"Over" is the tenth episode of the second season of Breaking Bad and the seventeenth episode altogether.
Summary[]
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The episode opens up on the pink teddy bear previously seen in other episodes. The bear is put into a container, along with other retrieved items as men in hazmat suits continue to clean the area. Two of them carry the container past Walt's Aztek—with its windshield broken—and two body bags lying in the driveway of the White residence.
Act I[]
As Walt prepares to return to work, Skyler convinces him to stay home, wanting him in good shape for a party she is planning, celebrating his remission. As soon as she leaves, Walt calls Jesse. The duo meet at Taco Sal, where Jesse is happy to hear that Walt is in remission. Jesse wonders how they'll proceed in "light of this kickass news." Walt says that he plans to retire from the drug trade after they unload the remaining meth.
At Walt's party, Skyler thanks everyone for their support, and toasts to the absent Gretchen and Elliott. Walt's briefly remarks "When I got my diagnosis — cancer — I said to myself, you know...'Why me?' And then... the other day... when I got the good news... I said the same thing." In response, the guests stand in awkward silence.
Chatting at the poolside with Walt and Junior, Hank says that the "cartel boys" putting Tortuga's severed head on a tortoise rigged with explosives was "poetic." Walt, angry that Junior is more impressed with Hank's story, pours tequila shots for Hank, himself, and Junior. Despite Hank's protests, Walt pours two more rounds of tequila and, when Hank takes away the bottle, angrily demands that he give it back. The tension builds until Junior, sick from the tequila, stumbles to the pool and vomits. While Skyler attends to her son, an obstinate Walt sits alone and drinks another shot.
Act II[]
At Jesse's apartment, Jesse awkwardly prepares Jane a surprise breakfast of huevos rancheros. Meanwhile, Walt leaves an apology on Skyler's voicemail for his behavior at the party. He starts washing the dishes, but stops when the faucet spits out brown water from the house's faulty water heater. He finds a pool of dirty water in the supply closet and water leaking through the duct tape patching.
At work, Ted bumps into Skyler while she listens to Walt's message. During their conversation, Skyler explains that Walt has cancer, but that they got good news last week.
Walt heads to a hardware store and is proud to pay cash for a top of the line tankless water heater. Counting out the bills, he discreetly pockets a twenty that's smeared with blood and tells the clerk that he'll install the heater himself.
Jesse and Jane lounge in bed while she peruses superhero sketches Jesse drew as a kid. Someone knocks on Jane's front door. Without explanation, she races out Jesse's back door and into her own apartment. Jane greets her father, Donald Margolis, just before he uses his key to open her door. While they talk, Jesse emerges from his apartment and introduces himself, but Jane brushes him off as the "new tenant."
Act III[]
After testing the new water heater, Walt apologizes to Junior for his actions at the party. "But I kept up, right?" Walter Jr. asks. "You and Uncle Hank — I drank three." Dismayed, Walt shuffles out of the room. As he is putting away tools, Walt discovers that the floor of that closet is soft. He probes to find rotten wood due to water damage. Walt returns to the hardware store and loads up on supplies to repair the floor. Later, Junior comes home and finds Walt sawing away under the house.
Meanwhile, Jesse confronts Jane about how she treated him in front of Donald, believing that she is embarrassed by him. Jane responds that she can't admit to her father that she is sleeping with a stoner living next door. Disgusted, Jesse leaves.
Working late, Skyler gets teary-eyed with Ted, confessing she feels guilty for not feeling better after Walt's good news. "Being that rock" for one's family "takes everything you've got," Ted tells her, putting his hand on hers. She withdraws her hand, but then returns it.
Act IV[]
The next morning, Skyler and Junior eat their breakfast in silence as Walt continues his construction project. When he takes a break to eat some toast, Skyler asks Walt if he's going to work that day, Walt responds, telling her that "There's rot!" Walt then gulps some orange juice and gets back to work dealing with the rot. At work, Skyler deliberately upends her penholder to draw Ted's attention. When he comes to her aid she plays with her hair and flirts with him.
In his apartment, a distraught Jesse smokes meth and curls up in his recliner. A sheet of paper slides under his door. It's a sketch of a superheroine named "Apology Girl," leaving Jesse smiling.
"Stay out of my territory."
Back at the hardware store, Walt notices acetone, lye, and other supplies in a shopping cart, all indicative of meth production. When a tweaker returns with boxes of matches, Walt points out that the ones he got are incorrect and that buying all of the supplies from one store will raise suspicion. Spooked, the guy runs away. Walt gets in line to purchase his own selections but suddenly changes his mind and heads to the parking lot. Staring down the tweaker's burly partner, Walt says, "Stay out of my territory." Frightened, the two get in their RV and drive away while Walt watches with a look of grim satisfaction.
Official Photos[]
Trivia[]
- Technical error: in the teaser, the hazmat gear-clad worker's full-face respirator has no filtration cartridges installed.
- Jesse references the This Is Your Brain on Drugs ad campaign.
- The type of coating Walt gets is a brand called "KILZ", possibly a reference to his criminal life, because a slogan for "KILZ" is "KILZ EVERYTHING".
- The water heater purchased by Walt is from the Bosch Therm 520 range.
- The rot under the house isn't as bad as Walt makes it out to be. Walt is just keeping himself busy with something he'd rather be doing, reluctant to go back to a job that he no longer 'needs' now that he has more cash than ever before.
- The rot/fungus running through the house could be an analogy for the cancer coursing through Walt's body and his renewed vigor to tackle both, now that he's in remission.
- The episode foreshadows Jane's death, when Jesse tells Jane that she was not supposed to wake up.
- As Skyler weeps and holds hands with Ted, items on an accounting printout are visible - most legibly: "Rubber Baby Buggy Bumper" - 15.93 and "Electro-Pogotronic Rectifier" - 7734.03.
- When Skyler and Walter White Jr eat breakfast towards the end of the episode, news that talks about the economic recession that happened in 2008 can be heard.
- The episode title foreshadows the plane crash that takes place in the season finale.
- While discussing superheroes he has drawn, Jesse asks Jane if she would ever want superpowers. Krysten Ritter, who plays Jane, would later go on to portray Jessica Jones in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Production[]
Credits[]
Starring
Guest Starring
Featured Music[]
- "Dance Hall Days (re-record)" by Wang Chung (during the party)
- "Heard it in a Love Song" by The Marshall Tucker Band (outside during the party)
- "Every Kinda People" by Robert Palmer (outside during the party)
- "Unknown Track #1" by Unknown Artist (in the background at the hardware store when Walt buys a water heater)
- "Zungguzungguguzungguzeng (12"Mix)" by Yellowman (while Jesse shows Jane his comic book characters)
- "My Rims" by Chops & Lil' Weavah (in Jesse's car as he drives away from his apartment)
- "Unknown Track #3" by Unknown Artist (while Walt is in the hardware store buying lumber)
- "Unknown Track #3 (Reprise)" by Unknown Artist (the same music as previous plays while Walt is in the hardware store near the end of the episode)
- "DLZ" by TV On the Radio (as Walt confronts the two meth manufacturers outside the hardware store)
Memorable Quotes[]
- "It’s kind of funny. When I got my diagnosis–cancer–I said to myself, “Why me?” And then, the other day, when I got the good news, I said the same thing. Anyway–thank you for coming and enjoy."
- ―Walter, about the remission of his cancer.
- "Stay out of my territory."
- ―Walt threatening two amateur drug manufacturers.