WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.720 Okay, so picture this. You are standing at a 00:00:02.720 --> 00:00:06.500 party. The weather is absolutely perfect. Oh 00:00:06.500 --> 00:00:08.220 yeah, you're standing by a pool at a gorgeous 00:00:08.220 --> 00:00:11.359 estate in Mexico. Exactly. And the host of this 00:00:11.359 --> 00:00:15.300 party is a powerful, very charming man. He smiles 00:00:15.300 --> 00:00:18.640 at you, raises a glass of some incredibly expensive 00:00:18.640 --> 00:00:21.219 tequila, looks you right in the eye, and says, 00:00:21.219 --> 00:00:24.679 Salud to your health. Which is, you know, it's 00:00:24.679 --> 00:00:26.640 the universal gesture of friendship. It's a moment 00:00:26.640 --> 00:00:29.239 of peace, of celebration. It is literally what 00:00:29.239 --> 00:00:31.039 you say at weddings or birthdays. Right, but 00:00:31.039 --> 00:00:33.920 in the world we are diving into today, that toast 00:00:33.920 --> 00:00:37.399 is not a blessing. It is a weapon. It's a death 00:00:37.399 --> 00:00:39.719 sentence wrapped up in a smile. It creates such 00:00:39.719 --> 00:00:41.880 a jarring disconnect when you really think about 00:00:41.880 --> 00:00:44.399 it. The title of the source material we are analyzing 00:00:44.399 --> 00:00:47.240 today is Salute. It literally translates to health. 00:00:47.939 --> 00:00:50.119 And yet... And yet this is arguably one of the 00:00:50.119 --> 00:00:52.759 deadliest, most toxic hours of drama we have 00:00:52.759 --> 00:00:55.299 ever seen on television. It is a toast that leads 00:00:55.299 --> 00:00:57.619 directly to a mass casualty event. It really 00:00:57.619 --> 00:01:00.880 is. So today, we are going deep. And I mean really 00:01:00.880 --> 00:01:03.159 deep into the tenth episode of the fourth season 00:01:03.159 --> 00:01:05.340 of Breaking Bad. The source material we have 00:01:05.340 --> 00:01:07.280 gathered includes the original script notes, 00:01:07.840 --> 00:01:10.659 critical reviews, and a very detailed plot breakdown 00:01:10.659 --> 00:01:13.959 of this specific episode, Sullude. And just to 00:01:13.959 --> 00:01:15.799 set the stage for you, this originally aired 00:01:15.799 --> 00:01:19.400 on September 18th, 2011. It was directed by Michelle 00:01:19.400 --> 00:01:21.719 McLaren, with the writing credited to Peter Gould 00:01:21.719 --> 00:01:24.359 and Jennifer Hutchison. Plus, we have some incredible 00:01:24.359 --> 00:01:27.700 guest appearances by Stephen Bauer as Don Aladio 00:01:27.700 --> 00:01:29.700 and Christopher Cousins playing Dead Benachy. 00:01:29.939 --> 00:01:31.640 I want to pause on Michelle McLaren for a second 00:01:31.640 --> 00:01:34.359 because looking at her track record, she usually 00:01:34.359 --> 00:01:37.019 handles the really high octane kinetic stuff. 00:01:37.319 --> 00:01:39.680 Oh, absolutely. She has a very specific visual 00:01:39.680 --> 00:01:43.159 style. She is known for high tension, wide sweeping 00:01:43.159 --> 00:01:46.480 landscapes, and action that somehow feels claustrophobic, 00:01:46.739 --> 00:01:49.180 even when it is shot entirely outdoors. Which 00:01:49.180 --> 00:01:51.579 is so crucial here because this deep dive covers 00:01:51.579 --> 00:01:54.519 three massive distinct storylines that are all 00:01:54.519 --> 00:01:56.819 hurtling toward collision at the exact same time. 00:01:57.340 --> 00:01:59.560 This is not just one plot. We have Jesse Pinkman 00:01:59.560 --> 00:02:02.159 down in Mexico, basically taking his final exam 00:02:02.159 --> 00:02:04.480 in meth, cooking under the absolute threat of 00:02:04.480 --> 00:02:06.680 death. Right. Then we have Walter White back 00:02:06.680 --> 00:02:09.500 in Albuquerque, who is completely spiraling out 00:02:09.500 --> 00:02:12.979 of control in a way that is just painful to witness. 00:02:13.379 --> 00:02:16.599 And finally, we have the man. the terrifying 00:02:16.599 --> 00:02:19.780 legend himself, Gus Fring, executing a revenge 00:02:19.780 --> 00:02:21.740 plan that has been decades in the making. And 00:02:21.740 --> 00:02:23.780 what is so fascinating about the source material 00:02:23.780 --> 00:02:26.819 here is how the writers balance those three threads. 00:02:26.919 --> 00:02:29.199 You get the white knuckle thriller aspect of 00:02:29.199 --> 00:02:31.780 the cartel plot, the crushing emotional depression 00:02:31.780 --> 00:02:34.800 of the White household, and that unbearable suspense 00:02:34.800 --> 00:02:36.939 at the pool party. It's a lot of ground to cover. 00:02:37.210 --> 00:02:39.849 And frankly, the material suggests this is a 00:02:39.849 --> 00:02:42.110 major pivot point for the entire series. So here 00:02:42.110 --> 00:02:44.270 is our mission for today. We are going to break 00:02:44.270 --> 00:02:46.870 it down piece by piece. We are going to travel 00:02:46.870 --> 00:02:49.129 to the meth labs of Mexico. We'll sit on that 00:02:49.129 --> 00:02:51.090 highly uncomfortable couch with Walt and his 00:02:51.090 --> 00:02:53.789 son. And yes, we are absolutely going to that 00:02:53.789 --> 00:02:56.169 deadly poolside party at Don Eladio's estate. 00:02:56.550 --> 00:02:58.490 So grab your drink. Though maybe check the seal 00:02:58.490 --> 00:03:00.830 on the bottle first and let's get into it. I 00:03:00.830 --> 00:03:02.669 want to start with Jesse Pink, then. Because 00:03:02.669 --> 00:03:05.150 if you look at the trajectory of the show up 00:03:05.150 --> 00:03:08.150 to this point, for a long time, Jesse was, well, 00:03:08.210 --> 00:03:10.169 he was just the junkie sidekick. You know, the 00:03:10.169 --> 00:03:12.009 Captain Cook who put chili powder in his meth. 00:03:12.189 --> 00:03:15.090 Exactly. But here, in this deep dive, he is stepping 00:03:15.090 --> 00:03:17.530 into a completely different, much more competent 00:03:17.530 --> 00:03:20.889 role. He really is. And context is key here for 00:03:20.889 --> 00:03:24.310 you to understand the stakes. Jesse, Mike Ermentraut, 00:03:24.669 --> 00:03:27.229 and Gus Fring have traveled down to Mexico. The 00:03:27.229 --> 00:03:29.849 objective is simple on paper, but incredibly 00:03:29.849 --> 00:03:32.340 dangerous in practice. They are there to teach 00:03:32.340 --> 00:03:35.099 the cartel how to cook the blue meth. Which is 00:03:35.099 --> 00:03:37.939 Walter's signature formula. Correct. They need 00:03:37.939 --> 00:03:40.360 to prove to the cartel that they can hit a purity 00:03:40.360 --> 00:03:43.280 level exceeding 90 percent. The cartel has been 00:03:43.280 --> 00:03:45.180 demanding this for a while. They want the blue 00:03:45.180 --> 00:03:47.580 product, but they need to own the process themselves. 