Hey everyone!
As mentioned in this post, there will now be a “live chat” post for each new episode. Feel free to post thoughts before, during and after the episode here. This will be a place for all the discussion on the new episode before the review post goes up.
Have at it!
The episode post for “To’hajiilee” is now up!
~Emilia J
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April Julia 
OK, Jesse got in an ok “bitch” in there but it wasn’t awesome enough to be his last…….Please!
Agreed! He will live, for now at least!
~EJ
Wonderful episode. I’m going to watch it again but loved Brock. Walt couldn’t control everything. Tragic shoot out – 100% old western.
Yes! I think Walt is going to blame himself, he brought those guys out there, and he fell for the money photo. Also the poem the next ep is named for is about the fall of kings.
I loved Brock too. He’s adorable!
What we learned tonight:
They used a different ruse than I guessed to get Walt to lead them to the money… but I liked the ruse they used even better!
The rental van always was the weak link… but it seems to me that the way Hank tricked Huell into spilling the beans was too easy. But it was plausible, I guess.
VG’s comment about what ‘Lydia learns about farm-raised salmon’ turned out to be another throw-away teaser. Not surprisingly, VG isn’t inclined to give up anything substantial, but he doesn’t mind teasing fans into thinking that he might.
The last scene continued the time-honored Hollywood tradition of bad guys not being able to hit anything, even when they are shooting fully automatic weapons at two guys standing out in the open (something that was itself completely unrealistic, since Walt had not yet called the tribal police, Walt/Hank would have move behind the cover of their SUV well before Jack’s gang opened fire). BTW, the gun Kenny uses is the AA-12 full-auto shotgun, and since he is the one who started shooting first, his first few rounds would have taken out Hank’s legs before they even started shooting back.
The promo for next week’s Breaking Bad showed us what happened at the end of this week’s Breaking Bad?
Yeah with Skyler leaving a message as a VoiceOver. No info whatsoever in that teaser.
We thought the salmon thing could be a metaphor. Wonder what VG will tease this week?
I liked the ruse too! And you were right that they’d make Walt think the money had been found. Good call!
I was right they’d ask for cooking help rather than money in exchange for the hit on Jesse.
Somehow I think Jesse’s going to get away.
BTW Marie is going to go crazy! And Skyler might freak too. RIP Hank and Gomie. As soon as he made that call, I said, “Hank’s dead.”
Some people are coming over for the encore showing and haven’t seen it yet. I’m going to play it off like it was a really boring episode. I’m a bitch.
~EJ
I couldn’t have dreamed that the ‘farm-raised Salmon’ comment referred to adding dye to get the blue color that was absent from Todd’s otherwise acceptable product, nor that Lydia would be so hung up on that. I guess Jack’s crew took the time to fully document how everything was connected in Declan’s lab when they disassembled it.
Ironically, from what I’ve read, any color other than clear means impurities are still present in the final product. But it’s a TV show, and that’s a gimmick they’re using as a plot element, so we have to overlook that.
[correction: When I said “Walt/Hank would have move behind the cover of their SUV well before Jack’s gang opened fire…” what I meant was Hank/Gomez. Now that I’ve watched it again, it looks like Jack’s gang didn’t really stop where they should have, because the angle is such that Hank/Gomez were partly behind the front of the SUV (engine block stops bullets better than any other part) and they moved more fully behind cover just in time.
re: “Somehow I think Jesse’s going to get away.”
Yep, he’s shown reaching for the door handle. If he can put some distance between himself and the battle scene, he might escape into the hills. I tend to think Jack’s crew scoops him up though. Not sure how that could happen if Hank is still ambulatory. I’m not so sure Hank has to die (maybe just seriously wounded again, enough to make him unable to assist), but seems to me that Gomie is a goner. OTOH, Jack’s crew would never leave Hank alive, unless they HAD to leave in a hurry before being able to finish him off (as if reinforcements were on the way).
Seems clear that Jack’s crew “rescues” Walt and takes him directly to the “safety” of Todd’s new lab, where Jack will make it clear to Walt that his help on “just one cook” was the price for taking out Jesse, but the price for assaulting two federal agents to accomplish his rescue must be a lot higher. But if Jesse gets away, Walt will have a valid argument that the original problem (Jesse) is still out there, just waiting to bring them all down.
