The vacuum guy (I don’t know his name, so I’ve dubbed him Hoover) is at his actual vacuum cleaner store and he’s with Saul, who has packed his suitcases, taken down his shingle and is gong into hiding in Nebraska.  Things aren’t quite ready for his vanishing act so Hoover tells him that he’ll have to stay at the store for a couple of days.  And he’s going to have to share a room – with Walter White.

Agents from the DEA are escorting Marie back home and when they pull up to the house, it’s obvious that someone’s broken in.  They whisk Marie away to safety and go inside finding the place has been ransacked.   Uncle Jack and his gang have gotten their hands on Jesse’s taped confession and are watching it at their base, mocking Jesse’s tears.   Uncle Jack tells his guys to fast forward and they see Jesse telling Hank about Todd’s cold-blooded murder of Drew Sharp.  Jack storms outside with Todd chasing him.  Afraid that Jack is about to kill Jesse, Todd argues that they still need him to cook more meth.  Jack says that they don’t need him, they have enough money, but Todd, says that they can make even more.   Jack’s small appliance bulb of a brain lit up when he realized that Todd has a crush on Lydia – that’s why he wants to stay in the meth business.   He and the others engage in a few crude remarks about what it would be like with Lydia and her lady parts.  Jesse’s inside of the cage, with the picture of Andrea and Brock and a paper clip – suitable for opening the catch on handcuffs.

Walter and Saul are in the basement of the vacuum store where Walt’s telling Saul how he needs a few hit-men to kill Uncle Jack and his gang.  Saul, who has had just about enough of Walter’s criminal schemes, tells Walter that he should just turn himself in to the DEA.  “If’ you’re worried about your wife and kids, don’t leave, Saul says. “Until they have you, they’re going after her.   You think the feds will let the deaths of two DEA agents go?  You can’t get the money to her.  Mike was no dummy, but every time he tried to get money to his granddaughter, it went to the feds.”   Walter isn’t listening – he’s still the smartest guy in the room. – and tells Saul,   “What I do, I do for my family.  All the money goes to them, not just the barrel, all of it.  I’ve got to kill Jack and his gang and the money has to go to my kids.  Then I’m through.”   When Hoover walks in to check on them, Walt says that Saul is going with him.  Saul isn’t having it, though, reminding Walt that he’s no longer his lawyer.  “I’m nobody’s lawyer, anymore.  Three months from now, nest case scenario, I’ll be managing a Cinnabon.”   Walt keep insisting that Saul’s still in it, whether he likes it or not.  Saul simple says, “Sorry, Don’t think so.”  Walter tries to order Saul to go with him and says “It’s not over until…”, then coughs uncontrollably, finally finishing his thought – “it’s over.”  Saul just takes his suitcases and walks upstairs.

Skyler is being questioned by the feds, but isn’t really present.  When one investigator asks her if she understands what’s going on , she says, “I understand I’m in terrible trouble and you will use everything in your power against me and my children unless I give up Walt, but I don’t know where he is.”   She leaves, with her attorney.  The feds are watching the White house and Skyler is sitting in the window, smoking a cigarette.  She hears Holly cry and goes to check on her, but three men wearing ski masks are in the bedroom and one grabs Skyler.   It’s Todd and he’s there to make sure that she’s not going to say anything about them to the police.  He’s really interested in keeping Lydia off the radar and winning her heart.  Skyler promises that she won’t say a word and the men leave.

Todd is in a restaurant, nursing a cup of tea – obviously he’s picked up the beverage as a way to impress his darling Lydia, when she walks in.  She takes a seat behind him at another table.  He’s happy to report that her message to Skyler was delivered and there won’t be any problems.  Lydia’s not as interested in Skyler as she is in taking a break from Todd  and the meth business, until Todd tells her that the latest batch was 92% pure.  That news impressed her – “92%?  That’s Heisenberg level”, she says.    Looks like Lydia may be hanging around for a bit longer.

Walt is climbing out of a tanker truck driven by Hoover.  He’s made it to New Hampshire and his name is now Lambert.   After Hoover shows him around his new home – a cabin on two acres of land in the middle of a snow-covered nowhere – Hoover promises to come back in a couple of months with supplies.  he also warns Walt that if he ever leaves the property he’ll never see him again.  If Walt wanders off the property, he’ll be caught.    As soon as Hoover leaves, though, Walt, dons his Heisenberg hat, grabs some cash from his barrel and walks towards the gate.   He coughs some more, looks down the road and mutters, “Tomorrow.  Tomorrow.”