00:03:47.900 --> 00:03:50.539 But there is a massive problem almost immediately 00:03:50.539 --> 00:03:53.599 upon arrival. They walk in and meet the cartel's 00:03:53.599 --> 00:03:56.960 chief chemist. He is this highly educated, arrogant 00:03:56.960 --> 00:04:00.039 guy standing there in a pristine white lab coat. 00:04:00.110 --> 00:04:01.990 And he takes one look at Jesse, who is dressed 00:04:01.990 --> 00:04:04.930 in his usual baggy street level clothes. Yeah. 00:04:04.930 --> 00:04:07.169 And the chemist basically lasts right in his 00:04:07.169 --> 00:04:10.669 face. It is a classic clash of formal credentials 00:04:10.669 --> 00:04:13.289 versus street capability. The cartel chemist 00:04:13.289 --> 00:04:15.849 just sees a kid. Right. So he starts grilling 00:04:15.849 --> 00:04:18.790 Jesse on the actual science. He is asking him 00:04:18.790 --> 00:04:21.389 about the specific reduction method. He is asking 00:04:21.389 --> 00:04:23.970 him to identify the precursors. He wants Jesse 00:04:23.970 --> 00:04:27.189 to explain the molecular chirality or the stoichiometry 00:04:27.189 --> 00:04:30.089 in a strictly academic sense. Jesse just can't 00:04:30.089 --> 00:04:32.389 do that. He barely passed high school chemistry, 00:04:32.550 --> 00:04:35.189 if he even passed at all. To this cartel chemist, 00:04:35.350 --> 00:04:37.970 Jesse is an absolute joke. He is dirt. Exactly. 00:04:38.389 --> 00:04:41.230 The chemist actually assumes Gus is insulting 00:04:41.230 --> 00:04:44.230 them by bringing this infant as he sees him to 00:04:44.230 --> 00:04:46.430 teach them. He says something to the effect of, 00:04:46.569 --> 00:04:49.029 I speak English, but I do not speak this. He 00:04:49.029 --> 00:04:51.509 views Jesse as entirely beneath him in every 00:04:51.509 --> 00:04:54.300 possible way. I love this set up so much because 00:04:54.300 --> 00:04:56.920 it puts Jesse in the ultimate underdog position. 00:04:57.300 --> 00:04:59.379 He is in a foreign country completely surrounded 00:04:59.379 --> 00:05:01.300 by cartel soldiers who would happily kill him. 00:05:01.459 --> 00:05:03.459 And the guy in charge of the lab thinks he is 00:05:03.459 --> 00:05:05.860 an absolute idiot. But this is where the dynamic 00:05:05.860 --> 00:05:08.680 really shifts. Right. Because Jesse isn't just 00:05:08.680 --> 00:05:11.720 an underdog here. He is actually the only person 00:05:11.720 --> 00:05:14.680 in that room who knows how to make the specific 00:05:14.680 --> 00:05:17.439 product they are demanding. That is the critical 00:05:17.439 --> 00:05:20.639 distinction we need to make. Jesse possesses 00:05:20.639 --> 00:05:23.060 the tacit knowledge. He doesn't know the theory 00:05:23.060 --> 00:05:25.259 at all, but he knows the practice inside and 00:05:25.259 --> 00:05:28.079 out. And this is where his character growth really 00:05:28.079 --> 00:05:30.220 shines through. Yeah, in the past, he might have 00:05:30.220 --> 00:05:32.079 just crumbled under that pressure. Or he might 00:05:32.079 --> 00:05:34.360 have just gotten high to cope with the stress. 00:05:35.139 --> 00:05:38.540 But here he gets angry. And it is a very focused, 00:05:38.959 --> 00:05:41.459 productive anger. He stops trying to be a scientist, 00:05:41.540 --> 00:05:43.639 and he just starts being a chef. He takes total 00:05:43.639 --> 00:05:46.040 charge of the room. He really channels Heisenberg 00:05:46.040 --> 00:05:48.959 in this moment. He realizes he cannot out -talk 00:05:48.959 --> 00:05:51.060 this chemist on a theoretical level, so he has 00:05:51.060 --> 00:05:53.600 to outperform him. He starts bossing the cartel 00:05:53.600 --> 00:05:56.220 guys around. Which is incredibly bold. It is. 00:05:56.279 --> 00:05:58.879 He complains about the filth in the lab. He demands 00:05:58.879 --> 00:06:00.819 that they clean every single piece of equipment. 00:06:01.160 --> 00:06:03.779 He effectively bullies the cartel chemist into 00:06:03.779 --> 00:06:07.180 submission, not with academic logic, but with 00:06:07.180 --> 00:06:10.500 pure, unadulterated confidence. And then he actually 00:06:10.500 --> 00:06:12.819 cooks. The source material describes the montage 00:06:12.819 --> 00:06:14.420 of him working, and it's interesting because 00:06:14.420 --> 00:06:17.180 usually the cooking scenes are all about precision 00:06:17.180 --> 00:06:21.899 and quiet focus. But here, the energy feels really 00:06:21.899 --> 00:06:24.040 aggressive. It is very aggressive. Yeah. And 00:06:24.040 --> 00:06:25.459 we have to talk about the chemistry for just 00:06:25.459 --> 00:06:27.240 a second to really understand why this is so 00:06:27.240 --> 00:06:30.720 impressive. The cartel... up to this point has 00:06:30.720 --> 00:06:32.939 been cooking what we call biker meth. Right. 00:06:33.079 --> 00:06:35.560 Which is likely a pseudoephedrine reduction that 00:06:35.560 --> 00:06:39.040 is dirty and yields a very low purity. But Jesse 00:06:39.040 --> 00:06:41.959 is using the phenolicic acid method. Oh, right. 00:06:42.120 --> 00:06:43.500 The stuff they steal from those barrels with 00:06:43.500 --> 00:06:46.720 the B logo. Exactly. This is a reductive amination 00:06:46.720 --> 00:06:50.199 of phenolastone. It is a significantly more complex 00:06:50.199 --> 00:06:52.680 synthesis than the old shake and bake method. 00:06:53.199 --> 00:06:55.500 It requires precise temperature control, very 00:06:55.500 --> 00:06:58.180 specific ratios. If you mess it up, you don't 00:06:58.180 --> 00:07:00.139 just get slightly bad meth. You get sludge. You 00:07:00.139 --> 00:07:02.680 get nothing. So the pressure is entirely on him. 00:07:03.100 --> 00:07:05.300 Everyone is watching him like a hawk. He finishes 00:07:05.300 --> 00:07:07.720 the batch. They run it through the gas chromatograph 00:07:07.720 --> 00:07:10.040 to test it. And what is the final result? 