"Crawl Space" is the eleventh episode of the fourth season of Breaking Bad and the forty-fourth episode altogether.
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 fully equipped 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 Pinkman, jumps out. The medical staff put the unconscious Gustavo Fring onto the stretcher and rush him into the tent, leaving behind the severely injured Mike Ehrmantraut, despite Jesse's desperate calls of "what about him, huh!?"
In the tent, the doctors and nurses focus intently on saving Gus from his self-induced poisoning. Jesse stumbles in carrying Mike, who is bleeding profusely, and shouts angrily, "This man needs help!" The head doctor, Dr. Barry Goodman, shoots back, "This man pays my salary" in reference to Gus, and continue ignoring Mike...
Summary
Walt and Tyrus in the superlab
Walter White cooks another batch of meth alone in the superlab with Tyrus Kitt hovering over his shoulder. He asks about Jesse and what should be done with Hank Schrader; as usual, Tyrus is a man of few words. When they weigh the meth, Walt tries to add 0.02 pounds to the total in a failed attempt to implicate Tyrus in stealing the product; which Tyrus immediately reweighs and corrects, much to Walt's chagrin. 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 causes Walt to worry 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 with his gambling, 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. Jesse's amazed that they even had bags of his blood-type ready, as well as info on his allergies. The doctor says Mike will need at least a week of rest before he can travel, so Gus tells Jesse he'll send for Mike later and they 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 saying that just won't do. Jesse insists that in that case they have a problem, as he won't cook if Walt is killed.
At home, Skyler White, entering the kitchen with groceries, discovers a voicemail from Ted Beneke. Ted states that he gave the situation more thought, but has decided he "can't do it." At Ted's house, Ted gives Skyler a check for the full amount she gave him previously (minus, she points out, the amount he spent on the new Mercedes), but she tries to convince him to pay the IRS with this money instead. Skyler knows that if the IRS investigates Ted, they'll investigate her as well, possibly finding out about the "gambling winnings" used to buy the car wash. She cannot, however, tell Ted why he must comply. He says the amount she gave him isn't enough to save his life from ruin anyway, which sounds like blackmail to Skyler who thinks he's attempting to extort a larger amount off her. Distressed after the meeting, Skyler calls Saul Goodman for a little help.
Gus and Jesse visit Tio Salamanca, where Gus gloats about murdering Don Eladio Vuente and all the other high-ranking members of the Juárez Cartel. He places Eladio's eye necklace into Tio's pocket. Just then Jesse walks in and Gus points him out as the man that shot his grandson during their escape. Tio recognises Jesse, and as his eyes fill with tears of rage and sadness, Gus relishes in reminding him that Joaquin Salamanca was his last remaining male family member. Then strikes the final blow, that the Salamanca name will therefore now die with him. His revenge for Max's killing finally complete, he asks Tio once again if now he'll look him in the eye. Tio, as always, steadfastly refuses, but can't hide being visibly crushed. Gus walks out triumphant.
The collision between the vehicles
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, taken by surprise and in a total panic, drives past the laundry's entrance 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 Walter White Jr. as Marie Schrader 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. Walt looks concerned at this new development.
Saul calls Skyler to inform her that he's dealing with Ted using his "A-Team", Huell Babineaux and Patrick Kuby (who acted earlier as the fake EPA inspector in Skyler's plot to get 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, telling him they will remain at his house until the check clears. When Ted tries to run for it, he trips over a rug (that he'd earlier in the episode similarly tripped over) and crashes headfirst into a wall. The A-Team later confirm with Saul that at least the check was in the post and that what happened to Ted was an "act of God" beyond their control.
Walt returns to work at the superlab by being concealed among dirty laundry, which he bitterly complains about. Although Walt took four days off due to the accident with Hank, he soon discovers that someone had been cooking in the lab during that time: it must've been Jesse.
That evening, Jesse hangs out at his house with Andrea Cantillo and Brock Cantillo, playing the video-game Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) when Walt shows up. He implores Jesse to not cook on his own, pointing out that he'll be killed if rendered unnecessary. Jesse becomes furious and points out that the last time he came to him for help, Walt wished him stuffed dead in a barrel and buried somewhere in the desert. He then reprimands Walt for becoming a risk, "You brought your brother-in-law to our lab. What the hell is wrong with you?"
When Jesse goes back inside, Tyrus appears and tazes Walt into submission. He is covered with a hood and taken out to the desert where he meets with Gus, who tells Walt 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 snidely replies it's only a matter of time. Then informs him Hank needs to be dealt with, and warns Walt that if he interferes he'll kill his entire family, including his infant daughter. Walt's then cut loose but left to make his own way out of the desert.
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, (not including his commission of course.) Walt also asks a very reluctant Saul to give him a one-hour head start and then warn the DEA that Hank's life is in danger.
Walt searches for the money
At home, Walt scrambles into the meter room and desperately searches for the money in the crawl space below, only to discover that there's not enough as a large sum of the cash is missing. Skyler enters the room with a look of fright on her face, peering down at Walt in the crawl space as he frustratingly demands she tell him where the missing money has gone. She admits that she gave the money to Ted to protect the family; nervously trying to explain herself to a panicking Walt. Walt lets out a violent scream and begins to cry, until his tears abruptly turn into maniacal laughter. The phone starts to ring, several times before the caller begins to record a message: It's Marie, who is in sheer panic because the DEA received a tip that the Cartel is going to attack Hank again. Skyler approaches the phone and after calming herself, picks it up and starts assuring her sister she's there. Back in the crawl space, Walt has stopped laughing and is now just lying on his back staring aimlessly up through the hole in the floor ... as the camera pans away, rising up towards the roof to blackout.
Credits
Starring
Guest Starring
- Mark Margolis as Hector "Tio" Salamanca
- Christopher Cousins as Ted Beneke
- Emily Rios as Andrea Cantillo
- Bill Burr as Patrick Kuby
- JB Blanc as Barry Goodman
Co-Starring
Official Photos
Trivia
- When Gus and Jesse leave the hospital, Gus says 'vamonos' meaning they are leaving, but could be a reference to Walt's front to his eventual drug empire 'Vamonos Pest'
- Hank tells Walt that much of his job involves waiting. This is like what Mike told Jesse in Template:L2.
- 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 Template:L2, as well as what Walt and Jesse did to Saul upon their first meeting (Template:L2). 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 video game)
- When Walt and Hank are driving to the industrial laundry, a sign can be seen outside of the car reading: "A-One Collision". - This business shares the A-1 name with the car-wash, and is a real business in Albuquerque, NM.
- References to other media:
- Due to his facial cuts and bruises, Hank remarks that Walt showed up looking like "Macho Camacho."
- 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".
- The final shot where Walter stares exasperatedly out of the crawl space bears resemblance to the shot of Jesse on his first heroin trip in Mandala. Both the shots feature surreal photography with the camera rising impossibly high looking down, conveying the intense feelings both characters were experiencing.
Production
- Filming Locations
- The episode opens with Jesse looking over Mike in a makeshift hospital, the end of the scene shows him walking away from the building that has a stepped roof, and a concrete ramp leading up to it. This building is located near 2nd street. Google Satellite View reveals this is the same building.
Memorable Quotes
- "Paying my debt with illicit gambling winnings, I don’t know. It feels wrong."
- ―Ted Beneke talking to Skyler.
- "If you try to interfere, this becomes a much simpler matter. I will kill your wife. I will kill your son. I will kill your infant daughter."
- ―Gustavo Fring threatening Walter in the desert.
Featured Music
- "Crawl Space" by Dave Porter (as Walt searches for money in the crawl space)
Notes