WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.720 Okay, so let's unpack this. We are back, and 00:00:02.720 --> 00:00:05.360 today we are absolutely turning up the heat. 00:00:05.480 --> 00:00:07.860 Oh, we really are. We are looking at a heavily 00:00:07.860 --> 00:00:10.720 pivotal moment in television history, specifically 00:00:10.720 --> 00:00:14.460 Breaking Bad Season 4, Episode 6. Right, the 00:00:14.460 --> 00:00:17.079 episode titled Cornered. Cornered, and honestly, 00:00:17.539 --> 00:00:19.239 I think this might be one of the most stressful 00:00:19.239 --> 00:00:21.719 hours of television I have ever sat through. 00:00:21.760 --> 00:00:25.179 It is incredibly tense, and that title, Cornered, 00:00:25.359 --> 00:00:27.500 it is doing a lot of heavy lifting for the narrative. 00:00:27.600 --> 00:00:30.579 It really is. It isn't just a cool name. It is 00:00:30.579 --> 00:00:33.799 the thematic glue that holds every single storyline 00:00:33.799 --> 00:00:35.939 this entire episode together. Absolutely. This 00:00:35.939 --> 00:00:38.140 is the part of the story where the pressure cooker 00:00:38.140 --> 00:00:41.020 just entirely blows its lid off. Yeah. And we 00:00:41.020 --> 00:00:43.299 have a massive stack of sources today to guide 00:00:43.299 --> 00:00:46.520 us through this. We are pulling from plot summaries, 00:00:46.979 --> 00:00:49.340 critical reception from heavy hitters like IGN 00:00:49.340 --> 00:00:51.579 and the AV Club. Some really great analysis in 00:00:51.579 --> 00:00:54.060 there. Definitely. And we also have some fascinating 00:00:54.060 --> 00:00:56.320 production details from writer Jennifer Hutchison 00:00:56.320 --> 00:00:59.679 and director Michael Slovis. It is a brilliant 00:00:59.679 --> 00:01:02.439 stack of material to work with. And if we look 00:01:02.439 --> 00:01:05.000 at the core mission of this deep dive, we are 00:01:05.000 --> 00:01:08.060 really here to unpack three specific things. 00:01:08.260 --> 00:01:11.260 Lay them out for us. First, we have the psychology 00:01:11.260 --> 00:01:14.140 of Walter White's ego, which is just massive 00:01:14.140 --> 00:01:17.599 and incredibly fragile right now. Second, the 00:01:17.599 --> 00:01:20.299 shifting sands of Jesse Pinkman's loyalty. It's 00:01:20.299 --> 00:01:23.939 just such a great arc. It is. And third, and 00:01:23.939 --> 00:01:26.900 perhaps most importantly, Skyler White's terrifying 00:01:26.900 --> 00:01:29.959 realization of who she's actually married to. 00:01:30.239 --> 00:01:32.219 It is a lot of ground to cover. But before we 00:01:32.219 --> 00:01:34.140 get into the heavy analysis, let's set the scene 00:01:34.140 --> 00:01:35.920 a little bit for you listening. Because season 00:01:35.920 --> 00:01:38.099 four really feels different than the previous 00:01:38.099 --> 00:01:40.980 seasons. Tension is the key word here. Remember, 00:01:41.219 --> 00:01:43.769 Gale Boetticher is dead. Right. And that event 00:01:43.769 --> 00:01:46.909 isn't just a plot point. It is radioactive fallout. 00:01:46.969 --> 00:01:49.989 It is poisoning everything around it. The drug 00:01:49.989 --> 00:01:51.750 business is tightening its grip. And inside the 00:01:51.750 --> 00:01:53.989 White household, that external pressure is causing 00:01:53.989 --> 00:01:56.650 major internal fractures. Right. And usually 00:01:56.650 --> 00:01:58.349 when people get backed into a corner, we talk 00:01:58.349 --> 00:02:00.709 about the fight or flight response. That is the 00:02:00.709 --> 00:02:03.430 classic biological reaction. Exactly. Some people 00:02:03.430 --> 00:02:07.859 fight. Some people flee. As we will see in this 00:02:07.859 --> 00:02:10.000 episode, some people go out and buy ridiculously 00:02:10.000 --> 00:02:12.599 expensive muscle cars. Ah, yeah, that is a very 00:02:12.599 --> 00:02:15.319 specific reaction to trauma, isn't it? I'm sad, 00:02:15.360 --> 00:02:17.939 so I need a Dodge Challenger. A completely rational 00:02:17.939 --> 00:02:20.819 choice. Totally. But okay, let's dive into the 00:02:20.819 --> 00:02:23.020 meat of this. We have to start with the moment 00:02:23.020 --> 00:02:25.639 that defines this episode. And maybe one of the 00:02:25.639 --> 00:02:27.520 moments that defines the whole show. You were 00:02:27.520 --> 00:02:29.389 talking about the monologue. I am talking about 00:02:29.389 --> 00:02:31.949 the one who knocks. Let's get right into it then. 00:02:32.210 --> 00:02:34.750 This segment of The Deep Dive is really about 00:02:34.750 --> 00:02:37.389 the total disintegration of the white marriage. 