Breaking Bad Review: “Crawl Space”

After last week’s crescendo of destruction that was the mass murder of the cartel higher ups, it stood to reason that serious consequences would follow. It was unclear as to what exactly those consequences would be, and who the rain would fall on, but now it’s pretty clear who’s getting drenched.

That would be Walter White.

I posed the question last week about whether or not there was any cartel left to seek revenge on Gus for his betrayal. Was Don Eladio connected to someone even higher that wanted his death investigated and avenged? It doesn’t really seem that way, as I took the scene with Salamenca as a sort of closure on that chapter, hence the whole “the family name dies with you” line that implied everyone else of importance was indeed toast.

Rather Gus is now kicking back into gear, thus answering the question of whether or not he would survive his quasi-kamikaze attempt. The medical tent in Mexico implied this was a very, very well orchestrated plan preparing for every possible calamitous contingency. Jesse marveled at the fact that Gus knew his blood type when even he didn’t, and he sees not only how smart and prepared Gus is, but how much he values him as a part of the team.

I swear he has this look on his face most of the time lately.

After all, he’s the new Golden Goose. After proving that he can make the pure blue stuff as good as Mr. White, all of a sudden, Walter’s services are no longer required. But even though he currently hates him enough to spend five minutes shoving him out of his yard, Jesse says he still won’t work if Walter is killed. I don’t exactly understand this. What’s stopping Gus from killing Walter, and threatening Jesse, or his friends and surrogate family unless he continues to make the blue stuff? There would seem to be plenty of ways to motivate, and Walter isn’t required for most of them. He’s as unstable as they come, and therefore a huge liability for Gus.

The most pressing issue at the moment is the new hit out on Hank. Once he pinpointed the laundromat as the lab site, it was game over, and now it’s a game of cat and mouse to see if the DEA can actually protect him from Gus’ impending hit squads. At least his top man, Mike, is out of commission so Hank might actually have a shot. Walter now has risked life and limb to even anonymously warn Hank, but by doing so he realizes he’s essentially signed a death warrant for his entire family as Gus will realize what he’s done when Hank’s new protection detail gets there.

In the side plot of the evening, I thought Ted’s demise was handled in true Breaking Bad fashion, something we haven’t really seen in a while. I had flashbacks to Walt and Jesse having their bathub floor eaten away by acid, and mopping up a half dissolved body which had come crashing down through the ceiling. Morbid, yet undeniably funny at the same time. And unlikely as it was that Ted would trip and murder himself, I couldn’t help but laugh when he did so. But what happens now with that? The audit should be stopped, but will there be a further investigation into his death? Where all that cash came from?

Poor idiotic Ted, we hardly knew ye.

The last scene of the episode was exceptionally haunting, and one of the moments that make this show great. Walt’s maniacal laughter as Skyler hears the news about Hank was spine chilling, and it seems like things are going to hell quickly. How the hell can Walt fight back? What’s his next move? I was sure Gus wouldn’t live through the end of the season, but what can Walt do to survive, much less actually kill Gus? I feel he’s going to have to stage some sort of coup with Jesse, but as evidenced by recent events, he’s not exactly on the best of terms with him.

I’m bummed it took this long to pick up, but Breaking Bad appears to be back to its riveting self from now until hopefully the end of the season.

 

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14 Comments

  1. I took it more as being in a “tight space” metaphor.
    As such, I wouldn’t count Walt being out just yet. He’s usually at the top of his game when he gets backed into a corner.

  2. Is Ted actually dead? They seemed to be pretty ambiguous about that, what with Saul not actually saying it, could’ve just broke something (however unlikely).

  3. I didn’t realise Ted died, thought he just knocked himself out.

    The last scene was extremely nervewracking, very haunting indeed. Cannot wait for the final two episodes of this season.

  4. This has not been Walts year. Now hes basically out of money and legitamately fears for his familys life. With a whole lot to lose no other real options, I expect Walt to pull himself together and make a firm stand. Someones gonna die, and at this point it could be anyone.
    Speaking of dying, did Ted die? Or is he just maybe paralyzed/comatose? Either way, its still a big loophole that could definitely bite Skyler in the ass later on.

  5. It didn’t seem like to me all the money he has made so far added up.

    Previous episode they say he makes around 270k every two weeks.

    What about all the money he made previously?

    They made a huge to do about how much money they had that it broke the rod in their closet.

    Was that before or after they bought the car wash?

    I seems like it was after…

    Spent 650k on paying off ted –
    Spent 710k? for the car wash.
    Medical Expenses ???
    3 cars?
    fines for the car that exploded.
    All other incidentals..

    Even then they should have more money than they allude to.

  6. Walt gets rid of his family this season, making the last season a focus on cat and mouse with Hank, Walt and Gus. Hank dies, Walt kills Gus, becomes new druglord, end of series, BB redeems itself (for me at least).

  7. Someone is going to get killed. That’s a fact, that someone will piss Walter off so much, that he will finally break bad. Next season will be all about the rise of Heisenberg. Lets all be honest, we don’t like Walter White, in fact, we hate him. His everything about ourselves that we hate. Heisenberg on the other hand … Gus will force Walter to fully transform or die. We know walt. I’m really exited for next season, i want to see the rise of Heisenberg.

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