The Rogue
From Geek Goes Rogue TV Editor Zach W. Lorton, who still hasn’t recovered from the weekend…
Will Hank and Marie cut Skyler out of their lives? Will Jesse say anything to the police or the DEA? How will Todd and Lydia increase the quality of the meth they produce if Walt refuses to get involved again? Is Skyler under arrest?
Here, in all its guts and glory, is my real-time DVR commentative review of the Breaking Bad episode “Confessions.”
#SpoilerAlert.
============================
0:01:50 – We see a close-up shot of a cigarette being lit. Cut to a shot of Todd outside of a small cafe. He calls Walter on his cell phone, admitting that Walt is “probably real busy with retirement,” but fills him in that a power shift has occurred, and to contact him if he wants details, but “it’s cool, so … whatever.” Todd’s becoming my dark horse favorite.
0:02:42 – Todd’s in a diner, telling the story of the train heist to a couple of characters who look like they’re fine, upstanding citizens who care about the welfare of others. Just kidding! They look like wannabe thugs who will likely take the details from Todd’s story and threaten Walt in some way with it. This’ll work just fine, Todd. (Actually, it’s Todd’s uncle and one of his cohorts.)
0:05:22 – The upright citizens Todd has been talking with are both in the toilet, taking care of business. Every way. The older one wipes what appears to be dried blood off his boots.
0:06:29 – Title Card.
0:08:53 – Interrogation Station. Jesse is being asked dozens of questions and answers none. Hank walks in and shuts off the video camera, then tells Jesse that he knows the real identity of Heisenberg.
0:10:05 – Hank offers to wipe Jesse’s record clean if he gives up Walt, but before Jesse can respond, Hank tries to lean on him, suggesting that the two aren’t on the best of terms. Jesse, not even looking at Hank, replies simply: “Eat me.”
0:11:25 – Hank sees right through Jesse’s tough veneer, then begins to try to relate to him. For a minute, it appears to work, as if Jesse will talk about his involvement with Walt. He may want to talk to someone, but he looks at Schrader and coolly replies, “Not to you.”
0:12:27 – “Agent Schrader. Beat any good suspects lately?” Saul’s here. Yaaaaayyy!
0:13:35 – The White House. Walt is on the phone, trying to talk Saul down to the ground level. He tells him to work his magic, then hangs up. Walt Jr. comes home, and through closed doors, they converse about Walt being out late the night before.
0:15:35 – Junior’s about to go to Aunt Marie’s to help with a “computer problem”, when Walt brings him back inside. He sits him down and begins, “I don’t want to keep things from you…” Man, sometimes I wish Walt would just tell his son about the whole Heisenberg thing so he could react the same way he did when Walt and Skyler fabricated the story about Walt winning money through gambling, thinking his father to be a total badass. But no, he talks about his recurring cancer.
0:16:46 – Walt tells his son to stay positive, and Junior looks like he’s about ready to lose it. Talk about ripping your heart right out through your nostril. Junior demands to stay instead of going to Hank and Marie’s.
0:17:40 – Hank lets Marie know he hasn’t told the rest of the DEA about who Heisenberg is, and he’s not about to yet.
0:18:30 – Walt’s sitting on the edge of his bed, Skyler’s next to a camera on a tripod. “My name is Walter Hartwell White. I live at 308 Negra Arroyo Lane, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87104. This is my confession.”
0:22:29 – Walt and Skyler are awkwardly waiting at a table in a restaurant, when in walk Hank and Marie. Oh, what fresh hell is this? Hank looks really angry, and Marie can’t look either of them in eye. As Walt begins talking, they’re interrupted by Trent, the excitedly bubbly server. Why do I think this isn’t that last we’ll see of him in this scene?
0:24:55 – As Walt is asking Hank and Marie not to involve their children, and insisting Hank has no evidence to support his findings that Walt is Heisenberg, here comes Trent with 4 waters. “So, how about that guacamole?”
0:25:42 – Skyler reveals that Walt’s involvement in the manufacture of meth is finished. Words fly, Walt uses the word “right” to Hank’s chagrin, and the exchange becomes a little heated. In the middle of it, Marie pipes in: “Why don’t you kill yourself, Walt?” It’s not angry, it’s not vengeful, it a methodical point. “This whole thing dies with you, right?” Eventually, Hank lays it out that neither Walt nor Skyler will walk away from what they’ve created. The only solution is for Walt to admit what he’s done. Walt exchanges glances with Skyler, then they get up, leave a DVD of Walt’s confessional video on the table, and leave the restaurant.
0:27:50 – “My name is Walter Hartwell White.” Hank and Marie are watching the video, in which Walt confesses that Hank has been using Walter to build a meth empire because of his extensive knowledge of chemistry. “I was … astounded.” Walt has painted himself as a victim of circumstance, and described Hank as the perfect foil, even fingering him as the man who murdered Gus Fring. His fabrication is expertly woven, obviously a threat to show the video to the authorities if Hank doesn’t back off.
