"Cause It's Illegal"

Aggression and dominance are beginning to invade to every facet of Walter's life. After his show of power and dominance over Tuco, he has now begun to like the taste of this sense of control, while in a life that he has no control over his body or home. It is in the realm of drugs that he feels powerful and in control, until this episode. Walt begins to take control and dominance over Skyler as they sit in a meeting at the school about the stolen lab equipment. Walter begins to touch Skyler in very sexual ways during the meeting and then after the meeting takes her to the car where they have sex a few spaces down from a police car. Skyler shocked at his stamina asks why that felt so good and Walt's response is "cause it's illegal". This line is a indicator to the change in Walter's character and is going to dictate the theme of the episode. On the other hand, Jesse, is still shaken up from being in the hospital and being beaten and the situation with crazy 8 and Emilio. To try and forget what has happened in his home he is trying to sell the house. In his fear of working with Tuco, Jesse threatens to leave and quit cooking and move out of state. Walter has to  convince Jesse to stay and help him, which is a switch in roles. Walter is now going to great lengths to continue cooking, even stealing from a chemical warehouse to continue cooking meth. While Walter is stealing chemical's Skyler is accused of stealing a tiara that was given to by her sister at a baby shower. This makes Skyler livid at her sister and her sister will not confess to stealing the tiara. While Walter and Jesse are cooking meth in Jesse's basement there is an open house where they have to evade the people that are in the house. When Walter gets home Skyler tells him about her sister and what happened to her and Walter tries to justify her theft and he tests the water to see how Skyler would react if he told her what he has been doing. The next day, Walter goes to sell the meth to Tuco and the violent nature of this man is shown when he beats one of his own.

A main theme in this episode is that Walter is becoming very comfortable in his criminal life. He is growing fond of it and beginning to justify his very illegal actions. This is important because it gives insight into who Walter is becoming. Walter is becoming a control fiend and cannot get enough of it after his experience with Tuco. He likes how he feels when is living out his criminal life because it gives him some sense of power and control. This double life brings him fulfillment and purpose. He still somewhat thinks and believes that he is doing this for his family but the more he acts out the more it seems he is doing this for the high that it gives him. Walter is not using the drugs but it still gives him a high that he is no longer trying to resist. 

This episode says a lot to me about our cultures hunger for control. Our culture so values control and being in control of our lives and how we act and live. This is very countercultural for Christianity because we are called to give up control and surrender to God. This is something that is vital to realize about our culture as we minister the Gospel because some aspects of our faith are not outwardly appealing to our culture. We have to model the Gospel more than speak it in our culture because it is in our actions that we speak the loudest.