96 00:07:10.040 --> 00:07:13.459 .2%. 96 .2. I mean, that is a staggering number, 00:07:13.579 --> 00:07:16.420 isn't it? It is practically miraculous. You have 00:07:16.420 --> 00:07:19.079 to remember, Walter White hits 99 .1%. Yeah. 00:07:19.439 --> 00:07:22.240 But Walter is working in a multi -million dollar, 00:07:22.319 --> 00:07:24.579 perfectly sterile, climate -controlled super 00:07:24.579 --> 00:07:28.399 lab. Yeah. Jesse is working in a dusty open -air 00:07:28.399 --> 00:07:31.199 shed in Mexico, dealing with humidity, dirt, 00:07:31.379 --> 00:07:33.420 and equipment that probably hasn't been properly 00:07:33.420 --> 00:07:37.899 calibrated in years. To hit 96 .2 % of those 00:07:37.899 --> 00:07:40.519 adverse conditions, it definitively proves he 00:07:40.519 --> 00:07:42.920 is a master cook. And what is the reaction in 00:07:42.920 --> 00:07:45.480 the room when that number pops up? Absolute silence. 00:07:45.769 --> 00:07:47.769 The numbers validate everything he just did. 00:07:48.069 --> 00:07:50.089 It shuts the arrogant chemist up immediately. 00:07:50.430 --> 00:07:53.129 The power dynamic in that room shifts in a split 00:07:53.129 --> 00:07:56.310 second from heavy skepticism to absolute awe. 00:07:56.610 --> 00:07:58.430 The cartel doesn't care about his lack of a college 00:07:58.430 --> 00:08:00.550 degree anymore. They only care that he can deliver 00:08:00.550 --> 00:08:02.930 the superior product. It's such a massive fist 00:08:02.930 --> 00:08:04.790 pump moment. You are really rooting for him. 00:08:04.790 --> 00:08:07.310 He proved the snobby scientist wrong. But, and 00:08:07.310 --> 00:08:09.589 this is a big but, here is where it gets really 00:08:09.589 --> 00:08:11.569 interesting and frankly kind of terrifying for 00:08:11.569 --> 00:08:14.310 him. Because success in this specific world is 00:08:14.310 --> 00:08:17.449 a trap. Exactly. This touches on a recurring 00:08:17.449 --> 00:08:20.730 theme in the source material. Competency is dangerous. 00:08:21.490 --> 00:08:23.829 Because Jesse is so incredibly good, because 00:08:23.829 --> 00:08:27.069 he proved he can hit 96 % purity, he has now 00:08:27.069 --> 00:08:29.889 made himself completely indispensable to a very 00:08:29.889 --> 00:08:32.429 violent organization. The cartel tells him point 00:08:32.429 --> 00:08:35.559 blank, you belong to us now. Just imagine the 00:08:35.559 --> 00:08:39.019 sheer horror of that realization. You think you 00:08:39.019 --> 00:08:40.960 are just passing a high -stress test so you can 00:08:40.960 --> 00:08:43.320 survive the day and go home, but by passing the 00:08:43.320 --> 00:08:45.539 test so perfectly, you've actually sealed your 00:08:45.539 --> 00:08:48.200 fate as a permanent prisoner. Jesse realizes 00:08:48.200 --> 00:08:50.220 he is not getting on a plane back to Albuquerque. 00:08:50.440 --> 00:08:52.419 He is a high -value asset, which essentially 00:08:52.419 --> 00:08:54.840 means he is a slave. And Mike, who is usually 00:08:54.840 --> 00:08:57.620 the guy delivering the cold hard truths, actually 00:08:57.620 --> 00:09:00.220 steps in to comfort him here. He promises Jesse 00:09:00.220 --> 00:09:02.379 that he is going to get him out of there. That 00:09:02.379 --> 00:09:04.799 relationship between Mike and Jesse is so crucial 00:09:04.799 --> 00:09:08.279 to this season. It really is. Mike clearly sees 00:09:08.279 --> 00:09:11.039 something in Jesse, maybe a surrogate son figure 00:09:11.039 --> 00:09:13.720 or maybe just wasted potential that he actually 00:09:13.720 --> 00:09:16.919 wants to save. But that specific promise from 00:09:16.919 --> 00:09:19.259 Mike sets up the core tension for the rest of 00:09:19.259 --> 00:09:21.820 this deep dive. How on earth are they going to 00:09:21.820 --> 00:09:24.980 escape a heavily fortified cartel compound deep 00:09:24.980 --> 00:09:28.259 in Mexico when the cartel just decided Jesse 00:09:28.259 --> 00:09:30.850 is their brand new golden goose? OK, so while 00:09:30.850 --> 00:09:33.490 Jesse is having this terrifying, life -altering 00:09:33.490 --> 00:09:36.129 triumph in the bright yellow sun of Mexico, the 00:09:36.129 --> 00:09:38.509 narrative cuts back to Albuquerque, and the contrast 00:09:38.509 --> 00:09:40.710 there could not be starker. It's night and day, 00:09:40.870 --> 00:09:43.490 literally. The visual language of the show violently 00:09:43.490 --> 00:09:45.870 shifts from the oversaturated hot yellows of 00:09:45.870 --> 00:09:49.169 Mexico to the dark, moody, shadowy interiors 00:09:49.169 --> 00:09:51.649 of the White household. We find Walt dealing 00:09:51.649 --> 00:09:53.990 with the massive fallout of a brutal physical 00:09:53.990 --> 00:09:56.110 fight he had with Jesse the night before. He 00:09:56.110 --> 00:09:58.830 is battered. He is heavily bruised. And because 00:09:58.830 --> 00:10:01.889 of all this, he completely misses a major family 00:10:01.889 --> 00:10:04.450 milestone. His son's birthday, Walt Junior's 00:10:04.450 --> 00:10:07.289 16th birthday. Man, that is just the cardinal 00:10:07.289 --> 00:10:09.809 sin of parenting. You do not miss the sweet 16, 00:10:10.289 --> 00:10:12.350 especially not for Walt Junior. And it isn't 00:10:12.350 --> 00:10:14.029 just the fact that he missed it that so bad. 00:10:14.490 --> 00:10:17.169 It's the state he's currently in. Walt Junior 00:10:17.169 --> 00:10:19.350 actually comes over to Walt's condo to check 00:10:19.350 --> 00:10:21.149 on him because he didn't show up for the party. 00:10:21.929 --> 00:10:24.490 And what does he find? A total mess. Exactly. 00:10:24.679 --> 00:10:27.980 His father is bloodied up, he is deeply confused, 00:10:28.100 --> 00:10:30.480 and he is clearly under the heavy influence of 00:10:30.480 --> 00:10:32.879 painkillers and alcohol. And sticking to his 00:10:32.879 --> 00:10:35.460 usual toxic pattern, Walt immediately lies to 00:10:35.460 --> 00:10:37.659 his kid. He blames his injuries on gambling. 