Shall we anticipate the FIFTH SEASON of the AMC series "Breaking Bad"? I think I may.

I'm not saying this is what will actually happen, but isn't the most straightforward explanation of the last scene that Jesse's (deliberately vague) threat to Walter was a push for Walt to decide to kill him in the hope that the DEA/police can get him right before he succeeds?

Hank wants Jesse dead, or at least doesn't mind if he dies as collateral. Skylar wants Jesse dead. Walt wants Jesse dead. Saul almost certainly would prefer it if Jesse were dead. Things not looking good for Jesse.

Hank wants Jesse dead, or at least doesn't mind if he dies as collateral.

erm

Hank said pretty explicitly that he didn't mind if Walt tried to whack Jesse during the sting because they'd have it all on tape.

that's not quite the same as wanting him dead.

He's definitely quite far along the continuum of 'I love Jesse'---->---->---->'I want Jesse dead' in my eyes. He now has incontrovertible proof that Jesse is a murdering junkie scumbag drug dealer, he already hated him anyway, and Jesse is the catalyst that's basically just smashed Hank's life up.

Jesse's basically boned now in that he's caught between two monomaniacal obsessives but "Walt wants Jesse dead" is a BIG assumption.

No, Walt is the catalyst that smashed Hank's life up. Hank is willing to callously use virtually anybody to take him down.

I don't think Jesse's plan is to goad Walt into putting a hit on him. I think he's cooking up something crazy and I can't wait to see what the fuck it is.

Ok, maybe 'wants him dead' is semantically a bit far, but Hank is sure as hell not giving a damn if Jesse dies, and is going to put him in life-or-death situations to try and bring Walt down.

Yep

Walt is the agent who smashed-up hank's life; Jesse is the catalyst. If Walt hadn't seen Jesse climbing out of that window during the ride along in the pilot, I'd wager things would have been very different.

Ok, maybe 'wants him dead' is semantically a bit far, but Hank is sure as hell not giving a damn if Jesse dies, and is going to put him in life-or-death situations to try and bring Walt down.

like the life-or-death situation he has put him in in his own living room! well played hank. marie deciding to stay is basically funeral time for her too.

Yeah, that's a dumb move; I'm assuming Hank's so paranoid and confused and furious right now that he just wants his cards (Jesse) so close to his chest, and can't see how dangerous that's going to be.

gomez should offer some better advice and also give him a hard time if only for shutting him out initially or whatevs

I've got to assume right after Jesse says "I've got a better idea," he explains it to Hank and Gomie. And I'm going to guess the idea Jesse has offers him some degree of protection from his various threats while somewhat negating Hank's rage. Jesse has had good ideas in the past.

never forget magnets bitch

this idea may be good as in psychological walt insight but i have a feeling its not going to be good as in turning out how its suposed to

i agree, i can't really see anything bad happening to anyone except death, now. or the death of those around them.

walt jr finding out i guess is the only thing for walt.

I don't know. Maybe I think because it's TV, that despite how much this show has played with "anti-hero" vs evil and avoiding certain normal TV tropes, I think while there may be some surprises, maybe even some shocking ones, I bet certain things will end up ok. I bet Hank is alive at the end, as as the (relatively shaky) moral center of the show (especially now that even Skyler's expressed more cold-blooded desire to kill) that Jesse will also survive.

Also pretty sure Walt Jr. and Marie survive. Skyler I'm not so sure about. She's been this long-suffering victim, then quiet accomplice, but that scene in the hotel, I don't think she was just testing Walt. She's in this far and she thinks anything is worth keeping the "family" together, and thinks Walt should have no problem just killing Jesse. Not that that will make it "ok" for her to die from a storytelling perspective, just pushes the tragedy up there a bit and makes it less like "oh this victim pays the final price". Not predicting she dies for sure, just think they've opened that door.

well there's the whole going public thing and how that impacts everyone. we know from the flash forward teasers that at the very very latest everybody must know about walt by act one of the final episode. we know walt disappears to NH but what about Walt Jr, Skylar and Holly? I assume Hank will lose his job pretty soon and maybe gomie too.

Walt Jr. will die first... by poisoned breakfast

Hank not caring if Jesse gets whacked is also in there to point out the irony of the situation.

Jesse's convinced that Walt is out to kill him, when in fact Walt is the only one who is actively wants Jesse to live. Saul with the ol' yeller analogy, Skyler in the hotel room, and then Hank to Gomie - everybody else wants him dead or sees it as the easiest option.

Such smart storytelling - the other characters have to shift into Heisenberg mode when Walt tries to pull back from it himself - like evil is now has a magnetic pull (bitch) on all of them

My hunch is Skylar will survive but is bound for some serious jail time.

man it sure didn't take Marie long to go from parking rules to poisoning!

I cant imagine what Jesse said on the video tape. I'm guessing not much more than hank already knows, at least with regard to Walt, otherwise he would have had the whole DEA down in that plaza, no? I don't see why he'd be playing wires with Jesse if Jesse really completely ratted Walt out.

I honestly can't imagine anyone outside of the show's fictional universe giving a shit if Walt Jr. finds out, or dies, or whatever. Walt Jr. has really been given the short end of the narrative stick. Saul's henchmen have had more lines/scenes.

i dont think the whites are ever going home again

Walt raises his gun to the head the top Nazi:

Walt: "White power."

Walt fires.

Josh, it's clear that you don't understand breakfast.

lol @ "white power"

No one would miss Walt Jr., but Walt Jr. would sure miss breakfast, if you follow me.

I don't see why he'd be playing wires with Jesse if Jesse really completely ratted Walt out.

Without evidence it's Jesse's story (confession of a junkie) vs. Walt's story about Hank (confession of an upstanding chemistry teacher with terminal cancer)

Or whatever other story solid-citizen Walt could come up with

they could prob get walt on tax fraud if they wanted

Aha, the Capone manoeuvre.

I don't see why he'd be playing wires with Jesse if Jesse really completely ratted Walt out.

no physical evidence

which I think Gomie pointed out

and jesse pointed out

and hank pointed out

There must be a trace of something, somewhere, that everyone concerned has forgotten about (including Walt). The main thing protecting him so far is that for as long as he's operating outside the DEA, Hank can't go anywhere near Saul.

they don't have anything on Saul

To what extent could he investigate Saul anyway? Lawyer/client confidentiality and all that.

tbf having dudes on your payroll who are driving around barrels of cash isn't really non-criminal

like, Saul keeps a level of plausible deniability but he has people on his payroll who are doing things that are not too legal

Theyve forgotten the cartel tape of jesse cooking but that certainly doesnt incriminate Walt

Oh yeah, also manslaughtering client's wive's ex lovers.

xpost

Saul has commissioned illegal acts, but there's no evidence of his commissioning them

being a shady lawyer is so awesome

a criminal, attorney

still kinda my all-time favorite Jesse line

had to think about that one... remembered it and smiled.