Along with @cninja's observation, now the theme of Walt's mastery of machinery - both inanimate objects and people (I love the "breathing chair") - takes on a slightly different twist, that most machines are driven in cycles: Lydia, the chair, the gun, the gun as it blows off Kenny's head.

You assumed Walt was dead?

Did the automatic recliner in the Nazis' clubhouse vaguely remind anyone else of Jesse's car after Tuco died?

It was definitely a turning point in the show for me. I was also glad to be watching it in real time - the cliffhanger (yes, I really did have some doubt about whether Jesse shot Gale) and year-long anticipation were, I think, part of what made Season 4 my favorite season.

Couldn't agree more. I've heard it called "cartoonishly unrealistic." Apparently they forgot that he recently designed a collapsable meth lab to produce a mythically pure drug that virtually no one else in the country could replicate. But when he builds a simple mechanical contraption, and when they SHOW him making…

I think the essential question here is "is Todd a sociopath?" And by sociopath, I mean someone with antisocial personality disorder ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wik… ) which amounts to a difference in brain structure, rather than learned behavior. I've been trying to decide on an answer to this. I don't believe his uncle…

What ironic punishments do you mean?

I think he'll need to stick around for the finale. After that, you may do with him as you please.

I've thought about this too. Clearly they aren't going to let Jesse go anytime soon, and I think Stockholm Syndrome is, sadly, one of the few coping mechanisms he could adopt. I've wondered if we might even see a swastika tattoo on Jesse by the end.

Not that I think Talking Bad is a worthwhile show, but seeing as how Conan is perhaps the most prominent (and perhaps smartest) celebrity fan, why the hell isn't he going to have been on it?

@avclub-0d4efaa2c9d1041eb9b8b5319eec8531:disqus While I too thought it was a little unrealistic that Todd and crew could have slipped in undetected, remember that at this point, Walt is not yet known to be "the biggest druglord-murderer-murder conspiracy-DEAgent killing-kingpin alleged criminal in the history of 21st…

No mustard stain this time, though.

This is really fun to think about — it's like Saul is the past version of these guys, and we see how they might have become who they are: everything was going well until something went very, very wrong, and they had to hit reset. But their skill sets are intact and they can make bits of money on the side.

Is anyone else concerned about who'll come back for Huell???
I mean, I guess he'll see the news on TV, but still…

I'm surprised that everyone thinks it's so obvious that Walt is coming back to save Jesse and/or his family.

I love the way Todd says "let's cook." There's just the slightest hint of joyful satisfaction at having solved the problem of how to get a blue-meth factory up and running again.

Very interesting! I can't imagine how this would *not* turn out ridiculously complicated. Hank and Marie (and Jesse) would be completely baffled by Walt sending Jr. to their house — would they hide the truth from Jr? Or would they tell him outright, and would Jr. refuse to believe, especially knowing that Walt sent…

I think what frustrated me was that there were two big plans mentioned, immediately concealed, and then used as cliffhangers: Jesse's plan to get Walt, and Walt's job for Todd's uncle (which I consider an "unknown" because I think it's clear there's significant doubt that the job is just to have Jesse killed). For me,…

I wouldn't really buy this. If they'd needed to pay for more expensive health care, having a better job (e.g. at Sandia, mentioned in S3) would make way, way more sense. As has been demonstrated in other scenarios, his pride is his big problem.

You could have prepared by smoking weed. I've been wondering whether the people who've been reviewing Aaron Paul this half-season have never smoked weed. In my opinion, he's been doing a pretty good job playing the depressed addict-stoner. (Of course, that turned around at the end of "Confessions" and may no longer be…