"Seven Thirty-Seven" is the first episode of the second season of Breaking Bad and the eighth episode altogether.
Summary
We open on black & white shots of a backyard. We pan over to reveal what appears to be a bobber in a pool of water. The bobber is then sucked into the drain of the pool as we go under the water to find a floating pink teddy bear. As the face of bear slowly turns to face us, we see that half of its body is burned, and what we thought was a bobber was actually the doll's left eye.
Act I
Right where we left off last season, after buying meth from Walter White and Jesse Pinkman at an auto junkyard, Tuco Salamanca violently attacks his henchman, No-Doze, for presuming to speak for him. Afterwards, he drives away, leaving Walt and Jesse to ponder the danger of their situation. “$737,000,” Walt says, estimating how much he’ll need to provide for his family’s future, factoring in medical bills, his kids' tuition, mortgage, and other variables. In other words: “Eleven more drug deals.”
Moments later, Tuco roars back to the junkyard, ordering Walt to perform CPR on an unconscious No-Doze – who dies as a result of the brutal attack. However they are too late to save No-Doze. Tuco's other henchman, Gonzo, says they should give his buddy a proper burial, but Tuco orders him to stash the body underneath a stack of old cars. Walt and Jesse begin to leave, but Tuco questions them, to which Walt says they thought they were done. Tuco tells them coldly they are done, and the two begin to leave, but Jesse is grabbed by the neck and shoved to the ground. Tuco stares intently at the two as they depart.
Walt returns home where his very pregnant wife is applying an avocado mask. She discovers him aimlessly clicking through television channels, and asks him what he’s doing. He sobs briefly before standing behind her and forcing himself on her, even after she asks him to slow down. Only when she screams, "Stop it!" does he let up. Walt rests in the backyard, overlooking the pool. Skyler follows and says she understand his situation but he cannot take his anger out on her. As the two talk, Walt Jr. returns home, he observes the damage in the kitchen.
Act II
Jesse purchases a gun at The Dog House and tells Walt that he thinks Tuco is stalking him and plans to kill them for witnessing the murder. Jesse argues that they are both loose ends they should kill Tuco before he kills them. Walt makes Jesse walk through how he would shoot Tuco and his crew. He points out the many problems with Jesse’s ill-conceived plan, including how he can’t open the revolver to see how many bullets it holds. Finally Walt questions if Jesse will have it in him. Jesse points out that Walt did, to which Walt grimly replies, "Yeah."
Marie Schrader calls Skyler with a dinner invitation, but Skyler doesn't answer the phone. Hank Schrader reminds Marie that she has a therapy appointment at the same time she was planning to eat out. Defensive, she tells him he’s mistaken and speeds away in her car, intentionally running over a neighborhood kid's remote-controlled car. Hank Schrader proceeds to walk towards the kid, who is not sadly gazing at his broken toy, and apologizes while taking out his wallet.
Steven Gomez shows Hank grainy surveillance footage of a recent break-in at a chemical warehouse. Hank, unaware that he's watching Walt and Jesse, laughingly gives them low marks as burglars but concedes that they know their chemistry. Hank correctly concludes that they have run out of Sudafed and are using methylamine. They note the large amount of meth they will be able to cook and they predict they're going to step on some toes, saying, “They better pray it’s us who catches up with ‘em... and not those boys from Juárez.” After Walt pulls into his driveway that evening, a suspicious SUV parked down the street eases away.
Act III
Skyler makes a comment on the baby kicking but she notices Walt is not in bed. It is revealed he has spent the night watching the street, the phone rings making Walt bolt upright. It's Marie calling Skyler, who picks up the receiver and immediately hangs up.
Walt confronts Jesse about the other night, and questions him if he had given information about him. Jesse denies it and warns Walt that Tuco is closing in. Jesse wants Walt to get his own gun to double their chances of survival, but Walt has another idea: use castor beans to create ricin, a poison they can slip to Tuco.
