"Buyout" is the sixth episode of the fifth season of Breaking Bad and the fifty-second episode altogether.
At the Vamonos Pest Control headquarters, Mike Ehrmantraut, Walter White, and Todd Alquist unload equipment from their train heist. They then unload and dismantle Drew Sharp's motorbike and dispose it into plastic barrels. They also prepare a barrel to dispose of Drew's body. Outside, Jesse Pinkman smokes a cigarette. When Todd tries to make conversation with Jesse and remarks that "shit happens," Jesse punches him in the eye.
Summary
Todd argues his case to Walt, Mike, and Jesse about murdering Drew, claiming that, although it was harsh, it was their only option. The three men send him out of the room to discuss his future in their operation. Jesse, appalled by his actions, does not feel safe with him around. Walt proposes three options: Firstly to fire Todd, bearing in mind that he knows too much and would probably need to be paid for his silence. Second would be to "dispose of him", the third to demote him back to tenting houses and setting up the lab, keeping him close and in the business as a precaution. While Jesse prefers to fire Todd, Mike and Walt vote to keep him in the business.
Mike at the park
At a park with his granddaughter, Mike is watched by Steven Gomez and Agent Van Oster. Mike hides a note under a garbage can and leaves. The DEA agents debate whether to follow him or wait for someone to pick up the dead drop. Gomez approaches the note to investigate and finds that it reads "fuck you." Back at his house, Mike listens to a recording of Hank Schrader's office and stares blankly when the DEA agents talk about tailing Mike until he makes an incriminating mistake.
At Marie Schrader's house, Skyler White holds Holly White and breaks into tears, telling her sister that she misses her children but needs them to stay safe. Marie questions her and Skyler vaguely tells her that she and Walt are bad people. Marie reveals that Walt told her of Skyler's affair with Ted Beneke. Skyler snaps back to reality, withholding her anger.
Jesse finds out about Drew's disappearance on TV
At a house being bug-bombed by Vamonos, Walt and Jesse watch TV and wait for their current batch of meth to cook. Their program is interrupted by a news report on Drew Sharp's disappearance which hits Jesse hard. Walt tells him that it is only smooth sailing from now on, but Jesse asks to leave the cook early. Walt agrees and continues cooking, whistling "The Lily Of The Valley," coincidentally, the name of the plant used to poison Brock.
Walt delivers the batch to the Vamonos headquarters, where Mike and Jesse are waiting for him. Mike informs him of the DEA's interest in him. Walt gets upset and Mike tells him that he is stepping out of their meth operation. Walt accepts. Jesse too, informs Walt that he is stepping out and that they are selling their shares of the methylamine to Mike's contact in Phoenix for $5 million a piece. Walt refuses to join them, explaining that cooking the methylamine would net up to $300 million.
The buyout
The next day, Mike and Jesse meet with Declan to discuss the sale of the methylamine. He refuses to buy 2/3 of the lot, as the steep price also pays to remove Blue Sky from the market. Jesse visits Walt's house and urges him to join the sale. Walt informs him that he was burnt earlier in life by emotionally selling his 50% stake in Gray Matter Technologies for $5,000 and that the company is now valued at $2.16 billion. He tells Jesse that he isn't in the meth or the money business; he is in the "empire business."
Skyler gets home and is startled to find Jesse, who excuses himself. Walt stresses that they should all enjoy a dinner together. At the dinner table, the three are obviously extremely uncomfortable to be together in such a setting. Jesse attempts to compliment Skyler on her cooking, but she is short and snappy and jeers at Walt for telling Marie about her affair. She leaves the table and Walt confesses to Jesse that his marriage and family have crumbled and abandoned him and his empire is the only thing he has left in life. Jesse is taking that much away from Walt by selling out. It was Walt's objective with the dinner to illustrate this.
After dinner, Walt rushes to Vamonos to take the methylamine, but Mike catches him and holds him hostage. Mike plans on holding him until he can sell all 1,000 gallons of methylamine for $15 million without Walt's permission. Mike zipties Walt to a radiator so he can run an errand. Walt tries to escape by breaking a coffee pot but fails. He then chews through a power cord and uses the wires to burn through the tie.
Mike and Saul Goodman inform the DEA that they have filed a restraining order against the department for stalking Mike. In Saul's car, he and Mike listen to Hank and Gomez plan their surveillance retaliation. Saul informs Mike that he has 24 hours of freedom, which Mike says is enough. Upon returning to the garage, he finds the methylamine gone. He pulls out his gun and finds Walt in the office. He holds his gun to a calm Walt's head as Jesse urges him to listen to Walt's plan where "everybody wins."
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
- Jonathan Banks as Mike Ehrmantraut
Supporting Cast
- Jesse Plemons as Todd Alquist
- Steven Michael Quezada as Steven Gomez
- Louis Ferreira as Declan
- Kaija Roze Bales as Kaylee Ehrmantraut
- Samuel Webb as Drew Sharp
- Morse Bicknell as Declan's Driver
- Phil Duran as Agent Van Oster
- Antoinette Antonio as herself
Trivia
- Uncensored on home video. The note that Mike leaves behind for Gomez is no longer blurred.
- Walter White Jr. does not appear in this episode.
- This is the second time Jesse and Skyler have talked to each other, the first being in "Cat's in the Bag...".
- Scientific error: Walt, Todd, and Mike use a solution of hydrofluoric acid to dissolve Drew Sharp, which unfortunately won’t affect the plastic components of the bike.
- Scientific error: Walt's escape plan of bringing live electrical wires together would produce an electrical arc, but this would most likely result in a fuse blowing or a breaker tripping (especially with a power bar involved). Walt also didn’t need to stick the wire underneath the zip-tie; he could have made the arc just on top of the tie to similar effect with less injury.
- The television program Walt and Jesse are watching during the cook before the news broadcast is How It's Made. The episode in question shows the production of kelp caviar, imitation caviar made from kelp that is cheaper to produce and purchase.
- Antoinette Antonio, the news anchorwoman from the show is actually a reporter in real life for WCVB Channel 5 in Massachusetts
Featured Music
- "Disassemble" by Dave Porter (during the teaser)
- "The Lily of the Valley" composed by Will Hays performed by Bryan Cranston as Walt (whistled while he prepares to finish the cook)
- "Radiator" by Dave Porter (as Walt escapes from being tied to the radiator)
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