'Breaking Bad' Recap: Magnet Magic

Ursula Coyote

The season opener of AMC's Breaking Bad picked up shortly after the, er, explosive demise of Gus Fring (ding! ding! ding!)  Here are five key moments that caught our attention. Warning: spoilers ahead if you haven't seen the premiere yet.    

our editor recommends

'Breaking Bad' Season 5 Secrets: 'It's a Bloodbath … Not Going to End Pretty'

1. The episode title was "Live Free or Die" and Walter White has certainly embraced this ethos as he took matters into his own hands to get rid of Gus Fring in the most spectacular manner.  We saw Walt's brother-in-law Hank back at work, on his feet, with the aid of a walker, and inspecting the fire-charred scene.  Has Hank figured out Heisenberg's role in the mayhem? And how long until Hank figures out who Heisenberg really is? 

2. Watching Walt clean up his bomb-making materials gave us chills as we recalled that humdinger of a moment when Gus met his maker. Even more chilling, watching Walt dispose of the poisonous Lily of the Valley plant that made Jesse's young friend Brock seriously ill, and resulted in the kid going to the hospital.

3. Skyler White regards her estranged husband Walt in an entirely new light: one tinged with fearful respect and even more caution. Even after Walt assures her the family is safe, Skyler is uneasy.  How long will it take her to get comfortable with this new, more confident, winning Walt?  And we don't mean "winning" in the tiger blood sense.    

4. Working with Walt has proven highly educational to Jesse, far more than the time he spent in Walt's class at school.  One of the best scenes: when Jesse loudly and repeatedly suggested, "How about a magnet?" as Walt and Mike discussed how to retrieve Gus Fring's laptop from the police evidence room. Is this enough to qualify Jesse for his GED?  

5. The discovery of an offshore address behind one of Gus' photos, seen as the police sifted through a pile of busted-up and broken items as they tried to put the evidence room back in order.  Will the police follow this trail? Will Walt, Mike and Jesse learn about it?

So many questions. So much that's still bubbling around in our brains.  What were your favorite moments of the premiere? Hit the comments and share your thoughts.

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