Summary and spoilers
Jesse is burying himself in bongs, avoiding contact with everyone (including Walt) and trying to forget the disturbing ATM death he just witnessed. Walt comes for a visit and, as usual, berates Jesse for being a lazy druggie. But when he hears the details of what happened, he backs off and takes over Jesse’s role as liaison with Badger and the other foot soldiers. Badger and Skinny Pete want to know if the street rumors are true: did Jesse really crush a guy’s head under an ATM? Walt neither confirms nor denies, at once seeing the value in letting these rumors fly. Back at Jesse’s place, Walt pumps Jesse up with stories about how he is now feared as a blowfish no one wants to cross. Walt encourages Jesse to expand the operation. Suitably inspired, Jesse fires up his troops to get more sub-dealers.
Maybe Jesse and Walt would think twice about this if they knew what we happening to Hank. In El Paso, Hank is seemingly the only guy in the department who doesn’t speak Spanish. He’s also not used to the way his co-detectives treat their local snitch Tortuga (The Tortoise) with such respect. On his first stakeout, things go terribly wrong: in the desert, Tortuga’s has been severed and attached to a real tortoise that is wandering around with ‘Welcome DEA’ painted on its shell. Seeing this, Hank has another of his panic attacks and stumbles back to the vehicle while the rest of the guys laugh at him and gather around the tortoise. Then the tortoise explodes, killing agents and scattering appendages; Hank is spared because he had moved away.
We’ve watched as Skyler has become extremely restless regarding her relationship with Walt. She’s now actively looking to get a job, partly because the bank account is dropping, but perhaps for other reasons as well. She applies for a data entry position at Beneke, a place where she worked before. Using speed of foot, she slips past a protective secretary and talks directly to the top ranking dude at Benke: Ted, a man whom she knows from her last stint there. Ted is also happy to see her, and offers her old job back. She takes it. Marie is appalled; years ago, Ted had groped Skyler at an office Christmas party while drunk. Skyler assures her that it was a one-off and Ted had apologized profusely. Besides, he’s married with two kids. It’s only after Skyler starts her first day of work that she learns that Ted is now divorced. Although both remain professional so far, there’s obviously some chemistry and vulnerability from both sides.
Jesse returns home with his new wall-mounted wide screen TV (stuck on Channel Search). He confides to Jane that his real name is Jesse Pinkman, not Jesse Jackson, then invites her in to watch. Sitting in lawn furniture, watching the bland search screen, Jane tentatively reaches over to hold Jesse’s hand.
Comments
Like the frank, depressing muses that followed Bravely Bold Sir Robin in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, the episode opens with three black-clothed Mexicans strumming matching guitars and singing in Spanish (with subtitles) about a gringo called Heisenberg who is the new king of the drug trade in New Mexico, and how the drug cartels are about to express their unhappiness about this by killing him. Walt stands in the background, his body turned away from the strummers, looking out over the desert.
There’s an element of self-referential incredulousness between Jesse and Walt about the outrageousness of the ATM head-crushing script. Likewise, the way Walt and Jesse play both sides of Walt’s motivational blowfish speech momentarily ranks these two actors as one of the top comic teams. I hope they get a chance to do an encore.
Memorable Moments
- The surprise tortoise
- Walt’s hilarious motivational blowfish speech, and Jesse’s hilarious reactions to it
Breaking Bad Quotes
Walt: Look, I’m his father, alright?
Jane: You’re Mr. Jackson?
Walt: [pauses] Yes…that’s me.
Jesse: I didn’t say I killed him.
Walt: Tell me what happened!
Jesse: The dude’s wife crushed his head with an ATM machine.
Walt: Crushed his -
Jesse: Crushed his head with an ATM machine, right in front of me.
Walt: What have you heard?
Badger: Did Jesse really, uh, I mean, uh, did he really…squash that dude’s head with an ATM machine?
Walt: Who’s saying that?
Skinny Pete: Hell, man, it’s all over town! Everybody’s like, "Whoa, snap!" Usually I gotta chase dudes down for their money, but today, everybody’s paying up!
Other dealer: True that. Serious.
Badger: But like…he really did it?
Walt: [pauses] You didn’t hear that from me.
Walt: The game has changed. The word is out. And you are a killer.
Jesse: What are you talking about?
Walt: Apparently it’s all over town. Somebody crossed you; you got angry. You crushed their skull with an ATM machine.
Jesse: That’s not how it happened -
Walt: Who cares? Just as long as it’s our competitors who believe it and not the police.
Jesse: Oh, my -
Walt: No, don’t you see how great this is? Look, you, you are - Jesse, look at me. You…are a blowfish.
Jesse: What?
Walt: A blowfish – think about it. Small in stature, not swift, not cunning. Easy prey for predators, but the blowfish has a secret weapon, doesn’t he, doesn’t he? What does the blowfish do, Jesse? What does the blowfish do?
Jesse: I don’t even know what -
Walt: The blowfish puffs up, okay – the blowfish – puffs himself up four, five times larger than normal! And why? Why does he do that? So that it MAKES him intimidating, that’s why. Intimidating! So that the other, scarier fish are scared off. And that’s you – you are a blowfish. But you see it’s just all an illusion. It’s noting but air. Now…who messes with the blowfish, Jesse?
Jesse: Nobody.
Walt: You’re damn right.
Jesse: I’m a blowfish.
Walt: You are a blowfish. Say it again.
Jesse: I’m a blowfish.
Walt: Say it like you mean it.
Jesse: I’m a blowFISH!
Skyler: Speaking of riding desks…I got myself a job today.
Marie: You did not…as big as you are.
Walt Jr.: Mom got a job.
Walt: A job – why?
Skyler: Do I need to get out the checkbook and show you?
Walt: No…you think it’s a good idea in your condition?
Skyler: No, no, the doctor said I can work practically up until I go into labor. It’s just an office job; I’m just sitting on my butt.
Walt: Where?
Skyler: Beneke. I’m back working in the accounting department.
Walt: Skyler! What about the welding fumes? Isn’t that why you had to quit in the first place?
Skyler: Um, they’ve gone green since then. They have some kind of green…welding…or something. I didn’t smell anything while I was in there.
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