, doing a perfect job, but Walt's a moody guy, and Gale is in the way of his plans. (The actor has played sad sacks before, such as the unfortunate husband of Mel in Flight Of The Conchords.)

Meanwhile, the Mexicans meet a gun dealer in the middle of the desert. In the first season, the show mocked dramatic, photographically interesting meeting places, but they're making the most of them this season. Turns out the Mexicans don't want machine guns (they're more the machete type anyway), and, after accepting a complementary hollow-point bullet, just ask for bullet-proof vests. They test them out by shooting the seller--he stands behind his product, unwillingly in this case.

Hank finally admits to Marie what we've been seeing for two seasons--that ever since shooting Tuco, he hasn't been the same man. He decides to do what's right. He won't lie, he won't take the Fifth. He'll tell the truth and let the chips fall. At least he and Marie are communicating again, even if they'll soon have to do it through a glass window.

Walt calls Gus and says Gale's out, he wants Jesse Pinkman. Incredibly, Gus allows it. Sure, Walt's a temperamental genius who could cook with a monkey (as Jesse will point out later), but Gus must know what's going on. The heat's on Jesse--won't he just lead the cops to the lab?

Walt goes to Jesse and tells him the lab assistant position is open. He keeps offering more--they'll be 50-50 partners again. But there's too much bad blood (some of it now outside Jesse). Jesse, more right than he knows, says ever since he hooked up with Walt everything he cares about he's lost. It is true--people around Walt get hurt. On the other hand, does Jesse understand if he goes against Walt he'll be hurt?

From Walt's perspective, though, he still cares about Jesse. Indeed, though Jesse mockingly calls him Heisenberg, when Walt is with Jesse, he's more like the old Walt, and not the heartless drug boss, than with anyone else.

Doesn't seem to matter. Jesse screams at Walt about how this father-figure didn't like his meth. Should he really be shouting about the quality of his meth in the hospital, even in a private room? Walt leaves on a kind note, saying Jesse's meth is okay. That's apparently what Jesse needed to hear, because he calls a bit later and is back in--though he makes it clear they'll be true partners this time.

To the shock of the investigators, Hank tells the truth in his statement. He's suspended without pay, of course. He hands over his gun, and most viewers are thinking uh-oh, he's gonna need that.

Soon after, his chief secretly tells him it looks like Jesse will drop the charges. There's nothing sweeter than doing the right thing and being rewarded. If only it happened more often in real life. (Hank better watch it. After a major character receives salvation, he's perfect to kill off.)

No one seems to know why Pinkman might go easy on Hank, though I'd think Hank and Marie and Skyler will figure Walt was behind it. From the start, I thought Walt could play on this to come out looking good, though that might not have been his intention. (More rewards for doing the right thing, which in this case is cooking meth.)

Final scene, where we get the title. Hank's returning to his car in a commercial parking lot. He gets in and receives a call--a disguised voice tells him two guys are coming to kill him in one minute.

Who is this? Walt, who'd be the most interested in warning him, but how would he know? How about Gus? He's the one who sent the Mexicans--was it his plan to take them out (or Gus--either way he wins)? Maybe it's Mike, who watches people's backs, and has a connection to Gus. (Maybe it's Tio, who's gotten better and it still teaching his kids important lessons.)

Gus is stuck in his car with no gun, and a lot of tension. The tip is true, of course. One of the Mexicans starts shooting (I thought they liked knives) from behind, and Hank backs up into him against another car--Kevlar won't help you there. The second Mexican shoots from the side. (Remember, this is all in broad daylight in a packed parking lot). Hank goes down inside his car. One brother talks to ailing other brother--time to finish him off. But Hank is ready for him, and unloads a clip--too bad Hank isn't ready for the vest. (Don't they ever say "after three shots in the body, try one in the head for safety"?)

The Mexican shoots Hank twice, but not kill shots (necessarily). He's ready to finish him off, and you'd think he'd be in a hurry (you know, before the cops show up, or someone with a gun), but he won't be rushed. He goes to get his axe, so it'll hurt. Meanwhile, Hank reaches for the hollow point that dropped to the ground, and before he gets his head chopped off, blows his assailant's brains all over the camera artfully perched above the guy's soon-to-be-headless shoulder.

Whew! Big action, and big ramifications ahead.