00:10:38.259 --> 00:10:42.120 Ah, the gambling lie. It has become his go -to 00:10:42.120 --> 00:10:44.759 narrative to explain away all the danger, the 00:10:44.759 --> 00:10:47.279 erratic behavior, the sudden influxes of cash. 00:10:47.919 --> 00:10:50.019 But at this point in the story, that excuse is 00:10:50.019 --> 00:10:53.120 wearing incredibly thin. There is this truly 00:10:53.120 --> 00:10:55.620 heartbreaking scene where Walt Jr. is physically 00:10:55.620 --> 00:10:58.200 helping his dad into bed. Walt is completely 00:10:58.200 --> 00:11:00.360 loopy. He's crying. He's apologizing over and 00:11:00.360 --> 00:11:03.100 over. It's honestly pathetic to watch. But then, 00:11:03.519 --> 00:11:05.320 he asks about the birthday. He's trying so hard 00:11:05.320 --> 00:11:06.899 to connect, he wants to know what kind of car 00:11:06.899 --> 00:11:09.759 his son got. And then comes the slip. The Freudian 00:11:09.759 --> 00:11:11.960 slip to end all Freudian slips. He calls his 00:11:11.960 --> 00:11:14.720 son Jesse. We really need to pause on that. Yeah. 00:11:14.860 --> 00:11:17.179 Because that moment is utterly devastating. It 00:11:17.179 --> 00:11:19.940 is a total gut punch. He is looking right at 00:11:19.940 --> 00:11:22.039 his own flesh and blood, his actual son who is 00:11:22.039 --> 00:11:24.320 tenderly helping him into bed, and he calls him 00:11:24.320 --> 00:11:26.980 by the name of his meth cooking partner. Why 00:11:26.980 --> 00:11:29.360 does he do that? It strips away all the lies 00:11:29.360 --> 00:11:32.279 and reveals exactly where Walt's head and heart 00:11:32.279 --> 00:11:35.279 truly are at this point. He is entirely consumed 00:11:35.279 --> 00:11:38.299 by the criminal wife. But more specifically, 00:11:38.740 --> 00:11:40.899 he's consumed by his relationship with Jesse, 00:11:41.100 --> 00:11:43.419 which is such a mess of a relationship. It's 00:11:43.419 --> 00:11:46.600 a deeply complex mix of genuine fatherly affection. 00:11:46.830 --> 00:11:50.070 intense manipulation and petty professional jealousy. 00:11:50.870 --> 00:11:53.529 In his drugged, completely uninhibited state, 00:11:53.769 --> 00:11:57.070 the filter just drops away. The person he instinctively 00:11:57.070 --> 00:11:58.909 calls out for, the son he is actually focused 00:11:58.909 --> 00:12:01.750 on right now, isn't Junior, it is Jesse. Does 00:12:01.750 --> 00:12:04.090 Walt Junior realize what just happened in that 00:12:04.090 --> 00:12:06.970 moment? He clearly hears the name, he looks confused, 00:12:07.470 --> 00:12:09.789 he probably rationalizes it as just nonsense 00:12:09.789 --> 00:12:12.269 talk brought on by the painkillers. But on a 00:12:12.269 --> 00:12:14.610 deeper emotional level, he absolutely feels the 00:12:14.610 --> 00:12:16.649 distance, he feels the reality that his dad isn't 00:12:16.649 --> 00:12:18.429 really there with him. And the next morning, 00:12:18.570 --> 00:12:20.509 oh man, the next morning might actually be even 00:12:20.509 --> 00:12:22.590 worse than the night before. The morning after 00:12:22.590 --> 00:12:24.690 is where the real tragedy of Walter White sets 00:12:24.690 --> 00:12:28.029 in. He wakes up. He sees Junior sleeping on the 00:12:28.029 --> 00:12:30.870 couch, having stayed to watch over him. Walt 00:12:30.870 --> 00:12:33.970 is sober now. And the Heisenberg mask immediately 00:12:33.970 --> 00:12:36.549 goes back on. He starts doing rapid damage control. 00:12:36.669 --> 00:12:39.529 He starts spinning the narrative again. He apologizes 00:12:39.529 --> 00:12:42.070 for being so out of it the night before. He says 00:12:42.070 --> 00:12:44.700 something to the effect of I don't want you to 00:12:44.700 --> 00:12:47.379 remember me that way. He desperately wants to 00:12:47.379 --> 00:12:49.559 be remembered as the strong, capable provider 00:12:49.559 --> 00:12:52.179 father. He wants the Heisenberg image, but tailored 00:12:52.179 --> 00:12:54.980 for his family's consumption. Exactly. But Walt 00:12:54.980 --> 00:12:57.419 Jr.'s response is arguably the most cutting line 00:12:57.419 --> 00:12:59.440 in the entire episode. He looks right at his 00:12:59.440 --> 00:13:01.399 dad and tells him that he would actually rather 00:13:01.399 --> 00:13:03.480 remember him this way. That line just killed 00:13:03.480 --> 00:13:06.610 me. Why? Why on earth would a teenage son want 00:13:06.610 --> 00:13:09.330 to remember his dad as a weeping, drugged up 00:13:09.330 --> 00:13:11.509 mess sitting in his underwear? Because it was 00:13:11.509 --> 00:13:14.409 real. For the entire past year, Wolfe has been 00:13:14.409 --> 00:13:17.950 distant. He's been angry, secretive and highly 00:13:17.950 --> 00:13:20.190 manipulative. Everything he presents to his family 00:13:20.190 --> 00:13:22.809 has been a carefully constructed lie. So seeing 00:13:22.809 --> 00:13:25.269 him vulnerable, seeing him genuinely cry and 00:13:25.269 --> 00:13:27.470 apologize to Junior, that felt like the very 00:13:27.470 --> 00:13:29.590 first honest moment they have shared in ages. 00:13:30.049 --> 00:13:33.649 He vastly prefers a broken, honest father to 00:13:33.649 --> 00:13:36.690 a fake. Strong one. That is profound. And it 00:13:36.690 --> 00:13:38.970 just perfectly highlights how far Walt has actually 00:13:38.970 --> 00:13:41.730 fallen. He thinks he's protecting his grand image, 00:13:41.889 --> 00:13:44.370 but his image is already entirely destroyed. 00:13:44.570 --> 00:13:46.809 He is fighting tooth and nail to save a reputation 00:13:46.809 --> 00:13:48.850 that simply doesn't exist anymore inside his 00:13:48.850 --> 00:13:51.269 own house. Meanwhile, speaking of destroyed images 00:13:51.269 --> 00:13:53.889 and desperate attempts to fix things, we absolutely 00:13:53.889 --> 00:13:56.110 have to talk about Skylar White's storyline here. 00:13:56.129 --> 00:13:58.490 Oh, right. Skylar White. Because while Walt is 00:13:58.490 --> 00:14:00.309 crying in bed and Jessie is cooking meth down 00:14:00.309 --> 00:14:02.610 in Mexico, she is running a highly stressful 00:14:02.610 --> 00:14:05.070 operation of her own back home. She is playing 00:14:05.070 --> 00:14:07.519 complex. financial chess, but she is playing 00:14:07.519 --> 00:14:09.700 it with pieces that refuse to move the way she 00:14:09.700 --> 00:14:12.960 wants them to. Specifically, Ted Benaki. So let's 00:14:12.960 --> 00:14:15.659 clarify the stakes here for you. The core issue 00:14:15.659 --> 00:14:18.720 is the money. They have way too much illicit 00:14:18.720 --> 00:14:22.539 cash from the meth business. And the IRS is currently 00:14:22.539 --> 00:14:26.539 circling Ted Benaki, who is her former boss and, 00:14:26.539 --> 00:14:29.279 well, her former fling. The immense danger here 00:14:29.279 --> 00:14:32.240 is the paper trail. If Ted actually gets audited 00:14:32.240 --> 00:14:34.779 by the IRS, they're going to look at his company's 00:14:34.779 --> 00:14:38.009 books. very deeply. And Skyler is the one who 00:14:38.009 --> 00:14:39.909 cooked those books for him. If they look at the 00:14:39.909 --> 00:14:42.730 books, they will undoubtedly find Skyler's fraud. 