I'd rank this as my favorite episode of the season. It seems like it's been a while since I felt myself being pulled in and this show did that. It was very eventful and it's good to see plot wheels in motion.
Oddly enough, the episode centers on the RV. Jesse reveals that he plans to get it fixed up so that he, Badger, and Skinny Pete can get back into business. I did like seeing him learn from his mistakes. He notes that they aren't going to move into any enemy's territory and even notes that there needs to be a buzzer to let you know when the key is still in the ignition. It was a subtle continuity nod, but an appreciated one.
As it happens, the RV is also the cornerstone of Hank's lead. He stakes out Jesse's house, waiting for a break and the fate of the RV gives it to him.
Upon hearing about Hank's endeavors (which come courtesy of Hank himself interestingly enough), Walt decides to have the RV destroyed. Naturally, Jesse isn't too pleased with this and storms off. This unintentionally leads the DEA right to him and traps both he and Walt in the RV as Hank is outside waiting.
I've often said that the show is at its best when Walt and Jesse are backed into a corner and this episode keeps that pattern going. It really does seem like the pair are screwed, but Walt is able to come up with a solution. It was clever and it worked, but it is pretty messed up and kind of mean. Of course, this is the same guy who let Jane choke on her own vomit, so letting Hank think his wife was in danger could be seen as pretty light all things considered.
There is also some plot progression with the cousins, who continue to do little but look menacing. These guys are pretty dull villains, I have to say. They've racked up a body count sure, but there's so little else there. I found Tuco to be far more frightening and a lot of that came from his manic demeanor. He'd go from cheerful to psychotically enraged to the point of violence and back again on a dime. It worked wonderfully. I can understand why customers or employees at Gus' restaurant would be put off by the pair, but they're rather eh.
I said before that the RV was the cornerstone of the episode and that comes to the forefront with the episode's end, which involves the RV being destroyed. It was actually kind of sad to see. It wasn't a character, per se, but it was there since the beginning. I guess you could see it as the beginning of a new chapter as Walt is now working in different conditions. What this means for Jesse remains to be seen.
I did like Gale, Walt's new lab partner. While Walt and Jesse work as a team due to their differing personalities, Walt and Gale are a bit more simpatico. The two come off more as kindred spirits as they are both a bit on the nerdy side and succeed in their jobs due to their love of science. It's surprising how affable some of these drug runners are. Seeing how Gale presents himself, you wouldn't peg him as a criminal.
Even Gus is still pretty reasonable, even when dealing with the cousins. It makes sense that he would deflect them to Hank, especially because (as Gus points out) Hank is the one who actually killed Tuco. They say that the DEA is off limits, but he shrugs it off and tells them to go for it. It made for a great wham ending.
This was a very strong episode. It was well paced and was one of the more gripping entries in the series as a whole. If the season can use this momentum, we should be in for some great episodes as we get closer to the end of the third season.
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