Breaking Bad Episode 4.04 Bullet Points

Mike huddles inside a Los Pollos Hermanos refrigerated truck as it travels down the highway. The truck stops: Mike knows something's up. Mike hunkers down as two gunmen blast the truck with machine guns. When they open the rear doors, Mike shoots them dead and jumps out. He winces as he touches his ear -- a bullet took a chunk out.

In town, Skyler and Walt attend a Gamblers Anonymous meeting. Back at the house, they study card-counting strategies, rehearsing Skyler's scheme to convince the family that Walt won their car wash seed money by playing blackjack. After Walt loses several hands -- he's not very good at this -- they decide to emphasize his struggle to recover, rather than his skills.

Skyler hands Walt a detailed script she wants them to follow at dinner with Hank, Marie, and Walter, Jr. Walt agrees to cooperate but balks at having to say he's ashamed of his actions. "I was, and am, providing for our family," he insists.

At the Schrader home that night, Hank shows Walt and Walter, Jr. a DVD of Gale Boetticher singing karaoke. The video is evidence in a case Hank's consulting on; apparently he is one of the biggest meth cooks in the state. Walt watches the video in a cold sweat.

Over dinner, Skyler becomes teary as she thanks everyone for their support during Walt's struggle with gambling. Hank and Walter, Jr. marvel at Walt's hidden talents, but Walt demurs: "I'm terribly, terribly ashamed of my actions."

Walt slips into Hank's bedroom and examines the Gale Boetticher file, which includes Gale's "Lab Notes" journal and photos of the crime scene. Walt hurries out of the room, but runs into Hank as Hank is calling for him.

Later, Hank asks Walt about the chemical process outlined in Gale's journal, which contains a dedication: "To W.W. My Star, My Perfect Silence." Hank chuckles that the initials match Walt's. Walt forces a shrug, but then notes a page containing a Walt Whitman poem. Walt explains to Hank that "W.W." refers to the poet.

Hank tells Walt that Gale was probably Heisenberg, adding his regret at not being able to bring the mystery meth cook down himself. Walt inquires about the hunt for Gale's murderer and learns that the only leads are some fingerprints and a person of interest an eyewitness spotted at the scene. Hearing there's any evidence at all spooks Walt.

Walt rushes over to Jesse's house, stepping over tweakers and drug paraphernalia to reach his partner. Walt tells Jesse about the fingerprints, which Jesse claims aren't his, though he admits that he didn't remove the bullet casing after firing his gun. Jesse seems distracted; he obviously doesn't want to think about killing Gale in cold blood. When Walt presses him to recount his movements step-by-step, Jesse, fed up, pays two partygoers to throw Walt out of the house.

The next day Walt tells Saul he fears that Hank will connect Jesse to the murder. Saul says there's nothing to worry about, but Walt catalogs his woes: Gus wants to kill him, Jesse is out of control and Gus will eventually perceive Jesse as too big a risk. There's also "this stupid car wash" he's buying with Skyler, who naively thinks Walt can walk away after his contract with Gus expires. Saul mentions that as a last resort, Walt can pay to have a "disappearer" vanish his family off the grid and set them up with new identities. Walt rejects the idea, and they're stuck at an impasse.

The next morning, a tweaker watches Jesse head to his bedroom and come back with a wad of cash to keep the party going before leaving for work. He can connect the dots: there's money to be had upstairs.

At the lab, Walt watches as the camera follows Jesse's every move -- his worry over his partner amps up.

Jesse returns home and tosses the party guests some meth. In his bedroom, Jesse notices his money is missing but is eerily calm about it -- he plays video games with one of the party girls, nonchalantly.

The next morning, Mike wakes Jesse and drags him downstairs, where the tweaker thief is blindfolded, beaten and a little worse for wear, on the floor beside Jesse's bag of cash. Jesse coolly takes his money and walks away, telling Mike he isn't going to promise to "straighten up and fly right."

"You're on thin ice, you little sh--head," Mike responds, asking if Jesse wants to know what will happen to the tweaker. Jesse laughs. He knows Mike doesn't intend to kill the thief because he took the time to blindfold him. And either way, he doesn't seem to care. He's not afraid of anything right now.

Mike meets with Gus and explains that Jesse is becoming a liability. Walt may not like it, Mike continues, but something has to be done.

In the lab, an incensed Walt tries in vain to reach Jesse as he handles the cook by himself. Afterwards he rushes to Jesse's house, where he finds Jesse's cell phone but no sign of his partner.

Walt returns to the lab. "Where is he?" Walt screams at the security camera.

Mike, driving on the highway with Jesse beside him, asks if Jesse wants to know where they're going. Calm, unaffected, Jesse says, "Nope," and they drive off into the desert.