We Never Thought the Ricin Would End Up Getting to THAT Character

Breaking Bad- End Times

Walt (or was it Marie?) actually makes a smart decision and sends his family to Hank’s house to be protected by the DEA along with Hank and Marie. Walt is acting like the Walt of season one: accepting responsibility for his actions, not blaming others, not whining, and knowing that he deserves some consequences. So he sits with his gun in a patio chair next to his pool. He spins the gun, and for the first few spins, when it stops, it points at him. Did Bryan Cranston practice spinning the gun like that, or did they do multiple takes?

Hank gets one of his cop buddies to search Gus’ laundromat, but he doesn’t find anything. Saul is preparing to skip town, so he gives Jesse all of the money Jesse is owed. He also tells Jesse that Gus threatened Walt’s family. Soon after, Jesse receives a call from Andrea. Brock is in the hospital, gravely ill. That’s right. The ricin didn’t reach its intended victim. We didn’t realize this is what happened to Brock until we saw Jesse go outside the hospital to smoke. Then we were reminded.

The lesson here, clearly, is never to get close to Jesse Pinkman. First it was his girlfriend, then Gale, and now Brock. An occasional ass kicking is the least of Jesse’s worries. Jesse tells Andrea to tell the doctors that it’s ricin, then he drives to Walt’s house to shoot him. Jesse’s brain makes one of the most irrational leaps ever when he somehow decides that Walt poisoned Brock, since he knew about ricin. Walt, just as paranoid as Jesse, thinks that Gus stole Jesse’s ricin and poisoned Brock so that Jesse would suspect Walt and Jesse would kill Walt so that Gus wouldn’t have to and Jesse would keep cooking for him. IT’S BRILLIANT.

Only that doesn’t make much sense either. It’s much more likely that Brock found the cigarette and wanted to be a little rebel and try to smoke. It doesn't matter how Brock got the ricin. All that matters is that Jesse has remembered that Walt isn't all bad, and that Gus' men have put children in danger. We really don't think Gus had anything to do with Brock's poisoning. Walt is just freaking out because of all of Gus' schemes to turn Jesse this season. Walt and Jesse make a plan to kill Gus.

It is the end times. The judgment day. Gus and Jesse meet in the hospital chapel, and it’s clear that Jesse has to definitively choose sides, only he already has. Walt is outside, rigging Gus’ car with a homemade bomb (man, Walt is so cool sometimes) while Jesse distracts him. Gus walks back to his car in the parking garage, but then suddenly stops and starts looking around. Walt was watching nearby, waiting to hit the EXPLODE button. Gus decides against going to his car, turns around, and walks away.

Finale time next week guys! We’re so excited.

Episode grade: A-