00:02:37.949 --> 00:02:40.810 But to understand the explosion, you have to 00:02:40.810 --> 00:02:43.310 understand the spark. Right. And it starts with 00:02:43.310 --> 00:02:46.150 Skylar White being afraid. She is absolutely 00:02:46.150 --> 00:02:48.669 terrified. And let's look at why. She looks at 00:02:48.669 --> 00:02:51.349 Walt and she doesn't see a hardened drug lord. 00:02:51.449 --> 00:02:53.710 Not at all. She sees a high school chemistry 00:02:53.710 --> 00:02:57.560 teacher who is in way over his head. She suspects 00:02:57.560 --> 00:02:59.960 he is in danger because of Gail Boetticher's 00:02:59.960 --> 00:03:02.560 death. She thinks the business is closing in 00:03:02.560 --> 00:03:05.060 on him. She thinks he is the one being cornered. 00:03:05.139 --> 00:03:08.219 Exactly. And that is the trigger. She is trying 00:03:08.219 --> 00:03:11.000 to be sympathetic. She is expressing fear for 00:03:11.000 --> 00:03:13.719 him. She's saying, essentially, I know you are 00:03:13.719 --> 00:03:15.840 in trouble and I want to help you. But Walt! 00:03:16.139 --> 00:03:18.340 Walt hears something completely different. He 00:03:18.340 --> 00:03:20.919 takes it as a massive insult. He really does. 00:03:20.939 --> 00:03:23.460 It wounds his pride deeply. You have to remember, 00:03:23.699 --> 00:03:26.259 Walt has been painstakingly building this Heisenberg 00:03:26.259 --> 00:03:30.680 persona. So to him, the idea that he is a victim 00:03:30.879 --> 00:03:33.199 Right. That he is someone who needs to be afraid 00:03:33.199 --> 00:03:36.139 solely of the danger knocking at his door. It 00:03:36.139 --> 00:03:38.919 is unacceptable to his ego. It makes him feel 00:03:38.919 --> 00:03:41.680 small. So he explodes, and we get that famous 00:03:41.680 --> 00:03:44.219 line, he tells her explicitly, I am the one who 00:03:44.219 --> 00:03:46.259 knocks. And what is really fascinating here is 00:03:46.259 --> 00:03:48.280 that this isn't just a cool line for a t -shirt. 00:03:48.400 --> 00:03:50.439 No, not at all. This is a deep psychological 00:03:50.439 --> 00:03:53.460 reveal. Walt is showing his Heisenberg persona 00:03:53.460 --> 00:03:56.539 to Skyler fully for the very first time. He isn't 00:03:56.539 --> 00:03:58.699 holding back or playing the mild -mannered husband 00:03:58.699 --> 00:04:01.819 anymore. He's aggressively claiming his importance 00:04:01.819 --> 00:04:04.139 in the drug trade. He is bragging, essentially. 00:04:04.159 --> 00:04:06.580 He absolutely is. He is soothing his own ego. 00:04:07.080 --> 00:04:09.939 He is implying very heavily that he was the one 00:04:09.939 --> 00:04:12.379 responsible for killing Gale. Which we know isn't 00:04:12.379 --> 00:04:14.659 exactly how it went down. Right. But he wants 00:04:14.659 --> 00:04:17.259 credit for the violence because, in his twisted 00:04:17.259 --> 00:04:20.350 logic, that makes him powerful. Not vulnerable. 00:04:20.910 --> 00:04:23.649 He is looking at his wife and saying, I am the 00:04:23.649 --> 00:04:26.170 predator, not the prey. And Skyla's reaction 00:04:26.170 --> 00:04:28.529 is just chilling. It is brilliant acting. It 00:04:28.529 --> 00:04:30.970 is. Because she doesn't scream. She doesn't fight 00:04:30.970 --> 00:04:33.269 back in that moment. She just realizes something 00:04:33.269 --> 00:04:36.610 profound. It is the realization that her entire 00:04:36.610 --> 00:04:39.329 premise was wrong. She thought she wasn't safe 00:04:39.329 --> 00:04:42.410 with him because of external threats. The cartel, 