MovieChat Forums > Breaking Bad (2008) Discussion > The "ricin cigarette" is probably one of...

The "ricin cigarette" is probably one of the stupidest things in this

posted 2 years ago by Whataboutyourmom (99)
18 replies | jump to latest

Yeah, spoilers for a show that ended 8 years ago.

Why would Jesse keep a stupid dangerous little thing in his cigarette packet all that time? I mean, wouldn't there be a danger of it contaminating his own cigarettes? It's ludicrous. This show fetishes certain items in a creepy way.

And it's ridiculous because they're acting like that's the only possible poison in the world so Jesse has to "hang onto it" or something. Walter could have made some more, and I bet Jesse could have figured out how to make some if he wanted to. I mean he made his own meth in the first place, which isn't easy.

In the episode where Jesse is about to "disappear" to Alaska and then changes his mind, it makes absolutely no sense. He already accepted the explanation from medical professionals that the little boy was poisoned by a common flower. And the child has recovered. Then he suddenly flies off the handle because something is missing from his pocket. Pure junk.

The only 'reason' he would run back and try to torch Walter's house is because they writers thought it would make good TV. That's it.

[–] atomicx (234) 2 years ago

Jesse was "hanging on to it" because he was supposed to poison Gus whenever the opportunity presented itself. There was no way to tell exactly when that might be, so he had to have it on him at all times.

When he notices the weed is missing from his pocket, that triggers the realization that Walt was responsible for the missing cigarette and also for Brock's poisoning. This realization puts him into a rage that he cannot let go.

[–] Burgershmurger (1273) 4 months ago

But it makes no sense. Brock was poisoned by a plant. I didn't get that plot twist back then and still don't get it. And why did Walt have the ricin taken off Jesse before Brock fell ill? He didn't need the ricin because he used the plant to poison Brock.

[–] atomicx (234) 4 months ago

It does make sense. Walt didn't use the actual ricin on Brock because that would have killed Brock. Walt didn't want to actually kill Brock. Been a couple years since I saw the show, but Walt had the ricin lifted from Jesse because he wanted to manipulate Jesse into believing that Gus somehow found out about the plot to kill him, and that Gus somehow stole the poisoned cigarette. Walt wanted Jesse to think that Gus then used the poison on Brock as retaliation and punishment.

[–] Burgershmurger (1273) 4 months ago

You're right about the ricin and Gus.
But the doctors did tell Jesse about the Lily of the Valley:

https://youtu.be/M6m5IEdp3P8?si=dXziPV1jOInaxEbs

Major plot hole. It's disappointing because the series was always so clever.

[–] atomicx (234) 4 months ago

It's not a plot hole. Walt manipulated Jesse into helping him kill Gus. Yes, the doctors told Jesse it was not ricin, but Gus was dead at that point, so Walt got what he wanted. Walt knew at some point that it would be determined by the doctors that Brock was not poisoned by ricin. Walt also knew that by the time that they figured that out, Gus would hopefully be dead. Walt didn't need Jesse to believe forever that ricin was the poison used on Brock, he only needed Jesse to believe it until Gus was killed. Once Gus was killed, Walt didn't care about the truth being revealed.

[–] Heisenberg (6334) 4 months ago

All true.
But also true, this is the weakest plot in the series.

[–] atomicx (234) 4 months ago

Yeah, I can't disagree with that.

[–] Burgershmurger (1273) 4 months ago

But that's beside the point. How did Jesse suddenly assume it was the ricin when in fact it was the Lily?

[–] atomicx (234) 4 months ago

Jesse didn't assume anything. Walt manipulated him into believing it was the ricin. I recommend you do a re-watch and maybe it will be clearer to you. There seem to be major plot-points that you either missed or are forgetting.

[–] Burgershmurger (1273) 4 months ago

What major plot points?

[–] blindfolded (1523) 2 months ago

I have to agree with other's.

Yes, Jesse knows Brock was ultimately Lilly. But he also figured out during the relocation pick up that Huell made the same pickpocket the first time when the cigarette went missing. Him looking at the cigarette pack jogged his memory that Huell bumped into him back then and poof the cigarette was gone.

He now pieced together that Walt tricked him so that Walt can have that pleading conversation with him about how he was "waiting for Gus to send somebody to kill him" thus convincing Jesse to finally be fully on board with getting Gus.

He figuree out it was Walts intention to make him believe Gus did it. Walts goal at that time was to convince Jesse that Gus poisoned Brock with ricin, so Walt needed the ricin gone.

NOW putting together the Huell pickpockets, he knows Walt tricked him and that the cigarette had to have been planted in the rumba. And Saul admitted to Jesse that Walt instructed them do take the ricin. Therefore, it's clear to Jesse that Walt ultimately HAD to have something to do with Brock and the Lilly, as the entire situation revolving around ricin was orchestrated by Walt and not Gus.

[–] Burgershmurger (1273) 2 months ago

I did consider all you said before. But it's so far--fetched and not very credible that it seems like a desperately afterthought by the writers to propel the plot.

[–] blindfolded (1523) 2 months ago

Of course it was tacked on, they wrote the finale of season 4, Lily and all, as a pseudo series finale because they still weren't sure if AMC was giving them their desired fifth season. It's really not that egregious and it's about as far fetched as a lot of the plot elements from the entire series. It works just fine.

[–] newts (115) 4 months ago

The dumbest thing was to hide it in a cigarette. In the process of poisoning someone, how often do you have time to disassemble a cigarette, which makes a noise and you will be moving your body, and the tobacco will fall out in little pieces.. just how? Was this for when Fring was going on a toilet break for 10 minutes while leaving his tea unattended?

[–] TrentnQuarantino (8512) 2 months ago

> when Fring was going on a toilet break for 10 minutes while leaving his tea unattended?

Gus was far to careful to even leave anyone, including his mother, alone in a room with his tea if he intended to drink after for a toilet break.

[–] BKB (6126) 4 months ago

I'm not exactly sure if sites like this existed around the time of BREAKING BAD back 16 years ago, but if not, I'm glad it wasn't around to dissect and punch holes in this like we see now in 2024

[–] Naptown317Native (524) 4 months ago

They did

[–] blindfolded (1523) 2 months ago

I did a series re-watch.

We know Walt had Saul and Huel take the cigarettes in season 4. He does this because he needed to trick Jesse into "discovering" Gus got his hands on the ricin and used it on Brock. And we know Walt gave Brock the Lily. Walt does all this to get Jesse fully on board with killing Gus. Jesse later finds out about Lily and dismisses it as unfortunate accident and coincidence.

In Season 5, when he ditches his ride out of town, we see that he realizes Huel lifted his pot. He then realizes Huel bumped into him the same way right before when he discovered the ricin missing in Season 4. Now he has a very strong suspicion Huel, meaning Walt, had something to do with the ricin missing...and therefore not Gus. If that's the case, finding it in the rumba was also BS. So he confronts Saul and Saul immediately confirms his strong suspicion.

From there it's logic. If Walt indeed hired Huel to get the ricin, that means Jesse didn't just lose it in his house. If he didn't just lose it, that means Walt planted it in the Rumba. If Walt took the ricin, that means Gus absolutely didn't. And it's JUST LIKE Walt to manipulate a situation to trick Jesse into being on his side....which means if Walt needed the ricin gone, then Walt MUST HAVE had something to do with Brock getting sick on Lily... which is also something Saul admits to knowing about.