"Sunset" is the sixth episode of the third season of Breaking Bad and the twenty-sixth episode altogether.
Summary
A tribal police officer is dispatched to investigate the possible disappearance of an elderly woman that resides on a reservation outside of Albuquerque. At her property, out behind the outhouse, he finds her body and evidence that someone else has taken up residence - two black men's shirts, hanging out to dry. "Whoever's in there, show yourself!" the officer shouts. One of the Cousins, Leonel, steps out of the house, distracting the cop while the other sneaks up behind the officer and attacks him with an axe, dispatching him with a number of blows.
Act I
Walter watching a model condo for purchase.
Skyler White calls Walter White to discuss the signed divorce papers she was surprised to find in Holly White's crib. The conversation turns to the use of drug money to pay child support. "You'd be making us accessories after the fact," contends Skyler. "How do you think we've been paying our bills these last six months?" asks Walt, before hanging up. He's looking at a model condo, which he offers to buy, furnishings and all. When the agent looks reluctant, "Name one thing in this world that is not negotiable," Walt insists.
Meanwhile, the Cousins enter Los Pollos Hermanos. Gustavo Fring watches as they sit down stock-still without ordering anything.
Over at Jesse's, the blue meth Jesse Pinkman made without Walt dazzles Badger. Jesse invites Badger and Skinny Pete to rejoin him in the business. This time they'll "sell it safe," he says. We do it right, "We don't get greedy," he adds, attempting to entice them. The plan: Badger will have Clovis fix up the RV and Skinny Pete will procure supplies. As Skinny Pete and Badger depart, they have no idea that Hank is watching them from his SUV parked down the street. Hank can hardly contain his excitement.
Act II
Walt drives Walter White Jr. to school. "It's not like I get a vote," complains Walter Jr. about the divorce. "I am the man that I am, son," Walt responds, adding that he's "actually feeling very good about the future."
Gus arrives at Los Pollos Hermanos and sees the Cousins. "They're ba-aack," says the manager, wondering if she should call the police. Gus assures his manager that the Cousins are doing nothing wrong, instructing to leave them be. Nonetheless, he does seem annoyed by their persistence.
At his first day of work at the superlab, Walt meets his new assistant, Gale Boetticher, a specialist in X-ray crystallography with a libertarian attitude regarding the use of drugs by consenting adults.
"I love the lab," Gale enthuses after he and Walt create their first batch. "It's all still magic." Prompted by Walt, Gale recites "When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer," Walt Whitman's poem about the exhilaration of experiencing scientific wonders first-hand. "Yes, I am a nerd," Gale laughs.
Meanwhile Hank, still staking out Jesse's house, receives a call from Marie, asking when he's coming home. Hank insists that he must stay where he is until Jesse leads him to the RV or does something illegal. Remembering that Jesse at one point was alleged to have sold pot to Walt, Marie suggests Hank talk to Walt on the grounds that he might know something. When Hank calls Walt and starts to explain his theory that the RV is being used as a mobile meth lab, Walt realizes that Hank is closing in on Jesse.
Act III
Walt calls Jesse, but hangs up before speaking out of fear of the line being tapped. He calls Saul and announces that Hank knows about the RV, "which is covered with my fingerprints," Walt says. "It's only a matter of time before he tracks it down." "So get rid of it!" says Saul. Walt is in a spin, not knowing what to do next, whilst Saul reprimands him for not having a contingency plan.
Walt races to the repair yard and orders Clovis and Badger to destroy the RV. "I know a guy that'll wipe this off the planet," Clovis says.
Badger tips off Jesse about Walt's plan. Jesse obliviously blasts out of his house and drives off, unaware he's being trailed by the tenacious Hank.
Back at Los Pollos Hermanos, Gus, frustrated with the lurking Cousins, approaches them and arranges an off-site meeting: "Sunset."
At a junkyard, Walt discusses the demolition of the RV with the junkyard owner, Old Joe, who assures Walt it will be destroyed, crushed into a tiny block then recycled into Chinese patio furniture. Walt is alone in the RV when Jesse barges in, ranting to Walt that the RV is his and Walt has no right... Seconds later, Hank drives up. Walt looks out the window, sees Hank... "You led him right to us," he reprimands a shocked Jesse, who quickly dawns on the fact he's just messed up once again.