00:04:42.490 --> 00:04:44.829 the police, whoever. Right. Now she realizes 00:04:44.829 --> 00:04:47.170 she isn't safe with him because of him. She needs 00:04:47.170 --> 00:04:49.620 to be safe from him. It turns the whole dynamic 00:04:49.620 --> 00:04:52.259 of the show on its head. It is such a massive 00:04:52.259 --> 00:04:55.699 cultural moment. Our sources highlight that Time 00:04:55.699 --> 00:04:57.839 magazine actually listed this as one of the best 00:04:57.839 --> 00:05:00.759 TV lines of the entire year back in 2011. And 00:05:00.759 --> 00:05:03.079 it absolutely deserves that accolade. It shifts 00:05:03.079 --> 00:05:05.620 the entire dynamic of the series. Walt is no 00:05:05.620 --> 00:05:08.139 longer the bumbling dad trying to survive. He 00:05:08.139 --> 00:05:10.600 is officially declaring himself the villain of 00:05:10.600 --> 00:05:13.819 his own story. So Skyler realizes she is sleeping 00:05:13.819 --> 00:05:17.250 next to the danger. But here's the irony. While 00:05:17.250 --> 00:05:19.870 this intense domestic war is happening, there 00:05:19.870 --> 00:05:23.930 is an actual literal war happening outside. The 00:05:23.930 --> 00:05:26.689 cartel war is seriously heating up. Let's transition 00:05:26.689 --> 00:05:29.029 into that. Because Walt isn't the only one being 00:05:29.029 --> 00:05:31.790 cornered, Gus Fring is in serious trouble. He 00:05:31.790 --> 00:05:34.689 really is. Let's talk about that cold open. The 00:05:34.689 --> 00:05:37.829 raid on the Los Palos Hermanos truck. This scene 00:05:37.829 --> 00:05:41.430 was incredibly visceral. Brutal. That is really 00:05:41.430 --> 00:05:44.149 the only word for it. The cartel hijacks the 00:05:44.149 --> 00:05:46.209 truck, but it is the method that sticks with 00:05:46.209 --> 00:05:48.290 you. They don't just shoot the drivers in a drive 00:05:48.290 --> 00:05:50.689 -by. No, they do something much more calculated. 00:05:50.850 --> 00:05:53.550 They divert the truck's exhaust straight into 00:05:53.550 --> 00:05:56.050 the vents of the trailer. It is horrifying. It 00:05:56.050 --> 00:05:58.629 is so efficient and cruel. They kill the two 00:05:58.629 --> 00:06:00.750 guards inside without firing a single shot, just 00:06:00.750 --> 00:06:03.550 using the carbon monoxide fumes. It is so scientific 00:06:03.550 --> 00:06:05.990 in a really sick way. And then they open it up 00:06:05.990 --> 00:06:09.230 and they find the tubs. The blue meth. But they 00:06:09.230 --> 00:06:11.350 don't just steal it and run, do they? No, they 00:06:11.350 --> 00:06:13.769 leave a message. Mike Ermentrout discovers it 00:06:13.769 --> 00:06:16.709 later. Written on the stolen container is the 00:06:16.709 --> 00:06:20.410 phrase, estas listo para platicar. Which translates 00:06:20.410 --> 00:06:23.930 to, are you ready to talk? Exactly. It is a massive 00:06:23.930 --> 00:06:26.910 warning shot. The cartel is squeezing Gus. They're 00:06:26.910 --> 00:06:29.290 cutting off his supply lines, attacking his logistics. 00:06:29.850 --> 00:06:32.310 They're backing him into a corner just as much 00:06:32.310 --> 00:06:34.699 as Skyler feels back into a corner by Walt. It 00:06:34.699 --> 00:06:37.500 is a great strategic parallel by the writers. 00:06:38.139 --> 00:06:40.899 Everyone is feeling the walls close in. And historically, 00:06:41.040 --> 00:06:43.939 when the walls close in, alliances shift. Yeah. 00:06:44.540 --> 00:06:46.519 Which brings us to the next major wedge in the 00:06:46.519 --> 00:06:50.040 story, the dynamic between Jesse, Mike, and Gus. 00:06:50.220 --> 00:06:52.160 This is arguably one of the most interesting 00:06:52.160 --> 00:06:54.879 shifts in the entire season. Jesse Pinkman, who 00:06:54.879 --> 00:06:57.220 is basically a complete outcast, is suddenly 00:06:57.220 --> 00:06:59.800 spending a lot of time with Mike. Writing shotgun. 