"Abiquiú" is the eleventh episode of the third season of Breaking Bad and the thirty-first episode altogether.
In a flashback, we find Jesse Pinkman and Jane Margolis taking in Georgia O'Keeffe's painting, "My Last Door." Unimpressed, Jesse argues that O'Keeffe painted the same door over and over attempting to achieve perfection, and doesn't understand why she'd bother. To Jane, the repetition was about making a good feeling last. Her point made, Jane extinguishes her cigarette, marked with an impression of her pink lipstick, in the ashtray. (The same butt seen noticed by Jesse in the previous episode.)
Summary
Hank Schrader, suspended in an electromechanical patient lifter, works with his physical therapist. Taking even one step proves too painful, and he angrily cuts the session short, exasperated. Outside of the therapy room, Marie Schrader gives Skyler White the first medical bill, asking if she's indeed sure about covering the payment.
Over at the lab, Walter White takes over the weighing of a meth batch. "Just say the words," says Jesse insulted. "You think I'm stealing." Walt silences Jesse, making a slight motion with his finger, implying that, again, the lab might be monitored.
A reluctant newcomer named Andrea Cantillo attends an NA meeting. During the break, Badger and Skinny Pete confess to Jesse that they can't bring themselves to sell to recovering addicts. "It's like shooting a baby in the face," says Badger, "These people are trying to improve themselves - it's not so easy." To show them "exactly how easy" tempting addicts can be, Jesse strikes up a conversation with Andrea, who had mentioned before in the session that she didn't want to be there.
Skyler invites Walt over for dinner. Walter White Jr. announces that he'll soon be qualified to drive without supervision. He suggests his parents start thinking about what kind of car they want to buy him — a 1971 Mustang is his suggestion. Later, in private, Walt hands Skyler a check for Hank's medical bill from his "guy." "What are his qualifications?" asks Skyler. This money must be "unimpeachable," she says. Not convinced, she insists on meeting "his guy" to check up on the details and ease her mind.
The next day at the law office, Walt introduces Skyler to Saul Goodman. The lawyer's suggestive quips don't impress her, nor does his scheme to launder Walt's money through a laser tag franchise. Her husband buying such a business "doesn't make any sense," she maintains. Annoyed by her questioning his competency, Saul insists he's been doing this for many years, successfully! - then adds curtly, "You don't need to be involved!" Skyler's far from impressed.
Jesse makes out with Andrea at her house. He hypes the blue meth, but the arrival of Andrea's five-year-old son, Brock Cantillo , and Andrea's grandmother interrupts the pitch. Andrea describes Jesse as being "like a sponsor." Andrea's grandmother leaves, muttering to herself (about how she's had enough of her disgraceful actions) in Spanish.
Skyler, driving with Walt, criticizes Saul's lack of caution. Despite the clownish behavior, Walt assures her, Saul knows what he's doing. Walt informs Skyler that his involvement in producing meth is "ongoing." That he's got a sort of "contract". Everything is safe and professional, but he can't just quit.
Skyler stops off at the car wash where Walt used to work. "It's a story people will believe, not laser tag," she says. "This is what we buy."
Outside an NA meeting, Jesse asks Skinny Pete and Badger why they're still attending if they won't sell to addicts. "I'm on like Step Five," says Skinny. "Deuce, yo," says Badger, who's "catching up." "Whatever," says Jesse, disgruntled, then leaves again with Andrea.
At a taco restaurant, Jesse entertains Brock with magic tricks. While chatting, Jesse learns that Andrea has a younger brother, Tomás Cantillo. "We don't talk about him," she says.
In Saul's Cadillac outside the car wash, Walt explains the logic of purchasing this business instead of the laser tag franchise. "Is that you talking or Yoko Ono?" asks Saul. You can make any story work, he contends, as long as you sell it with conviction. More important is to have "a Danny" — the guy who runs the laser tag, who "looks the other way", and can be "trusted completely" — as an accomplice.
Andrea, alone at her house snuggling up with Jesse post-coitus, declares herself up for some of this heavily hyped blue meth "if you're holding." Jesse, having changed his mind, chides "What kind of mom gets wasted with a little kid to take care of?"
"You gonna come in my house and judge me?" asks Andrea, who is upset that a drug dealer is gonna tell her how to live her life just cause he has no responsibilities. She insists she's not a bad mother. The two then discuss her struggle to spare Brock the same fate of her brother Tomás, who became involved with a gang as a child. At age ten, he killed a rival dealer as part of an initiation rite. "Just rode up on his bike and shot him through the neck," Andrea says. Realizing that it sounds just like a description of Combo's murder, Jesse grimly quizzes her about the details.
