Breaking Bad turned in another scorcher of an episode. This one, entitled “Buyout” could just as easily have been called “Fallout”. Because man was there a lot of the latter. It was a heavy dose of one of the show’s common themes: CONSEQUENCES.
We pick up on a montage of Walt, Mike, and Todd (Landry/Jesse Plemons from Friday Night Lights) disposing of dirtbike kid and his belongings. Jesse is nowhere to be found until Todd joins him outside for a cigarette, flippantly mentioning the murder. Jesse then cold cocks him. Inside the garage, the boys discuss what to do with Todd. Walt lays out 3 options: fire Todd- not ideal because he knows too much, Dispose of Todd- no one wants to kill anyone else, keep Todd on- just to tent houses. Walt and Mike vote to keep him on despite Jesse’s misgivings. Mike has a little face-to-face with Todd about gun control. And the action ends when we see Todd has kept the kid’s tarantula, which is creepy as all get out. And given the history of the show, I’m sure will in no way impact a future situation.
There was a good bit of Mike and the DEA as well in the episode, as he gets them good faking a drop with an especially explicit note for their prying eyes. Made even funnier when he returned home and could listen to them thanks to the bug in Hank’s office. It turns out Mike’s been dealing with stalker buddies for a while. Again, I’m sure this won’t be anything major or cause an issue.
The ladies of Breaking Bad get to have a chat. Of course Skyler starts to lose it and is telling Marie how she and Walt are terrible parents and their kids aren’t safe. Marie tries to draw information out of her and finally just tells Skyler she has to forgive herself for the affair. Marie reveals that Walt told her and Skyler’s facial reaction was worth an Emmy itself. She’ll probably just let that roll off her back.
Under a big green and yellow tent, Jesse and Walt are taking a break from their cook when a news report about the dirt bike kid comes on. Jesse is obviously affected and Walt tries to get him refocused but ends up telling him to go home and relax. Jesse goes to change and comes back to find Walt whistling a sunny tune. It’s revealing and revolting. After he’s done cooking, Walt swings by the garage to drop off the batch, where Mike and Jesse are waiting for him. Mike details how he’s been ditching tails and surveillance for weeks. Walt is understandably angry that only now are they being told about it. Mike says he wants out of the business (CONSEQUENCE!) and Walt is ready to accept it and move on with Jesse, until Jesse says he wants out too. Walt tries to keep him involved saying the methylamine is worth about $300 million when cooked and can’t believe they are walking away from that kind of money. Mike corrects him and says they aren’t walking away from the methylamine, they’re going to sell theirs to another operation for about $5 million apiece. Walt is furious that they’re selling themselves short. Jesse asks the question everyone in the audience is asking “Are we in the meth business or the money business?” and we’re ready to meet the other operation in the desert with a gallon of free methylamine. The buyer, Declan, is excited about the product, but ultimately more interested in having the blue meth off the streets. Mike tells him that the blue meth will still be on the streets. Declan balks at this and says he wants all of the product or there’s no deal.
Jesse then pays a visit to Walt at home and of course Walt says he won’t sell. Jesse plays the common sense card and tries to get Walt to agree, but there’s no luck there. Walt tells him about the last time he sold out, of Gray Matter. How he sold his share of that company for $5 thousand and now it’s worth capital B Billions. Walt finally answers Jesse’s question from above and says he’s not interested in either, he’s in the empire business. And THEN it gets awkward. Skyler returns to find them talking like a parent walking in on their teen in heat. Skyler is surprised to see him there obviously, but Walt asserts his position by inviting Jesse to stay for dinner. Cue the most awkward dinner of all time. Jesse is filling all of the dead air, trying to make conversation. And failing. After complimenting Skyler on her skills running the car wash, Skyler ignites the affair bomb that’s been ticking since her conversation with Marie. Jesse is awesome in this scene (can’t be underestimated for adding levity to the worst dinner party ever). Skyler leaves the table and Walt piles on her and does his best to manipulate Jesse back into the business.
It didn’t work and he hustles off to the garage to steal the methylamine, only to be met by Mike who was expecting a desperate act. They have a great slumber party in the garage so Mike can ensure nothing happens to the methylamine before the deal. Of course, Mike has to take care of some business before the deal goes down. He zip ties Walt to the radiator and takes off. Mike meets up with Saul at the DEA’s office to announce they are going to put a restraining order on the DEA so they’ll stop stalking him. This ruse proves effective and they pull their surveillance so Mike can work out the deal.
When Mike returns to get the methylamine, he sees it’s gone. Walt has escaped, Jesse has arrived and Mike finds the two of them in the office. Mike puts a gun to Walt’s head as Jesse implores him to hear Walt out. Looks like he’s got a plan…
