Here. We. Go. Eight episodes and “Breaking Bad” will be over. Below are bullet point thoughts on the first of the final eight titled Blood Money.

SPOILERS FROM HERE ON OUT

• One scene from the first half of this final season that really hit for me was the “flashforward” where Walt is at Denny’s. It was quite intriguing to see where the show was going and theorizing how it would get there. Well, we get another look of what’s to come for Walter White here and it’s not all that great. He returns to his abandoned, boarded up, chain linked home having seemingly lost everything. Two takeaways from the scene. The ricin Walt tapes to the back of the socket cover is still very much in play and, I would theorize, appears intended for someone specific. Secondly, it appears that Walt is exposed to the community at large if the “Heisenberg” graffiti in the house is any indication. Just like the Denny’s scene this was an enthralling way to get things started.

• My goodness that confrontation scene between Walt and Hank. This was a scene I have been waiting a long time to see. The execution of it was expert. It had all the tension you would expect. Starting off with some feeling out, the garage door closing, altercation, Walt denying everything until the Heisenberg in him steps in after Hank mentions his family and finishing with a phrase which will go down as one of the most memorable from the series…”tread lightly.”

• There were many references to past events in this episode, many of them coming in the scene at the end between Walt and Hank. For example, Walt and Hank tracking Gus, Walt purposefully crashing his car to avoid going to the laundry, the call Hank got from inside the RV about Marie. It really works for me when past events have ramifications or, at the very least, are not forgotten.

• Jesse is a complete mess. He also appears to be done with Walt. We see a Jesse here that is on to Walt and is aware of what he is capable of. That surely doesn’t stop Mr. White from playing the father figure once again to a distraught Jesse. Oh and he lies to Jesse for the I lost count time. Jesse correctly suspects that Walt killed Mike. Will Jesse connect more dots?

• As many suspected, the cancer has returned. It will be interesting to see how that affects Walt’s actions as the story unfolds. Walt’s state of mind: Nothing to lose?

• Walt is very smart. The book is missing. Hank hasn’t been at work all week. Checks for tracking device. I buy that Walt would make those connections.

• I laughed – Image of Walt at Jesse’s door holding two bags containing five million in cash (or as Jesse would call it, “blood money”).

• The quotes…
  • Hank: “I don’t know who you are. I don’t even know who I’m talking to.” Walt: “If that’s true. If you don’t know who I am. Then, maybe your best course would be to tread lightly.”
  • Hank: “All along it was you.”
  • Walt: “The past is the past.”
  • Saul: “I live to serve.”

• What’s to come? – I don’t watch “next ons” so this is pure speculation and interest in what may happen in the future. What got me in this episode and the one previous is the pacing of the storytelling. It has picked up rapidly. After using 50 or so episodes to tell a year’s worth of story, about two episodes have showed, what, four months of story? And if Mr. Lambert’s ID is to be believed we’re going to get through at least another eight months before it’s over (if I’m not mistaken). That’s a lot of story to tell in seven episodes particularly for this show. I’m fascinated to see when we catch up with the Walt who carries a machine gun in his trunk.

Hoping to do this after each of the remaining episodes. We’ll see how it goes.