00:07:01.209 --> 00:07:04.529 And Walt hates it. Oh, he despises it. He confronts 00:07:04.529 --> 00:07:07.170 Jesse at the super lab. He is jealous and so 00:07:07.170 --> 00:07:09.490 intensely paranoid. Walt questions Jesse about 00:07:09.490 --> 00:07:11.209 all these errands he is running. He thinks Mike 00:07:11.209 --> 00:07:13.470 is using Jesse for target practice or something. 00:07:13.750 --> 00:07:16.110 In Walt's mind, Jesse is incompetent, a total 00:07:16.110 --> 00:07:18.449 liability. Right. Walt has zero respect for him. 00:07:18.689 --> 00:07:21.569 None. So if Mike is taking him along, it must 00:07:21.569 --> 00:07:24.189 be for some nefarious reason, maybe to kill him 00:07:24.189 --> 00:07:27.129 out in the desert. Walt literally cannot imagine 00:07:27.129 --> 00:07:30.209 a world where Jesse is actually valuable to the 00:07:30.209 --> 00:07:32.720 operation. But Jesse doesn't see it that way 00:07:32.720 --> 00:07:35.740 at all. No, because Jesse finally feels useful. 00:07:36.680 --> 00:07:39.079 For the first time in a very long time, he is 00:07:39.079 --> 00:07:41.860 being given real responsibility. So when Walt 00:07:41.860 --> 00:07:45.279 attacks that, Jesse snaps back. He accuses Walt 00:07:45.279 --> 00:07:47.620 of constantly discrediting his accomplishments. 00:07:47.839 --> 00:07:50.100 Which is entirely true. Walt can't stand the 00:07:50.100 --> 00:07:52.160 idea that Jesse might be succeeding without him. 00:07:52.360 --> 00:07:54.800 It threatens his need for absolute control. And 00:07:54.800 --> 00:07:57.139 then Walt has an epiphany in the lab. He realizes 00:07:57.139 --> 00:08:00.279 this isn't an accident. He realizes Gus is intentionally 00:08:00.279 --> 00:08:02.779 driving a wedge between him and Jesse. Divide 00:08:02.779 --> 00:08:05.500 and conquer. Exactly. Classic Gus Fring strategy. 00:08:06.000 --> 00:08:09.420 But here is the kicker. It is working. And it 00:08:09.420 --> 00:08:11.600 is working because Jesse is actually remarkably 00:08:11.600 --> 00:08:13.680 good at this stuff. He really is. Let's look 00:08:13.680 --> 00:08:15.959 at the drug house mission. They go to scout this 00:08:15.959 --> 00:08:18.160 house where the stolen blue meth is being sold. 00:08:18.779 --> 00:08:20.800 Mike is cautious, playing the long game. He wants 00:08:20.800 --> 00:08:24.089 to wait and observe. But Jesse. Jesse gets impatient. 00:08:24.449 --> 00:08:26.810 He takes initiative. He tricks one of the meth 00:08:26.810 --> 00:08:29.709 users into letting him inside. It is a brilliant 00:08:29.709 --> 00:08:32.230 moment where his actual knowledge of the street, 00:08:32.490 --> 00:08:35.610 of the addict mindset, pays off in a way Mike's 00:08:35.610 --> 00:08:37.909 ex -cop tactics wouldn't. He gets in, knocks 00:08:37.909 --> 00:08:40.330 out another guy with a shovel. It is a chaotic 00:08:40.330 --> 00:08:43.450 success. And crucially, he gets noticed by the 00:08:43.450 --> 00:08:47.330 boss. Yes. Later, outside a diner, Gus Fring 00:08:47.330 --> 00:08:49.669 comes to meet with them. And this is such a key 00:08:49.669 --> 00:08:53.379 moment. Gus explicitly compliments Jesse. Think 00:08:53.379 --> 00:08:55.600 about the psychological contrast there for Jesse. 00:08:56.159 --> 00:08:58.120 Walt is constantly berating him, calling him 00:08:58.120 --> 00:09:00.539 a junkie, telling him he's stupid. Then Gus, 00:09:00.559 --> 00:09:03.519 this powerful, intimidating kingpin, looks at 00:09:03.519 --> 00:09:06.179 him and essentially says, good job. It is huge 00:09:06.179 --> 00:09:08.220 for him. It boosts his self -esteem immensely. 00:09:08.360 --> 00:09:10.460 It builds his loyalty. And every single inch 00:09:10.460 --> 00:09:13.000 of loyalty he gives to Gus and Mike is an inch 00:09:13.000 --> 00:09:15.090 taken away from Walt. And while Jesse is out 00:09:15.090 --> 00:09:17.230 there getting accolades from the boss, Walt is, 00:09:17.309 --> 00:09:19.730 well, let's be honest, Walt is completely spiraling. 00:09:19.789 --> 00:09:23.169 He is not handling the loss of control well at 00:09:23.169 --> 00:09:26.610 all. He is on an absolute ego trip, a petty tyranny 00:09:26.610 --> 00:09:29.190 tour, if you will. Huh. That is a great way to 00:09:29.190 --> 00:09:31.889 put it. Let's talk about the car wash. He finally 00:09:31.889 --> 00:09:34.490 gets the keys from Bogdan Wolynets. This has 00:09:34.490 --> 00:09:37.149 been a long time coming for Walt. The handover. 