After tonight’s developments, I’m not so sure that Skyler has to die. But if Hank ends up dead, and if she knows (somehow) that Walt is still alive, Marie might do anything. The ‘Marie-poisons-Skyler-by-accident’ plot-line seems pretty far-fetched now.
It now looks more like Walt might be coming back with the M60 to rescue somebody (Jesse?) being held by Jack’s crew, even though that seems way too formulaic. Walt sure didn’t want Jack to kill Hank & Gomez, even in order to be freed himself.
I think we can safely assume now that the M60 is for Uncle Jack and his boys. They set up why Walt might need a lot of firepower to deal with them. Maybe also with some Lydia involvement or development. It’s too late now for any new nemesis to be introduced. But I have a feeling things are going to get a lot crazier before Walt’s return, in unexpected ways, even though we know who he’ll be fighting.
And that’s okay by me. I don’t want twists just for twists’ sake, you know? We knew Walt’s nemesis in Season Four was Gus but it was still a wild ride to the finish.
I agree that Skyler doesn’t HAVE to die now. Someone in Walt’s family had to. And he REALLY didn’t want Hank to die. I still think he has to lose Skyler and Jr in some way though. This might be enough to do it though, if Hank dies (I’m thinking he does). Marie will be insane. Faced with her sister actually losing her husband, Skyler might turn against Walt, or be terrified of him and escape with the kids. Marie might do a lot more than just researching poisons.
~EJ
There was one scene (when Hank is handcuffing Walt) in which Gomez is shown pointing his shotgun in that direction. Did anybody else wonder if Gomez was about to pull the trigger? I still wonder about his use of the word “unfortunately” when he told Hank that he believed Jesse’s story. But I guess that word wasn’t intended to have a deeper meaning, or just a little fake out.
It’s hard for me to believe that Walt could not have managed to say the word “cops” when he told Jack “Don’t come” but I guess Jack wasn’t interested in Walt’s warning to “not come” (since after all, they made a deal and they shook on it) anyway.
Since it now seems clear that Jack’s crew will succeed in rescuing Walt, I wonder if all three on the other side will make it out of there alive? All that shooting by the type of guys who can take out 10 potential witnesses in different places within a 2 minute window and they still can’t hit two guys standing out in the open, even though some of their bullets pass right through the SUV Walt is in?
Actually, I can’t see how Walt can get away – and be able to go on the lam for many months – unless Hank dies in that shootout. The agent guarding Huell was specifically left in the dark, and as far as we know, nobody else besides Marie who knows what Hank was up to because he kept it off the records.
Actually I think any DEA agent would have already called tribal police for back-up while on the way onto their territory, but that’s a minor gaffe that we can overlook.
Well Hank often breaks protocol in pursuit of Heisenberg. We’ve seen him do it many times and I think in this kind of hot pursuit, he wouldn’t have called tribal cops.
I’m pretty sure Hank’s going to die. Gomez can go either way. I was at first thinking that Hank or Gomez needs to survive because Walt needs to be threatened enough to get out of town. I think Hank has to die because I don’t see Gomez’s death having as significant a consequence. But maybe they both die, but Marie can go to the DEA. If two agents are dead they might take her seriously.
~EJ
Check this; the tape is still out there that Walt made of the fake confessional to Hank; Walt/Skyler have copies of it; all they have to do is to release it; and then Walt can fake his own death; It can be that Hank was just in the wrong place at the wrong time if he dies in the shootout and there’s no hammering down on the White family, because all of it is in the confessional….but what about Jesse’s confessional at that point…so mindnumbingly anxiety inducing! I cant believe the show is going to be over; thats the worst part of all. Growing to increasingly love and accept the characters; I feel so bad for Jesse, and even though Im thoroughly disgusted by what Walt has become, I feel so bad for the person he once was.
I know how you feel, Angela. Completely. And there are SO many loose ends out there too at this point.
