Gus takes center stage here. It makes sense as he is now in Hank's cross-hairs. True to form, he has an explanation for everything: his fingerprints, how they knew each other, and even has an alibi for where he was when Gale was killed. The latter should come as no surprise as Gus really had nothing to do with it, but it does appear to bring Hank's investigation to a halt.
Appear is the key word there as Hank tasks Walt with planting a GPS tracker on Gus' car. Walt is uneasy, especially as Mike "just happens" to pull up next to their car as they discuss this.
He does it, though not before consulting Gus first. It was weird to see Gus so OK with it. I guess he appreciated Walt's honesty? Walt is convinced that this marks him as a traitor in Gus' eyes, but I don't see it. He went out of his way to show that he didn't sell Gus out and only went through with it when Gus said to.
Walt does try to pressure Jesse into speeding up their time table and tries to come up with ways to implement it, but Jesse doesn't seem too concerned. It hearkened back to their earlier dynamic where Walt would often have to try to brainstorm and formulate strategies in order to get them out of their jam.
Not only does this episode mark the return of Tuco's uncle, but it also lets us know just what the dynamic between Gus and the cartel is. As I've noted, it seems like the show has been going back and forth on that, so it was nice to iron out those details.
It turns out that Gus' long time friend, Max, was also a brilliant chemist who could cook some pretty pure product. As such, they decided to give some samples out to members of the cartel in the hopes of arranging a partnership. I do wonder what percentage he hit. Gale hit 96 and Walt's is 99 percent pure. I have to figure Max's is closer to Gale's, but that isn't made clear.
Interestingly enough, Gus is the Pinkman of the situation as the cartel notes that Gus doesn't really need to be around since Max is the one who makes the product. Unlike the current setup, where Walt's skills are what's keeping him alive, the cartel decides to kill the cook and force Gus to watch helplessly. It's not made clear as to why, though it does imply something bigger about Gus' past.
While the episode didn't advance the plot a whole lot, it did a great job of giving us more information on Gus. His history is fleshed out, his dynamic with the cartel is clarified, and we see that he also had a hand in the death of the second Salamanca cousin via the flashback that opens the episode. The episode really shines in the later flashback as the conversation between the "brothers" and the cartel is as gripping as you would expect.
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