There’s no time to tread lightly. Some bullet points on the latest “Breaking Bad” titled Buried…

SPOILERS FROM HERE ON OUT

• Just a little bit of tension in this episode, no? Diner scene, Skyler and Marie at the White house, Hank outside the interrogation room waiting to talk to Jesse, etc.

• Proof vs. suspicions – This is really what I think is at issue in this episode. Hank has some very strong suspicions, but doesn’t have the proof he feels he needs to lockup Walt. He spends a lot of this episode trying to get that final piece to solve his puzzle. He first tries to appeal to Skyler in the diner scene. He has a soft approach when it comes to Skyler calling her Walt’s victim, but Skyler smartly slows down his questioning and feels she needs a lawyer. We end on Hank entering the interrogation room with a dazed Jesse, no doubt to get the proof he needs from him. We’ll get to the interrogation next week, I assume, but how much will Jesse divulge? You would think Jesse has no interest in helping Hank, but it seems Jesse doesn’t have much to live for at the moment. And how much does he really want to help out Walt right now?

• Another thing this episode focused on was alliances. Walt and Skyler seem to be on the same page. Hank and Marie are definitely looking to take Walt down. Lydia and Todd are aligned as well. Jesse is the wildcard in this endgame.

• As of this episode Walt doesn’t want to send Hank, “on a trip to Belize.” As Saul puts it, “it’s an option that has worked very well for you (Walt) in the recent past.” Will that possibly change if (let’s face it when) things get more dire?

• Walt hides the money where Jesse and he cooked in the pilot, right? Love that touch if that’s the location.

• Marie is the one who knocks in this episode.

• The scene where Marie wants to take Holly with her was just so uncomfortable. The baby crying just heightened everything. Things are just going to continue to get worse.

• The White house is darker than ever in this episode. Also extremely dark? Hank’s office.

• Walt is willing to turn himself in if Skyler promises to keep the money and provide a life for her and the kids. Skyler, strong and defiant, points out that Hank only seems to have suspicions and not much else. Skyler, somewhat surprisingly and certainly interestingly, seems to be aligning herself rather strongly with Walt here (I suppose Walt has been out of the game for a few months at this point and their marriage has been repaired to a degree). Skyler even says “our” best move would be to stay quiet.

• Nothing good can come from Lydia, Todd, and Todd’s family allying. Lydia may be quirky but she is a power player. They wouldn’t be in this episode if they weren’t going to play a role down the stretch. I have little trust in this group.

• Things that are literally buried in this episode – Walt’s money, Declan’s underground bus meth lab

• Loved the image of Jesse spinning on the merry-go-round. It visually exemplified his state of mind.

• I could be wrong, but I don’t think Aaron Paul (Jesse) had a single line of dialogue in this episode.

• I laughed – Huell and Kuby needing to take a breather on the mountain of money. Huell looking at the money and saying, “I gotta do it, man,” just before plopping on the money was perfect.

• The quotes…
  • Hank: “He’s a monster.”
  • Skyler: “Am I under arrest!”
  • Marie: “You have to get him.”
  • Walt (upon knowing Skyler knows the cancer is back): “Does that make you happy?” Skyler: “I don’t remember the last time I was happy.”
  • Walt: “Please. Please don’t let me have done all this for nothing.”
  • Hank: “It’s over for me.”

• Overall – This episode didn’t have the fireworks like last week, but that doesn’t mean it was worse by any stretch. This was an episode that sets up a lot for the endgame and did it solidly. This is Walt’s world really beginning to crumble.

• What’s to come? – Pieces were moved on the chess board and allegiances took more shape in this episode. I have to think the pace is going to pick up with six episodes remaining and plenty of ground to cover. What, if anything, is Jesse going to say to Hank? What role will Lydia and Todd have? And of course I’m sure we’ll get more in the Hank vs. Walt chess match.