Br Ba S5 E9: Blood Money

It just got real.

The cat and mouse game begins to come to an end as Hank catches on to Walt’s meth business. I was expecting that cathartic punch to happen a few episodes later but it makes sense that Hank would be too furious to hold back. Those endless seconds when the garage door was closing were as tense and electric as anything on Breaking Bad.

In his rage, Hank brought up some plot points I forgot about: Walt was the one who placed the fake call saying Marie was in the hospital, ultimately leading to a world of hurt for Hank. There are all sorts of betrayals coming to light now — betrayals that may seem small in the grand scheme of the last few seasons but that hit much harder when family is involved.

Walt tries to talk his way out of it, of course, immediately bringing up his recrudesced cancer. When that doesn’t work, he threatens Hank that he better “tread lightly.” I will be fascinated to see where this goes now that Walt is finally, blatantly turning on his family.

As choked with rage as Hank was, I think when Jesse finally finds out about Walt’s betrayals, the explosion will be much bigger. “Blood Money” saw Jesse mourning the loss of Mike, who was becoming his mentor, and realizing that Walt, to whom he looked up even if he couldn’t admit it, was responsible for his death.

I feel like Walt is a full-on sociopath at this point, given the chillingly casual way he lies to Jesse about Mike’s fate. “I need you to believe me,” he says, a statement loaded with meaning. Walt not only needs his erstwhile partner to believe in him to escape any legal consequences, he needs to delude himself that he has not yet been completely corrupted. Jesse and Walt are a study in contrast at this point. Jesse is guilty enough to give away $2.5 million to the family of Drew Sharp but Walt describes the kid’s death and disposal of his body as something that is merely regrettable, in the most passive and clinical language he can muster.

Forget the past, Walt says. He should know better. He should know this has all been a series of chemical reactions that nobody can stop and there will be consequences.

Meanwhile, in the near future, the White home has been boarded up and kids are skateboarding in the empty pool. It was a tantalizing flash forward and I found myself scanning the scene for any clues to fill in the gaps. I am guessing, from the “Heisenberg” spray-painted on the wall, that Walt got the infamy he desired in the form of kids idolizing him as a folk hero.

Whatever happens, it’s clear that the pesky ricin cigarette will play a part in the ending. The question is: Where do the flash forwards fit in among the last seven episodes? What gets the White family to that point and where do they go after that?