~EJ
re: ” the tape is still out there that Walt made of the fake confessional to Hank; Walt/Skyler have copies of it; all they have to do is to release it; and then Walt can fake his own death; It can be that Hank was just in the wrong place at the wrong time if he dies in the shootout and there’s no hammering down on the White family, because all of it is in the confessional….but what about Jesse’s confessional at that point…”
Good point, and very true… except for what Hank told Marie (but she has no way to prove it). A scenario like you’ve outlined will cause Marie to go berzerk!
But I’m not sure that Jesse’s video actually conclusively contradicts Walt’s video.
Why would ‘Hank-the-meth-kingpin’ expose himself to any more low-level people like Jesse than he needed to? And without evidence, it still comes down to whose confession is more believable? Recently strung-out Jesse’s confession, or excellent liar Walt’s confession?
Somehow I don’t think the meth-kingpin allegation is going to stick on Hank, especially not since he’s dead. Where’s the corroborating evidence of all that money he was supposedly making? Of course, the same might be said about Gus, too. On the other hand, Walt & Skyler bought a car wash and three new cars. I guess she continued to launder as much of the cash as she could through the carwash until Walt buried the money though.
Felt like this episode was only 15min long :3 , i was so mad when it finished haha. Greetings from Mexico!
Hi Alex! I know, it went by so fast. I bet the next ones will feel even faster. We are in for one wild ride. On the podcast, Vince Gilligan did say he thought this would be the cliffhanger that would make viewers the maddest.
~EJ
I can’t believe that Hank didn’t even smear any blood on Jesse’s face (uh, where’s the entrance wound?), but Huell still fell for it!
Walt turns around and looks at Brock while mentioning that he won’t bore Andrea about what he and Jesse had an argument about? WTF!?
Did Walt do something else that has already been shown to cause Brock to be acting the way he is toward Walt?
If not, considering that Walt looked at him while mentioning his argument with Jesse, and judging by the look on Brock’s face, I get the feeling he may mention remembering seeing Walt before he got sick.
I thought that too. Brock wouldn’t really talk to Walt in “Hazard Pay” either. It could be that he remembers Walt or he’s just perceptive, as kids often are, and just doesn’t like him.
~EJ
(Above comments are after re-watching the recorded version that I can pause & replay)
…and it’s now even more difficult for me to believe that Walt could not have managed to say the word “cops” when Jack is repeatedly asking him to talk to him!
Walt is in shock. He’s not thinking “cops,” he’s thinking, “OMG my brother-in-law” and also about all the betrayal he feels toward Jesse. And also that he got played, which he might not have thought possible.
~EJ
Thoughts on the shootout:
1. Jack did a mighty poor job of picking where to make his stand. It was foolish to park the two vehicles side by side. In the final seconds of the episode, you can see a slight rise ahead and slightly to the left of the pickup truck, and if he’d have kept going up into that area, he would have had a much better tactical advantage. Oh well, I guess he figured he had enough firepower that didn’t matter.
2a. No way both Hank and Gomez wouldn’t have died in the opening barrage, but…
2b. …it’s a TV show shootout that would have fit right in on “The A-Team”
3a. If Hank and Gomez somehow weren’t killed in the opening salvo, they are both goners just because they weren’t carrying that much ammo on them, but…
3b. …although Jack’s crew probably brought lots of ammo, they sure don’t mind wasting it (and also possibly attracting attention (depending on how far that location is from the nearest tribal police officer), so…
3c. the only way Hank or Gomez get out of there alive is if some form of cavalry arrives to make Jack’s crew leave before they can finish what they started.
4. Gomez took a bunch of keys out of Walt’s pocket… but I wonder if his car keys were in that bundle? If Walt left them in the ignition, that might give Jesse a way to escape.
5. You just gotta watch that shoot-out in slow-motion!
con’t.:
6. Todd might end up as one of the casualties in tonight’s shoot out, leaving Walt with the dilemma of cooking for Jack’s crew or letting them hold Jesse prisoner to do it, which means…
7. Maybe Walt needs the M60 to rescue Jesse after all? (Really difficult to believe he’d forgive Jesse for betraying him though)
I feel as though Walt/Jesse are almost about even at this point, in terms of their angry spats, and outbursts, and fights and arguments they’ve had. It’s understandable for both of them to be pissed at each other. The only thing that Walt can be upset at Jesse about, fully, at this point, is that he sold him out to Hank; but Walt did many more messed up things to Jesse at this point. I feel as though Walt owes it to Jesse to rescue him if this goes down.
