'Breaking Bad' Season 4, Episode 4 Recap - 'Bullet Points'

This week's episode, "Bullet Points" (nice double entendre, there), reminded me why I love this show more than my own family members (not really, mom!). It took me through scenes that had me giggling before dragging me through one that had me biting my nails down to nubs. And it only takes an hour.

First off, we were reinforced on a fact that we already knew: don't f*&% with Mike. He has his badass moment at the beginning of this episode, but the piece of his ear brings some doubt into the equation.

Is Mike falling apart? Is this job finally starting to chip away at both his soul and his body, starting with the ear? Regardless, I love the way Jonathan Banks approaches this role...he plays it as if the everyday annoyances of his job (say, losing part of his ear) is the same as the everyday annoyances of ours, like finding that a pen is out of ink. He sighs, grunts and moves on.

Skyler, meanwhile, is gearing up to reveal to Hank and Walter Jr. about the "gambling," which for her fastidious self involves preparing a set of "bullet points," which Walt thinks is more like a novella. Really, it's more like a script, guiding Walt and Skyler through their fake confession, complete with lines of dialogue and stage directions. Not only is Walt's resistance to the idea and Skyler's overactive prepararedness hilarious, but the whole thing plays out like two actors working through a scene, even down to the point where Walt disagrees that he would "say the word 'terribly.'"

The reveal would have gone completely smoothly, though, if it hadn't been for the fact that Hank shows Walt some of Gayle's personal belongings from the file, including a karaoke video. As if we (and Walt) didn't already feel bad enough about Gayle's death, we're treated to this goofy bit of entertainment.

A scan through Gayle's notes don't seem to reveal anything incriminating about Walt, fortunately. But your heart stopped here and there while he was reading it, didn't it? They, and Hank, had you going with that Walt Whitman bit, didn't they?

The real problem lies with Jesse. When Walt confronts him about the murder, it's very clear that as aloof as Jesse seems, he's still capable of feeling that guilt. It's also very clear why Aaron Paul was nominated for an Emmy. Anyway, Jesse's remaining cash gets stolen and Mike shows up to bring it back, but Jesse isn't buying the threats...either that, or he's simply past the point of caring about dying. I'd put my money on the latter.

It was while Walt was looking for Jesse that I nearly stopped breathing. Was Walt going to find a dead body? After "Game of Thrones," it seems that anything is possible in TV drama at this point. Was he going to be spotted by an LAPD detective? No, neither...but he did find Jesse gone, and his phone still by the bed.

Cut to: Jesse riding in the car with Mike.

Mike: "Gonna ask where we're going?"

Jesse: "Nope."

After that point, I'm not even going to watch the preview for next week. I don't want any spoilers or hints. Go on, "Breaking Bad." Shock me next Sunday.