Talk about an eventful episode. “Crawl Space” in some ways in an outlier in the "Breaking Bad" universe since there’s quite a lot of things that take place in the episode as opposed to the slower and more methodical pacing that normally transpires. So, yes it’s an interesting change of pace.

To start, Jesse is driving Gus and Mike to a makeshift hospital not too far from where they just took down Don Eladio and his henchmen. The staff opts to (initially) ignore Mike’s bullet wound and opt to help out the unconscious Gus who is still under the effects of the very poison he used to get rid of Don Eladio.

“This man needs help,” Jesse says as he pleads for the doctors to save Mike, who is bleeding out. “This man pays my salary,” the doctor replies referring to Gus. (I initially deemed this as a not so subtle dig at the healthcare system in the U.S. but then I remembered this is actually in Mexico.)

Word of the mass poisoning travels quickly back north where Walt begrudgingly continues to play Watson to Hank’s Holmes. With nothing to see at Gus’s distribution center, Hank, who clearly continues to do his homework, asks Walt to go to an industrial laundromat he’s connected to Gus. This happens to be the very laundromat that holds Walt’s meth lab—you know the one. In an incredibly predictable turn of events, Walt crashes into another car thereby surviving for at least another episode, or so you would think.

Gus is up and about rather quickly in Mexico and in a telling moment he tells Jesse that he is ready to run the lab alone. Jesse pauses and practically demands that Walt live otherwise he will never cook for Gus. Gus doesn’t like the implied ultimatum but he certainly considers it.

Easily the zaniest thing to happen tonight was Ted’s (probable) death; may he rest in peace. Skyler figures that Ted is blackmailing her when he suggests the $600,000 he was just given to pay the IRS isn’t enough to fix his other financial problems and returns her check adding: “It feels wrong.” 

Skyler decides to pull a Walt and calls Saul for more a sledgehammer approach. Huell and another hired goon arrive at Ted’s door and they have him sign a check to the IRS. Sadly, Ted makes a mad dash for the door, slips on his rug and his ensuing collision with his kitchen island results in his untimely demise (or an “Act of God” as Huell later explains to Saul). It’s a bit convenient (assuming he’s really dead) but for a plot thread that only serves as a mean to an end, this is a solid send-off for Ted. 

Back in New Mexico, and serving as yet another reminder that Gus is the most sinister character in the show, he visits Don Salamanca at his nursing home. I think it’s impossible not to feel bad for Don Salamanca even though in his heyday he killed Gus’s partner and he was clearly a ruthless cartel leader. The man is unable to speak, unable to walk, and here comes Gus to let him know that his family is all gone. It’s legitimately cruel, though one wonders if the old timer still has a trick up his sleeve.

Walt finds Jesse is back home and tries to set things right except Jesse won’t have any of it, even though he’s still willing to back Walt around Gus. When Jesse goes back inside, Walt is tazed by his lab nemesis, Tyrus. Turns out Gus wants to meet Walt in the desert to let him know he’s been fired. He doesn’t want him around Jesse or the lab. 

But Walt can’t keep his mouth shut and insouciantly tells Gus he can’t come after him because then Jesse wouldn’t cook. Gus is aghast at Walt’s display of bravado and says that he’ll take care of Hank and furthermore if Walt intervenes: “I’ll kill your wife. I’ll kill you son. I will kill your infant daughter.”

In fear of his quickly collapsing world, Walt seeks to get out of town and with Saul’s help assume a new identity for himself and his family. But when he gets into his hiding spot in the eponymous crawl space, he discovers Skyler has already spent his money. In yet another role reversal Skyler pleads for Walt to hear her out but Walt isn’t listening—he’s laughing. In a moment that calls to mind the Joker, Walt’s coping mechanism is laughing at the absurdity and sheer chaos that he’s created. There’s two episodes left this season for him to right the ship and that might not be enough time.

Reach writer Salomon Fuentes here