'Breaking Bad' Season 5 Episode 11 Recap: Many 'Confessions' and the Ricin Explained
"Breaking Bad" season 5, episode 11 was titled "Confessions" and revealed a host of lies, half-truths and manipulations of various characters at the hands of Walter White, the infamous drug dealer Heisenberg. This recap of the episode contains spoilers, and also answers an important question many viewers had— how did Jesse figure out Walt's deception?— so for spoilers, read below.
"Confessions" was wrought with drama and showed a new tactic Walter White is using to escape certain prison time at the hands of his DEA brother-in-law, agent Hank Schraeder. After Hank failed to get a confession from Jessie Pinkman at the police station, his wife Marie attempted to lure Walter Jr. to her house for the sake of the children's safety. At the last moment, she was outwitted by Walt and his quick thinking.
One of the most tense scenes of "Confessions" occurred during a sit-down dinner with the Schraeders and Whites at a cheesy chain restaurant. Though Walt insists there's "nothing to confess" and asks them to "leave [the] children out of this," Hank won't budge.
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"You're not gonna negotiate your way out of this thing," Hank threatens. However, Walt is prepared with his ace in the hole— a taped confession accusing Hank of being the criminal mastermind behind the blue crystal meth empire. A slew of happenstance occurrences and a stunningly two-faced performance by Heisenberg makes it impossible for Hank to openly accuse his brother-in-law without further proof.
Walt's meeting with Jesse in the desert is no less nerve-racking. When the drug kingpin suggests Jesse leave town for his own good, his former partner sees right through his lies.
"Would you just, for once, stop workin' me?" Jesse pleads, bleary-eyed. "Just ask me for a favor … or you'll kill me the same way you killed Mike?! … Just tell me you need this!"
Walt was unwilling to admit his nefarious selfishness, but perhaps felt some tinge of fatherly emotion towards his young partner and embraced him. Although fans questioned whether or not Walt was being genuine, the "Heisenhug" was enough to convince Jesse to leave to Alaska— at least, until another twist.
Right before Jesse was to leave town for good, he had a realization: Walt is responsible for the poisoning of Brock, his then-girlfriend's young son. The revelation came after he discovered Huell, Saul Goodman's overweight bodyguard, had pickpocketed his marijuana bag off his person. Jesse then quickly connects the dots: Huell most likely lifted his ricin-filled cigarette during one of his pat-downs, which means Gus could not have taken it, which means the only other person who knew of it— Walt— had done it simply to turn him against Gus.
Pinkman's suspicions were confirmed when he busted into Saul's office and got him to confess at gunpoint. The episode ended with Walt and Jesse preparing for a confrontation: Walt grabbed a gun from his car wash and Jesse began dousing the White residence with gasoline.
To see the trailer for next week's episode, click below.