00:14:42.879 --> 00:14:44.879 If they find Skyler's fraud, they will start 00:14:44.879 --> 00:14:47.360 investigating her personal finances. And if they 00:14:47.360 --> 00:14:49.679 investigate her finances, they find Walt, they 00:14:49.679 --> 00:14:51.840 find the car wash, and they find the entire meth 00:14:51.840 --> 00:14:53.840 empire. The dominoes will just rapidly fall. 00:14:54.100 --> 00:14:56.100 So to stop that from happening, she comes up 00:14:56.100 --> 00:14:58.720 with a scheme. She convinces Saul Goodman, the 00:14:58.720 --> 00:15:01.299 shady lawyer we all know and love, to transfer 00:15:01.299 --> 00:15:05.539 $620 ,000 directly to Ted. Which is just an astronomical 00:15:05.539 --> 00:15:08.360 amount of cash to hand over. It is. And the elaborate 00:15:08.360 --> 00:15:11.019 cover story Saul pitches is that it's an unexpected 00:15:11.019 --> 00:15:13.519 inheritance from some distant relative. Great 00:15:13.519 --> 00:15:16.460 Aunt Birgit, right? Yes. Aunt Birgit from Luxembourg. 00:15:17.159 --> 00:15:19.500 It is a classic money laundering move known in 00:15:19.500 --> 00:15:22.639 financial forensics as layering. You create a 00:15:22.639 --> 00:15:25.200 completely legitimate looking source for illegitimate 00:15:25.200 --> 00:15:28.720 funds. The goal here is simple. Ted takes the 00:15:28.720 --> 00:15:31.240 inheritance money, he pays the IRS exactly what 00:15:31.240 --> 00:15:33.820 he owes them in back taxes and fines, the audit 00:15:33.820 --> 00:15:36.379 goes away forever, and the white family remains 00:15:36.379 --> 00:15:38.799 safe from federal scrutiny. Sounds foolproof, 00:15:39.039 --> 00:15:41.500 right? It makes total logical sense. Here is 00:15:41.500 --> 00:15:44.000 literally hundreds of thousands of dollars in 00:15:44.000 --> 00:15:45.940 free money to save you from going to federal 00:15:45.940 --> 00:15:49.080 prison. But this is Ted Benaki we are talking 00:15:49.080 --> 00:15:51.879 about. Right. This is exactly where human unpredictability 00:15:51.879 --> 00:15:54.419 completely ruins the perfect crime. Ted gets 00:15:54.419 --> 00:15:57.039 the money. The check clears. But instead of marching 00:15:57.039 --> 00:15:59.399 down to the IRS to pay his massive debt, what 00:15:59.399 --> 00:16:02.419 does he actually do? He decides to restart his 00:16:02.419 --> 00:16:04.440 failing business. And this is the part that just 00:16:04.440 --> 00:16:05.820 makes you want to throw something heavy at the 00:16:05.820 --> 00:16:08.159 screen. He goes out and leases a brand new Mercedes 00:16:08.159 --> 00:16:12.539 Benz SL550. A luxury heated seat. V8 convertible 00:16:12.539 --> 00:16:14.740 while he is actively being investigated by the 00:16:14.740 --> 00:16:17.179 federal government for severe tax fraud. It is 00:16:17.179 --> 00:16:20.500 the absolute definition of incompetence. Skyler 00:16:20.500 --> 00:16:24.059 drives by, sees this shiny new silver car parked 00:16:24.059 --> 00:16:26.139 right in his driveway, and she just loses it. 00:16:26.340 --> 00:16:29.379 She has to. She has no other choice. This forces 00:16:29.379 --> 00:16:31.779 her hand completely. She realizes in that moment 00:16:31.779 --> 00:16:33.759 that Ted is not going to do the right thing, 00:16:33.980 --> 00:16:36.679 or even the smart thing, unless he fully understands 00:16:36.679 --> 00:16:39.980 the actual stakes. So she has to break her carefully 00:16:39.980 --> 00:16:42.000 constructed character. She walks in and just 00:16:42.000 --> 00:16:44.039 tells him. She reveals, I gave you that money. 00:16:44.259 --> 00:16:46.240 It wasn't some dead aunt from Europe. It was 00:16:46.240 --> 00:16:49.759 me. This is a huge significant step for Skyler's 00:16:49.759 --> 00:16:52.299 character arc. She is willingly incriminating 00:16:52.299 --> 00:16:54.860 herself to this man just to save her family from 00:16:54.860 --> 00:16:57.480 exposure. She's becoming much more proactive, 00:16:57.539 --> 00:16:59.799 much more aggressive in her criminality. She 00:16:59.799 --> 00:17:02.059 is finally realizing that you cannot control 00:17:02.059 --> 00:17:05.180 criminals or deeply delusional people, in Ted's 00:17:05.180 --> 00:17:07.200 case, by playing nice and hoping for the best. 00:17:07.339 --> 00:17:09.859 You have to use actual leverage. It is so fascinating 00:17:09.859 --> 00:17:12.400 to see her trapped in this chaotic web. She is 00:17:12.400 --> 00:17:14.960 trying to be the cool, calculated fixer for her 00:17:14.960 --> 00:17:16.799 family, just like Mike is the fixer for Gus, 00:17:16.880 --> 00:17:19.200 but her tools are so clumsy compared to his. 00:17:19.500 --> 00:17:22.259 Exactly. But okay, we really have to move on 00:17:22.259 --> 00:17:24.079 from Albuquerque. We have to get to the main 00:17:24.079 --> 00:17:26.960 event of the source material. Because while Skylar 00:17:26.960 --> 00:17:29.900 is stressing over a Mercedes lease, Gus Fring 00:17:29.900 --> 00:17:31.900 is dealing with something infinitely deadlier. 