Just when Walt thought that Jesse was just another Old Yeller (Saul’s poetic words) that could easily be put down — just like Gale the chemist — Jesse has gone and turned the tables on Mr. White.
“Rabid Dog” began with Walt uncharacteristically pleading to Jesse on the phone to hear him out — “be safe,” he says, just like a concerned father would say to his son. But by the episode’s end, it’s clear that neither are on the other’s side.
During the first half of the episode, it seems like Walt has reverted fully back into Old Walt mode. He is shown in his dorky tighty-whities and acts a bumbling, lying buffoon and refuses to do something that he should do (remove Jesse from the, um, situation).
Walt was unusually forgiving towards someone who had just doused his crappy little house in gasoline and it truly seems that Jesse is one of the only people who he cares about. When Saul suggests that Walt take Jesse out, he sternly says to not “ever float that idea again.”
When Walt makes up that terrible lie about the malfunctioning gas pump to his family, even Walter Jr. comes up with a better lie about fainting from chemotherapy. Skyler is now accustomed to Walt’s bad lies and knows that “this” (“this” being Jesse) is something that needs to be taken care of, but Walt will have none of it.
Jesse, it turns out, is more than metaphorically a rabid dog. He is tweaked out on meth and behaving exactly like a foamy-mouthed dog would. But then BAM: enter Hank stage right.
That was one of the most unexpected moments so far this season for me. It is almost impossible to predict what is going to happen in “Breaking Bad,” but I absolutely would not have guessed that Hank would (seemingly) come to Jesse’s rescue and stop him from doing something stupid.
“You want to burn it down?,” Hank says to Jesse. “Then let’s do it together.” HANK + JESEE = GREATEST BUDDY COP COMEDY OF ALL TIME, am I right?
Hank takes Jesse to his house where he plans to get a confession out of Jesse. It turns out that the word of a meth head killer isn’t enough to hold up in court, so Hank decides to attempt to get the truth straight from Walt’s mouth.
He sends Jesse to meet Walt at a public place, but Jesse wises up. I don’t think we have ever seen Jesse as confident and as in control than when he makes the pay phone call to Walt.
“This is just a heads up to let you know that I’m coming for you,” Jesse warns Walt. You are so scary, Jesse! But did you forget who you are dealing with: Heisenberg.
The episode ends with Walt’s ominous phone call to the person you always go to when you have a bad plan. Walt says to Todd, “I think I might have another job for your uncle.”
It was nice knowing you, Jesse.
Other notable moments:
- Marie’s chat with her therapist was hilarious. Was her comment, “Don’t worry, I wouldn’t hurt anybody” foreshadowing? Maybe. Maybe not.
- Todd is going to screw something up, I just know it.
- Lydia has been absent for a couple of episodes. Expect she will come back to also screw something up. Those Czech Republic meth dealers aren’t going to just go away.
- MORE SAUL.