Act IV
Hank pounds the RV's door. "Last chance to do it the easy way," he tells Jesse. Walt strains to hold the door shut as Hank tries to pry it open with a crowbar. "Got a warrant?" Old Joe asks, walking up to Hank. "I don't need one if I've got probable cause, counselor", Hank replies. Joe and Hank continue to spar over whether the RV is a vehicle or a domicile. If the latter, its residents would be constitutionally protected against unlawful search and seizure.
Walt and Jesse inside the RV as Hank is investigating outside.
Hank, getting increasingly irate at the challenge, rips some duct tape off the RV door, revealing bullet holes from Walt's previous confrontation with Emilio Koyama and Krazy-8 ("Pilot"). "There was a firearm discharged inside of this domicile," Hank says. Walt whispers to Jesse and orders him to reply, "How could you have known that the holes were there before you took off the tape?" and Jesse complies. "This is my own private domicile," Jesse continues, "and I will not be harassed... bitch!" Hank bitterly heads to his car and calls ASAC George Merkert to obtain a warrant. Walt, meanwhile, has an idea (much to the relief of a pleading Jesse) and calls Saul.
Saul's secretary Francesca Liddy calls Hank, posing as an Albuquerque police officer, and she tells him that Marie has been involved in a car accident and is being airlifted to a hospital. Fearing the worst, Hank leaps into his SUV and drives off. Upon hanging up, Francesca suggests Saul give her a pay raise. Saul shoots her a wry smile, then snaps the burner phone in half and chucks it in the bin.
Hank rushes into the hospital looking for Marie. Through his panic and rushing about, he finally realizes his cell phone is ringing. It's Marie, all fine and well, checking in to make plans for dinner. Hank, at first relieved, then slowly fuming, realizes he was tricked. A determined look sets across his face...
Back at the junkyard, a forklift rips apart the RV and loads it into a crusher, as Jesse and Walt look on relieved.
At sunset, Gus and the Cousins meet in the desert. Gus reiterates they must back off Walt. Then questions them, why do they want to kill Walt? He may have betrayed Tuco Salamanca, Gus reminds them, but someone else pulled the trigger. The Cousins cite Bolsa as telling them that DEA agents are off-limits to them. Gus replies that north of the border is his territory, so on his orders, he gives them permission to kill Hank.
Official Photos
Trivia
- Larry Hankin (Old Joe), like Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn and Bob Odenkirk, is also a Seinfeld alum. Hankin's character auditions for and is cast in the role of "Kramer" in the fourth-season episodes "The Pilot, Part 1" & "Part 2".
- The painting on the wall of the model apartment has been seen before: it was on the wall of the doctor's office in the Pilot.
- When Jesse asks Badger to get the RV in shape, he specifically asks for a buzzer that buzzes when the key is placed in the ignition, a reference to his mistake in "4 Days Out"
- In a phone conversation with Walter, Skyler sarcastically refers to her unhappiness as "completely out of the clear blue sky unhappiness." It is unclear whether she intentionally referenced Walter's Blue Sky meth.
- Walt makes a sandwich, and takes off the crust, something Krazy-8 did.
- This is the last appearance of the RV before its return in the flashback in "Ozymandias".
- Continuity error: In this episode Saul doesn't know about the RV, but he was kidnapped in it in "Better Call Saul", and afterwards presumably driven back in it.
- Error: Walt drives to Clovis yard to destroy the RV - how did he know that is where the RV was, as Jesse had sent it there to get repaired, only Badger and Skinny Pete knew it's location? It's possible he found out offscreen.
- Dean Norris said that in filming the scene where he's trying to use a crowbar to force his way into the RV, it was at Bryan Cranston's suggestion that he run the crowbar along the outside of the RV to further amp up Hank's intimidation tactic.
- This episode is the debut of Gale Boetticher.
Production
Credits
Starring
Guest Starring
Co-Starring
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Uncredited
- John Augustini as Tim
Filming Locations
- Walt purchases the display model apartment. The apartment/condos are located at 3932 Silver Ave SE.
Featured Music
- "Sun Shine On Me" by Buddy Stuart (as Walt prepares for his first day in the superlab)
- "Ginza Samba" by Vince Guaraldi & Bola Sete (as Walt and Gale first cook together)
- "He Venido (Bolero)" by Los Zafiros (as the RV is crushed)
- "Breaking Bad Sunset End Credits" by Dave Porter (end credits)
Memorable Quotes
- "This is my own private domicile and I will not be harassed...bitch!"
- ―Jesse to Hank.