TV Recap: Breaking Bad, Season 5 Episode 9: Blood Money

Breaking Bad is back!  Josh writes this week’s episode recap for Blood Money, for Breaking Bad Season 5 Episode 9.  There are a lot of revelations, so many that this episode almost feels like two put in one!  Following the recap, Josh and Violet both provide their thoughts on the episode.  Are you ready to get into it?  Let’s begin!

Episode Recap for Season 5 Episode 9, Blood Money

Don’t need a refresher? Click here to jump directly to Josh’s thoughts on this episode!
To see Violet’s thoughts on Blood Money, click here to get directly there!

Walt’s Future

Episode 9, Blood Money begins showing some teenagers skating in an empty pool of an abandoned house.  Walt’s now abandoned house.  Walt is shown going up to the house.  He has hair, and a full beard instead of a goatee. We know time-wise, that this is after the scene in the diner from the beginning of season 5A, because of the guns in the trunk, that he had bought illegally. Inside the house, it has been completely vacated and vandalized.  “Heisenberg” has been spray painted on one wall.    He makes his way to one of the rooms.  He pulls off a wall socket cover, revealing the Ricin poison he has hidden there several episodes back, which he intended to use on Gus but never got the chance to.  He takes the Ricin, replaces the wall cover, and exits his house.  On his way to the car, he bumps into his neighbor, who he greets nonchalantly.  She panics, and drops her groceries, revealing that most people in town know who he is now.

Hank’s Realization

After the opening scene, the episode picks up right where we left off, with Hank in the restroom.  For those who do not remember, he had just discovered the book Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman.  Why this is relevant, is that there is an note that is written to the note author’s other favorite W.W., Walter White.  The initials of the note author are G.B., which Hank deduces must be Gale Boetticher, Heisenberg’s (now) dead lab assistant.  After a long pause in the bathroom, Hank confiscates the book, and slips it into his wife, Marie’s purse.  He then heads back to the patio, where he looks at Walt in a bewildered way.  He then tells everyone at the gathering he isn’t feeling well, and wants to leave as soon as possible.  Walt and the family say goodbye, not recognizing anything further wrong.

On the drive home, Hank is not doing too well.  He begins to hyperventilate, and crashes their vehicle into a random neighborhood residence, and climbs out of the car, breathing heavily.  Marie asks the neighbor to call 911.  The next scene with Hank has him back at home, after a visit to the doctor, and while Hank is irritated for the long wait to find out he didn’t have a heart attack, Marie is relieved that it wasn’t something more serious.

Marie asks if Hank plans on heading to work, but he says he is going to take some time off still.  Marie is about to head out to work, however some co-workers of Hank have come with some file boxes, to drop off for Hank.  Marie is confused, but Hank ushers her out the door.  Hank directs the files to be delivered into his garage.  The officers ask if he needs help, but Hank brushes them away quickly.  The files he has requested are for the Heisenberg/blue meth case he has been obsessed with, and now with his current revelation, he seems to be determined to solve the case.  He begins combing through the case, organizing the evidence, but doesn’t seem to be making much headway that we can tell.  We see Hank go through several pieces of evidence we have seen before, notably the sketch of “Heisenberg” and the video surveillance of Jesse and Walt stealing the chemical that they required to continue the meth production without using Sudafed.  Unfortunately, from what we have seen so far, there is no conclusive evidence Hank has been able to put together.

Over the course of the episode, Hank has more and more files brought over to review.  He seems very focused, hardly acknowledging the officer that bring the information over.

Walter White is “out”…or is he?

So how is Walter White, aka Heisenberg, doing?  He seems set on “retiring” from his Meth Empire.  He visits Skyler at the car wash, and begins to make big plans for the car wash, discussing where air fresheners should be placed to maximize profit.  He also suggests to Skyler that they should consider their cover story further.  He says that the car wash should be so “successful” that they would be able to open a second one.  Skyler seems skeptical at first, but Walt explains that with a second “successful” car wash, they could launder their dirty money quicker.  Skyler stills seems skeptical, but then admits she has a car wash in mind.  Walt leaves her be though, and just asks her to “think about it”.

Walt then moves into the cashier area of the car wash, to take customer payments.  A familiar face shows ups to get her car wash outside.  Skyler processes her car wash, and we see that it is Lydia.  Lydia then goes inside to pay, running into Walt.  As her transaction is being processed, she informs Walt that their meth being produced is only 68% purity, which is not satisfactory for the  Czechs.  Walter tells her that he is out, and it essentially isn’t his problem anymore.  Lydia doesn’t like this answer, and seems to hint that it could be a big problem if he doesn’t come back into the game.    Walter doesn’t seem to care, and tries to play her off as a normal customer.

During Lydia’s and Walt’s conversation, Skyler had walked in, and was wondering what was going on with the two.  When Lydia finally leaves, Skyler asks Walt who she is. Walt is truthful, telling Skyler that she was a former business partner, and said that she asked him to come back, and tells Skyler that he has no intention of doing so.  Skyler, quite upset, meets Lydia outside, hands her the keys to her rental car, and tells her to leave, and not come back.

