‘Breaking Bad’ Breakdown: ‘Confessions’

(SPOILERS AHEAD, so “tread lightly,” ye Breaking Bad fanatics!)

Season Five, Episode 11: “Confessions”

Written by: Gennifer Hutchinson, Directed by: Michael Slovis

So far, this has been the Season of Punches, Hugs, and Awkward Meals.

We’ve seen Skyler and Hank lock in a staggering, emotionally charged half-hug, as Hank welcomed his sister-in-law in the diner, both knowing the Dirty Truth and hiding behind a familial familiarity. We’ve also seen Jesse sitting in with Walt and Skyler for a hilarious TV sitcom-styled anti-dinner, and two weeks ago, we saw Hank punch the daylights out of Walt — in what has to be the most highly anticipated kisser-popper in the history of TV drama.

Fittingly, “Confessions” revolves around both a hug, punch, and awkward meal — just with different characters trading blows, embraces, and guacamole.

First, The Hug.

Aaron Paul — in his still, pained helplessness — has dominated this second-half run. And one of his finest moments  came during a scene with Saul and Walt, The Three Meth-keteers figuring out logistics in the desert. (Quick recap: Hank tried to lay on his scratchy, deep interrogator voice on Jesse, but Saul showed up and burst his bubble. Neither Saul, nor Walt, are particularly pleased.) Back to the action: Walt, in an attempt to get Jesse as far from the action as humanly possible, suggests that perhaps Jesse should hook up with Saul’s Hoover guy and buy himself a shiny new identity. (“Jesse, will you let me help you? I don’t like to see you hurting like this. Maybe it’s time for a change.”)

At first, Jesse isn’t buying it — he finally calls Walt out on his manipulative headgames, but just as he’s about to break away for good, Walt pulls him in for a slow, aching hug. There’s pain in Jesse’s voice when he asks Walt to stop playing the whole “concerned dad” thing. The level of depth in this scene is simply breathtaking: How much of that hug was out of love and how much was out of desperation?

Next, The Punch.

Back in his office, Hank is confronted by Gomey, who tells him to stop trailing Jesse and Saul. “Pinkman is APD’s problem, not ours,” he says, and Hank seems defeated as he relents. Jesse decides to pull the trigger on that new Hoover, so Saul makes his patented phone call and hands him some fat stacks from his “benefactor” (“provided, of course, you don’t toss it out the window on the way.” BA-ZING).

Another great Aaron Paul moment comes when Jesse realizes he — really, truly, honestly — can move anywhere he wants and start a brand new life. (Maybe, as Walt suggests, he can meet a new girl and start a family…) There’s, briefly, a sense of childlike wonder on his face as he realizes he can move off to Alaska. But just as he’s getting ready to step in the Hoover dude’s van, he realizes Huell stole his dope — and, more importantly, his cigarettes. Using some impressive dot-connecting skills, he realizes it was in fact Huell (on behalf of Saul, on behalf of Walt) who stole the ricin cigarette. He flashes back to Brock’s near-death poisoning, hauls ass back to Saul’s office, and proceeds to beat the ever-living shit out of him. He even pulls out a gun from Saul’s desk and wields it around like a psychopath (even though Saul was clearly never in any real danger, what with his forthcoming spin-off and all). It’s an unbelievably thrilling scene: Seeing Jesse finally unleash some of that hostility is both terrifying and strangely satisfying.

(Seeing him douse Walt’s house in gasoline, though?…I have no words.)

Poor, poor Jesse. If he’d just gotten on the van, he’d be battling the elements and building a fort in the Alaskan wilderness right now. (So much for the Survivor Man-styled Jesse spin-off I planned on pitching AMC.)

Finally, The Awkward Meal.

While Aaron Paul clearly dominated the episode, the most chilling scene involved the White/Schrader clan, as the two sides met (almost in Godfather-esque fashion) in public, at a Mexican restaurant, to discuss their next moves. (Walt is to chimichangas as Don Corleone is to a spicy meatball.)

The dynamic tension in this scene is marvelous. One second, we’re laughing over the absurdity of the situation (as a dorky waiter strolls by and asks “How about that guacamole?”), and the next, we’re riveted by the unexpected. Will Hank break out the fisticuffs (or the regular cuffs)? Will Hank manage to manipulate the situation? Turns out the latter. Walt tries to plead that the Schraders leave Walt. Jr out of the situation (Marie attempted to lure the youngster over to their home by lying about a malfunctioning computer; Walt talked his way out of it by admitting the return of his cancer). The peak comes when Marie proposes a heavy (and kinda brilliant) solution to their mutual problem: “Why don’t you kill yourself, Walt?” (Looks like they’re splitting the check this time.)

When Hank suggests that Walt “isn’t getting off that easy,” Walt slides over his home-movie DVD. It’s a “confession” video — but not the one we all expect. Walt crafts a brilliantly manipulative tale, twisting the Heisenberg story on its head by painting Hank as the Meth Mastermind. It makes perfect sense, too: Hank could have easily made drug connections with the DEA, and that sudden increase in meth wealth would explain away his $177,000 hospital bills that Walt secretly paid. (It’s twisted and brilliant to think Walt may have paid that money with this plan in mind all along.)

The other notable scene from “Confessions” is the cold open, in which Todd meets with his creepy uncle Jack and his partner Kenny. Todd leaves Walt a voicemail, telling him about the whole wiping-out-Declan-and-the-meth-guys thing. (Something tells me he and Walt aren’t exactly on good terms.) Todd tells his friends about The Great Train Methylamine Robbery, and the proud look on his face is quite telling: Todd idolizes criminals, and he desperately wants to continue this outlaw lifestyle. And he’ll do whatever it takes.

Rating: A

Now for some random thoughts and my favorite moments of the night…

“If you’re watching this tape, I’m probably dead — murdered by my brother, Hank Schrader.”

Seriously, what an incredible soliloquy from Bryan Cranston in the confessional tape.

“That’s the last nail in the coffin,” says Hank, about Marie using Walt’s “gambling money” to pay for his medical bills.

Shot of spider crawling–callback to the spider-in-the-jar?

“You got a beggars/choosers situation here, so quit bustin’ my balls.” — Saul