Breaking Bad
Season 4, Episode 11
Air date	September 25, 2011
Written by	Sam Catlin & George Mastras
Directed by	Scott Winant
Episode Guide
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Images from "Crawl Space"

"Crawl Space" is the eleventh episode of the fourth season of Breaking Bad and the forty-fourth episode altogether.

Teaser

Doctors and nurses hastily prepare medical equipment until a phone call prompts them to wheel a stretcher out of the room. Upon their exit it's revealed that they are working in a tent inside an abandoned warehouse. A car comes racing toward them, frantically honking its horn until it comes to a halt and its driver, Jesse, jumps out. The medical staff throw the unconscious Gus onto the stretcher and rush him into the tent, leaving behind the severely injured Mike.

In the tent, the doctors and nurses focus intently on saving Gus from his own poison. Jesse stumbles in carrying Mike, who is bleeding profusely, and shouts angrily, "This man needs help!" The head doctor shoots back, "This man pays my salary."

Summary

Walt cooks another batch of meth alone in the superlab with Tyrus hovering over his shoulder. He asks about Jesse and what should be done with Hank; as usual, Tyrus is a man of few words. When they are weighing the meth, Walt tries to add 0.02 pounds to the total in a failed attempt to implicate Tyrus is stealing the product.

Later, Walt sits with Hank in his car while Hank patiently watches Gus's chicken farm. There was a big cartel incident in Mexico, Hank says, with many bodies, which makes Walt worried about Jesse. Hank brings up the subject of Walt's face, which still has many cuts and bruises from the fight with Jesse, and assures him that if he's in over his head, that he is the guy to talk to.

Back in Mexico, Mike is asleep and receiving a blood transfusion. The whole scenario was planned out from the beginning, with the doctors prepared with the medical history and correct blood types for the trio. The doctor says that Mike will need at least a week of rest before he can travel, so Gus and Jesse set off to leave without him.

It's a six-mile walk north to Texas. Gus congratulates Jesse on his performance in the ordeal and says he's proved he can run the superlab on his own. "Let Mr. White go," Jesse tells him, but Gus objects. Jesse insists that he won't cook if Walt is killed.

At home, Skyler, entering the kitchen with groceries, discovers a voicemail from Ted. Ted states that he has given the situation some more thought but has decided that he "can't do it." At Ted's house, Ted gives Skyler a check for the full amount she had given him previously while she tries to convince him to pay the IRS with the money she gave him. Skyler knows that if the IRS investigates Ted, they'll investigate her as well, and might find out about Walt's "gambling winnings" that were used to buy the car wash. However, she can't tell Ted exactly why she needs him to comply. He says the amount she gave him isn't enough to save his life from ruin anyway, which sounds like blackmail to Skyler. Distressed after the meeting, Skyler calls Saul.

Gus and Jesse visit Hector Salamanca, where Gus gloats about murdering Don Eladio and the other high-ranking members of the Juarez Cartel. He places Eladio's eye necklace into Hector's pocket. As it turns out, the man Jesse shot during their escape was Joaquin, Hector's grandson and last remaining male family member.

Walt again sees Tyrus watching Hank's home as he goes to pick up Hank for another day of watching Gus's farm. As they drive, however, Hank unexpectedly asks Walt to go to the industrial laundry where the superlab is hidden. Hank tells Walt about the connections he's found between the laundry, Madrigal Electromotive, Los Pollos Hermanos, Gus, and Gale Boetticher. "In an industrial laundry, we've got one hell of a place to hide a meth lab," Hank observes. Walt drives past the laundry's entrance and then deliberately causes a car accident by turning into oncoming traffic.

Back at the Schrader house, Hank, in a neck brace, sits eating frozen yogurt with Skyler and Walt Jr. as Marie and Walt enter the room. The accident added a new set of wounds to Walt's already battered face. Hank announces that he's ordered a "gimp mobile," a new car with hand controls, so he doesn't have to get friends and family to drive him around.

