Negro Y Azul (19 Apr. 2009)

Rumor is spreading that Jesse killed the man that ripped Skinny Pete off. Walt uses this to his advantage on expanding their territory. Meanwhile, Hank has been promoted to the El Paso office. But it's not all he hoped it would be.

Director:

Félix Enríquez Alcalá

Writers:

Vince Gilligan (creator), John Shiban

Stars:

Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn, Aaron Paul

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Bryan Cranston	...	Walter White
Anna Gunn	...	Skyler White
Aaron Paul	...	Jesse Pinkman
Dean Norris	...	Hank Schrader
Betsy Brandt	...	Marie Schrader
RJ Mitte	...	Walter White, Jr.
Danny Trejo	...	Tortuga
Krysten Ritter	...	Jane Margolis
Matt Jones	...	Badger
Christopher Cousins	...	Ted Beneke
Charles Baker	...	Skinny Pete
Rodney Rush	...	Combo
J.D. Garfield	...	DEA Agent Vanco
Todd Terry	...	SAC Ramey
Rio Alexander	...	Federale

Storyline

Walt's been having trouble getting in touch with Jesse who's been avoiding him since his encounter with Spooge. He's also not providing product to his dealers so Walt arranges to deliver it. He learns that Jesse's reputation as a killer has spread and they're having no problem at all collecting payment. Walt decides the time has come to expand their territory and put Jesse's new reputation to good use. Skyler decides to get a job and goes back to her old employer. Hank starts his new job on the task force. He's told his wife Marie it's just a desk job but he's on the front lines and very soon learns just how dangerous it can be.

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Plot Keywords:

worker rehired | lighting a cigar | hiding place | knocking on door | stakeout | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Details

Release Date:

19 April 2009 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Albuquerque Studios, High Bridge Productions

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Did You Know?

Trivia

In scene where Hank meets "Tortuga" (Danny Trejo) the song playing in the background is "El Corrido de Kiko".

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Quotes

Hank Schrader: Hey, white boy. My name's Tortuga. You know what that means?

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Connections

References Duck and Cover (1952)

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Soundtracks

"Nariz Inquieta"
Performed by 'Miguel Enriquez y Sus Torrenciales'
(uncredited)

User Reviews

Nobody Messes With A Blowfish!

Meth cook/drug kingpin/high school science teacher Walter (Bryant Cranston) AKA Heisenberg, back in class teaching again as we catch up on the narrative has had no contact from Jesse (), his trafficker/underboss/former student for several days. The two had argued yet again after Walter had uncharacteristically given Jesse a gun and told him to "take care of it" in relation to the matter of one of their dealers getting robbed in an exchange gone wrong.

Confronting Jesse at his new apartment Walter is handed the missing money from the deal as well an added $3600 which came from Jesse's attempt to "take care of it" in the previous episode. Jesse's showdown with emaciated methheads at their dilapidated house resulted in the bizarre event of one of them having his head crushed like a watermelon by his wife, whom he had referred to as a "skank" a few times too often.

The improbable weapon was a stolen ATM machine the couple had liberated from a convenience store after slitting the throat of the proprietor. Jesse, knocked unconscious by the wife in a moment of distraction could only watch as she murdered her husband.

Jesse, whose habit of falling upwards has been his trademark after a streak of bad luck had the presence of mind to snatch the money from the stolen ATM retrieving the lost investment as well as a surprise dividend. Walter is initially disappointed yet again in Jesse's failings as pusher/enforcer and naturally aghast at the brutal events arising from the house confrontation with the methheads.

When he notices the reaction on the street to the events related to him by Jesse's crew of dealers Walter is pleasantly surprised. Jesse is now legend having evidently displaced maniac former associate Tuco (from whom Walter and Jesse narrowly escaped death) then wasting a methhead by crushing his skull with a stolen ATM acquired in a brutal convenience store heist. Scrawny slacker Jesse is considered more lethal, mean and warped than Tuco.

The trail of blood created merely by their own survival in a violent subculture has created carved out street cred not only as purveyors of particularly potent and pure meth shards and enforcers of swift, certain and severe reprisal when it comes to getting burned on deals. Walter looks to capitalize on all this by expanding the operation into different territories currently occupied by other meth pushers.

Exposing Walter's actions to scrutiny is revealing. His actions have involved him in mass murder committed by others but on the level of a kind of tourist. Nevertheless he is successful and likens Jesse's presence on the street as enforcer to that of a blowfish in that it can inflate itself to ward off predators.

Midway through the second season one notes the distance Walt's arc has gone - from superior-minded yet meek science teacher working part-time at a carwash to unlikely brutal drug-lord ordering his underboss to "take care of it" resulting in bloody circumstances is a long reach. His inadequacies, his DEA agent brother-in-law and the tumultuous nature of the trade mean that it will have come to an end sometime.

But his luck and ingenuity are taking him a long way. Much longer than they logically should.