Problem Dog

Problem Dog
Season	4
Episode	7
Directed by	Peter Gould
Written by	Peter Gould
Running time	47 minutes
Air date	August 28, 2011
U.S. Viewers	TBA
← Previous	"Cornered"
Next →	"Hermanos"

"Problem Dog" is the seventh episode of the fourth season of Breaking Bad and the fortieth episode altogether.

Teaser

At home, on a massive TV screen, playing the first-person shooter video game Rage, Jesse Pinkman fires a gun at the mutants attacking him. Images of Gale Boetticher's dead body/murder blend in with the action as Jesse replays the real-life gunshot and Gale falling dead in his mind's eye. Distracted and disturbed, Jesse dies in the game. He catches his breath. The memory fades, and he restarts.

Summary

File:640px-4x07 - Problem Dog PROMO 4.jpg

Walt looks at the explosion of the Challenger

At the car wash, Walter White grouses about the restocking fee the dealership is charging to take back the Challenger. Skyler White pleads with him to just return the car and not make a scene. She wants them to be done with it. Instead, Walt drives to an empty parking lot and races around recklessly, laying heavy rubber and doing doughnuts until the car runs aground on a parking block. Without a pause, Walt gets out, sets the car on fire and casually calls for a taxi as he sits down on the concrete and watches it burn.

Walt slumps in a chair at Saul Goodman's office while Saul handles the fallout from his client's "little joy ride." Walt admits that the pressure of knowing Gustavo Fring wants to kill him is getting to him, and then inquires about hit men. "Wrong answer!" blurts Saul, pointing out that any for hire assailant would likely know Mike Ehrmantraut, and have to outmaneuver him. Walt tells Saul that he tried to kill Gus himself but couldn't get near him. "Why not ask your partner?" suggests Saul. That night at Jesse's house, while Jesse repaints his graffitied/damaged walls, Walt interrogates Jesse about how close he's been to Gus lately. Closer than they are right now, Jesse says, adding, "He said he sees something in me." Walt attempts to manipulate Jesse, ironically asking if he's that easily manipulated by Gus. If he's already forgotten what Gus attempted. Walt reminds him Gus tried to kill them both, did kill Victor, and lied about not targeting children the day Andrea's brother Tomás was shot — he's making his case for Jesse to take action. "Drop the sales pitch," Jesse barks back at Walt. "I'll kill him first chance I get." Walt smiles, inwardly triumphant, pleased to get Jesse just where he wants him.

The next day at the car wash, Marie Schrader tells Skyler how well Hank Schrader's therapy is going and that his spirits have improved. Walt sneaks $274,000 in drug money past them hidden in pallets of soda. After Marie leaves, Skyler and Walt regroup. Skyler is stunned to realize that Walt's yearly income is more than $7 million. Skyler protests that it's too much to launder, and nobody pays for a carwash with $50 notes. She needs to solve that problem, Walt replies coldly - it's what she wanted to do, he reminds her. Skyler reminds him she wanted nothing of this. If she rather wants out, Walt counters, she must just say so. Skyler ain't pleased, but packs the cash into the safe, and starts mulling things over...

In the superlab, out of the security camera's view, Walt cooks a batch of ricin. At his house that night, Jesse notes that they had more of the poison when they tried to murder Tuco Salamanca ("Seven Thirty-Seven",  "Grilled"). It's enough, says Walt. Jesse just needs to slip some into Gus's food or drink and Gus will die within 36 hours of seemingly natural causes. Jesse conceals the slim ricin vial inside a cigarette that he returns to the pack upside-down as his "lucky cigarette." Walt emphasizes, whatever you do just don't smoke it!

Walter White Jr. drives Hank to Los Pollos Hermanos, where Hank chats briefly with Gus, who recognizes him from his charity work with the DEA. Gus replenishes Hank's soda and offers to pay for any future meals at Los Pollos Hermanos, even offers Walt Jr. a job if ever he wants one. Hank later slips the cup into an evidence bag and stashes it under his seat in the car.