00:09:37.769 --> 00:09:39.549 Now, this should just be a straightforward business 00:09:39.549 --> 00:09:42.929 transaction. But it is deeply personal for Walt. 00:09:43.210 --> 00:09:46.129 Because Bogdan gets in one last dig, right? He 00:09:46.129 --> 00:09:48.710 insults Walt on his way out. He implies that 00:09:48.710 --> 00:09:51.029 Walt isn't really the boss type, that he isn't 00:09:51.029 --> 00:09:54.330 tough enough. He does. And Walt, being Walt, 00:09:54.789 --> 00:09:57.970 simply cannot let it slide. His ego won't allow 00:09:57.970 --> 00:10:01.529 it. So he sees Bogdan's framed first -earned 00:10:01.529 --> 00:10:03.629 dollar hanging on the wall. And he demands it. 00:10:03.629 --> 00:10:05.929 He makes him leave it. He refuses to let Bogdan 00:10:05.929 --> 00:10:08.529 keep it. But the kicker is, he doesn't just take 00:10:08.529 --> 00:10:10.970 it to hang it up himself. He shatters the frame. 00:10:11.129 --> 00:10:13.730 He takes that specific dollar bill and uses it 00:10:13.730 --> 00:10:15.610 to buy a soda from the vending machine. That 00:10:15.610 --> 00:10:18.210 is just so incredibly petty. It is the dictionary 00:10:18.210 --> 00:10:21.970 definition of petty, but symbolically. It shows 00:10:21.970 --> 00:10:24.769 his intense need for total dominance. He needs 00:10:24.769 --> 00:10:27.370 to crush Bogdan completely, even in the smallest, 00:10:27.370 --> 00:10:29.769 most insignificant matter. He can't just win 00:10:29.769 --> 00:10:33.309 the business war. He has to salt the earth. He 00:10:33.309 --> 00:10:35.509 needs to show that what bogged him values that 00:10:35.509 --> 00:10:37.690 hard work that history of building a business 00:10:37.690 --> 00:10:40.509 Means absolutely nothing to him. It is a flex 00:10:40.509 --> 00:10:43.649 a really weird soda based flex Yeah, and speaking 00:10:43.649 --> 00:10:45.990 of throwing money around to feed his ego. We 00:10:45.990 --> 00:10:49.370 have to talk about the car. Oh boy the Dodge 00:10:49.370 --> 00:10:52.049 Challenger Walter jr. Has been begging for a 00:10:52.049 --> 00:10:56.009 car and Walt in this Manic high on his own supply 00:10:56.009 --> 00:11:00.070 state just gives in he buys it a massively flashy 00:11:00.070 --> 00:11:03.580 bright red Dodge Challenger, which is completely 00:11:03.580 --> 00:11:06.519 insane. They're supposed to be actively laundering 00:11:06.519 --> 00:11:08.779 money. They have a delicate cover story about 00:11:08.779 --> 00:11:11.700 a gambling addiction, sure, but flashing that 00:11:11.700 --> 00:11:13.700 kind of cash on a sports car, it screams, look 00:11:13.700 --> 00:11:16.240 at me to the IRS. It is deeply reckless. It endangers 00:11:16.240 --> 00:11:18.460 their entire cover story. But Walt doesn't care 00:11:18.460 --> 00:11:21.039 about safety right now. He is driven by the need 00:11:21.039 --> 00:11:23.139 to be the provider. He wants to be the cool dad. 00:11:23.399 --> 00:11:25.659 Exactly. He wants to buy affection, improve his 00:11:25.659 --> 00:11:27.879 status to his son. He wants to drive something 00:11:27.879 --> 00:11:30.100 that reflects how powerful and dangerous he feels 00:11:30.100 --> 00:11:33.049 after that, I am the one who knocks speech. It 00:11:33.049 --> 00:11:36.190 is a midlife crisis on steroids. It is hubris. 00:11:36.450 --> 00:11:38.429 Pure and simple. But you know, the hubris gets 00:11:38.429 --> 00:11:40.909 so much darker in this episode. It isn't just 00:11:40.909 --> 00:11:42.690 about buying cars and breaking picture frames. 00:11:43.110 --> 00:11:45.629 It is about how he treats vulnerable people. 00:11:45.950 --> 00:11:48.070 We really have to talk about the laundry incident. 00:11:48.289 --> 00:11:50.389 This is a genuinely difficult scene to watch. 