Death And Taxes

A lot of people got hurt in "Crawl Space," the eleventh episode of this season's Breaking Bad, but no one (major) got killed.  Not yet, anyway.

We start where we left off, with injuries still waiting to be dealt with.  Jesse is driving the poisoned Gus and the wounded Mike through Mexico. Mike must be conscious enough to tell him where to go, because he heads to a makeshift medical tent in a nearby warehouse where a team successfully revives Gus.  Only after that do they deal with Mike.

Meanwhile, Walt, under the watchful eye of Tyrus, cooks another batch.  He knows Jesse went down to Mexico and wants to know what happened.  He seems to still support Jesse, at least a little.  (Learned a lot last week from his tearful confession.) He also can't keep stalling Hank, who wants a look at the compound.

Sure enough, they go on a stakeout.  Nothing to see, of course.  Hank wants to know about Walt's fight, but Walt won't talk.  He's done explaining himself, he says.  What he'd like to do is talk Hank out of all this surveillance.

Jesse sees Gus has planned for everything. Even got the right blood type for Jesse if needed. Now that's a boss.  I think Mike is stable, not critical, but he can't be moved for another week.

So Jesse and Gus hoof it to the rendezvous point. This time no plane. It's a lot easier to get into Mexico than the U.S.  Gus notes Jesse has proved he can cook alone. This means no need for Walt.  Jesse asks Gus to fire Mr. White, not kill him.  Gus doesn't think that's possible, and Jesse notes then he's got a problem.

At the White residence Skyler gets a message from Ted.  He just can't pay the IRS, though he's willing to talk about it.  She goes right over and tries to lay down the law.  He explains it doesn't feel right to use her illicit gambling money (so that's her story and she's sticking to it) and also, even if he pays his IRS, he'll still go bankrupt and lose everything, so what's the point.  She thinks (and I agree, though it wasn't 100% clear) that he's blackmailing her for more.  As soon as she gets out of there, Better Call Saul. Nice cut from that to a TV with Alec Guinness in River Kwai wondering what has he done?  (And is Skyler losing weight a bit?  Or am I just getting used to her new look?)

We're in Tio Hector's home and sure enough, as many guessed, Gus took those neck chains to show to him.  Everyone Hector knows is dead.  And guess what, here's Jesse, the guy you could have put away, who killed your last relative, Joaquin.  (Not that Tio would ever have talked--there's still nothing worse than a stool pigeon.) Gus wants Hector to look at him.  What is this, Get Shorty?

Walt goes to Gus's place for more Hardy Boys action.  But instead of HQ, Hank wants to go to the laundry.  Walt ries to talk him out of it--now he wishes they were going to the compound--but Hank is a man possessed.  As I saw coming, Walt gets into an accident rather than go to the laundry.

So more injuries.  Gus needs a neck brace and Walt is hurt as well.  Marie makes him promise to stop going on these adventures.  Certainly he's going to stop using others--he's ordering a gimp-mobile so he can get around himself.  Be there in about a week.  Walt's bought some time, but this isn't good for anyone.

Meanwhile, Skyler gets a call from Saul.  She wants Ted taken care of, but, as always, doesn't want anyone hurt.  So two thugs show up at Beneke's place and, to Ted's surprise, demand he pay the IRS.  They're going to send off the check and then hang out with him a few days while the check clears.  After writing the check Ted tries for a quick getaway, trips on his carpet and knocks himself out. He's dead.  Poor, deluded Ted--we never really got to know you.  Nothing to do but UPS the check and go tell Saul the bad news.

Walt has to be sneaked into the laundry now, which Tyrus seems to find amusing.  Before he cooks he realizes someone's been cooking already while he was out with injuries.  Must be Jesse.  Walt can't let that one alone.

At Andrea's place, Jesse is playing video with Brock.  They seem to be a happy three--who wouldn't with all that money (and they've kicked meth)?  A knock on the door.  It's Walt, who's sorry, but Jesse just wants to hit him.  Walt knows Jesse cooked.  That means Gus can now kill him.  It's funny--Walt started this season puffed up in full Heisenberg mode, ready to take on Gus, whereas now he's pathetic, not needed, begging Jesse for help.  Jesse isn't moved.  How could Walt bring Hank to the lab, and he hasn't forgotten in their last meeting Walt wished Jesse would die in the Mexican desert.  Jesse marches back in and who should show up but Tyrus and another goon.  He has an electric prod and knocks out Walt. Pain upon pain this episode.

We're in the desert. Not Mexico, but New Mexico.  A good place to die? (Wouldn't that be something to kill the lead in the fourth season?) Walt is hooded and manacled.  Gus drives in and tells him he's fired, now leave Pinkman alone.  Walt is still pretty smart, just like he was at the end of last season (Pinkman's been getting smart lately, too) and says or else what?  If you could kill me, I'd be dead now.  That means Jesse is keeping him alive.  Gus is unhappy, but makes a few things clear.  Eventually Jesse will come around.  Meanwhile, Walt failed to hold back Hank (I think Walt's done the best anyone could be expected to do in the situation--he's even taken one for the team in the car crash--so I'm surprised how pissed Jesse and Gus are about this.) So, Gus will take over with Hank now.  And if Walt interferes, he'll kill his family.  And we know this is Gus's specialty.

This is the man Walt felt he could stand up to.  Now he just wants to get away.

At Saul's office, everyone favorite attorney is pissed about his "A-team" ending up with a dead Ted.  Client Skyler won't like that.  Then Walt rushes in.  On another matter--the unfired gun from earlier this season--the guy who can do witness relocation privately.  It'll cost 125 G's per family member.  Walt figures he's got that, but little does he know.  Before he rushes out, he tells Saul to give him a little lead time then anonymously inform the DEA that there's a hit out on Gus. (I might add that Walt, as he gets more pathetic, also is getting more sympathetic.)

He goes home, makes the call, and looks for the cash in the crawl space (hence the most obvious reference to the title).  Guess what, Walt?  Most of the money is gone.  Sure, some stacks here and there, but your family can't make that quick getaway (which would be no fun for us anyway).  Skyler, very apologetically, tells Walt he gave it to Ted. (This is even worse than the last line of "IFT").  Walt screams, then laughs hysterically.  I guess the situation is like some absurd Henny Youngman joke.  Anyway, the moves have been made, but he's still stuck on the board, vulnerable.

While he's laughing, Skyler gets the call from Marie.  The DEA has heard the Cartel wants to kill Hank. Agents are coming over.

So where are we?  Ted is dead.  Mike is out of commission, though probably not on the critical list.  Hank is on Gus's critical list.  It looks like Walt interfered so his whole family is on the hit list.  Saul isn't thrilled with his big money client.  Gus is triumphant, but he's still got a lot of work to do.  The wild card seems to be Jesse.  He's turning, ready to run the lab and be Gus's right-hand man, but still has some residual feeling for Mr. White.  Besides, it wasn't that long ago that Walter saved him, and Mike and Gus tried to kill him.

Only two episodes left to go, and I have no idea where things are heading.