Mike and Jesse at the factory farm

The ext day, Mike and Jesse drive to Gus's factory farm. "Big doin's today," says Mike. Inside the office trailer, Mike discusses security arrangements with Gus while Jesse makes coffee, his hands shaking as he holds his cigarette pack, trying to decide what to do. Mike startles Jesse by offering him a loaded gun. "Emergency only," Mike says. Three Cartel members arrive at the farm, fewer than Mike expected. Only one, Gaff (the lead assassin who hijacked the Los Pollos Hermanos truck in the previous episode), meets with Gus, who is visibly slighted of dealing with a henchman but forces a smile and offers him a seat. Speaking in Spanish, Gus offers the Cartel $50 million. "In return, our business is over," he says. Gaff replies that Gus knows what the Cartel wants. Is his answer yes or no! in reference to the last episode where the bucket read "ready to talk"? Is Gus ready to talk to the cartel, yes or no? Gus seems to have made an error in judgement: "This is not a negotiation," Gaff says, bluntly. Outside moments later, Gaff and Gus stare each other down as the Cartel members depart. Jesse considers shooting Gus in the back with the gun Mike gave him, right there and then, but ultimately decides against it. On the drive back to town, Jesse asks Mike what it is Gus sees in him. "Loyalty," Mike replies. "Only, maybe you got it for the wrong guy."

That evening, Jesse attends the N.A. support group meeting and indirectly bares his soul about killing Gale, telling a story about a fictitious "problem dog" he put down. Another addict criticizes Jesse for animal cruelty, but the group leader cautions the group not to judge. Jesse asks why not. Is he supposed to just "accept" himself no matter how many "dogs" he kills? He reiterates to his team leader that "killing one's own child should never be or ever become acceptable." Breaking down under the weight of the guilt, Jesse lashes out, saying he's really at the meetings only to sell meth to them all. "I made you my bitch," he sneers. "You accept that?" The Group Leader takes this in as Jesse charges out. Later at the superlab, Walt asks Jesse about the progress of the assassination attempt. Jesse lies and says he hasn't seen Gus.

Gus Fring's fingerprints are found at Gale's apartment

Hank meets with Steven Gomez and ASAC George Merkert at the DEA. He describes Gale and his murder, and hypothesizes that Gale is Heisenberg's former cook. The letters and numbers scribbled on the Los Pollos Hermanos napkin found in Gale's apartment, Hank explains, were the parts number for an industrial air-filtration system that Gale took delivery on. A system, Hank notes, perfect "for the biggest meth lab north of the border." By coincidence, its manufacturer is owned by a German-based conglomerate called Madrigal Electromotive that also has a stake in Los Pollos Hermanos. Hank theorizes that a vegan like Gale wouldn't eat at a chicken restaurant, and further that he'd only go to Los Pollos Hermanos for a meeting, perhaps with Gus. "What do we know about this Gustavo Fring?" asks Hank, questioning Gus's supposed affinity for law enforcement. "Maybe he's our guy." Merkert suggests that Hank is "really reaching." Hank concedes that he thought so too at first. But one thing troubles him, says Hank, pausing for effect as he reveals photographs of a fingerprint on a Los Pollos soda cup and prints from the crime scene. "What are Gustavo Fring's fingerprints doing in Gale Boetticher's apartment then?" Hank asks, laying his trump card on the table.

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.
• Bob Odenkirk as Saul Goodman
• Giancarlo Esposito as Gustavo Fring
• Jonathan Banks as Mike Ehrmantraut

Supporting Cast

• David Costabile as Gale Boetticher
• Steven Michael Quezada as Steven Gomez
• Jere Burns as Group Leader
• Michael Shamus Wiles as ASAC George Merkert
• Maurice Compte as Gaff
• Fran Martone as Colleen
• Michael "Yak" Oliva as Support Group Member
• Keith Meriweather as Mike's Security Team #1
• Eric Steinig as Mike's Security Team #2
• Luis Pimber as Cartel Henchman

Trivia

• In the teaser, Jesse is playing the video game, RAGE. In the game, Gale's name can be seen on a wall in reverse.
• RAGE was released two months after the episode aired (October 20), and certainly after it was finished filming, so it must be assumed that id Software, created a test demo just for the creators.
  • The RAGE character dialogue in the cold open contains a bit of foreshadowing of the second half of season 4. One of the first lines we hear in the game is ""Look at all this damn water. Don't drink that! Ain't no telling if it's been poisoned." It's later on in this very episode that the ricin poison is introduced. In 410 Salud it was Gus's weapon of choice. And of course in 413 Face Off with that last shot of Lily of the Valley.
• Jesse says he killed a dog, which is a coverup of him truly talking about when he killed Gale in the Season 3 finale.
• Steve Aoki features as an extra in this episode and Jesse Pinkman wears a shirt of his design.

Featured Music

• "Catch Me (I'm Falling)" by Pretty Poison (at the carwash)
• "Boots of Chinese Plastic" by The Pretenders (while Walt goofs around in the Challenger)
• "Saved by Zero" by The Fixx (at the carwash while Marie & Skyler talk)

References

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