Mike's healing dominates "Dedicato a Max." As benefactor and warrior, Gus provides therapy to his valuable asset.
I vaguely remember in Breaking Bad when Hector executes Gus's partner Max Arciniega with a shot to the head (season 4, episode 8 titled "Hermanos"). The murder occurs next to Don Eladio's swimming pool, and the Salamancas hold Gus down to make him stare at Max's shocked and lifeless face.
Rumors among fans still speculate that Gus and Max were actually lovers. It remains a big part of Gus's untold story.
In "Dedicato a Max," we see that Gus built an elaborate memorial: a secluded adobe compound in Mexico where Gus is invisible benefactor. School, hospital, and modern fountain honor Max, along with benevolent cook Señora Cortazar who lives there and kindly feeds visitors like Mike.
Such humanity and peacefulness help heal Mike. More than that, it teaches him Gus's revenge.
The familiar Dr. Barry Goodman (played by JB Blanc) patches up Mike's wounds. He'll do it again in Breaking Bad after the shootout when Gus poisons Don Eladio (season 4, episode 10 titled "Salud").
Max's character is named after the actor who plays Domingo Gallardo Molina, a.k.a. Krazy-8. Obviously the franchise owes him much for making those first episodes of Breaking Bad so compelling.
The other plot shows Kim at the crossroads. Earlier, she deceived a pro bono client for his own good. Now, is she helping her client Kevin Wachtell or swindling him?
With a Grinch-like grin, she claims to discover how she will take Kevin down. Snapshots secretly taken inside his house reveal some kind of trademark infringement with the Mesa Verde cowboy symbol.
Her boss Richard Schweikert reads the situation well and knows such schemes might lead to Kim being disbarred. Kim loudly confronts Schweikert in front of the other employees at the law firm. What a bombshell it will be when she finally realizes that he's probably right.
As calmly and slowly "Dedicato a Max" unfolds, symphonies of relationships, symbols, and plot points keep unpredictably changing this now humungous Breaking Bad universe. There are more characters and situations than a Tolstoy novel, and we are still enjoying, not straining ourselves keeping track of it all.
Every time I think one of these episodes will misstep or disappoint me, I allow the material to do its magic and find myself even more amazed.
I vaguely remember in Breaking Bad when Hector executes Gus's partner Max Arciniega with a shot to the head (season 4, episode 8 titled "Hermanos"). The murder occurs next to Don Eladio's swimming pool, and the Salamancas hold Gus down to make him stare at Max's shocked and lifeless face.
Rumors among fans still speculate that Gus and Max were actually lovers. It remains a big part of Gus's untold story.
In "Dedicato a Max," we see that Gus built an elaborate memorial: a secluded adobe compound in Mexico where Gus is invisible benefactor. School, hospital, and modern fountain honor Max, along with benevolent cook Señora Cortazar who lives there and kindly feeds visitors like Mike.
Such humanity and peacefulness help heal Mike. More than that, it teaches him Gus's revenge.
The familiar Dr. Barry Goodman (played by JB Blanc) patches up Mike's wounds. He'll do it again in Breaking Bad after the shootout when Gus poisons Don Eladio (season 4, episode 10 titled "Salud").
Max's character is named after the actor who plays Domingo Gallardo Molina, a.k.a. Krazy-8. Obviously the franchise owes him much for making those first episodes of Breaking Bad so compelling.
The other plot shows Kim at the crossroads. Earlier, she deceived a pro bono client for his own good. Now, is she helping her client Kevin Wachtell or swindling him?
With a Grinch-like grin, she claims to discover how she will take Kevin down. Snapshots secretly taken inside his house reveal some kind of trademark infringement with the Mesa Verde cowboy symbol.
Her boss Richard Schweikert reads the situation well and knows such schemes might lead to Kim being disbarred. Kim loudly confronts Schweikert in front of the other employees at the law firm. What a bombshell it will be when she finally realizes that he's probably right.
As calmly and slowly "Dedicato a Max" unfolds, symphonies of relationships, symbols, and plot points keep unpredictably changing this now humungous Breaking Bad universe. There are more characters and situations than a Tolstoy novel, and we are still enjoying, not straining ourselves keeping track of it all.
Every time I think one of these episodes will misstep or disappoint me, I allow the material to do its magic and find myself even more amazed.