Breaking Bad Review: “Buyout”

Well last week, we had a bit of a disagreement. I believed a certain someone shooting a certain small child was a rather out-of-nowhere plot development that wasn’t justified. Many of you believed it was a well-telegraphed event that totally fits with the recent happenings of the show.

While we can agree to disagree, we got to see the end result of the matter at hand in a chilling opening that was one of the season’s most memorable.

The stripping of the bike and dissolving in the barrel was gruesome if only by juxtaposition, as you knew the child was next on the list for the same treatment. What was a bit less intense was how the matter was dealt with regarding Todd the loose cannon.

As it turns out, the event seems to be a relatively minor footnote, even though it’s probably the single most tragic occurrence that’s happened on the show. In short, Todd gets to stick around and he vaguely hints about some connections in prison that are perceived as something of a threat. But that’s not really what’s the pressing matter at hand, even if the kid has gone missing on the news.

Rather, the child was a catalyst for another development, Mike and Jesse wanting out of the operation. The unfortunate killing combined with the availability of a seemingly great way out was too tempting to pass up for them as a way to avoid Walt’s mad scheme.

The problem, of course, is Walt himself. The show did a good job effectively explaining why he didn’t want to sell between recalling his stint at Grey Matter and a demonstration to Jesse as to how his home life is falling apart (in what was one of the most awkward dinners in TV history). You can almost see where he’s coming from, but it’s pretty damn hard to say that turning down $5M is rational, no matter what the explanation behind it.

But it’s now been officially stated that Walt cares more about power than he does money or meth, as evidenced by his “empire” speech to Jesse. He wants to be king of the hill, even if that hill is made up of dead bodies and junkies and he’s in constant danger of falling off to his death.

Now the question is what exactly Walt’s plan is that was hyped up at the end with Mike’s gun to his head. He moved the methylamine (how exactly?) so Mike wouldn’t go ahead with the deal, but he has a plan that has even Jesse defending him.

What it could be? I’ve been racking my brain and I have no idea. I can’t imagine it would be something as insane as selling the methylamine, then robbing the people who bought it. Nor can I picture them switching out the product with something diluted. So what is it? What’s Walt’s master plan?

Other highlights from the episode include Skylar on the brink, and I have to wonder where her character is going. I would imagine that either Walt’s going to kill her, or she’s going to kill him in the end. In any case, I don’t foresee a happily ever after between the two of them.

Another chilling moment was Todd taking the spider in a jar as a souvenir. I think he’s definitely an interesting character, and I hope they won’t leave his subplot hanging. Though there are only two episodes left in this half-season.

See you next week!