'Breaking Bad' Season 5, Episode 12 Review & Recap - 'Rabid Dog' Is Bad News for Jesse
This episode was positively insane. And that's a good thing.
In "Rabid Dog," Jesse didn't end up burning the White residence to the ground. Well, he almost did until Hank interfered. We didn't find this out until the middle of the episode, but the beginning showed Walt scanning his gasoline soaked home with a gun, in hopes of finding Jesse. Since his whole house smelled like gasoline, Walt had to quickly come up with another elaborate lie for his family. And guess what? Both Skyler and Walt Jr. saw right through it, in albeit different ways.
There were were many surprising character motivations that took a complete 180 in this episode and this started with Walt's gas station lie. First, Walt Jr. told him to stop screwing around and admit that he had a cancer-involved issue. Skyler clearly saw through Walt's bulls--t, but waited to call him out until they got to an extremely nice hotel. She eventually got the truth out of him, along with why he was meeting with Saul. Her response? Get rid of Jesse, as in straight up murder him.
The craziest part of this episode was how many people suggested to kill or use Jesse, and not one of them was Walt, who has used Jesse countless times throughout the series. Saul compared Jesse to Old Yeller, claiming that the best way to rid yourself of a rabid dog is to put him down. "What's one more?" claimed Skyler, who didn't see the problem with getting rid of someone who could harm their family. Hank was the biggest culprit of this in this episode, who both used Jesse and didn't care if he survived or not.
Hank got Jesse to confess all of his and Walt's doings on video, and then used Walt's voicemails as a lure to get the two ex-meth cookers to meet. Hank claimed that Walt still cares for Jesse, and you know what? He's right. Despite getting Jesse to kill Gale, making Jesse think Brock's poisoning was his fault, etc., Walt was the only one who cared for his well being in this episode. Jesse may have not thought that, especially when he noticed a suspicious hitman-looking figure at the plaza where he was supposed to meet Walt, wired up and all.
It turns out this suspicious man was just a father who was watching his daughter, but Jesse couldn't have known. He called Walt on a payphone, and told him that enough was enough. In a fist pumping moment, Jesse was finally in control, even though he still threatened Walt and his family, telling him he'd hit him where it hurts the most. Now, Walt may join the "kill Jesse" bandwagon, but will he really? Something tells me that aside from his family, he simply won't be able to harm Jesse. Jesse, on the other hand, may have no problem in harming Walt.
Leftovers
- Marie also had murder on her mind, but it was for Walt not Jesse. Although she told her therapist she'd never act on it, her knowledge of untraceable poisons was really amusing. She was also fine with using Jesse if it meant hurting Walt, and went so far as to offer him coffee.
- Walt's gas station lie was his most elaborate yet. How ironic that no one believed him this time.
- How suspenseful was that first scene? I was expecting Jesse to jump out at any moment, but that not happening may have been the whole point.
- Now Gomez knows the truth about Walt and Jesse too, and he didn't seem too surprised.
- "For three hours straight all he talked about was Babylon 5." If you listen in on Badger, this is what you get.
- "Are you spying on me?" "Yes, and I just feel awful about it." Point for Skyler, because sympathy is totally overrated.
- "Mr. White -- he's the devil. He is smarter than you, he is luckier than you. Whatever you think's supposed to happen, I'm telling you the exact reverse opposite of that is going to happen."