This episode could have easily been called "It Sucks to be Jesse Pinkman" as he gets put through the ringer here.
His money has been seized and he has no way of making more as Walt wants to wait until things cool down as he is under too much scrutiny. When Jesse tries to get more, Walt shrugs it off and only gives him $600. I can see why asking for half is unreasonable, but I think that the extenuating circumstances should get him a bit more wiggle room. I mean, that won't last long, even if Jesse did spend it responsibly.
To add salt to the wound, his parents kick him out as we learn that he doesn't really own the house. While you can't blame Jesse's parents for kicking him out after finding his lab, you do still feel bad for the guy.
I do wonder how sincere Jesse's offer to turn his life around was. His later attitude suggests that he was just blowing smoke, but I could see the idea of being homeless scaring him straight. On top of that, the ordeal with Tuco would also make the drug life that much less appealing. It's a moot point as his mom doesn't buy it anyway.
None of Jesse's friends are willing to put him up, so Jesse has to break into the junkyard to get to his RV. The fact that Jesse's life is in the crapper takes a literal turn as he falls through the roof of a porta-potty.
Not surprisingly, the yard owner isn't too crazy about having Jesse living there and demands more money which Jesse doesn't have. Why Jesse doesn't give the guy some of the $600 he does have as a show of good faith is beyond me.
It does give Jesse a nice "comeback" moment as, after being chased out, he jumps the fence again and steals his RV back. I have a feeling that this beef isn't settled yet, but it was a great moment for the guy.
Oh, right, stuff happened with Walt too. Jesse's plotline was the stronger section this time around, but there is still fodder for discussion in regards to the White family.
Walt attempts to make amends, but Skyler starts becoming evasive and repeatedly leaves for lengthy periods of time without telling Walt where she's going. While Walt could use this to his advantage, the state of his marriage is more concerning.
Walt tries to make amends to no avail. He makes breakfast and even apologizes for being distant. It doesn't cut it as Skyler wants to know what's really going on. It's good that she is able to see through his poorly constructed lies. Walt's line about the ringing phone being an alarm probably would have worked had he said it when she first asked him about it, but trying to throw that to her long after the fact? There was no way she was going to buy that.
Skyler's actions here are a mixed bag. On the one hand, this doesn't really make a strong case for her, but at the same time, it's pretty obvious that she is doing it to give Walt a taste of his own medicine. What's good for the goose is good for the gander, and all that. It's passive aggressive and not the best way to handle the situation, but you can see what she's going for.
Actually, Skyler's action at the end of the episode marks the first legit instance where Skyler comes off as a bad person. Normally, her craving for a smoke to cope with a stressful situation would be understandable, but don't forget that she is several months pregnant. Even a dirty look from the woman in the next car isn't enough to deter her from lighting up. Not only is this deplorable on its own, but it also paints Walt Jr's condition in a whole new light. I don't know if the anti-Skyler camp cite this in their arguments, but it does seem like a point that can't be painted as "teh sexism". It is an objectively awful thing that she did.
The real highlight of this episode is Jesse's arc. It's very Peter Parker-esque as the guy can't catch a break. You can't help but feel bad for him as things get progressively worse, culminating in a rather vicious speech from Walt. Said speech does lead to another good moment for Jesse as he finally fights back and attacks Walt. The fight doesn't last long, but I have no doubt that it was cathartic. It also marks a turning point as Walt eventually does give Jesse some of his cash stash.
There wasn't any drug scheming, but the episode had enough character drive to keep things interesting. Both characters are dealing with crises on the home front and their struggles still manage to make for compelling television.
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