If you couldn't figure out who the silent, well-dressed killers (Luis and Daniel Moncada) crossing the border are last episode, this one makes it clear they’re allies of Tuco and Tio Salamanca (Mark Margolis). The final scene where they wait to kill Walt (Bryan Cranston) outside the shower is an intense one, kind of a surprise after a slower pace for the first 40 minutes. Walt is spared by mere seconds, thanks to Jonathan Banks’ gruff, workmanlike enforcer Mike Ehrmantraut, introduced in last season’s finale and now a full supporting character (one of my favorite on the show). But the episode cuts off abruptly from there without resolving the vendetta on Walt's head, and the tension lingers as the credits roll.
It’s a very good scene, slow and deliberate the way it builds tension until it leaves us hanging and waiting for the next entry. Until that scene, the episode lags a bit, as the show takes its sweet time with the rift between Walt and Skyler (Anna Gunn). Still, there are a few great moments.
The eye from the teddy bear last season that Walt keeps is a nice touch (though why anyone would hold on to a reminder of such a tragedy beats me). Walt’s trying to move on, and at least for now to leave the criminal life, but all the bad things he’s responsible for are staring him down, encapsulated in that little piece of plastic.
On the Jesse (Aaron Paul) front, you can’t help but root for him when he turns the tables on his parents and buys back his aunt’s house. Even though his parents arguably have the moral high ground regarding Jesse's past drug use, after all he’s been through (addiction, losing his girlfriend, abuse both physical and, from Walt, verbal), it’s satisfying to see something go his way for once.
And, of course, there’s the immortal pizza toss, which works as a great unexpected bit of humor and an expression of Walt’s anger. I must say, trying to win Skyler back with pizza seems kind of desperate, not just for Walt but as a plot device. But seeing him land a giant pie on the roof (and he really did it) is so worth it.
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