00:17:32.000 --> 00:17:35.329 The party. The party at Donaladio's estate. This 00:17:35.329 --> 00:17:37.690 is the event that this whole episode, and honestly, 00:17:37.869 --> 00:17:40.130 maybe the whole season, has been meticulously 00:17:40.130 --> 00:17:42.849 building towards. The physical setting of this 00:17:42.849 --> 00:17:45.829 scene is so crucial. It is Don Eladio's lavish 00:17:45.829 --> 00:17:48.250 residence. But for Gus Fring, this isn't just 00:17:48.250 --> 00:17:50.980 a beautiful house. It is a graveyard. This is 00:17:50.980 --> 00:17:54.440 the exact poolside location where decades earlier 00:17:54.440 --> 00:17:57.259 Hector Salamanca shot and killed Gus' partner 00:17:57.259 --> 00:18:00.059 Max. We saw that deeply traumatic event in the 00:18:00.059 --> 00:18:03.240 flashback episode, Hermanos. So this is incredibly 00:18:03.240 --> 00:18:05.599 personal. Gus isn't just down there for regular 00:18:05.599 --> 00:18:08.079 cartel business. He isn't there just to negotiate 00:18:08.079 --> 00:18:10.359 a new distribution deal. Yeah. He is there for 00:18:10.359 --> 00:18:12.839 cold, hard revenge. But you would never know 00:18:12.839 --> 00:18:15.599 it by looking at him. He plays it so cool. He 00:18:15.599 --> 00:18:17.779 plays the totally submissive, highly cooperative 00:18:17.779 --> 00:18:20.930 business partner, and he brings a massive peace 00:18:20.930 --> 00:18:24.269 offering. The bottle of premium tequila. A Zafiro 00:18:24.269 --> 00:18:27.369 Añejo. And just a quick fun sidebar on that specific 00:18:27.369 --> 00:18:30.390 detail. Zafiro Añejo is a completely fictional 00:18:30.390 --> 00:18:33.690 brand. The production's prop department actually 00:18:33.690 --> 00:18:36.829 created it specifically for this universe because 00:18:36.829 --> 00:18:40.509 understandably they couldn't get any real high 00:18:40.509 --> 00:18:43.529 -end tequila brand to sign off on their product 00:18:43.529 --> 00:18:45.809 being used on screen to mass poison people. Yeah 00:18:45.809 --> 00:18:48.049 I can see why a brand wouldn't want that association. 00:18:48.410 --> 00:18:51.410 But within the context of the story, it visually 00:18:51.410 --> 00:18:54.150 represents the absolute top shelf. It's this 00:18:54.150 --> 00:18:57.130 rare, incredibly expensive spirit, a gift fit 00:18:57.130 --> 00:19:00.170 for a king, or in this case, a cartel boss. So 00:19:00.170 --> 00:19:02.890 the vibe by the pool is very celebratory. The 00:19:02.890 --> 00:19:04.930 cartel honestly thinks they have won the war. 00:19:05.210 --> 00:19:07.390 They have the chemist Jesse who can cook the 00:19:07.390 --> 00:19:09.190 pure product. They have the distribution network 00:19:09.190 --> 00:19:11.849 locked down. And now they have the great Gus 00:19:11.849 --> 00:19:14.670 Fring humbly bowing down to them. And this is 00:19:14.670 --> 00:19:17.349 exactly where Gus's tactical genius and his sheer 00:19:17.349 --> 00:19:19.829 ruthlessness comes into play. He knows these 00:19:19.829 --> 00:19:22.039 men. He knows they do not trust him at all. He 00:19:22.039 --> 00:19:24.319 knows Don Eladio is highly paranoid by nature. 00:19:24.619 --> 00:19:26.240 He knows that if he just hands over an unsleep 00:19:26.240 --> 00:19:28.380 bottle of liquor, Eladio will never drink it. 00:19:28.759 --> 00:19:30.720 So what does he do to get past that paranoia? 00:19:30.740 --> 00:19:34.019 He drinks it first. It is the ultimate high stakes 00:19:34.019 --> 00:19:37.200 bluff. He pours the shots himself. He raises 00:19:37.200 --> 00:19:40.259 his glass. He drinks. He even scowls a bit, maybe 00:19:40.259 --> 00:19:42.059 deliberately selling the burn of the alcohol 00:19:42.059 --> 00:19:44.160 going down, but he drinks it right in front of 00:19:44.160 --> 00:19:46.859 them. And seeing him physically swallow it? Don 00:19:46.859 --> 00:19:49.660 Eladio relaxes. He thinks, OK, we're good. It's 00:19:49.660 --> 00:19:52.319 safe. And then everyone else drinks. Everyone 00:19:52.319 --> 00:19:55.420 except Jessie. Right. Gus specifically stops 00:19:55.420 --> 00:19:58.500 Jesse, he physically blocks him, or sharply tells 00:19:58.500 --> 00:20:01.240 him not to drink. That is such a key detail in 00:20:01.240 --> 00:20:03.819 the chaos he is protecting his asset. Or perhaps 00:20:03.819 --> 00:20:05.799 protecting the innocent, depending entirely on 00:20:05.799 --> 00:20:08.240 how you view Gus's internal morality at this 00:20:08.240 --> 00:20:11.059 late stage. He definitely needs Jesse alive to 00:20:11.059 --> 00:20:13.599 cook the meth, yes. But more immediately, he 00:20:13.599 --> 00:20:15.559 needs Jesse alive to drive them out of there 00:20:15.559 --> 00:20:17.920 once the plan goes off. So the toast happens, 00:20:18.099 --> 00:20:20.220 the party kicks back into gear, there's music, 00:20:20.299 --> 00:20:22.660 girls walking around, cigars being lit, everyone 00:20:22.660 --> 00:20:25.940 is having a fantastic time, but then Gus quietly 00:20:25.940 --> 00:20:28.500 excuses himself. He walks away to the bathroom, 00:20:29.200 --> 00:20:31.240 and this scene inside the bathroom is just so 00:20:31.240 --> 00:20:33.500 visceral. It is dead quiet. He isn't panicking 00:20:33.500 --> 00:20:36.339 or rushing. He walks in. He meticulously places 00:20:36.339 --> 00:20:38.440 a folded towel on the floor to keep his suit 00:20:38.440 --> 00:20:41.000 pants clean, which is just such an impossibly 00:20:41.000 --> 00:20:43.380 Gus Fring character detail. And then he kneels 00:20:43.380 --> 00:20:45.859 in front of the toilet and violently forces himself 00:20:45.859 --> 00:20:48.279 to vomit. He is desperately trying to get the 00:20:48.279 --> 00:20:50.980 poison out of his own stomach. Exactly. He poisoned 00:20:50.980 --> 00:20:53.759 that rare tequila. He knew full well he would 00:20:53.759 --> 00:20:56.819 have to drink it to sell the con to Eladio. So 00:20:56.819 --> 00:20:58.640 the source material implies he took some sort 00:20:58.640 --> 00:21:01.700 of pills beforehand, likely activated charcoal 00:21:01.700 --> 00:21:04.599 or a similar binding agent, to significantly 00:21:04.599 --> 00:21:06.799 slow the absorption of the toxin in his stomach. 00:21:07.240 --> 00:21:10.339 And now he is purging it. But the clock is loudly 00:21:10.339 --> 00:21:12.900 ticking. The poison is already entering his bloodstream. 00:21:12.980 --> 00:21:15.200 But outside by the pool, the chaos is finally 00:21:15.200 --> 00:21:17.960 starting. It starts really slow, a slight stumble 00:21:17.960 --> 00:21:22.099 from one of the capos, a confused look. The men 00:21:22.099 --> 00:21:25.140 start losing their balance and then the bodies 00:21:25.140 --> 00:21:27.960 just start dropping to the pavement. Don Eladio, 00:21:28.299 --> 00:21:31.460 the seemingly untouchable, arrogant boss, realizes 00:21:31.460 --> 00:21:33.940 way too late what has actually happened. He looks 00:21:33.940 --> 00:21:36.319 over at Gus, who has just returned from the bathroom. 