I’m with you. I would like to see Walt rescue Jesse. I also think it’s possible that Jesse in some way may rescue Walt. I hate to say this though, if either of them is capable of sacrificing themselves for a cause or for someone else, it’s Jesse.
~EJ
No cavalry is coming to save the day. Hank was going to call the tribal cops on his way out, and he never got to. Hank dies, Jesse lives and Gomez could go either way. Calling it now.
I was thinking Todd may last a little longer but you may be onto something. In a way, he’s the connection between his uncle’s crew, Lydia and Walt/Jesse. But without him, they need a cook. Bad news for everyone. Maybe Todd has to die because otherwise they only need a temporary cook. Or a temporary cook (W or J, prob J since W’s leaving town) works out but THEN Todd gets killed, maybe in 515 and they take J hostage, or something.
Strange as it may sound, and I intend to address this in my episode post, I think Walt and Jesse end up on the same side eventually. Walt was ready to forgive Skyler when he thought she talked to Hank, in “Buried.” Jesse’s not the same of course but I have a strange feeling that they will indeed end up working together again. I wouldn’t actually be terribly surprised if Jesse helps Walt in some way in the next episode. My feeling is that Jesse got out of his system what he needed to. And he’s about to watch Walt watch a family member die.
I think either:
Walt comes back to rescue Jesse OR
The ricin is for Jesse
Of course my completely biased self is hoping for the first choice. And they’re two extremes for sure, but I don’t see it being anything in the middle. Like I said, I’m planning on going into it more on my episode post (which I need to go work on), but I really think Walt and Jesse may have each other’s backs yet.
~EJ
I think the only way Walt comes back to rescue Jesse is if Walt’s escape is made possible by something Jesse does that also drastically worsens Jesse’s situation. For example, if Todd is out of the picture, one of those two will be forced to keep production going, and if Jesse does that (maybe with a threat to Andrea/Brock being used as leverage), Walt may eventually come to forgive what Jesse has just done.
There’s another aspect to this though: the Lambert sisters’ reaction to Hank’s death.
Skyler (with some help from ‘not nearly enough’ booze) told Walt in no uncertain terms that he needs to handle this. And look what happened.
So you could be right that Skyler isn’t killed, but takes off, probably with the baby. But IMO it will take something else – something even closer to home – to get her to actually do that, because after all, how will she have any income if nobody’s running the car wash? Taking the baby and running away also means giving up that income stream. As far as we know, for all Walt’s obsession with providing for his family, he seems to have been pretty willing to take his entire hoard and bury it somewhere that Skyler can’t easily get it. But since Walt turned over most of the money to Skyler as he made it, surely she must have skimmed some for her own personal stash. No woman I’ve ever known would not do that! ;)
And Marie’s reaction will undoubtedly be even more visceral. Since Marie has already mentioned (twice) that it would be for the best if Walt were dead, and mentioned poisoning him the second time, I just CANNOT see VG not going anywhere with this. If he doesn’t, I for one am going to feel like it was a cop out not to.
So it now seems to me that in the aftermath of Hank’s death, the two sisters will (temporarily at least) be drawn closer, and maybe this will be what provides Marie with an opportunity to try to poison Walt? I’m sure Skyler would never dream Marie would be capable of that, especially if she doesn’t know the real circumstances of Hank’s death. At this point, only Marie knows Walt was involved, and she might decide to keep that to herself in order to get an opportunity to strike back. But since we know her effort will fail, I think the most likely victim will be Jr., a death that Skyler will almost certainly blame on Walt. That should certainly be enough to make a run for it with the baby, even if it does mean leaving everything else behind.
Hank and Gomez end up dead, if for no other reason than they run out of ammo. The ONLY way both Hank or Gomez aren’t killed outright (not just left for dead at the scene) is if all that shooting attracts some attention (forcing Jack’s crew to leave prematurely), but the area they are in should be too remote for that. Like you, I also expect no cavalry to arrive, if for no other reason than it’s too much of a cliche.
