Once again we see a parallel between Walt's and Jesse's plot lines as both reconnect with old friends. It turns out that Walt was involved in the creation of a giant corporation, which leads to his old college roommate becoming quite wealthy. It shows a stark contrast between Walt's state and that of his peers in the scientific community as they are all rather well to do. While the party he attends does seem belittling, there is an upside as his wealthy friend offers him a job with top notch health insurance...which Walt promptly turns down.
I'm not going to lie, I don't understand Walt's thought process here. I get that he doesn't want his health issues being discussed, that's legitimate, but he should still take the job. He's qualified for it, the pay is better, and it has better benefits. Even putting the cancer and the issue of whether he should get treatment or not aside, it seems like a boon.
The episode hints that it is a matter of pride, but that doesn't make a whole lot of sense as Elliot (the aforementioned friend) just offers to pick up the check for the treatment anyway. If anything, that's more of a charity case than just taking the high end job. Walt turns that offer down too, so points for consistency, I guess.
It leads to an intervention which actually acts as the episode's highlight. The scenario is largely played for laughs with things like the talking pillow, but the cast also turns in some top notch dramatic performances as well later on in the scene.
It is here where Walt gives some explanation for his actions, saying that he wants to make the decision for himself. It helps a little, but it is still somewhat head tilting.
For Jesse's part, he attempts to get back into the cooking game after he realizes he's not really qualified for anything. His one interview is for a job spinning signs. Again, personal pride comes into play (adding another parallel to the two characters this episode) but this makes a lot more sense.
While Jesse has picked up some knowledge from his time with Walt, he still can't cook as well as his old partner. I don't understand why he just scrapped what he made. I mean, I guess we should commend his exacting standards and dedication to quality, but couldn't he still sell that at a lower price?
This episode had its strong points, but I might mark this as the weakest entry so far, largely due to Walt's inane thought process. I get that there wouldn't be a story if Walt's rich friend just swooped in and saved the day, but then why bring it up to begin with? The plot hook works much better when it seems like Walt has no other options, but it's clear he has options, he's just not taking them.
It does flesh out Walt's back story a bit and establish his scientific genius to some extent. Maybe have Elliot point out that there aren't any job openings or that profits are down and that they can't afford to take anyone on right now? It seems like there's a way around that.
The episode does a great job balancing comedy and drama. It does flesh out the characters and it does bring Walt and Jesse back together. It had its problems, but it does set things up for the couple of episodes that remain this season.
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