00:11:50.970 --> 00:11:53.649 Because Jesse is off with Mike, Walt is left 00:11:53.649 --> 00:11:56.190 to clean the super lab all by himself. And he 00:11:56.190 --> 00:11:58.889 thinks he is far too good for that. He is the 00:11:58.889 --> 00:12:02.350 great Heisenberg. The master chemist. He shouldn't 00:12:02.350 --> 00:12:05.230 be scrubbing chemical tanks. He feels it is entirely 00:12:05.230 --> 00:12:08.190 beneath him. So his laziness and his arrogance 00:12:08.190 --> 00:12:11.289 kick in. He goes upstairs and he bribes three 00:12:11.289 --> 00:12:13.909 of the industrial laundry workers. Women who 00:12:13.909 --> 00:12:15.970 are just trying to do their jobs to come down 00:12:15.970 --> 00:12:18.529 into the secret lab and help him clean. He literally 00:12:18.529 --> 00:12:21.649 brings them into a multi -million dollar cartel 00:12:21.649 --> 00:12:24.169 meth lab. He exposes them to the biggest secret 00:12:24.169 --> 00:12:27.210 in the southwest. He violates the one absolute 00:12:27.210 --> 00:12:30.009 rule Gus has. which is total secrecy. And there 00:12:30.009 --> 00:12:32.129 are immediate consequences. Severe consequences. 00:12:32.350 --> 00:12:34.750 Tyrus Kitt catches them. And the rule is strict. 00:12:34.990 --> 00:12:37.470 No witnesses. Tyrus tells Walt that because they 00:12:37.470 --> 00:12:39.450 saw more than they should have, they are being 00:12:39.450 --> 00:12:41.750 deported. They are put on a bus and sent back 00:12:41.750 --> 00:12:45.590 to Honduras. Their entire lives are ruined, upended, 00:12:46.190 --> 00:12:48.250 simply because Walt didn't want to scrub a tank. 00:12:48.429 --> 00:12:50.750 And the really messed up part, does Walt even 00:12:50.750 --> 00:12:52.970 care? That is the chilling part, the sources 00:12:52.970 --> 00:12:55.990 point out. It highlights his growing massive 00:12:55.990 --> 00:12:59.009 lack of empathy. He views these women as collateral 00:12:59.009 --> 00:13:01.730 damage. Just tools. Right, tools that he used 00:13:01.730 --> 00:13:04.529 and broke. It highlights just how far he has 00:13:04.529 --> 00:13:07.129 fallen from the man in season one who started 00:13:07.129 --> 00:13:09.429 this supposedly to leave money for his family. 00:13:10.110 --> 00:13:12.330 Now he is actively destroying other families 00:13:12.330 --> 00:13:15.149 just for his own convenience. He barely registers 00:13:15.149 --> 00:13:17.669 it as a tragedy. It really paints a stark picture 00:13:17.669 --> 00:13:20.830 of a man who is losing his soul piece by piece. 00:13:20.950 --> 00:13:23.669 Or perhaps, as some critics argue, revealing 00:13:23.669 --> 00:13:25.669 the total lack of one that was always there. 00:13:25.919 --> 00:13:29.200 So Walt is out buying muscle cars and deporting 00:13:29.200 --> 00:13:31.960 innocent workers. Where is Skyler in all of this? 00:13:31.980 --> 00:13:33.799 Because she is the one who actually has to deal 00:13:33.799 --> 00:13:36.240 with the reality of his actions at home. Skyler 00:13:36.240 --> 00:13:39.039 is having a full -blown existential crisis. Rightfully 00:13:39.039 --> 00:13:42.240 so. After that speech, the I am the one who knocks 00:13:42.240 --> 00:13:45.059 speech, she just leaves. She packs up baby Holly 00:13:45.059 --> 00:13:48.500 and she flees the house. She just drives. And 00:13:48.500 --> 00:13:50.700 she ends up at the Four Corners monument. That 00:13:50.700 --> 00:13:55.039 is such a specific visual. The spot where four 00:13:55.039 --> 00:13:58.049 states meet. Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and 00:13:58.049 --> 00:14:01.190 Arizona. It is a literal physical crossroads 00:14:01.190 --> 00:14:04.409 to match her deeply metaphorical one. She stands 00:14:04.409 --> 00:14:07.210 there looking out. She's genuinely contemplating 00:14:07.210 --> 00:14:09.210 escaping. She thinks about crossing into Colorado. 