Problem Dog 

Skyler looks to continue her family's trend of appearing poverty-stricken by forcing Walt to return the car he bought. A concerned Walt chauffeurs Hank to Los Pollos Hermanos, and the articulate yet immobile DEA agent collects prints.

Director:

Peter Gould

Writers:

Vince Gilligan (created by), Peter Gould

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.
Bob Odenkirk	...	Saul Goodman
Giancarlo Esposito	...	Gustavo 'Gus' Fring
Jonathan Banks	...	Mike Ehrmantraut
David Costabile	...	Gale Boetticher
Steven Michael Quezada	...	Steven Gomez
Jere Burns	...	Group Leader
Michael Shamus Wiles	...	ASAC George Merkert
Maurice Compte	...	Gaff
Fran Martone	...	Colleen

Storyline

The car wash is now in operation but Skyler isn't prepared for the amount of money Walt is bringing in. She also arranges for Walt to return the car he bought Walt Jr. but in the end decides he has other plans for it. Walt still believes his life is in danger as long as Gus is alive and speaks to Saul about how he wants to hire a hit man. He finds someone closer to home. Hank and Walter Jr. visit Gus Fring's chicken restaurant and Hank has something very specific in mind. He's slowly putting the facts together in his quest for Heisenberg. Facing a series of conflicting emotions, Jesse goes back to his group counseling session.

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Plot Keywords:

animal in episode title | dog in episode title | two word episode title | hare krishna | car wash | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

TV-14

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 August 2011 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

High Bridge Productions,Gran Via Productions,Sony Pictures Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

47 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

16:9 HD

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Jesse is playing Rage (the on-rails shooter) at the beginning, there is an Easter egg on the wall when he is going down the stairs as pointed out on the commentary. Looking closely, the graffiti spells out "Gale".

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Goofs

When Jesse is painting his walls the close-up shots show that the floor light must be directly to his right and shines on his face, whereas in the further away shots his face is not illuminated and the floor light is indeed behind him.

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Quotes

Group Leader: We're not here to sit in judgement.
Jesse Pinkman: Why not? Why not? Maybe she's right. You know, maybe I should have put it in the paper. I should've done something different. The thing is, if you just do stuff and nothing happens... what's it all mean? What's the point? Oh, right, this whole thing is about self-acceptance.
Group Leader: Kicking the hell out of yourself doesn't give meaning to anything.
Jesse Pinkman: So, I should stop "judging" and accept? So, no matter what I do, hooray for me, because I'm a great guy. It's all good. ...
[...]

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Connections

References The Godfather: Part II (1974)

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Soundtracks

Saved by Zero
Written by Adam Woods, Alfred Agius, Cy Curnin, James West-Oram & Peter Greenall
Performed by The Fixx

User Reviews

Far from a dog and far from problematic

'Breaking Bad' is one of the most popular rated shows on IMDb, is one of those rarities where every season has either been very positively received or near-universally acclaimed critically and where all of my friends have said nothing but great things about.

Very few shows in recent memory had me so hooked from the very start that before the week was over the whole show had been watched, especially when for a lot of shows now airing watching one episode all the way through can be an endeavour. 'Breaking Bad' had that effect on me, and its reputation as one of the best, consistently brilliant and most addictive shows in many years (maybe even ever) is more than deserved in my eyes. Its weakest season is perhaps the first season, understandable as any show's first season is the one where things are still settling.

Actually everything is established remarkably from the very start, but once the writing and characterisation becomes even meatier the show reaches even higher levels.

"Problem Dog" to me was an incredible episode. One of Season 4's better episodes and the best since the season opener "Box Cutter". It boasts some of Jesse's meatiest material up to this point and some of Aaron Paul's best acting in an episode where he achieves a difficult feat in out-shining Bryan Cranston.

Visually, "Problem Dog" is both stylish and beautiful, with photography and editing that are cinematic quality and put a lot of films today to shame, where there are a lot of visually beautiful ones but also some painfully amateurish looking ones. The music always has the appropriate mood, never too intrusive, never too muted.

The writing in "Problem Dog" is a fine example of how to have a lot of style but also to have a lot of substance. The dialogue throughout is thought-provoking and tense, while also have a darkly wicked sense of humour, nail-biting tension and heart-tugging pathos. The story is texturally rich, intimate, tense and layered, with the pace of it consistently deliberate but taut.

Can't say anything bad about the acting. Bryan Cranston is phenomenal as one of the most fascinating anti-heroes, or even of any kind of character, in either film or television. Aaron Paul has never been better, and delivers some of his best acting of the show with Jesse's meatiest material up to this point, and Anna Gunn is affecting. The characters are compelling in their realism, likewise with their chemistry, and the episode is strongly directed.

In conclusion, incredible. Everything works brilliantly, but essentially this is Paul's episode. 10/10 Bethany Cox