Riddled with guilt: Jesse Pinkman

Moving on to Jesse Pinkman.  We first see Jesse looking quite stoned, sitting on his couch, clearly deep in thought about something. Meanwhile, Badger and “Skinny” Pete are talking about Star Trek.  Pete first discusses the “physics” of being transported, which Pete’s theory dictates that each transport “kills” Kirk, and a  “Xerox” of Kirk is made, not being exactly the same Kirk as before.  Badger then discusses his ideas for a Star Trek episode, which many fans have tried to correlate to the show.  Here is a link on YouTube to view the Star Trek discussion:

Watch Badger and Skinny Pete discuss Star Trek in Breaking Bad episode 9 Blood Money

Meanwhile, during the conversation, Jesse goes up stairs, and returns back down carrying the bags of money that Walter had left for him.  Badger and Pete seem to not notice him, and Jesse leaves.  Jesse winds up at Saul Goodman’s office.  He is in the crowded waiting room, and has become annoyed waiting for so long.  To get Saul’s attention, he lights up a joint, which causes the receptionist to call Saul.

Saul calls Jesse in, and we find out what Jesse is planning to do with the money.  He wants to anonymously donate half of the money to the family of the kid that was shot, and the other half he wants to give to Mike’s granddaughter, since her funds had all been confiscated.  Saul tries to convince Jesse that this is not such  good idea, as it would raise too many questions as to where the money came from, and would likely never make it to the people he is trying to help anyway.  Jesse becomes frustrated, telling him to do it, or he will find a way himself.  Saul concedes to his wishes, or so it seems.

Cancer is back.  Walt’s manipulation fails

Saul instead has called Walter, informing him of Jesse’s plan.  Walt tells Saul to hold onto the money, and that he will be right there.  We have learned something else from this scene though–Walt has taken the call from the hospital.  He is back in chemotherapy, indicating his cancer must be back.

We then see Walt paying Jesse a visit, returning with the bags of money.  Jesse is not happy to see him or the money back.  Walt tries to figure out what Jesse is doing, to which Jesse informs Walt that the money is “blood” money, by Walt’s own admission (this stems from an argument from earlier in the season).    Walt tries to explain that Jesse earned the money, and that his reference to blood money was just his way of trying to win the argument.   Walt then asks why Jesse would be trying to give money to Mike’s granddaughter, to which Jesse answers because he believes Mike is dead.   This seems to take Walt a little off guard, but he insists that as far as he knows, Mike is alive and well, taking care of the granddaughter on his own.  Jesse explains that he doesn’t believe so considering how Walt had Mike’s men killed, and that since Walt seems to feel so safe, it wouldn’t make sense for Mike to be alive, as it would be a “loose end” for Walt, which Jesse is aware how much Walt hates those.   Walt tries to convince Jesse that he is out, and that everything will be fine once they move on, but Jesse is still clearly troubled.

Later in the evening, we see Jesse in his beat up Toyota, in a rundown parking lot.  He is still deep in thought, probably still over the little boy that was murdered.  A homeless man asks him for money, which at first he shuns.  But then, he decides to hand the homeless man a stack of cash.  Jesse then proceeds to be a “money-fairy”, tossing bundles of bills at people’s houses, paperboy-style, seemingly trying to get rid of it any way he can.

Meanwhile, back with Walt, he visits the “loo”, and looks for something to read.  He then notices that his book, Leaves of Grass, is missing.  He looks around for it, and asks Skyler about it, but doesn’t seem to concerned about it.  Not until he goes to bed.  He then asks Skyler what she thinks is wrong with Hank, and Skyler says she thinks it was some stomach thing.  Walt decides to take a walk, and goes outside.  Rather randomly, he goes to his car, and looks underneath it.  he stands up, with a device in his hand.  The very device that he had helped Hank put onto Gus’s car.  Walt knows.

The Showdown

Walt pays a visit to Hank.  He seems some of Hank’s co-workers about to leave, and chit chats with them.  This gives Hank enough time to frantically put away his work, so that Walt doesn’t see what he is working on.  Walt then approaches Hank, asking how he is doing.  Hank tries to play it cool, but does not do a very good job at it.  Walt says that he just wanted to drop by, and begins to head away.

But, he pauses, turns around and asks Hank if he knows about the GPS tracker found on his car.  Hank has a very long pause.  He then picks up his garage opener, and closes the door, leaving them alone in his garage.  Walt asks him how he feels, to which Hank responds by punching Walt right in the head. Hank then makes his accusation to Walt.  Walt denies it, every accusation.  Walt says that his cancer is back, and that he won’t have anyone to prosecute in six months.  Hank demands that Skyler bring the kids to Hank’s house, to which Walt refuses.   Hank then says, “I don’t know who you are”.  Walt responds with, “if that is true…then maybe the best course is to…tread lightly”.  A subtle but understood threat for Hank.   Again, this amazing scene is on YouTube, which you can view here:

Break Bad Episode 9 Blood Money: Hank and Walt showdown

This ends the awesome, packed episode.