00:14:09.570 --> 00:14:11.450 She thinks about just keeping her foot on the 00:14:11.450 --> 00:14:13.230 gas and disappearing. And then she flips a coin. 00:14:13.370 --> 00:14:15.549 She flips a coin. She is leaving her entire life 00:14:15.549 --> 00:14:18.730 up to chance. Heads I go, tails I stay. Now, 00:14:18.730 --> 00:14:20.769 the outcome of the coin toss isn't explicitly 00:14:20.769 --> 00:14:23.649 detailed as heads you go, tails you stay, but 00:14:23.649 --> 00:14:26.519 she looks at it. And she reconsiders. She slides 00:14:26.519 --> 00:14:28.480 the coin back over the state line with her foot. 00:14:28.960 --> 00:14:32.559 It is a really powerful, quiet moment. She realizes 00:14:32.559 --> 00:14:35.179 she is trapped. She realizes that chance isn't 00:14:35.179 --> 00:14:37.159 going to save her. Yeah. She is trapped by her 00:14:37.159 --> 00:14:40.080 circumstances, by her family, by her own complicit 00:14:40.080 --> 00:14:42.799 choices. And she decides she has to return home. 00:14:42.940 --> 00:14:44.679 She goes right back into the lion's den. She 00:14:44.679 --> 00:14:46.419 does. And when she gets there, what is the first 00:14:46.419 --> 00:14:49.879 thing she finds? That ridiculous bright red Dodge 00:14:49.879 --> 00:14:52.519 Challenger sitting proudly in the driveway. The 00:14:52.519 --> 00:14:55.860 ultimate symbol of Walt's recklessness. It is 00:14:55.860 --> 00:14:57.620 almost haunting her. And this is where Skyler 00:14:57.620 --> 00:14:59.919 takes control again. Which is fascinating. She 00:14:59.919 --> 00:15:01.940 doesn't scream at him. She doesn't throw things. 00:15:02.360 --> 00:15:04.720 She just coldly demands he return in the car. 00:15:04.940 --> 00:15:07.799 She points out the basic logic. It contradicts 00:15:07.799 --> 00:15:10.620 their gambling cover story. It puts them at immense 00:15:10.620 --> 00:15:13.899 risk. She steps up and becomes the rational actor 00:15:13.899 --> 00:15:16.620 again. And Walt tries to argue, of course. He 00:15:16.620 --> 00:15:19.299 says Walter Jr. will be heartbroken. He tries 00:15:19.299 --> 00:15:22.080 to play the good dad card against her to manipulate 00:15:22.080 --> 00:15:25.309 her. But Skyler accepts that. She accepts that 00:15:25.309 --> 00:15:27.230 she will have to play the bad guy to her own 00:15:27.230 --> 00:15:30.269 son. She accepts that Walter Jr. will deeply 00:15:30.269 --> 00:15:32.929 resent her for taking the cool car away. Wow. 00:15:33.250 --> 00:15:35.330 She is willing to sacrifice her relationship 00:15:35.330 --> 00:15:38.210 with her son to literally save his life from 00:15:38.210 --> 00:15:40.529 his father's ego. And then she delivers that 00:15:40.529 --> 00:15:42.450 line, the one that circles all the way back to 00:15:42.450 --> 00:15:44.350 the beginning of the episode. Someone has to 00:15:44.350 --> 00:15:46.070 protect this family from the man who protects 00:15:46.070 --> 00:15:49.929 this family. That just hit so hard. It is the 00:15:49.929 --> 00:15:53.450 perfect narrative bookend to I am the one who 00:15:53.450 --> 00:15:56.669 knocks. Walt claims he's the ultimate protector, 00:15:57.129 --> 00:16:00.509 the danger to others. Skyler perfectly identifies 00:16:00.509 --> 00:16:03.509 that he's the actual danger to the family and 00:16:03.509 --> 00:16:06.570 she is the only shield they have left. It creates 00:16:06.570 --> 00:16:09.470 this incredible suffocating tension for the rest 00:16:09.470 --> 00:16:11.409 of the season. The battle lines are completely 00:16:11.409 --> 00:16:13.929 drawn. And the critics absolutely noticed how 00:16:13.929 --> 00:16:16.610 well crafted this was. They sure did. Let's look 00:16:16.610 --> 00:16:18.799 at the critical reception for a minute. It was 00:16:18.799 --> 00:16:21.539 overwhelmingly positive across the board. Seth 00:16:21.539 --> 00:16:25.799 Omiden from IGN gave it a 9 .5 out of 10. He 00:16:25.799 --> 00:16:27.879 flat out called it an extraordinary episode. 00:16:28.139 --> 00:16:30.200 And Alan Seppenwald over at HitFix called it 00:16:30.200 --> 00:16:32.600 his favorite of season four up to that point. 