'Breaking Bad' Recap: "Madrigal"

Ursula Coyote

The team reunites

This week's episode of Breaking Bad ratcheted up the tension as Walt attempted to get back to business as usual.  Warning: spoilers ahead. 

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1. We got another jaw-dropping opening sequence that showed us something about the corporation that funded Los Pollos Hermanos and it's not-so-little side business. 

2. We saw Jesse agonizing over the disappearance of the poison cigarette, Walt helping Jesse look for it and the reappaearance of Jesse's Roomba. The shot of a tearful, stressed out Jesse was incredibly powerful. 

3. Walt is eager to get back to business because he needs the money, and he's of the mind that Mike needs to partner with him and Jesse so they can cook and distribute the product effectively.  Mike, however, is not at all eager to get back into business with Walt and let him know with his pointed remark, "You are trouble, you are a time bomb, and I have no intention of being around for the boom." 

4. Hank is recovering, albeit slowly, but he's walking and has returned to the Fring investigation, trying to connect the dots of Fring's Good Samaritan reputation with the drug business.  Hank and his team meet with Mike and we learned more of Mike's backstory about when he used to be a cop.  Stoic as always, Mike says nothing, even when Hank reveals a critical piece of information about a trust fund. 

5. Mike meets Lydia at a diner and we quickly learn she's exceedingly nervous now that Gus Fring is gone. Her association with Gus has her worried that one of Fring's crew will talk to the authorities and she wants Mike to make sure none of them talk. Ever. Mike tries to convince her that the crew can be trusted. 

6. Mike realizes he has failed to convince Lydia when he gets a call from one of the crew and knows it's a trap set to kill him. Fortunately, Mike is not easily outsmarted. 

7. Mike goes to Lydia's house and stealthily hides in the hallway, unseen by her daughter and nanny.  Mike asks if Lydia can get a key ingredient for the cook and she says, "Maybe, why?" Mike seems to be seriously reconsidering Walt's proposal. 

8. Skyler White is in a dark emotional place. Is that revulsion, depression, fear, or a combination of all of the above on her face? The final scene is a chilling cap on this chapter. 

Will Lydia be part of the new business team? Will it be business as usual. Hit the comments and tell us what you thought of tonight's episode.

Email: diane.gordon@thr.com Twitter @thesurfreport