I assume that not only did Jack intend to fulfill his end of the bargain he made with Walt, but since the job turned out to be more than just killing Jesse, the new price is going to be a lot higher than what Walt originally agreed to.
Walt knows that Hank made a phone call (would that silly wave allow him to deduce that Hank was talking to Marie?). Presumably (if he has time, and if he doesn’t forget at first like he did with the LotV plant), Walt will retrieve Hank’s phone before they leave. This will create another dilemma for Walt, because he already knows that Marie thinks the best thing would be if he would just go ahead and die. Will Walt let Jack’s crew take out Marie before she wonders why Hank has been gone longer than the “a while” he told her it would be?
Marie becomes the *only* outside “witness” who has some idea what happened, and can help point the DEA in the right direction (towards Walt, but it will take more than her say-so to get Walt re-arrested). That’s the downside to Hank’s ‘keep-it-off-the-books’ scheme. Marie also is the only other one who knows that Hank made a video of Jesse’s confession. Wonder where Jesse’s confession video is, and how many copies there are? Surely he didn’t have every copy with him. Where, oh where, are those SD cards? Did Hank leave any in his SUV, and is that still parked in his driveway? How long will it take Marie to find them? Longer than it takes for Jack’s crew to take her out? If/when Jack realizes Marie is the only surviving link to his murder of two federal agents, taking her out won’t be Walt’s call.
Todd also dies because that forces Walt (and to a certain extent, Jesse) into a similar dilemma they had with Gus. Only now Lydia is the logical mastermind (and maybe she was a step above Gus in the power structure all along?) and Jack’s crew is not exactly under her control. Jesse will have two options: cook “or else” and the “or else” won’t be his death, of course. Kenny & that other henchman know that Andrea is close enough to Jesse to be “bait” and they know where she lives. If Jesse wants Andrea and Brock to stay healthy, he’ll have to cook.
Looks more and more like the M60 is meant for a confrontation with Jack’s crew.
And maybe it will be to rescue Jesse after all.
I could *almost* see that happening if Skyler and the kids were gone (probably dead) and Jesse was the only “family” Walt had left, but not after Jesse ratted Walt out so completely, causing Walt to actually be arrested. Remember that Walt only *assumed* Skyler had confessed to Hank, and she quickly reassured him that she had not. Jesse actually did it, and perhaps even worse, Jesse pulled of an elaborate scam with Hank that tricked & manipulated Walt, and I don’t think he will forgive that so easily.
Maybe something happens during the several months Walt is in New Hampshire to soften his current hatred of Jesse? We’ll just have to wait and see.
NO WAY Walt has anything (intentional) to do with Marie dying. No way. He tried to call those guys off over Hank and he knew he was going to be arrested. Marie is even closer family to him. Plus, Skyler was upset about making the confession video, she would never, ever, EVER forgive Walt if her sister died because of his criminal business. I don’t think she’ll forgive him over Hank to be honest. And Skyler would figure it out right away if Marie died and Walt was behind it.
So, just, no way. If he was willing to get arrested rather than get Hank killed, there is just no way he’s going to have Marie killed to tie up loose ends.
It’s possible Jack’s crew tries to do it on their own, but they’d have to know about her first. And Walt would fight it if they did find out about her and attempt anything.
Isn’t it Sunday already???
~EJ
Yep, but like I said, if Jack realizes Marie is the only surviving link to his murder of two federal agents, it won’t be up to Walt. Depends on who snatches Hank’s cell phone (if anyone thinks about that).
Since Walt knows/thinks he’s dying, he probably believes what he told Hank: he won’t live long enough to see the inside of a jail cell. The flashforward proved he was a bit pessimistic, though.
BTW, it is noteworthy that the people who end up dying in order for Walt to survive/stay free keep getting closer and closer to home. It started with typical street thugs (and usually in self-defense) and progressed from there to killing his boss, then his business partner, and now (probably) his brother-in-law, and in this progression each subsequent killing has been less urgently necessary, less and less a part of Walt’s intended plan, less and less in Walt’s control.
