In an episode that's filled with dozens of incredible moments, it's odd that my favorite moment should come in the final few seconds, an event that seems odd and out of place, but at the same time sums up Walter White's path. There was a moment in the middle of the episode when Jesse reassures Walt that he's not a bad guy, that everything he's done and all the lies he's told have been for his family, that he's trying to support them. It's a moment for Jesse to seem more like an adult, but it also is a moment to look at Walt and realize that he's not necessarily doing this for his family. He's doing this for himself; he knows it and he feels terrible about it, but why would he stop doing the one thing that he does better than anybody else? Remember in the first episode, when Jesse turned to him and asked why he was breaking bad after fifty years of the good life. Walt simply responded: "I'm awake." That line may be one of the most important lines when it comes to Walt.
Back to that later.. the episode found Walt learning his cancer may not be going away, and as a result, he learns that he needs to cook more meth in order to leave a proper amount of money. Walt almost convinces himself, without any real proof, that he's going to die, so him and Jesse head out into the middle of nowhere to cook as much meth as possible.
The episode could've been a simple "cook meth and argue" episode, but things take a turn for the worse when Jesse lets the car battery die, leaving them stranded without water in the middle of a sun-filled field. I never doubted that they would figure a way out, but the suspense of the episode doesn't really come from "What's going to happen?" It actually comes from the scenes that Walt and Jesse share, the ones where Walt seems ready to give up and Jesse desperately tries to figure a way out. We learn a lot about the characters here, and after they finally do figure out a way to get the car running, it's amazing to see Walt's reaction to the news his cancer is in remission. I'm not sure I noticed it as much the first time around, but upon a second watch, it's incredible how sad he seems to be about it. The cancer gave him an excuse to cook meth, to do something he was good at, something he can be recognized for (even if it was his alter ego Heisenberg that got the credit). To lose that is to lose purpose. Sure, you could take the tears as happiness, but I see it as both happiness and sadness.
Back to that final scene. Walt looks at his reflection in a paper towel dispenser and punches it repeatedly until his face is distorted, his knuckles bruised and scraped. What does this mean? Is he trying to destroy the new "Walt," the Walt who's in remission and being cheered on for beating cancer? Where does the rage come from? It's a question that the show seems to answer in a way so subtle that you may not notice it at first.. however, the second time around, I'm noticing how Walt's motives for cooking meth may not be as simple as he would like to believe.
This was definitely a stand-out in Season 2. I'm not sure I liked it as much the second time, but I do enjoy the chemistry between Walt and Jesse and the subtle moments the show inserted in the 47 minutes.moreless
Walt interrupts Jesse's weekend plans to inform his partner they'll have to cook for four days straight, or risk losing their batch of methylamine.
 Bryan Cranston |
Walter White |
 Anna Gunn |
Skyler White |
 Aaron Paul |
Jesse Pinkman |
 Dean Norris |
Hank Schrader |
 Betsy Brandt |
Marie Schrader |
 RJ Mitte |
Walter White Jr. |
 Jeff Fenter |
Urinal Guy |
Guest Star |
Marcus M. Mauldin |
Technician |
Guest Star |
 Krysten Ritter |
Jane Margolis |
Recurring Role |
 Bob Odenkirk |
Saul Goodman |
Recurring Role |
David House |
Dr. Delcavoli |
Recurring Role |
Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions
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TRIVIA (0)
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QUOTES (5)
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Jesse: You made poison out of beans, yo. Look, we got, like an entire lab right here. Alright? How about you pick some of these chemicals and mix up some rocket fuel? That way you could just send up a signal flare. Or you make some kind of robot to get us help, or a homing device, or build a new battery, or... Wait. No. What if we just take some stuff off of the RV and build it into something completely different? You know, like a... Like a dune buggy. That way, we can just dune buggy or... What? Hey? What is it? What?
Walt: Do you, do you have any money? Change, I mean. Coins.
Jesse: Yeah, I got a bunch of them. From the...
Walt: Okay.
Jesse: YES!
Walt: Gather them, and, and, and the washers and nuts and bolts and screws and whatever little pieces of metal we can think of that is galvanized. It has to be galvanized, or solid zinc.
Jesse: Solid zinc, okay.
Walt: And, and bring me, bring me brake pads. The front wheels should have discs. Take them off and bring them to me.
Jesse: Alright, brake pads. Okay. What are we building?
Walt: You said it yourself.
Jesse: A robot?
Walt: (Sarcastic tone) A battery. MOVE! -
(Jesse and Walt decide to head to a hotel for the night after a very long day in the desert)
Jesse: Battery's dead.
Walt: Jesse. Back when I asked you to put the keys in a safe place, where did you put them?
Jesse: I left them right here. In the, um... the ignition.
Walt: Son of a bitch!
Jesse: Whoa whoa. No, this is not my fault, alright? The buzzer didn't buzz.
Walt: The WHAT?
Jesse: The buzzer! The buzzer that buzzes when you put the keys in. To like let you know that the battery's on. It didn't buzz. Look, I didn't turn the key or anything, alright? I'm not stupid. Did you hear the buzzer buzz? I didn't... It's faulty, it's a faulty mechanism.
Walt: Is this just a genetic thing with you? Is it congenital? Did your mother drop you on your head when you were a baby?
Jesse: THE BUZZER DIDN'T BUZZ and you were the one that made me move the keys in the first place, REMEMBER?
Walt: Yes, I see your point. Your imbecility being what it is, I should have known to say JESSE, DON'T LEAVE THE KEYS IN THE IGNITION THE ENTIRE TWO DAYS.
Jesse: I wanted to leave them on the counter. BITCH. Oh, I'm sorry, oh, the "work station". Jesus. -
(Walt is on the phone with Jesse, asking him to get more supplies)
Jesse: Yo, you wanna go shopping, go do it yourself, alright. I got plans.
Walt: Smoking marijuana, eating Cheetos, and masturbating do not constitute plans in my book. -
(Jesse shows up in the RV to get Walt at the airport)
Walt: You brought a meth lab to the airport!
Jesse: What! You said we were in a hurry. I saved us a trip. -
(Talking about ruined generator)
Jesse: There was a fire, excuse me for thinking on my feet.
Walter: Ohh! Is that what you were .… you were thinking. Ahh, now that we've identified the problem. You and thinking, that's the problem!
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NOTES (2)
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Original International Air Dates:
Czech Republic: March 25, 2011 on Nova Cinema -
Featured Music:
"Good Morning Freedom" by Blue Mink
"One by One" by The Black Seeds
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