Saul calls Skyler to inform her that he's dealing with Ted using his "A-Team", Huell and Kuby (who acted as a fake EPA inspector to force Bogdan to sell his car wash to the Whites)("Open House"). The A-Team visit Ted at his home and force him to write a check to the IRS for $617,226.31, then tell him they will remain at his house until the check clears. When Ted tries to run, he trips over a carpet and crashes headfirst into a wall. The A-Team later confirm that the check was mailed and say that what happened to Ted (it appeared that his neck was broken, but his death is not confirmed) was an "act of God".

Walt returns to work at the superlab by being concealed among dirty laundry. Although Walt took four days off due to the accident with Hank, he discovers that someone had been cooking in the lab during that time: it must've been Jesse.

That evening, Jesse is hanging out at his house with Andrea and Brock playing games when Walt shows up. He pleads with Jesse to not cook on his own otherwise he'll be killed because he's unnecessary. Jesse is furious with Walt and thinks he's becoming a risk, "You brought your brother-in-law to our lab. What the hell is wrong with you?"

When Jesse leaves, Tyrus tazes Walt into submission. He's hooded and taken out to the desert where he meets with Gus, who says he's fired. Walt deduces that Jesse is preventing Gus from eliminating him, declaring "If you could kill me, I'd already be dead." Gus is also after Hank now, and warns Walt that he'll kill his entire family if he interferes.

Afterward, Walt frantically presses Saul for the phone number of the guy who makes people disappear; he gives him the number but warns that it'll cost at least $500,000 in cash for four people. Walt also asks Saul to give him a one-hour head start and then warn the DEA that Hank's life is in danger.

At home, Walt searches for the money in the crawl space but finds he doesn't have enough for the man to make them disappear. Skyler reveals that she gave the money to Ted, which causes Walter to scream, cry, and then laugh maniacally. The phone rings and it's Marie: She's frightened because the DEA received a tip that the cartel is again coming to kill Hank. The episode ends with Walt lying on his back, silently looking up through the hole in the floor that leads to the crawl space.

Credits

Main Cast

• Bryan Cranston as Walter White
• Anna Gunn as Skyler White
• Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman
• Jonathan Banks as Mike
• Bob Odenkirk as Saul Goodman
• Giancarlo Esposito as Gus Fring
• RJ Mitte as Walter White Jr.
• Betsy Brandt as Marie Schrader

Supporting Cast

• Ray Campbell as Tyrus Kitt
• Christopher Cousins as Ted Beneke
• Mark Margolis as Hector Salamanca
• Lavell Crawford as Huell
• Bill Burr as Kuby
• Ian Posada as Brock
• Emily Rios as Andrea
• JB Blanc as Barry Goodman

Trivia

• Hank tells Walt that much of his job involves waiting. This is like what Mike told Jesse in "Cornered".
• The little white car is Walt's after the Pontiac Aztek is damaged. It can be seen at Jesse's house when Walt visits and then it's out in the desert (Tyrus and his thug walk to the other car).
• Ted trips over his carpet early in the episode, foreshadowing his later fall caused by the same carpet.
• Once again, a character is blindfolded and then not killed. This goes back to what Jesse told Mike about the thief in "Bullet Points", as well as what Walt and Jesse did to Saul upon their first meeting ("Better Call Saul"). The hood was apparently meant to scare Walt.
• The vacuum model used as a code for the man who makes people disappear, the "Hoover MaxExtract Pressure Pro Model 60", is a real product.
• When Walt arrives at Jesse's house, he and Brock are playing the video game, Sonic the Hedgehog (2006).

• References to other media:
  • Hank calls Walt "Kojak" because he's bald and talking about how the chicken farm is the best place to investigate.
  • Hank calls Walt "Mr. Magoo" for not seeing the oncoming traffic that hit them.
  • Hank describes the web of connections surrounding Gus as being like Three Days of the Condor.
  • Marie describes Hank and Walt's sleuthing as a Hardy Boys routine.
  • Hector is watching the conclusion of The Bridge on the River Kwai.
  • Saul calls his guys "The A-Team".
• On the uncensored DVD version, Huells "mofo" line at Teds house is changed to "motherfucker".

Featured Music

This episode has no featured music.^[1]

Notes

1. ↑ Music From Breaking Bad Season 4

Breaking Bad Episodes