00:21:36.579 --> 00:21:39.240 Gus looks terrible. He's totally pale. He is 00:21:39.240 --> 00:21:42.039 sweating profusely, but he is still standing. 00:21:42.359 --> 00:21:44.910 The look Eladio gives him in that moment. It 00:21:44.910 --> 00:21:48.329 is pure betrayal mixed with dawn breaking realization. 00:21:48.470 --> 00:21:51.650 The look says you drank it too. You killed yourself 00:21:51.650 --> 00:21:54.130 to kill me. The image of Eladio clutching his 00:21:54.130 --> 00:21:56.390 chest and falling dead into the pool is truly 00:21:56.390 --> 00:21:59.410 iconic television. It is and it is deeply symbolic. 00:21:59.730 --> 00:22:01.630 He dies falling into the exact same pool where 00:22:01.630 --> 00:22:04.369 he ordered Max's death all those years ago. The 00:22:04.369 --> 00:22:06.230 water that was once stained with Max's blood 00:22:06.230 --> 00:22:09.250 is now his own watery tomb. The narrative circle 00:22:09.250 --> 00:22:11.569 is perfectly closed. But it is not a clean getaway 00:22:11.569 --> 00:22:14.859 at all is it? Not even close. Gus is severely 00:22:14.859 --> 00:22:17.740 compromised. The poison is ravaging his system. 00:22:17.920 --> 00:22:19.819 Even with the binding pills and the vomiting, 00:22:20.119 --> 00:22:22.339 he's incredibly weak. He can barely walk under 00:22:22.339 --> 00:22:25.059 his own power. But he still manages to be absolutely 00:22:25.059 --> 00:22:27.579 terrifying. He marches out to the few remaining 00:22:27.579 --> 00:22:29.900 henchmen, the lower -level guys who didn't get 00:22:29.900 --> 00:22:32.519 to drink the premium tequila, and he delivers 00:22:32.519 --> 00:22:36.440 this incredible, chilling line. Don Aladio is 00:22:36.440 --> 00:22:38.519 dead. His capos are dead. You have no one left 00:22:38.519 --> 00:22:41.359 to fight for. It is brilliant psychological warfare. 00:22:41.660 --> 00:22:43.940 He's effectively telling them, go home. The money 00:22:43.940 --> 00:22:46.599 is gone. There is no paycheck coming on Friday. 00:22:46.960 --> 00:22:48.920 And most of them actually listen. They drop their 00:22:48.920 --> 00:22:51.359 weapons and run. But that everyone runs. No. 00:22:51.660 --> 00:22:53.579 Joaquin Salamanca does not run. The grandson 00:22:53.579 --> 00:22:56.779 of Hector Salamanca. He is there. and he wants 00:22:56.779 --> 00:22:58.799 immediate blood for what just happened. Which 00:22:58.799 --> 00:23:00.880 leads to the frantic shootout as they try to 00:23:00.880 --> 00:23:04.099 escape. Mike, who is arguably the toughest, most 00:23:04.099 --> 00:23:05.920 competent guy in the entire show, the invincible 00:23:05.920 --> 00:23:08.680 fixer, takes a bullet. It's a really bad hit. 00:23:09.279 --> 00:23:12.900 Mike goes down hard. Gus is completely incapacitated 00:23:12.900 --> 00:23:15.220 from the poison leaning against the car. They 00:23:15.220 --> 00:23:18.019 are absolute sitting ducks in that driveway. 00:23:18.880 --> 00:23:20.700 Joaquin is steadily moving in to finish them 00:23:20.700 --> 00:23:22.720 both off. And who is the one who actually saves 00:23:22.720 --> 00:23:25.529 the day? Jesse Pinkman. The exact same guy who 00:23:25.529 --> 00:23:28.170 held a gun completely shaking in the first few 00:23:28.170 --> 00:23:30.710 seasons. The guy who couldn't even kill a fly 00:23:30.710 --> 00:23:32.549 in the lab without having a nervous breakdown. 00:23:32.990 --> 00:23:35.750 He smoothly picks up a gun and he just drops 00:23:35.750 --> 00:23:39.210 Joaquin. It is pure unfiltered reflex action. 00:23:39.329 --> 00:23:42.109 He does not hesitate for a microsecond. He kills 00:23:42.109 --> 00:23:44.910 Joaquin, he rushes over to Mike and Gus, loads 00:23:44.910 --> 00:23:47.369 their bleeding poison bodies into a car and he 00:23:47.369 --> 00:23:49.880 floors it out of the compound. That final lingering 00:23:49.880 --> 00:23:52.240 image of Jesse driving the car away from the 00:23:52.240 --> 00:23:54.720 estate. He's the only one fully conscious. He's 00:23:54.720 --> 00:23:57.279 the only one physically whole. He went from being 00:23:57.279 --> 00:23:59.299 their captive prisoner at the start of the day 00:23:59.299 --> 00:24:01.759 to their absolute savior by the end of it. And 00:24:01.759 --> 00:24:03.220 think back to the mission we talked about at 00:24:03.220 --> 00:24:04.900 the start of this deep dive. The mission was 00:24:04.900 --> 00:24:07.779 to analyze exactly how this episode radically 00:24:07.779 --> 00:24:10.700 shifts the storylines. Look at exactly where 00:24:10.700 --> 00:24:14.119 we end up. Gus finally gets his lifelong revenge, 00:24:14.119 --> 00:24:17.220 but he's literally dying in the backseat. Mike 00:24:17.220 --> 00:24:19.240 is the ultimate protector, but he is bleeding 00:24:19.240 --> 00:24:22.519 out. Jesse, the student, the so -called junkie, 00:24:22.839 --> 00:24:25.480 is now the leader. He is the only one in control 00:24:25.480 --> 00:24:27.839 of the wheel. It is a total massive inversion 00:24:27.839 --> 00:24:30.339 of the established power dynamic. And it perfectly 00:24:30.339 --> 00:24:32.900 sets up the explosive, unpredictable finale of 00:24:32.900 --> 00:24:34.819 the fourth season. I want to circle back really 00:24:34.819 --> 00:24:36.240 quickly to something you mentioned earlier about 00:24:36.240 --> 00:24:38.319 the production details. The tequila. You said 00:24:38.319 --> 00:24:39.980 it was a fictional brand, but it actually has 00:24:39.980 --> 00:24:43.400 a legacy beyond this episode, right? Yes. Zafiro 00:24:43.400 --> 00:24:45.869 Añejo. As we mentioned, the prop department created 00:24:45.869 --> 00:24:48.170 it from scratch. But what is really cool for 00:24:48.170 --> 00:24:50.849 fans of the wider universe is that this exact 00:24:50.849 --> 00:24:53.890 bottle design, that distinct blue bottle with 00:24:53.890 --> 00:24:56.849 the copper agave stopper, actually shows up much 00:24:56.849 --> 00:24:58.910 later in the prequel spin -off show, Better Call 00:24:58.910 --> 00:25:01.769 Saul. Oh, really? I missed that connection. Yeah. 00:25:02.430 --> 00:25:04.690 Jimmy and Kim drink it in a very pivotal scene. 