00:16:32.779 --> 00:16:35.460 And he watches a lot of TV. Donna Bowman at the 00:16:35.460 --> 00:16:37.759 A .V. club gave it a solid B plus. And as we 00:16:37.759 --> 00:16:39.620 mentioned earlier, Time magazine loved the monologue 00:16:39.620 --> 00:16:41.299 so much they honored it at the end of the year. 00:16:41.460 --> 00:16:44.299 Even years later, The Ringer ranged it the 22nd 00:16:44.299 --> 00:16:46.820 best episode out of the entire series run of 00:16:46.820 --> 00:16:50.309 62 episodes. That is incredibly high praise considering 00:16:50.309 --> 00:16:53.129 how many amazing episodes Breaking Bad has. And 00:16:53.129 --> 00:16:55.889 we really cannot forget the acting accolades. 00:16:56.669 --> 00:16:59.269 Anna Gunn, who plays Skyler, submitted this specific 00:16:59.269 --> 00:17:01.529 episode for consideration for the Primetime Emmy 00:17:01.529 --> 00:17:04.309 Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress. She 00:17:04.309 --> 00:17:06.569 definitely deserved the recognition, the emotional 00:17:06.569 --> 00:17:10.000 range she shows in this hour. from sheer terror 00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:13.200 to flight to this icy resolve at the end is just 00:17:13.200 --> 00:17:15.640 incredible. It really is a master class in subtle 00:17:15.640 --> 00:17:18.099 acting. So let's summarize what we have unpacked 00:17:18.099 --> 00:17:21.779 here today. We have Walt's hubris violently exploding 00:17:21.779 --> 00:17:25.420 outwards. We have Jesse finding a new empowering 00:17:25.420 --> 00:17:28.160 role and being slowly pulled away from Walt's 00:17:28.160 --> 00:17:31.319 toxic gravity. And we have Skyler. fully realizing 00:17:31.319 --> 00:17:33.940 the true terrifying nature of her husband. So 00:17:33.940 --> 00:17:36.539 what of this episode is huge for the series? 00:17:36.680 --> 00:17:38.759 It establishes the major lines of division. It 00:17:38.759 --> 00:17:41.380 is Walt versus Gus. It is Walt versus Jesse. 00:17:41.779 --> 00:17:44.599 And it is Skyler versus Walt. This episode completely 00:17:44.599 --> 00:17:46.599 sets the trajectory for the chaos that follows 00:17:46.599 --> 00:17:48.599 in the rest of season four. It really does. It 00:17:48.599 --> 00:17:51.279 is the moment the roller coaster slowly reaches 00:17:51.279 --> 00:17:53.839 the top of the hill and starts that terrifying 00:17:53.839 --> 00:17:56.809 plunge. A very, very steep plunge. Before we 00:17:56.809 --> 00:17:58.369 sign off today, I want to leave you listening 00:17:58.369 --> 00:18:00.809 with a final thought, a provocative question 00:18:00.809 --> 00:18:03.369 to chew on as you think about this show. I think 00:18:03.369 --> 00:18:06.269 the big question this episode raises is all about 00:18:06.269 --> 00:18:09.089 justification. Go on, lay it out. As you watch 00:18:09.089 --> 00:18:11.869 this, you should ask yourself, when does protecting 00:18:11.869 --> 00:18:15.289 the family become a hollow excuse for just becoming 00:18:15.289 --> 00:18:18.210 the villain? And specifically for Walter White, 00:18:18.789 --> 00:18:21.829 at what exact point did he stop doing all of 00:18:21.829 --> 00:18:24.269 this for his family and start doing it simply 00:18:24.269 --> 00:18:26.349 for the sheer rush of knocking on that door? 00:18:26.710 --> 00:18:28.869 That is the ultimate question of the show, isn't 00:18:28.869 --> 00:18:31.569 it? Was it ever really for the family or was 00:18:31.569 --> 00:18:35.170 it always deep down just about his ego? I think 00:18:35.170 --> 00:18:37.430 the answer might be hiding in that smug smile 00:18:37.430 --> 00:18:39.630 when he buys the sports car. Or the petty way 00:18:39.630 --> 00:18:42.130 he buys that soda with Bogdan's dollar. Exactly. 00:18:42.309 --> 00:18:45.170 The truth is in the small, cruel details. Well, 00:18:45.269 --> 00:18:47.170 on that note, we are going to wrap it up for 00:18:47.170 --> 00:18:49.569 today. Thank you so much for listening to this 00:18:49.569 --> 00:18:51.910 deep dive into Cornerd. Keep knocking out there. 00:18:52.029 --> 00:18:55.509 Yeah. Or maybe don't. Ha, yeah, maybe just blatantly 00:18:55.509 --> 00:18:57.130 ring the doorbell. We will see you next time.