Breaking Bad Season Three Episode Three Review

The Calm Before the Storm

Well, if you watched Episode Two, then you know that Walt (Bryan Cranston) was spared the ax, literally. A last minute text message from Gus with the simple word of “Pollo”, let the brothers from Juarez know that hey must call off their plans of vengeance, at least for the moment. Walt has worked his way back in this home without Skyler’s (Anna Gunn) permission and Jesse (Aaron Paul) straight out bought back his aunt’s house. Everything has seemed to get back to some sense of normalcy as we wait to see where the rest of the season is heading.

Spoiler Warning for Episode Three “I.F.T.”

So what does I.F.T. stand for? We all know the writer’s of Breaking Bad love to have some hidden tricks in the name and this episode is no different.  for those watching, they will probably miss the significance of these letters even when they are finally revealed at the end of the episode. Walt is now scraping the pizza off the roof in an attempt at domestic bliss while he waits to drop the bomb on Skyler.  Jesse lays on the floor of his aunt’s phone and calls his dead girlfriend’s cell phone number over and over again to listen to her voicemail. We see this image over and over again throughout the episode while we focus on the White family. Hank has been given the word that he is going back to El Paso, but the post traumatic stress from Tortuga’s head blowing up has left him shaking under his macho veneer. In a flashback, we see how Tortuga’s head ended up on the tortoise as the Cousins from Juarez were instrumental in the beheading. A meeting between the Salamanca cartel and Gus has been set up with Uncle Tio showing up with his bell and wheelchair. Everything goes polite, but Gus is warned that Salamanca has very little control over the Cousins and he needs to get business over with Heisenberg soon.

Skyler is not to happy to find Walt in her home and makes good on her threat to call the cops. Well, this doesn’t go as planned, as Walt plays the cards that Saul advised him on, knowing that Skyler won’t spill the beans to the police on his illegal activity. Since he hasn’t beat her, since there is no legal separation, and no restraining order, the police can’t do a damn thing about Walt being home.

Hank still wrestles with the thoughts of going to El Paso and ends up in a biker bar with his partner. He sees a meth deal going down, but his partner tells him to leave it alone. While on the way out, he does a double turn and goes back in and starts a fight with the dope dealers. This action puts him up for investigation.

Skyler, not to happy with her domestic situation, decides to change things between her and her boss and asks him, “Is anybody at his place?”. When she arrives back home, Walt has cooked dinner for Walt Jr. and his friend. Skyler comes into the kitchen and tells Walt that she “I.F.T.”

(Figure it out…. the first part is I, the third the boss’s name, and the second can be done in so many different ways!)

Walt does not look to happy with this news.

Meanwhile, Jesse still calls the cell phone and finally gets a disconnect. His last connection with his dead girlfriend is gone.

The Fate Of Jesse Pinkman and the Rule of the Third Season

Jesse, having mentored under Walt, will now start making the infamous “Blue Meth” that Gus wants and Hank wants to catch. Unlike Walt, Jesse doesn’t have the general instinct to watch his back and he is going to fall under the radar of Hank’s DEA posse. I believe that Walt is going to have no choice but to get back in the game. Also, Skyler is being watched by Saul’s pet detective who will eventually bring the dirt to the surface. Another issue that everyone has seen coming is Walt’s eventual involvement with the sexy principal at his school. How can anyone resist that fine piece of tail, lol.

With shows like Breaking Bad, we have to follow the models of shows before them. The ante has to increase and somebody major has to die. In Sopranos, that seemed to happen every year and Dexter, it happened majorly at the end of Season Four with the shocking death of Rita. Since Breaking bad might only go four seasons according to Vince Gilligan, then this is the season where somebody dies. I have bets that it will either be Walt Jr. (an easy one considering he is almost useless to the storyline) or Jesse (which would be one of those holy crap moments).

Whoever it is, somebody is going to die.

Sneak Preview for Breaking Bad Season Three Episode Four “Green Light”