EDITOR'S NOTE: Did Breaking Bad stumble near the finish line? Either clumsy plotting broke a great season's final momentum, or this show is ahead of its audience yet again. This recap of Breaking Bad, season four, episode 12, "End Times" contains spoilers. Read at your own risk.
By Matt Zoller Seitz
Press Play Contributor
“He has been ten steps ahead of me at every turn,” Walt said, begging Jesse for his life in “End Times”. He was talking about Gustavo “Gus” Fring, the drug dealer and fast food magnate who’d made his life hell.
But the line lingered in my mind as I sat down to write this piece and weighed whether to come down hard on some of this episode’s more absurd sequences, especially that business with Andrea’s young son Brock apparently becoming poisoned after … well, after what? Bear with me here, because the “what” seemed uncharacteristically muddy for a Breaking Bad subplot. Bottom line: I hope — and expect — that Breaking Bad is ten steps ahead of its audience, as it often tends to be, and that it didn’t suddenly exhaust its cleverness this season and start winging it.
First, the business with the ricin. When Jesse dumped his pack out on the sidewalk in front of the hospital and figured the boy had ingested the ricin he’d been smuggling for weeks but couldn’t bring himself to use on Gus, I thought maybe it just was a horrible accident — that maybe Brock filched a smoke, as curious boys sometimes do, and picked the absolute wrong one to experiment with. But Brock is probably too young for that — six, according to the “Breaking Bad” wiki entry on Andrea — and the cigarette pack time line established in subsequent scenes would seem to rule that out anyway.
You can read the rest of Matt's recap here at Salon.
A critic, journalist and filmmaker, Matt Zoller Seitz is the staff TV columnist for Salon.com and the founder of Press Play.
Press Play Video Blog 
It was surely sad to see Gus go out like he did. It really made you question–who is worse Gus or Walt? Walt has done exactly the same actions that Gus was accused of. Now, we don’t know Gus’s past but it sure is interesting to see the changes to Walt that have taken place from season 1. Jesse is still my favorite character of the entire series. I don’t know why either. I want to hate him so much but he’s like that loveable puppy. I am such a fan of Jesse Pinkman so much that i am going out as him for Halloween this year. Jesse Pinkman Halloween Costume
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Walt was barrucaded in his apartment, so I cannot fathom how he could have poisoned Brock. On the other hand, Gus did say that there would be an “appropriate response” to Walt’s alleged blame for the DEA search. Perhaps Brock was seen as an handy implement (do you really this Gus is “too decent” to have an unknown child killed?) to be used TO INDUCE JESSE to kill Walt, thus completing Jesse’s seduction by Gus and getting rid of Walt without Gus getting blood on his hands and causing a “problem” with his vital cook. If Jesse could be motivated to kill Walt, then he could hardly object to the death of Walt, as he would if Gus killed Walt. Other explanations are possible, but I get the feeling that any other explanation would be the writers pulling a rabbit out of a hat. Now, why did Gus get spooked at the Volvo? Spidey sense is unconvicing. The only explanation is that Jesse told him something. This is plausible because Gus feigned concern and understanding of Jesse’s desire to stay at the hospital. This is part of the secuction of Jesse by Gus. He could not force Jesse back to the lab. He could kill him, but what would that accomplish? Once Jesse had his back up — and remember that Gus saw Jesse dismantle tha arrogant Mexican chemist for the cartel — he knew that there was no forcing him. So Gus was all sweet concern and understanding — even beyond what any nornal emplayer might exspress. It would be classic Gus to express sweet compassion after poisoning a child, either directly or on his order. Remember the hit on Hank, suggested by Gus, while he expressed sincere concern and regret at the hospital. Whatever happens, I am sure that it will be astonishing. I dred the cliffhanger and months of waiting for season five. By the way, I see where Anna Gunn has scueduled other future television work and a new play. Does this bod ill for the survival of Skyar?
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