Breaking Bad Episode 408: Hermanos

An alternate title for last night’s Breaking Bad could have been “The Musings of a Chicken Cooking Man,” because it was all about the Chicken Man. The other characters (even Walt) are reduced to, at best, supporting roles in an episode that helped fill in the back story of the most dangerous Restauranteur in the ABQ.

Photo by Ursula Coyote/AMC

Before we get into the little slice of TV heaven that was Gus’ flashback narrative, let’s check in with the other denizens of the Walter White Death Express. The leader of the aforementioned express spends his first scene dealing with his cancer, which is (supposedly) still in remission. As an aside, it’s nice to see the show mention Walt’s cancer again. While it probably won’t be what kills him (my money’s on Jesse), the fact still remains that he’s definitely not cancer-free. Aside from this opening scene, where Walt rails against the deterministic view his fellow cancer patient seems to take, Walt doesn’t have a single scene on his own. Everything else he’s involved in is not of his own desire (save possibly his overly-excited chattering on the way to what he assumes is a mineral convention...

…A mineral convention that is actually a sting operation of sorts, headed by superagent Hank Schrader, hot on the trail of Gustavo Fring (“is that your real name?) The scene that takes place in and around Los Pollos Hermanos is on the short list of most awkwardly funny scenes in the show’s history. Beyond that, it really serves to show us that Walt truly has lost all control of his life.

The rest of the Breaking Bad crew takes a backseat to Gus Fring tonight while we were finally treated to a back story we never even knew we wanted. The history of Gus and the Cartel. Instead going into a full synopsis here, I’ll just post the various observations I made during my re-watch.

• Is it just me, or does Don Eladio seem like he’s supposed to be Tuco’s father?
• I love the subtle detail of Hector struggling to move his right arm. Almost as if he’s recently suffered a stroke. I sure hope that didn’t affect his character as time went on…
• Better writers than I have commented on the possibility that Gus and Max were more than just business partners. While it’s definitely interesting, I don’t think it’s especially important. I highly doubt Gus’ sexuality will be a plot point of any significance as the season comes to a close.
• Speaking of Max, he shares a name with Max Arciniega, the actor who played Krazy 8 back in season one. Combine that reference with the Krazy 8 lookalike who stole Jesse’s money in this season’s “Bullet Points,” and I’m starting to feel like the production crew really misses him.
• Skyler’s final hiding spot, the crawl space, is played as a one-off joke, but given that one of the season’s later episodes (number 11) is titled “Crawl Space,” I doubt it’s the last we’ll see of it.
• Nice shirt, Jesse. I didn’t know Ed Hardy was into bedazzling.