YES! Exactly! I wonder if we will see someone else in his family go, or if Hank’s death will be Walt’s undoing? At some point it has to get too close. I think it’ll only get worse from here. I have a feeling Marie could cause real trouble. If Walt somehow shows up at home, free, she’s going to know something went terribly wrong. Maybe Walt knows this and never returns home?
Rome fell, you know? Every empire eventually does.
~EJ
What Walt knows is going to depend greatly on whether or not he thinks about (and has time to) retrieve Hank’s cell phone before Jack’s crew hauls ass out of there.
Walt almost forgot about the LotV plant, and did forget about the surveillance video until it was too late. So under in the chaotic aftermath of the shootout, Walt just might not think about Hank’s cell phone, even though he watched Hank call SOMEone, clearly to gloat about his capture. Jack’s crew may have wounded in need of treatment (Todd?), and they may grab Walt and take him out of there before Walt thinks about it.
Plus, Walt is handcuffed, and so even if he thinks about the phone, until Jack’s crew finds the key (or brought boltcutters), it will probably be Jack or Kenny who retrieves Hank’s cell phone, not Walt.
Lots of good thoughts, and Todd dying could be in the cards. I haven’t predicted anything right except money was where Walt really lives, but the Gill taught me something. See what everyone thinks and it won’t be that.
The flying bullets naturally have most guessing who gets shot. What if no one gets shot? If it was going to happen, it should have happened already. Now everyone has cover. It’s a standoff. Hank is outgunned. Walt seriously doesn’t want him to get nailed. He’s going to in the middle (sorry Malcolm) with his hands raised. He’s the only one no one wants to kill (Hank wants him in jail).
What kind of bargain will he cut is my speculation. Offer Jack part of the money if he helps dig it up and move it? Can’t leave it there for the feds to find. Oh…Ozymandias… he’s going to lose the money. Jack might agree, then keep the money and dump Walt in town. Hmmm, may need a big gun to get it back.
I think Hank will live. Without him the primary conflict for the story will be gone with 2 (almost 3) episodes left. If Walt gets the recording of the phone call and the money is removed (without Hank seeing), again Hank has little evidence. He will be there for the endgame. Seems to me the ricin is for Walt. Where is he going to do the cancer deathbed thing? No options.
If nobody is dead in that shootout, it moves from being an over-the-top “A-team” style shootout to jumping the shark. Hank & Gomez went out there prepared to take one man into custody* and once they run out of ammo, it’s no longer a standoff, because it seems very likely that Jack’s crew brought plenty of ammo with them.
* I think it was an oversight for Hank to not realize that Walt might be able to bring some muscle with him, even though the scam they pulled wouldn’t seem to give Walt any chance to do that… UNLESS he was with already with somebody when Jesse called (but we’ll assume Hank had eyes on Walt when they placed the call, that’s how they followed him), or he had another phone available, or any number of other possibilities.
Also, Dean Norris wanted Hank to be killed off at the end of S5E8 because he was already cast in “Under The Dome” so that’s another practical reason why Hank died.
To be fair, I can’t be all that surprised that Hank and Gomie were unscathed in that opening fire. I mean come on, just rewind and look at how Todd is handling that firearm. I know I’m nit picking here, but I actually did rewind it a few times for a good laugh.
Do you guys think Jack’s men would have called it off if the agents had produced badges? What was that all about?
What was that Jack’s demand that they produce badges all about?
1. To give Jack’s crew an even bigger tactical advantage, because Hank and/or Gomez would have to lower their weapon to produce a badge.
2. The director probably thought that delay built tension even more, and allowed an opportunity to show all those closeups of their facial expressions
Todd’s shooting stance was pretty hilarious. I started to comment about that before, but didn’t want to seem too nitpicky, because even Hank and Gomey (among others) are shown with their line of sight well above their weapon sights. I guess the director wanted us to have a better view of their facial expressions than we would be able to see with their guns in the way.
re: “To be fair, I can’t be all that surprised that Hank and Gomie were unscathed in that opening fire.”
Not with all that full-auto weaponry shooting at them, especially considering that Kenny started shooting first with the AA-12 automatic shotgun. Kenny was one of the ones who *was* shown to be using his sights correctly. When you consider that his first few rounds (each of which probably had nine 00 pellets) reached their targets before they could react. Just too much lead covering too much of an area. Shooting first from that distance, he basically could not miss.
