The second to last episode of this shortened 5th season of Breaking Bad didn’t pull punches right from the opening bell. The introduction sequence for ‘Say My Name’ ranks as one of the best moments of television this year as Bryan Cranston may have just solidified another Primetime Emmy win for Lead Actor in a Drama Series. This week’s episode also contains the death of a major character which hasn’t happened since Gus Fring was killed in the fourth season finale. The episode moves quite quicker than most of the others have this season and major plot progression all leads up for the much anticipate close to the current season. Heisenberg wouldn’t like me taking up more time so I’ll gets to the events of the episode.

We start out presented with Walt, Mike and Jesse pulling up to another group vehicles in a remote deserted area. The cars currently there are that of the men from Phoenix that Mike and Jesse were trying to do business with last week. Walt takes center stage and gives the men an ultimatum. He proposes that the group of men take over their distribution for Mike (who’s retiring) and they’ll receive 35% for the total profits but their share will have to pay Mike’s $5 million buyout. After some discourse, the man becomes frustrated with Walt’s terms and demands to know his name. Walt throws the blue sky meth on the ground and demands, “Say my name.”. The man replies, “You’re Heisenberg.”, to which Walt growls, “You’re goddamn right!”. Epic!

The deal is a go and Mike gets his $5 million buyout money. He mentions to Walt that he needs to remove the bug from his brother-in-law’s office and says that he’ll pay the remaining legacy hazard payments out of his share. Jesse’s sad to see Mike leave their operation and says they should see each other which Mike replies that he doesn’t want to be visited by former co-workers. Jesse tries to convince Mike that he’s out too but Mike doesn’t believe that Walt will let Jesse leave so easily. We follow Mike a bit as he hears that the DEA’s warrant to search his house finally goes through. We then se him leaving a go bag in a locked trunk in an airport. The DEA, including Hank, arrive at Mike’s door with the warrant but come up short with finding anything concrete to arrest him. After a meeting with the DEA bosses, Hank is instructed to quit tracking Mike but instead digs a bit deeper into things and decides to have Gomez trail a lawyer who represents all Mike’s locked up crew. We’re shown the lawyer making the hazard payments but he is caught in the act and takes the lawyer into custody.

After Mike leaves, Jesse wants to talk about how he’ll get his share of $5 million but Walt wants his help with something. After Jesse helps Walt move the stolen methylamine from the his car wash back to their Vamanos Pest hideout. Afterwards, Jesse confronts Walt about wanting his money and leaving the business. Walt becomes enraged and says that Jesse has done nothing with his life and that they are on to bigger things with this empire Walt hopes to create. Jesse rejects this and Walt says he’s not going to pay Jesse as he storms off out of their hideout. After Jesse leaves, Walt is forced to make a quick replacement for his cook as he chooses Todd as a partner. Todd applies himself to Walt’s instructions but finishes the cook with a couple mistakes. When Walt goes to talk to Todd about money, Todd says they’ll worry about that when he gets everything right. Walt is impressed by his new partner and tells Skyler so at dinner where she walks off with a glass of wine to the bedroom in silence. The next day, Walt removes the bug from Hank’s office by pretending to be saddened by his crumpling relationship with Skyler.

At the DEA office, Walt overhears a conversation between Hank and Gomez talking about Mike’s whereabouts which they received from the lawyer who flipped. Walt calls Mike to inform him that the DEA are on his tail and Mike leaves the park where he was at with his granddaughter to escape capture. Mike then calls Saul from a remote location for him to locate the go bag. Saul refuses and Jesse’s request to get it is denied by Mike which leaves Walt to volunteer to retrieve the bag. Walt takes the bag from the car in the airport lot and opens it to notice a gun inside. Once Walt drives up to Mike’s location, they have a bit of a verbal exchange. Walt then demands that Mike give him the names of the men that they’re paying the hazard money to. Mike refuses and when he’s about to drive away, Walt shoots him through the window of his car. After being shot, Mike crashes the car and Walt follows quickly behind. Walt eventually finds Mike sitting on a log looking into a beautiful lake. Walt tries to apologize saying that he could’ve gotten the list from Lydia and Mike tells him to shut up and let him die in peace. We see Mike fall back from the log in silence.

Only one more episode left of Breaking Bad for the year. It’s been a quick 7 weeks and next week’s episode will be pivotal in setting up the second half of season 5, unless they’re calling it season 6. Anyway, as the last few season finales have been, I’m expecting a lot out of this episode so hopefully we’ll see something that would shock and amaze. Here’s a preview of the season finale ‘Gliding Over All’.