The most recent episode of Breaking Bad, entitled "Bug," had little if anything, to do with the seminal Dinosaur Jr. album and everything to do with setting up the next big turn of events in the show. While "Bug" was a good episode, it wasn't quite as excellent as the last two great installments. However, things that were set into motion this time around should make for a thrilling end of the season. Here are some more thoughts and observations on "Bug."
Jesse's New Role
Jesse has been doing a lot more work for Gus lately, and this week's episode saw him get much deeper into Gus' world that he ever wanted to, I imagine. First, he had to clean up every trace of meth in Gus' distribution warehouses in preparation for a visit from Hank. Then, in the process of cleaning those out, he sees one of Gus' lackeys get shot right through the head by a cartel sniper, and he was almost next.
Later, much like Walter before him, Gus invites Jesse over for dinner, but the meal doesn't quite have the same pleasant overtones as the one with Walt. The two get down to brass tacks, with Gus asking Jesse whether or not he can cook Walt's meth recipe solo. Naturally, Jesse assumes this means Gus intends to kill Walt, and we as the audience have seen this conversation go down between Gus and Gale and that was indeed Gus' intention. Jesse, like Walt has done, and as Gus' partner Max did in the flashback, says that without Walt he refuses to cook for Gus. However, it turns out Gus' intentions are different, which brings me to the culmination of this episode...
Walt and Jesse Hit a New Low
Jesse invites Walter to his house to tell him what Gus has told him. Jesse is going to be taken down to Mexico to teach the cartel Walt's recipe to bring peace between Gus and the cartel. Jesse is, obviously, worried, but Walt is in no mood to help him out. For Walt has placed a tracker on Jesse's car, the same kind Hank put on Gus' car, and knows that Jesse has seen Gus and been to his house. As such, Walt is angry that Jesse hasn't tried to kill Gus yet, and questions his loyalties. Meanwhile, Jesse is infuriated that Walt bugged him after all they've been through.
At the beginning of the episode, we see Walt's glasses on the ground as blood drips onto his shoes. This was a brief glimpse of the end of the episode, in which Walt and Jesse have a fight. This isn't like Walt and Saul Goodman's fight, however. It is intense, they break a lot of stuff in Jesse's house, and some serious punches are thrown. When the fight is over, Jesse tells Walt to get out and never come back.
Walt and Jesse have been at odds before, but it has never been as bad as this. Both of them are under huge pressure, and both have to worry about getting killed at any moment. They no longer have any trust for one another, and now Jesse appears headed out of the country. Will they have to come together for their common good before the season ends? What will become of this dynamic duo? Also, in many ways Walt and Jesse are almost co-main characters at this point. To think that if not for the writer's strike Jesse would have been killed in season one.
Gus' Empire
It was a tale of two Guses in this episode. On the one hand, he dared the cartel sniper to take him out by walking directly at him and putting his arms out. Of course, the sniper demurred. On the other hand, he had to say yes to the cartels demands, and now he's relying on Jesse to help him make good on the deal, which is a risky proposition. Will Gus still be around by the end of the season? If not, will he be dead, or will Hank get him in jail? Granted, when Hank finally gets to Gus' distribution center (Walt was able to buy some time with a fake illness) he won't find anything, but Hank is really determined to make his theory stick, and he doesn't seem likely to take no for an answer.
Skyler's Tax Problems
Meanwhile, Skyler has issues of her own. One moment, she's riding high on the car wash almost turning a profit and telling Walt he may be able to quite making meth. Then, Ted Beneke walks in her door. Ted is getting audited the very next day, his books are rotten, and Skyler's name is all over them. If they come after him, Skyler will get mixed up in it, and she's in the midst of trying to launder money with a car wash. She is able to buy them some time by playing the dumb bimbo who screwed up the books because Ted wanted to give his girlfriend a job, but Ted still doesn't have the money to pay his back taxes. Skyler is a smart woman who usually has a trick up her sleeve, not unlike Walter (except for the woman part), but is she going to find herself in a situation she can't get out of soon?
Once upon a time, Tuco almost took Walt and Jesse down to Mexico to cook. Now, it appears Jesse is headed there. What will Walt do without him? What will Jesse do without Walt, for that matter? What will Hank's next move be? There's only a few episodes of season four left and so many intriguing possibilities out there. "Bug" really raised the stakes on a lot of things. Now it is time for it all to play out.
I find Breaking Bad to be steadily building upon its already relentless intensity week after week. It's operating on frighteningly good levels right now -- just an amazing and unique show all told.