Jesse is trying to find a way out of his prison and then hears Todd approaching.  Todd has some ice cream for Jesse – a little reward for the best batch of meth yet, at 96%.   Todd tells him to get some sleep because they’re cooking in the morning.  Before he leaves, Jesse asks him to leave the tarp off so he can look at the stars.  Using the paper clip, Jesse gets the cuffs of, stacks his bedding and a bucket, climbs up and jumps to the bars above.  He opens the ;patch to the cage and starts running.  Making his way to a chain link fence surrounding Jack’s compound. Jesse starts to climb, until Jack and his men come up behind him.  Jesse begs them to do it – just kill him.  They have something much more cruel in mind, however.  Todd is at Andrea’s door and tells her that Jesse’s in the truck outside.  When she steps onto the porch to see, Todd shoots her, as Jesse looks on in absolute horror.   In case their point was somehow missed by Jesse, Uncle Jack says, “Remember, there’s still the kid.”  Why can’t this kind of pain and suffering be visited on Walter?  Jesse’s paid – 10 times over and wants to die, but Walter is still living out his days, even with his cancer,  plotting and planning his next move.  It just doesn’t seem fair.

Hoover makes good on his promise and returns to the cabin with supplies.  He’s also brought a stack of newspapers from New Mexico as Walter requested along with a case of Ensure to help Walt put on some of the weight his cancer has cost him.   Walt asks about Skyler and Hoover tells him that she’s working as a taxi dispatcher, and that the house is up for auction – with a fence around it to keep out the ghoulish tourists who want to see the house of Heisenberg.   Among his supplies are an assortment of glasses for Walter and an IV bag for with chemotherapy drugs.  Hoover learned how to administer the chemo by watching a YouTube video.  After the IV is in place,  Walter asks Hoover to stay a while longer, and for $10,000, Hoover promises one more hour.  They play cards and Walter asks him if, after he dies, would Hoover give the remaining money to his family.  Vacuum man says, “If I said yes, would you believe me.”  Walter wakes up on his bed, after Hoover has left, and his wedding ring slides off his finger and drops to the floor.  He finds it, places it on a string and ties it around his neck.

Looking around the room, he spots the Ensure box, which he empties then fills with as much money as it will hold.  Dressing for the icy weather,  he makes his way into town with the package of money.   Walt, Jr. is in school and is pulled out of class for a call from Aunt Marie.  it’s not Marie on the other end, just a woman pretending to be so that Walter can pick up and speak to his son.   Walter begins to cry and offers a very bad apology for everything that’s happened.  He tries to assure Junior that he’s till thinking only about them.. All he did, the terrible things, were for the family.   He wants the address for Junior’s friend Louis so he can mail the money to them.   Junior has heard enough, been through enough and rips into what used to be his father.  He screams that Walt killed Uncle Hank and about what he did to Skyler. “Shut up, just shut up.  Leave us alone, you asshole.”   Then he says what his mother and his Aunt Marie had also voiced – “Just die, already.  Just die.”

Walter place another phone call, to the DEA and asks for the agent in charge of the Walter White case.  When the Agent asks who’s calling, Walt says, “Walter White”, then drops the phone leaving the line open for a trace.   Walt goes to the bar and orders a drink, then catches something on the television.  It’s an interview by Charlie Rose with Elliot and Gretchen Schwartz.   They, through their company, Gray Matter, have started a grant for drug abuse and rehabilitation.  When Rose asks them if it’s a PR move to help their stock prices because of their potentially harmful prior association with Walter White – meth king extraordinaire – they deny it.  Rose presses them further, asking just what Walter White’s contribution was to Gray Matter.   While Walt watches, they plunge the knife a little deeper – “His contribution was the name.  Schwartz means black, plus White and you get Gray.  His contribution begins and ends there.”  Rose’s last question is to Gretchen, “Do you think Walter White is still out there?”  Gretchen responds,  “No. The kind, sweet, brilliant man is gone.”

Sheriffs surround the bar, enter with guns drawn, looking for Walter, but he’s gone. Only his drink is there.  He’s still in control, for now, sending the cops off on a cold trail.

Breaking Bad won the Emmy for Best Dramatic Series and Anna Gunn took home the award for Best Supporting Actress in  a Drama.  I’ll just keep my comments to myself about who won for best director and writer.  Then again, the show, production team, writers and  cast are eligible for nominations next year thanks to the split season.

Empress