But it wouldn’t surprise me at all for Hank and Gomez to have both already been hit several times in the opening salvo, but their vests prevented any mortal wounds from those buckshot pellets, and they are still running on adrenalin. Also, Gomez is shown grimacing when he falls backwards into the grill of the SUV.
Some of the high angle (overhead) views of the confrontation show that Jack’s crew didn’t really position themselves very well, and the front of that SUV provides more cover from Kenny’s AA12 than some of the over views suggested.
I would expect one of them (maybe Kenny) to try and get around the right flank of the SUV, and somehow I expect to see something similar to what happened when Hank was attacked by the two cousins: Hank is down but not quite as out as he seems, and takes out one of Jack’s crew who gets too cocky.
I’m thinking that VG is not going to let Jack’s crew take out Hank & Gomez without losing at least an equal number of their own.
BTW, how stupid was it to bring the cook on which this entire operation’s cashflow depends to a shoot-out? …And then he doesn’t exactly keep his head down either?
@Ellyn
I think it was only to buy some time ( a bit like chess) in order to “confuse” Hank and Gomie.
@nomad
As much as I would like for Hank ( and Gomie) to survive the shoot out, it would be just too unrealistic.
One of the strong points of Breaking Bad has allways been the “close to reality” structure” of story telling even into minute details. No matter how many missleading switches , turns and surprises the story had. It was allways satisfactory for the viewer and believable: So I very much doubt, that the two of them survived.
Marcel:
Yep, If nobody is dead in that shootout, it moves from being an over-the-top “A-team” style shootout to jumping the shark.
My prediction is probably 4 KIA total. Maybe Todd is just wounded?
@Nomad you might be right. I can’t see Todd dead. There is still some “unfinnished” plot with Lydia (I think Todd might be a little bit in love with her)
I guess Todd doesn’t need to die, just be injured badly enough that he couldn’t cook.
Yeah, Todd could play the injured nephew. Wonderful characters!
Like Loki, I think it would be slightly too predictable if Hank dies. In any other show or movie, that call and no least the “I love you” would have been a final death sentence, but with Breaking Bad I’m not so sure. Why the cliffhanger? Just to give his death more prominance or what?
Having said that, I think I’ve already come to terms with him dying and it would seem like an acceptable plot turn even though I’ve grown to really care for Hank. When I think about it, maybe the official arrest was even more ominous than the call to his wife. He got to accomplish his great feat, but it would just be to straightforward an ending if he actually managed to get Walt in jail. I really liked that he did in fact outsmart the great Heisenberg, and I think that fact is what really brought Walt down from his throne. It kind of wouldn’t matter that/if he really ends up in jail; the game is over, checkmate for Walt either way.
Gale’s death was predictable outcome when the gun Jesse had pointed at him went off too.
Jack’s crew just has too much firepower – and more importantly, ammo – for there to be any other outcome but the deaths of both Hank and Gomez.
What Hank says about calling the tribal police is to “let them know we’re here” (as opposed to “let them know exactly where we are”) so that makes it pretty clear their only possible backup was not already alerted.
About the only thing that *might* happen is if Hank or Gomez call for backup (which would be normal procedure for any cop in their situation), but they seemed *a little too busy* trying to stay alive to make that call (and does Hank have tribal police on speed-dial?). But I have a feeling that something will happen to make Jack feel a more urgent need to leave than he did when they took out Declan’s crew. Which brings us back to why Jack asked for badges. He actually had no way to know Hank & Gomez were actually LEOs. As far as Jack knew, they were Jesse’s muscle who were kidnapping Walt (who conveniently didn’t bother to mention that to Jack).
Maybe the realization that they killed two feds will be enough to cause their retreat to be hasty?
As triumphant as trapping Walt was for Hank and Jesse, they would have been better off listening to Jesse’s advice from last episode: “He’s smarter than you. He’s luckier than you. Whatever you think is supposed to happen, the exact reverse opposite of that is going to happen.”
This time Walt for once wasn’t smarter than Hank and Jesse, but he was luckier — if shaking hands with the devil and having him *save* you against your wishes is lucky.