Breaking Bad
Season 2, Episode 9
Air date	May 3, 2009
Written by	Sam Catlin
Directed by	Michelle MacLaren
Episode Guide
previous Better Call Saul	next Over
Images from "4 Days Out"

"4 Days Out" is the ninth episode of the second season of Breaking Bad and the sixteenth episode altogether.

Teaser

Walt undergoes tests to see if the chemo and radiation therapies have reduced the size of his tumor. His doctor won't share the results for another four days, but glimpsing the scan’s image Walt notices a large white spot on top of his lung.

Summary

At Saul's office, Walt receives a tutorial on money laundering. After all the costs associated with Badger’s arrest, he only has $16,000 left. "Congratulations," cracks Saul. "You've just left your family a second hand Subaru." Walt lets on that he might not have much longer to live, but he intends to cook a lot more. "Make hay while the sun is still shining," Saul agrees.

Skyler suggests a weekend outing to take the family's mind off the test results, but Walt says that he's planning to visit his mother to ensure she'll leave money to Skyler if he dies. "I actually think the news from the scan is gonna be good," Skyler says. "Perhaps you should prepare for that."

On Saturday morning, Jane persuades Jesse to visit the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe. The revelation that many of O'Keeffe's paintings "look like vaginas" seals the deal for Jesse. Walt derails the getaway, telling Jesse they need to cook non-stop until Tuesday. When Jesse balks, Walt tells him that their methylamine is losing its chemical potency.

Skyler drops Walt off at the airport and drives off. After a moment, Walt exits the airport and Jesse pulls up in the RV to take Walt to their cook session. They drive deep into the desert and prepare for a long weekend of cooking. Walt mocks Jesse for buying only junk food to last them the weekend and for cluttering their workstation with the RV keys. Jesse stashes the keys in the ignition. Unbeknownst to Walt and Jesse, an indicator lamp on the dashboard lights up.

Two days of cooking yields 42 pounds of meth that will net them $672,000 each. "Hell, yeah!" shouts Jesse as he high fives Walt, but the celebration ends when they realize their generator has run out of gas. Jesse is concerned, but Walt wants to keep cooking until they've exhausted the methylamine.

Jesse suggests they break for the night: A trip to Denny's, a hot shower, and a bed instead of a cot are too good to pass up, he argues. Walt finally agrees, but they discover that the dashboard indicator lamp has completely drained the RV's battery. "Is this just a genetic thing with you? Is it congenital?" Walt fumes.

Walt rigs the generator to jumpstart the battery, but Jesse spills gas all over it while siphoning from the RV. A subsequent spark sets the generator ablaze. Just as Walt arrives with a fire extinguisher, Jesse douses the flames with their remaining drinking water. "Excuse me for thinking on my feet," Jesse says when Walt blames him for their predicament.

Jesse tries to call Skinny Pete to ask for help, but can't get a cell phone signal. Walt's phone works, but he assumes that Skyler checks his call logs and only reluctantly hands it over to Jesse. Pete gets lost on the way, and Walt's phone's battery dies before Jesse can redirect him.

The next morning, Walt tries to "trickle charge" the battery by hand cranking the generator. He and Jesse share cranking duties for hours in the hot sun. Taking a break, Jesse walks over to Walt, who erupts into a heavy fit of coughing. "Methylamine doesn't spoil, does it?" Jesse asks. "Yo, lie much?!"

After still more cranking, the engine fires up briefly, but dies. Jesse punches the dash in frustration. "Why couldn't I have just gone to Santa Fe?" he sulks. Jesse exits the RV to find Walt sitting in a field of grass, one palm covered in coughed-up blood.

Resigned, Walt and Jesse lay on cots in the RV to escape the desert heat. "I deserve this," Walt says. Jesse argues that everything Walt's done he did for his family. Walt counters the only thing he ever did for his family was worry and disappoint them. "All the lies," Walt continues. "I can't even keep them straight in my head anymore."

Jesse wants to start walking out of the desert, but Walt warns that he'll die within an hour. "You need to cut out all your crybaby loser crap, right now, and think of something scientific!" Jesse screams back at him.

Jesse rattles off things Walt could create with their lab supplies — a robot, a homing device, a dune buggy — until one idea clicks with Walt: Walt realizes he can make a mercury battery using chemicals, coins, and galvanized metal.

Explaining the science to Jesse as he goes, Walt assembles the battery. The guys connect the homemade battery to the RV and a big spark shoots off the terminal. Back in the RV, Walt tries the ignition and after several anxious seconds the engine groans to life.

Jesse drops Walt off at the airport. "I know I can trust you to, uh…" Walt begins. "Whatever happens, your family will get your share," Jesse replies.

At the doctor's office, Walt learns that his cancer is in remission and his tumor has shrunk by 80%. Skyler, Marie, Hank, and Walter Jr. congratulate Walt, whose doctor informs him that the white spot on the scan is tissue inflammation that's easily treated. Coughing up blood could lead to a dangerous rupture, explains Doctor Delcavoli. "No more secrets, Walt."

In the restroom at the doctor's office, Walt washes his face. Slowly drying his hands, he looks up and sees his reflection in the metal towel dispenser. He pauses briefly, and then brutally pounds it with his fist in anger.

Credits

Main Cast

• Bryan Cranston as Walter White
• Anna Gunn as Skyler White
• Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman
• Dean Norris as Hank Schrader
• Betsy Brandt as Marie Schrader
• RJ Mitte as Walter White Jr.

Guest Stars

• David House as Dr. Delcavoli
• Bob Odenkirk as Saul Goodman
• Krysten Ritter as Jane Margolis
• Marcus M. Mauldin as Technician
• Jeff Fenter as Urinal Guy

Trivia

• The title is a reference to the length of time Walt had to wait for his test results, as well as how long he was stranded out in the desert with Jesse.
• At the beginning of the episode, Saul Goodman suggests that Walt is aspriring to become a Vito Corleone-style figure in the underworld, but then suggests instead that he's more akin to Fredo Corleone; Vito's hapless son. At the end of the episode, when Walt recieves his test results, Hank inadvertently implies that he is in fact Michael Corleone, by quoting a famous line from The Godfather Part III; "Just when I thought I was out... they pull me back in!"

Featured Music

• "Good Morning Freedom" by Blue Mink
• "One By One" by The Black Seeds

See also

• 4 Days Out subtitles

Breaking Bad Episodes