Gale says the difference between his 96% meth and Walts 99, is "Like a canyon"

gus also needs someone who can produce meth in bulk quantities with industry-grade equipment

though unlikely, it's possible that victor could have done this. i guess we'll never know

Lack of wedding ring at Denny's makes me believe even more strongly that the scene is in the final few episodes, maybe even the last one (I didn't think they'd show a scene from the final episode in the first episode, but now I think they might have). It has all gone to hell for Walt: his family is gone (dead or they parted ways), he's sick again, and has been forced to flee. It is all over for him and, as he alludes to, there is some unfinished business to attend to - business that requires a big mother****ing weapon.

So who's he hunting with that gun? Jesse Pinkman, take a big step forward imo. Other possibilities would be Hank, Mike, unknown bad guys, or his own family I guess? But it's gotta be Jesse.

Hes not hunting anyone with that gun. You do not need a machine gun to kill one person. It's obviously for a specific job. I wouldnt be surprised if he killed nobody with it.

agree that too much emphasis is placed on purity of walt's meth but it's a plot point - if all the characters agree that this thing is important, it must be important

also the show shifted its focus away from on-the-ground operations after walt started working for gus - it's just not a concern for the show anymore.

You could be right, but I still think that Jesse will be set up with Mike and a bunch of henchman and the only way for sick, broken-down Walt to get it him will be by blasting the everloving **** out of an entire area. Time will tell.

With the lack of a wedding band I'd say more likely they parted ways rather than being killed. Usually people keep their wedding bands on if their spouse dies, and get rid of it if they part ways. Just a guess though.

it's also possible he's not wearing a wedding ring because he's traveling under an assumed identity.
at some point in season 3 gus mentions that it took him years to find gale who already makes much better meth than your average junkie cook. so apparently even 96% pure meth is really really hard to come across, at least in the bb universe.

fwiw this is basically the entire reason walt knew that killing gale would save his life so it was a pretty major plot point.

Jesse cooks 96.2% in Mexico which is apparently enough to show up the resident cooks. He is pumped up when he sees that number and everyone seems really impressed.

good point

Is it just me or was E1 waaaaaaaay worse than last 2 seasons? I thought Mike went from an epic badass to almost comical. Also I'm not trying to sound like I understand anything about film editing, but I felt like the episode was too fast-paced and light, felt more like a normal random american show where people go from place X to Y to Z following a linear storyline and solutions to problems are always delivered quickly.

it was hilarious when mike almost shot walt.

also it was very clear that sparing walt's life was only temporary until gus could find a new cook and that gus is willing to put off revenge if it will affect business. he worked with the cartel that killed his brother (i think that guy was his brother?) for many years before going after them.

I totally get what you're saying and thought the very same.I also found Mikes almost fatherly relationship with Jesse a bit twee and out of character.Before someone chimes in I know Jesse helped save Mikes life but still I just felt it was a bit off key.

There has always been a touch of humor to Mike. To me he is utterly unchanged from last season.

There was no way they could maintain the tension that dominated last season.

The first point is possible, if you notice I said that already in my first post. But what you said in parentheses isn't true. The whole point of bringing him down to Mexico was to show the cartel how to make Walt's product, because Gus is distributing a much superior product and the Cartel doesn't want to be on a lesser scale.
When Gus invited Jesse to his home for dinner, he specifically asked him if he could "cook Walter's formula," if he could "produce his product alone, without any help."

Jesse even goes to Walt later asking for advice or pointers on how to make HIS product, which leads to the big fight.

I think it was just a disconnect in the show. Unless of course the Cartel doesn't know that Walt's "Blue" is really 99%, which seems unlikely and regardless, is never explained.

I doubt that Gus is thinking that killing Walt would lead to Hank starting to look for a missing Walt, especially since Hank doesn't know about Walt's connection with drugs and a random missing person (presumed dead or not) is certainly not a DEA concern.

Oh yeah I almost forgot when they test the magnets at the scrap yard I cringed when the 2 random workers high fived each other.Seriously why do they give a **** they don't know whats going down.Despite my minor criticisms I do actually really like the show and am sure it will be a great last season.

The whole point of bringing Jesse there was to prove Gus's product was better then theirs so they could get in to see Steven Bauer and take the whole cartel out. Then Jesse could replace Walt.

again it took gus years to find a guy who could even cook 96% pure meth. apparently in the bb universe very few people can make 96% pure meth and only nobel prize worthy chemists can make 99% meth. 96% was better than whatever the cartel was moving.

and the actual reason to bring jesse down was to kill the cartel. jesse was the cover story.

It was intentionally a light episode. And it is very much what is needed at this point in the series.

And it had a new iconic Jesse line to rival "wire" and "a robot?" and "this is my own private domicile and I won't be harrassed...BITCH!" in "Yeah, bitch! Magnets, ughhhhhh!"

One presumes they helped do the wiring in the truck.

Or maybe they just like seeing **** fly through the air and break.

I'm revising my prediction. I still think that Denny's Walt has lost everything and is dying of cancer, but rather than returning to ABQ to kill Jesse I'm going to predict that he's returned to avenge Jesse's death.

of course, but only to Gus

To the cartel, the main reason he was coming down was to show em how to cook some blue, and if Jesse failed in this endeavor Gus would have never even be permitted to meet with Don Eladio