0:32:25 – “$177,000? What the hell’s he talking about?” Marie never told Hank that Walt and Skyler paid for Hank’s medical bills. Hank is deflated upon hearing this news.
0:33:55 – Saul and Jesse are waiting in the desert for someone. In the foreground, we see a tarantula crawling towards Jesse’s general vicinity. If the writers are any good, this could mean that either Todd is showing up, or the ghost of the kid he shot is on his way for vengeance.
0:34:20 – Crap, it’s just Walt.
0:35:31 – Jesse reveals that Hank tried to get him to spill everything about Walt, and Saul interrupts. Walt’s all, “Why don’t you go take a walk, Saul?” Saul, shaking in his boots a little bit, takes a walk. Man, I love Bob Odenkirk.
0:37:00 – Walt suggests Jesse use Saul’s guy as an End Game, likely for his own reasons. Jesse sees right through it, though, and tells Walt to just be honest. To just tell him that he needs Jesse gone, or he’ll kill Jesse in the same way he killed Mike. You can tell that Jesse is hurt here — he knows he can’t trust Walt anymore, no matter how much he wants to. But Walt approaches Jesse, and wraps him in a big hug. Jesse begins to sob, but doesn’t return the hug, and for a minute, you think Walt might shoot him.
0:44:53 – Car Wash World. Somewhere in the world, the drug kingpin still has to has someone to take over the register duties for him since he has to make his next chemo appointment. Walt assures Skyler, lost in thought, that the ruse worked, and they’re going to be fine.
0:46:30 – Steve Gomez is pressuring Hank to let him know what’s going on with Steve’s agents keeping an eye on Jesse Pinkman, even though he’s the problem of the APD. Hank relents and tells Steve to take the agents off their post. Hank leaves the office, and his secretary reminds him of a 3 o’clock appointment, which he reschedules.
0:47:20 – Saul is about to make the call to arrange the End Game for Jesse, which I’m kind of surprised he’s going along with. Walt has given Saul some extra money to help Jesse on the way, and Jesse blazes up a joint, which sets Saul off. He demands that Jesse put out the joint, which he does, and that Jesse hand over the rest of the weed, which he doesn’t. Instead, he defiantly sticks the bag of dope back in his pocket.
0:40:40 – Jesse’s nervous about this solution, which he should be, especially when he finds out Huell is taking him to the drop-off point. Jesse wonders if he can choose where he’ll begin his new life, and he wonders aloud about Alaska. With that jacket and beard, Jesse, you look like you may already know the terrain.
0:51:27 – Jesse’s at the meet point. He pulls out his pack of cigarettes, pauses, then begins to feel his pockets for something. His bag of weed is missing. Not finding it, he looks down at the pack of cigarettes in his hand, and begins to put something together in his mind. The van to take him out of town pulls up, but Jesse picks up his bag and walks off.
0:57:43 – Jesse storms into Saul’s office, right past Huell (which is surprising, what with Huell’s ninja-like reflexes and all), and coldcocks Saul across the face. “Code red!” Saul screams, which brings Huell and his secretary in the room, but Jesse has his gun out and leveled at Saul. He realized that Walt had Saul steal the ricin cigarette from Jesse so that he could poison Brock. Which, I have to point out, is an incorrect plot hole — Jesse was told that the doctors discovered Brock had eaten berries from a Lily of the Valley plant, which they only found after Jesse had Andrea ask them about ricin poisoning. I’m still in the episode, so I’m not sure where the writers are going with this, but I’ll strap in. Jesse takes Saul’s keys and leaves, and Saul, bleeding pretty badly, makes a phone call.
0:59:57 – Walt all but screeches his car into the car wash, then waits and collects himself before walking in the door. He fabricates a story about the soda machine to justify his being there to Skyler, which I’ve got to point something out here… Walt can fabricate the most elaborate story to anyone, pull the wool over anybody’s eyes, and have it seem believable, but not when he tries to lie to his wife. Every time he does, he just sounds like a foolish boy. Walt walks over to the soda machine, opens it, reaches underneath and grabs a revolver, which is coated with a layer of dust and ice (a nice touch), and puts it in his jacket pocket.
1:02:07 – Jesse, in Saul’s car, comes crashing into Walt’s driveway. He grabs a gas can from the trunk, breaks into the house and begins to douse the place in gasoline.
1:02:35 – Executive Producer Vince Gilligan.
Tune in next week.
Zach W. Lorton is a media producer and professional DJ/MC by trade, and a comedian, actor, and musician by default. His debut music project is set to begin recording in 2014, and will likely take the world by storm, possibly in the form of a Sharknado.
Patheos loves Breaking Bad. And we love to write about it!
For more recaps, reviews, and discussion, visit our Breaking Bad page.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In