00:25:04.859 --> 00:25:08.140 when they're running cons. It creates this fantastic 00:25:08.140 --> 00:25:11.220 continuity link between the two series. It essentially 00:25:11.220 --> 00:25:14.319 becomes a visual symbol of dangerous high stakes 00:25:14.319 --> 00:25:17.359 scams. Whenever you see that beautiful blue bottle 00:25:17.359 --> 00:25:19.940 appear on screen, you know someone is pulling 00:25:19.940 --> 00:25:22.920 a massive fast one and it is going to have severe 00:25:22.920 --> 00:25:25.180 consequences. I love that kind of detail. It 00:25:25.180 --> 00:25:28.000 just makes the fictional universe feel so incredibly 00:25:28.000 --> 00:25:31.400 lived in and cohesive. And clearly the TV critics 00:25:31.400 --> 00:25:33.759 absolutely love this episode, too. You mentioned 00:25:33.759 --> 00:25:36.029 the IGN. and perfect score earlier. Right. Seth 00:25:36.029 --> 00:25:39.089 Amitin from IGN reviewed it and called it a quote 00:25:39.089 --> 00:25:41.589 unquote masterpiece, giving it a flawless 10 00:25:41.589 --> 00:25:44.349 out of 10. Donna Bowman, writing for the AV Club, 00:25:44.470 --> 00:25:47.130 gave it a very strong A minus. And even years 00:25:47.130 --> 00:25:49.630 later, in a 2019 retrospective, The Ringer ranked 00:25:49.630 --> 00:25:52.890 Salud as the 20th best out of all 62 Breaking 00:25:52.890 --> 00:25:54.990 Bad episodes. Which is really saying something, 00:25:55.069 --> 00:25:57.289 because there are 62 episodes. And honestly, 00:25:57.529 --> 00:25:59.670 almost all of them are considered amazing television. 00:25:59.970 --> 00:26:02.730 It rates so incredibly high, because it finally 00:26:02.730 --> 00:26:05.180 pays off. Viewers had been hearing about Gus's 00:26:05.180 --> 00:26:08.200 mysterious history in Chile, about his deep -seated 00:26:08.200 --> 00:26:11.799 hatred for the cartel for seasons on end. To 00:26:11.799 --> 00:26:14.660 finally see that revenge executed and executed 00:26:14.660 --> 00:26:18.500 with such brilliant cinematic flair is just incredibly 00:26:18.500 --> 00:26:20.869 satisfying for the audience. But what makes it 00:26:20.869 --> 00:26:23.390 a masterpiece is that it balances that massive 00:26:23.390 --> 00:26:26.230 action set piece with the quiet, devastating 00:26:26.230 --> 00:26:28.230 character work going on with Walt and Skyler 00:26:28.230 --> 00:26:30.750 back home. It is not just explosions and mass 00:26:30.750 --> 00:26:33.470 poisonings. It is broken families and terrible 00:26:33.470 --> 00:26:35.950 financial decisions. That is the quintessential 00:26:35.950 --> 00:26:37.869 Breaking Bad magic. It gives you the massive 00:26:37.869 --> 00:26:40.390 adrenaline rush, but it absolutely makes you 00:26:40.390 --> 00:26:42.490 pay for it with the heavy emotional toll it takes 00:26:42.490 --> 00:26:44.710 on the characters. So let's quickly recap the 00:26:44.710 --> 00:26:46.750 three distinct worlds we just visited in this 00:26:46.750 --> 00:26:49.450 deep dive. We saw Jesse's incredible triumph 00:26:49.319 --> 00:26:52.390 in the dirty labs of Mexico. He proved his worth 00:26:52.390 --> 00:26:54.390 as a master chemist and then violently saved 00:26:54.390 --> 00:26:57.170 his boss's lives. We saw the rapid crumbling 00:26:57.170 --> 00:27:00.069 of Walter White's facade in Albuquerque. He is 00:27:00.069 --> 00:27:02.589 losing his family's respect by the hour, even 00:27:02.589 --> 00:27:05.349 as he desperately tries to lie to keep it. And 00:27:05.349 --> 00:27:09.549 we saw the deadly final resolution of Gus Fring's 00:27:09.549 --> 00:27:12.329 long -term revenge. The entire cartel leadership 00:27:12.329 --> 00:27:15.089 is wiped out in a single brilliant stroke. Salute. 00:27:15.150 --> 00:27:17.210 Salute indeed. Before we wrap up today, I have 00:27:17.210 --> 00:27:19.150 a final thought I want to throw at you and at 00:27:19.150 --> 00:27:21.529 our listeners. Go for it. Gus Fring won. He won 00:27:21.529 --> 00:27:24.329 big. He completely eradicated his lifelong enemies. 00:27:24.670 --> 00:27:27.509 But to do it, to achieve that victory, he had 00:27:27.509 --> 00:27:29.809 to ingest poison. He had to physically break 00:27:29.809 --> 00:27:32.170 his own body to get what he wanted. And at the 00:27:32.170 --> 00:27:34.309 end of the episode, the quote unquote winners, 00:27:34.569 --> 00:27:37.460 Gus, Mike, Jesse, are all physically or mentally 00:27:37.460 --> 00:27:40.299 broken. Gus is dying of poison. Mike is shot 00:27:40.299 --> 00:27:42.339 and bleeding out. Jesse is deeply traumatized 00:27:42.339 --> 00:27:45.059 by having to kill again. It raises a really fascinating 00:27:45.059 --> 00:27:47.240 question about the true nature of victory in 00:27:47.240 --> 00:27:50.759 this specific universe. Exactly. Is this intentional 00:27:50.759 --> 00:27:53.220 foreshadowing by the writers? Is the show actively 00:27:53.220 --> 00:27:56.420 telling us that in this dark criminal underworld, 00:27:56.980 --> 00:27:59.920 even winning leaves you dying? That is a very 00:27:59.920 --> 00:28:03.069 provocative thought to end on. And considering 00:28:03.069 --> 00:28:06.150 exactly where the series goes from here in season 00:28:06.150 --> 00:28:09.549 five, I think you might be entirely onto something. 00:28:09.849 --> 00:28:12.630 There are absolutely no clean getaways in Breaking 00:28:12.630 --> 00:28:15.190 Bad. You can win the battle, you can outsmart 00:28:15.190 --> 00:28:18.289 the cartel, but you lose a massive piece of your 00:28:18.289 --> 00:28:20.690 soul or your physical health in the process. 00:28:20.950 --> 00:28:22.789 It is something for you to mull over listeners 00:28:22.789 --> 00:28:25.309 as you think back on this incredible hour of 00:28:25.309 --> 00:28:28.769 television. What is the true ultimate cost of 00:28:28.769 --> 00:28:30.730 saying salute? It is certainly a lot higher than 00:28:30.730 --> 00:28:33.049 the price of a rare bottle of tequila. On that 00:28:33.049 --> 00:28:35.009 very cheerful note, thank you so much for joining 00:28:35.009 --> 00:28:36.910 us on this deep dive. It is always a pleasure 00:28:36.910 --> 00:28:39.009 to unpack these details. We will see you next 00:28:39.009 --> 00:28:41.150 time. Stay safe out there and always watch what 00:28:41.150 --> 00:28:42.150 you drink. Indeed.