Breaking Bad: "Confessions"

Spoilers for everything up through this episode. And we have some doozies this week.

Let's talk a little bit about Jesse Pinkman. The title of next week's episode is "Rabid Dog," and it's no secret anymore who that's referring to, after one of the most visceral cliffhangers that "Breaking Bad" has given us in a while. Jesse's been a passive player since he quit the business after the train heist, directionless and adrift. Tonight he's no longer passive. He's been given purpose, a reason to finally unleash his building rage. Hank tried to give him that reason, but in typical Hank fashion was too eager and too transparent. As jaded as Jesse's become about Walt, it's easy to forget that the two of them do have a long history together and Jesse is nothing if not loyal, especially against an old and familiar enemy.

And he nearly let himself be shipped off to Alaska out of that loyalty. After finally calling Walt out for "working" him, Jesse essentially forgave him for killing Mike. He once again let Walt manipulate him with a show of paternal affection and concern, in the same way Walt manipulated Junior earlier in the episode. I love that the writers got us to invest in the possibility of Jesse's escape, the most appealing option he's been given after weeks of guilty purgatory. And at the very last second, the dog abandoned at the side of the road finally put two and two together. I thought the truth about Brock (and or Jane) was going to come from Hank, but Jesse putting it together himself is far more satisfying, and turns him into a wild card with his own agenda. I think he might still team up with Hank at some point, but right now Jesse's rage is burning way too hot for him to be thinking rationally.

Aaron Paul was the MVP of the hour, the first time this season he's really been given substantial material to work with. With the beard, he looks so much older and more haggard this year, but Paul's still as intense and vulnerable as ever. I love it when he gets to play off of Bryan Cranston in Heisenberg mode, and we got one of the best of their confrontations tonight. Their relationship has been warped from the start, but it can still be touching. Bob Odenkirk was also in rare form, the closest we got to comic relief in this episode as the increasingly nervous Saul. I found it tremendously upsetting to see him on the receiving end of real violence. Even though Saul is a ratfink and an enabler for Walt, he's essentially a bystander who stays out of the action. Then again, it was a great way of upping the stakes. If Saul could end up covered in blood, anybody in this show could be next.

Hank, meanwhile, has been outmaneuvered. He strikes out yet again with a potential witness, Jesse this time, and Walt's latest tactic represents a new low that caught me by surprise. The taped confession is another narrative feint, revealed to be a threat after the stony taqueria meeting between the Whites (wearing light clothes) and the Schraders (in dark clothes). This is possibly the most frightening thing that Walt has done yet. He's not threatening to kill Hank, but to destroy his life – his reputation and livelihood – and shamelessly twisting the facts to do it. The message is clear: if Hank is willing to destroy his family, Walt's taking Hank down with him. Hank and Marie watch the video in shock, much in the same way that I'm betting most of the audience was. And of course when we see Walt, he doesn't seem bothered at all by the enormity of the lie, and I like that it's suggested that this is why his performance on the tape is so convincing. Note that it's clearly weighing on Skyler, though.

So Hank's been temporarily stonewalled while Walt deals with the immediate threat from Jesse next week. We also can't forget about Todd and Uncle Jack, who made a brief but threatening appearance at the beginning of the episode. Todd is yet another loose end that could implicate Walt in major crimes that he's forgotten about, one who is proving worryingly loose-lipped. It'll be interesting to see how this storyline ends up affecting Walt, which seems peripheral for now, but won't stay that way for long. Finally, though Walter Jr. has reappeared, he still doesn't know about Heisenberg. However, they've built up the reveal to the extent that it's got to be a major plot point in the weeks to come.

Finally, one of this week's random pop culture reference is Hello Kitty, a beloved symbol that depends on the harmonious interaction of White and Pink. That's kinda fitting, yo.
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