Breaking Bad
Season 4, Episode 6
Air date	August 21, 2011
Written by	Gennifer Hutchison
Directed by	Michael Slovis
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Images from "Cornered"

"Cornered" is the sixth episode of the fourth season of Breaking Bad and the thirty-ninth episode altogether.

Teaser

Reminiscent of the teaser of "Bullet Points," Cartel thugs ambush a Los Pollos Hermanos refrigerated truck. This time they pump it full of exhaust. After the two guards traveling inside the shipment suffocate to death, the thugs enter the trailer—but take only a single marked container of fry batter.

Summary

Skyler repeatedly listens to Walt's message while reading up on Gale Boetticher. She asks Walt several questions concerning Gale's murder and the people he works for. She asks if he's safe. Walt dodges these questions. Skyler theorizes that Walt is scared and that some part of him wants Hank to catch him. Walt rejects these theories.

Walt talks about how the whole drug enterprise would fall if he didn't show up for work. He claims "I'm not in danger. I am the danger." Skyler doesn't respond. After Walt is showering, he realizes Skyler's car and Holly are gone.

Walt goes to the car wash alone to obtain the files and keys. Bogdan talks about how bosses have to be tough and is not sure if Walt is ready for that. He recommends that if he's not tough enough, he should call his wife. Bogdan reminds Walt that the place is sold "as it is." When he wants to take back the first dollar he made (it is hanging in a frame on the wall), Walt responds with "as is." He then uses Bogdan's first dollar to buy a can of soda.

Mike and Jesse are eating dinner in a diner. Noticing Jesse's shaking hands, Mike asks is he ok. Jesse isn't "using" so Mike offers his dinner to Jesse. Shortly after, Mike receives a phone call and leaves.

Walt and Walt Jr. are eating lunch. They talk about how Skyler is angry at Walt and his 'gambling addiction'. Walt says she has a right to be mad. On the way to school, Walt decides to take a detour and buy a car for Walt Jr. He buys his son his dream car.

Jesse and Walt meet outside the superlab and Walt asks about the 'Mike meetings.' Jesse replies that he's guarding him on pickups. Walt wonders why it has to be Jesse guarding Mike? He then theorizes that the robbery was a setup. Gus can't kill Jesse because Walt won't stand for it. Gus needs Walt and he hates that, so he's trying to drive a wedge between Jesse and Walt. Walt says "This whole thing is about me," and Jesse walks away to go cook.

After cooking, Jesse receives a phone call. Jesse has to go out with Mike again, and Walt has to clean up the mess by himself.

Walt goes upstairs and asks three Spanish-speaking women working in the laundromat for help cleaning the lab. They refuse to help until Walt offers them money. Walt raises his coffee cup to the surveillance camera while the women are cleaning.

Skyler drives to the Four Corners landmark and flips a coin. It lands in Colorado. She flips again and it lands in Colorado. Skyler, using her foot, drags the coin from Colorado to New Mexico. She looks at Holly and picks up the coin.

Jesse and Mike drive up to a house. Three guys inside are selling three pounds of blue meth that they didn't get from Gus. Mike advises that they should stake out the place until someone leaves, but Jesse decides to play the junkie act and infiltrate the house.

After getting the door slammed in his face, he walks back to the car and takes a shovel out of the trunk. Jesse starts digging a hole in the front yard of the house. One junkie approaches him as Mike watches from the car. The junkie asks why he's digging and Jesse replies "You know why." Jesse asks "How deep do you think it is?" The junkie replies "Pretty deep." Then Jesse hands the shovel to the junkie and asks him to keep digging. He also asks if he can use their bathroom and the junkie agrees.

Inside, there's another junkie with a shotgun. After asking for the blue meth and getting rejected, Jesse keeps pushing it and the junkie points the gun at Jesse. After the junkie is distracted by a noise, Jesse knocks him out with a nearby bong. Mike comes in and picks up the stolen Los Pollos Hermanos fry batter bucket; words in Spanish are written on it in big black letters. These words roughly translate to "Are [you] ready to talk?" -- obviously a message for Gus and company.

Walt walks out of the superlab with the three Spanish-speaking women. Tyrus approaches them and takes the women away. He's sending them on a bus to Honduras. After Walt asks him to have Gus blame him and not the women, Tyrus replies "He does blame you."

Mike and Jesse are eating again at a diner. Gus walks in and sits at the booth. Jesse knows he has to wait outside. Mike informs Gus that the whole truck robbery was about sending a message, the one on the bucket. "Ready to talk?" is the English translation. Mike recommends that he get 10 or 15 good operators and strike back. Gus dismisses it and wants a meeting to be set up. He also asks Mike how Jesse did that day.

Gus gets up and tells Jesse that he heard that he can handle himself. Jesse asks Gus "Why me?" Gus responds with "I like to think I see things in people."

Skyler drives into the driveway and sees the car that Walt bought for his son. Walt Jr. tries to convince his mom that the car is safe and he'll be safe with it.

Walt tries to apologize and says that everything he does, he does for his family. Skyler chides Walt about the new car and how it directly contradicts the story they're supposed to have. She wants it sent back the next day. Walt worries that Walt Jr. will blame her for taking away the car. Skyler knows this and responds with "Someone has to protect this family from the man that protects this family." She picks up Holly and takes her to her room, leaving Walt sullen and speechless as the screen fades to black.

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
• Jonathan Banks as Mike
• Giancarlo Esposito as Gus

Supporting Cast

• Ray Campbell as Tyrus Kitt
• Marius Stan as Bogdan
• Maurice Compte as Gaff
• Celia Anaya as Spanish Woman #1
• Maria L. Pardo as Spanish Woman #2
• Veronica Jaquez as Spanish Woman #3

Trivia

• When Jesse tries to enter the house, he uses the name "Diesel", which is the same name he used last time he was trying to recover stolen meth from junkies in "Peekaboo".
• The episode title name may refer to Skyler cornering Walt with several questions.
  • Also Walt is cornered into giving back the car.
  • The title could also refer to Skyler's visit to the Four Corners landmark.

Featured Music

• "I Can't Believe She Gives it all to Me" by Conway Twitty
• "'Til I'm Gone" by Tinie Tempah
• "Here Lies A Good Old Boy" by James Hand

Breaking Bad Episodes