Over at the hospital, Marie excitedly tells Hank that he will soon be released. Physical therapy equipment and a hospital bed have already been installed at home. Hank is outraged and tells her to remove the equipment from his bedroom/home..."I leave this hospital when I walk out of here," Hank replies. "And not before!"
That night at the White home, Walt explains the "Danny" concept to Skyler, who after proposes that she perform that role at the car wash. Walt objects to her involvement. "I'm in this already," she says, and as they're married she might as well be in all the way. "We're divorced," counters Walt. "Right?" he adds when Skyler hesitates. She then reveals that she never filed the divorce papers. Walt is aghast as she further points out that married people cannot be compelled to testify against their spouses.
Gustavo Fring surprises Walt with an invitation to his home for dinner. When Walter questions why the invite, "We're working together," says Gus. "Why not break bread together?" Gus then hands Walt a large shiny knife and asks Walt to chop some garlic for the Chilean dish he's cooking. Walt stares at his reflection in the blade, wonders what Gus is up to, then complies with the chopping. Over dinner Gus offers to help Walt avoid mistakes that he himself made starting out. He mentions that people know how to be poor, but need to learn how to be rich. But, his first piece of advice: "Never make the same mistake twice."
The next day, Jesse drives to the corner where Combo was shot. He spots Tomás circling about on his bike and asks to buy meth. Moments later, a black car drives up. Inside are the dealers who tried to intimidate Combo the day he died. Jesse hands them the money.
The car drives away leaving Jesse thinking he's been hustled. Tomás then slips the meth to Jesse, who holds his gaze. The meth is blue, indicating that these dealers must work for Gus. Tomás orders him to leave - "Bounce," he says rudely, acting all 'tough guy'. Breathing harder, Jesse stalks away furious, anger mounting with every further step...
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.
- Bob Odenkirk as Saul Goodman
- Giancarlo Esposito as Gustavo Fring
Supporting Cast
- Krysten Ritter as Jane Margolis
- Matt L. Jones as Brandon "Badger" Mayhew
- Jere Burns as Group Leader
- Emily Rios as Andrea Cantillo
- Charles Baker as Skinny Pete
- Ian Posada as Brock Cantillo
- Angelo Martinez as Tomás Cantillo
- Virginia Montero as Mrs. Cantillo
- Marius Stan as Bogdan Wolynetz
- Mike Seal as Rival Dealer #1
- Antonio Leyba as Rival Dealer #2
- Rebecca Crago as Physical Therapist
Trivia
- The title of the episode refers to the town of Abiquiú, New Mexico where Georgia O'Keeffe lived for 39 years. It is also reminiscent of "ABQ".
- Jane and Jesse's visit to the Georgia O'Keeffe museum is first mentioned in the Season 2 episode, "4 Days Out".
- After kissing Jesse, Jane teases that she "threw up in her mouth a little bit," an ironic post-foreshadowing to the circumstances of her death ("Phoenix").
- The cigarette Jane puts out in Jesse's ashtray is the same one that Jesse notices in the previous episode.
- During the dinner scene in his house, Gus is dressed in a biege sweater with a white undershirt. Elliott Schwartz is dressed exactly the same during his birthday party in Gray Matter [1].
- This is the first episode in which Gus refers to his own children.
- This is the first episode ever to not feature either violence or the threat of violence.
- When trying to convince Walt into using laser tags as money laundering by telling him you can make any story work, Saul brings up an example of himself having made a women believe he was Keving Costner. This was actually shown in the season's finale of first season of Breaking Bad-prequel Better Call Saul, where a woman finds out Saul isn't Kevin Costner.
- When Andrea and Jesse argue over Brock, Andrea says: "I'll die first". This is a foreshadow of her death.
- Andrea says to Jesse that in the day Brock was born, she swore she wouldn't let what happened to Tomás happen to her son. However, Tomás was probably 4-5 years old when Brock was born, and his "crime life" only started at the age of 8.
Featured Music
- "Shake a Bone" by Son of Dave (in the lab when Walt takes over from Jesse weighing the meth)
- "America the Beautiful" by The American Military Band (in Saul's office reception)
- "Unknown Track #2" by Unknown Artist (Music is heard from as passing car outside of Andrea’s as she and Jesse kiss on the couch)
- "Unknown Track #3" by Unknown Artist (Music is heard from as passing car outside of Andrea’s as she walks Brock to his room)
- "Sabado en el Parque" by Grupo Fantasma (Spanish language cover of the Chicago song, "Saturday in the Park") (in Taco Sal while Jesse eats with Andrea and Brock)
- "Lee" by Stan Getz (playing in Gus's house as Walt arrives)
- "Tus Ojos" by Zoraida Beato (playing in Gus's house while he and Walt eat)
References
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