Bug

Bug
Season	4
Episode	9
Directed by	Terry McDonough
Written by	Moira Walley-Beckett & Thomas Schnauz
Running time	47 minutes
Air date	September 11, 2011
U.S. Viewers	TBA
← Previous	"Hermanos"
Next →	"Salud"

"Bug" is the ninth episode of the fourth season of Breaking Bad and the forty-second episode altogether.

Teaser

In a flash-forward, we hear heavy breathing and see a broken pair of eyeglasses on the floor. Blood drips onto the floor and on to a familiar pair of Wallabee shoes. A man's hand struggles to pick up the glasses. Upon retrieving them, he slowly stumbles away.

Summary

Hank and Walt view the GPS data

In the present, Walter White drives Hank Schrader to Los Pollos Hermanos. Though he's unaware Tyrus Kitt is tailing them, Hank senses Walt's anxiety and attempts to lighten the mood by humming the theme song from Rocky III. Walt retrieves the GPS locator from Gustavo Fring's car but refuses to enter the restaurant this time, much to Hank's annoyance. Back home, Hank curses when the GPS data reveals that Gus only made trips between home and one Los Pollos Hermanos location. He's either squeaky clean, suspiciously so, or very careful. "How do I get this guy?" Hank wonders aloud. "Yeah," echoes Walt, wondering precisely the same thing. "How?" Leaving Hank's house, Walt spots Tyrus surveilling him. He pulls up to Tyrus' car and calls 911 to report a suspicious man in the neighborhood, forcing Tyrus to leave.

Outside the industrial laundry, Walt is mildly taken aback when Jesse Pinkman says that he's already started the cook. Walt bums a cigarette and sees the ricin still in Jesse's pack. Jesse insists that he still intends to poison Gus. Walt lights his cigarette over Jesse's disapproval—not the smartest move for a cancer patient. Walt shrugs it off: "We're both dead men anyway,” he replies.

That evening, Skyler White calls Walt from the car wash and suggests that they buy Walter White Jr. a used car for his sixteenth birthday. Walt agrees without enthusiasm. Skyler then reports that the "profits" are so good that Walt could begin preparing "an exit strategy" from his "second job." Walt, however, knows that there's no way out as long as Gus is alive. The next morning, Hank calls Walt and proposes a drive out to what Hank theorizes is Gus' meth distribution center. Knowing that Hank means the factory farm, Walt feigns illness and convinces Hank to delay the trip; he then calls and warns Mike Ehrmantraut. At the factory farm, Mike directs Jesse and other operatives as they remove evidence of meth distribution.

Meanwhile at the car wash, Skyler makes false purchases by herself to make up for the money that Walt is giving to her. Ted Beneke then visits Skyler and tells her that the IRS is auditing his business. As the bookkeeper of record, Skyler realizes that a criminal investigation would permit agents to monitor her mail and phone calls, and probably open the books at the car wash—a disaster across the board.

Gus standing before the Cartel's sniper.

Back at the farm, Jesse muses to Mike about the potential fallout from killing Hank, given his connections to both the DEA and to Walt, who would surely stop cooking. Mike asks if Jesse would have a problem if something happened to Hank. Jesse replies that no one cares what he thinks. Outside, a sniper kills one of Mike's operatives. Furious, Gus walks straight toward the gunfire as bullets continue to explode around him. Mike calls for him to stop, but Gus instead stalks toward the gunman's position, defiantly raises his arms, and stands in plain view. The shooter turns out to be Gaff, the thug who delivered the Cartel's ultimatum, armed with a Remington 700 ("Problem Dog"). He stops shooting, and smiles.

That night in his Los Pollos Hermanos office, Gus receives a call. "Tell them my answer is yes," he says in Spanish. Mike and Jesse arrive at the superlab to dispose of the shooting victim's body. Walt sarcastically asks if corpse disposal is a new sideline before launching into a diatribe against Gus, whom he assumes ordered the man dead. Outside the laundry, Jesse asks Mike why Gus pulled "that Terminator shit" at the farm. Mike explains that Gus knew the Cartel wouldn't kill him, because they need his distribution system. Jesse takes this to mean that he and the rest of Gus' operatives are "open season." Mike suggests that Jesse speak with Gus directly about any questions he has.

Skyler and Ted Beneke at the IRS building with Special Agent Picarus.