Hank visits Skyler, but she questions if Marie sent him. He denies it, informing her that Marie is barely talking to him. He requests Skyler to return Marie's phone calls. Skyler confesses Marie's shoplifting problem to Hank, but it is revealed he is aware of it, and claims that she in getting help. "We gotta support the shit out of her," he says of his wife. This angers Skyler who cites her pregnancy, a husband with lung cancer, a moody son, an overdrawn checking account and a defective water heater as problems more pressing than those of her "spoiled, kleptomaniac, bitch sister." After the rant she begins to sob. Hank sheepishly hugs her and offers to check out the utility closet.
Over at Jesse's house, he and Walt cook up the ricin. The plan is to offer it to Tuco in a sample of their latest meth formula. Jesse wonders if Tuco will question their "latest meth formula." Walt doubts it saying, "That degenerate snorts anything he gets his hands on,"
Hank calls Walt from a crime scene to apologize for attempting to reconcile Skyler and Marie. Laughing, he sends Walt a cell-phone picture of Gonzo and No-Doze, both dead at the junkyard. Walt and Jesse stare at the photo in horror.
Act IV
Walt grabs Jesse's gun to protect his family. Jesse protests, saying he needs it, but Walt orders him to leave town. Jesse grabs a duffel bag full of money and flees, as Walt speeds home. Walt returns home, he calls out for his family members but gets no response. He draws the gun and begins to search the house where he soon finds Skyler relaxing in the tub. She has had the whole house to herself as Walter Jr. was at Louis's house for dinner. She asks where he's been, but instead of answering her, he goes to stash his drug cash and Jesse's gun in a box of diapers.
Back at the junkyard, police are at the scene inspecting the bodies. Hank recognizes the two, and makes a comment about them. He inspects Gonzo but finds nothing new. The officers decide to lay the bodies flat, but it is soon apparent that Gonzo wasn't murdered. A car fell on him while he was moving No-Doze’s body, and he bled to death from the injury.
Back at his house, Walt starts to answer Skyler's question but is interrupted when his cell phone rings. Jesse is outside his house. "What the hell are you doing here?" Walt says as he approaches Jesse’s car. Then he realizes Tuco is crouched in the back seat with a handgun.
"Get in," Tuco orders. Walt is told a second time and he does what he's told, and we watch as Jesse's car rolls off silently down the street.
Official Photos
Trivia
- The title of this episode not only quotes Walt regarding how much money he needs, but also foreshadows the Wayfarer 515 disaster, which involves a Boeing 737 airliner.
- This is the only season premiere not to be written by Vince Gilligan (excluding the Season 5 midseason premiere, "Blood Money".)
- When Hank calls Walt from the job site (and texts them the picture), there's afternoon light coming through the windows on Walt and Jesse, but it's night where Hank is standing.
Production
Credits
Starring
Co-Starring
Uncredited
Featured Music
- "Any Way the Wind Blows" by J.J. Cale (while Jesse purchases a gun outside the diner)
- "Skydance (a)" by Richard Myhill (when Marie calls Skyler)
- "They're Gonne Take My Thumbs" by Holy Fuck (while Walt prepares the ricin)
Memorable Quotes
- "Adjusting for inflation–good state college–adjusting for inflation, say $45,000 a year. Two kids, four years of college $360,000. Remaining mortgage on the home 107,000. home equity line 30,000. That’s 137,000. Cost of living, food, clothing, utilities, say two grand a month, and that should put a dent in it, anyway…. That’s $240,000. Plus 360, plus 1, 3, 7 — 737. $737,000. That is what I need. That’s what I need. You and I both clear about 70 grand a week, that’s only ten more weeks. Call it eleven. In a public place from now on. It’s do-able. Definitely do-able."
- ―Walter estimating how much he’ll need to provide for his family’s future
Template:Dialogue a-b-a
- "I need support. Me, the almost 40-year old pregnant woman with the surprise baby on the way. And the husband with lung cancer who disappears for hours on end and I don't know where he goes and he barely even speaks to me anymore. With the moody son who does the same thing. And the overdrawn checking account. And the lukewarm water heater that leaks rusty looking crap and is rotting out the floor of the utility closet and we can't even afford to fix it! But OH, I see! Now I'm supposed to go, "Hank, please, what can I possibly do to further benefit my spoiled, kleptomaniac bitch sister who somehow always manages to be the center of attention?" 'Cause God knows she's the one with the really important problems!"
- ―Skyler talking to Hank Schrader.