The next day, at the IRS building, Ted is in a meeting with his investigator, Special Agent James Picarus of the Criminal Investigative Division. Ted fumbles his way through his audit until Skyler unexpectedly appears. Dressed in a revealing outfit and playing the dumb blonde, Skyler explains Beneke Fabricators' unreported income: As a "paper person," she didn't record electronic payments because there wasn't a physical check. "But the money's there," she assures James, who buys the act. Outside the building, Skyler says that her stunt spared Ted jail time because ignorance doesn't constitute criminal fraud. He just has to pay the back taxes and penalties—to the tune of several hundred thousand dollars. "I don't have any assets," Ted confesses. When she sees that his car is a used subcompact instead of his BMW, Skyler realizes that he's not kidding.

That evening, Jesse has dinner at Gus' house. While Gus chops vegetables, Jesse stands next to the pot of stew with the ricin cigarette in his hand, but decides not to go through with it. Over dinner, Gus agrees to address Jesse's concerns, but only after Jesse answers one question: "Can you cook Walter's formula?" Jesse accuses Gus of playing the part of his "buddy" so Jesse can take over after Gus murders Walt. "You kill Mr. White," Jesse says, "you're gonna have to kill me too." Gus calmly responds that he needs Jesse's help to prevent an all-out war with the Cartel. Jesse is not sure what he means.

Jesse asking for Walter's help

Unable to sleep that night, Skyler looks pensively at the vacuum-sealed bags of money under the house. After work at the superlab the next day, Walt removes a GPS locator that he planted on Jesse's car. At the condo, Walt examines the data, which reveals the trip to Gus' house. Meanwhile, Jesse leaves a message on Walt's voicemail that he has something important to tell Walt. Walt drives to Jesse's house, where Jesse announces that to avert war, Gus wants him to travel to Mexico and teach Cartel chemists Walt's formula. Fearing that he'll fail and be killed, Jesse begs Walt to coach him. Walt asks several times if Jesse has seen Gus, which Jesse guiltily denies. Walt grabs the cigarette pack out of Jesse's pocket and finds the ricin still there. "Two hours and eighteen minutes and you couldn't figure out a way to give it to him?" asks Walt, before producing the GPS device.

Jesse yells at Walt for bugging him "after all I've done for you." Walt argues that Jesse has only signed Walt's death warrant. "And now you want my advice?" he asks. "Go to Mexico and screw up like I know you will. And wind up in a barrel somewhere!" Jesse snaps and throws the GPS device at Walt, leaving a deep wound on his brow. Walt lunges at Jesse and a vicious, brutal fight ensues. Jesse eventually gains the upper hand, pinning Walt to the floor and repeatedly punching his face, breaking his eyeglasses. We've now caught up with the flash-forward teaser. The fight over, Jesse asks if Walt can walk. When Walt nods yes, Jesse stares at him coldly and says, "Then get the fuck out of here and never come back." As a bloodied Walt exits, he looks over at Jesse, who turns away without a word.

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. (credit only)
• Bob Odenkirk as Saul Goodman (credit only)
• Giancarlo Esposito as Gustavo Fring
• Jonathan Banks as Mike Ehrmantraut

Supporting Cast

• Christopher Cousins as Ted Beneke
• Maurice Compte as Gaff
• Rob Brownstein as CID Special Agent James Picarus
• Ray Campbell as Tyrus Kitt
• Scott Sharot as Car Wash Customer
• Eric Steinig as Mike's Security Team Member

Trivia

• The Lily of the Valley plant can be seen in Skyler's office before she calls Walt to discuss Flynn's birthday party.
• Skyler is seen creating fake receipts, in order to speed up the money laundering process.
• This episode features the longest, and roughest fight between Walt and Jesse.
  • Aaron Paul actually grazed Cranston on the tip of the nose while filming the fight scene.
  • Gilligan stated he wanted to make their fighting look 'sloppy' by having them putting fingers in each others mouths, breathing heavily, grabbing objects to desperately use to hit one another, etc.

Featured Music

• "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor performed by Dean Norris as Hank Schrader (as Walt drives Hank to Pollos Hermanos)
• "Hyperactive!" by Thomas Dolby (in the carwash when Ted visits)
• "Scrambled Eggs" by Nat Adderley (as Gus prepares dinner for Jesse and himself)
• "Remembering Section 403" by Patrick Prouty (as Jesse and Gus eat)

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