Hank’s ability to take out two ruthless, armed killers without weapons and with only one minute’s warning is one of the greatest moments in Breaking Bad history. Hank displayed incredible bravery and ingenuity at this pivotal juncture.
Hank has realized through reading Gale’s lab notes that Walt is Heisenberg. Hank informs Marie that they require concrete evidence to break him.
What is the episode called?
Hank has been promoted to a more prestigious and dangerous base in El Paso, Texas, yet his past haunts him and causes severe anxiety attacks after The Cousins ambush him. To alleviate his anxiety, Hank uses cocaine and other substances – only making matters worse! Soon, Hank realizes he is not immune from witnessing violence and corruption within his line of work and begins to comprehend why Walter Jr. respects him so highly.
Hector Salamanca holds Marco underwater, and Hank speculates that only minutes remain before he passes out, foreshadowing Marco’s death at the end of this episode. Furthermore, Hector reveals Hank as an agent of the Drug Enforcement Agency (“DEA”), to which Hector responds by beating Hank unconscious – as seen at the start of the episode.
Hank brings Hector Salamanca to testify to Jesse’s innocence during an interrogation, yet Hector still feels connected to old-school cartel activity and agrees to help Hank out. Unfortunately, however, Hank ultimately decides he must kill Hector for reasons unrelated to Jesse despite this support from Hector.
Later, Hank informs Marie and Hank’s White family about a group of meth cooks he has been working with, producing some of the highest-grade meth ever seen. Marie is overjoyed, but Hank warns her they remain enemies and will only cease when Gus is behind bars.
Hank meets with Saul and tells him he believes Gus is a major drug distributor and Walt is essential to this operation, seeking an appointment at Los Pollos Hermanos to discuss a partnership. Hank then persuades Walt to plant a bug on Gus’ car – which is ultimately unsuccessful – which leads to Hank deducing that Gus cannot both reside at his house and work at Los Pollos Hermanos factory farm simultaneously – suggesting he’s hiding something. Hank shows intuition compared to Jack, who lacks this capacity – one reason Walter Jr. respects Hank over Jack in general!
What is the title of the episode?
Hank arrives in El Paso with difficulty, particularly after mocking drug dealers’ habit of praying to Jesus Malverde as their patron saint. While trying to form relationships with Mexican officer Vanco and make friends with a Mexican officer named Vanco, he meets suspicion when he reveals he has a dark side. Later, Hank informs his team about discovering a batch of meth cooks producing some of the purest drugs he had ever seen; when Jesse Pinkman, one of Hank’s former students, has been using his old lab equipment, he believed that Jesse Pinkman would make an ideal candidate; however, Gomez disagreed, and Hank reluctantly agreed to meet him instead.
Hank meets with Gomez and two other agents who have spoken to Jesse at the DEA offices. Gomez warns Hank that Walt may try to kill him at their proposed meeting and asks Hank to accompany Jesse to a safe house (an offer Hank refuses). Although arresting Walt could result in his termination from the agency, Hank remains committed to taking him down due to all his crimes (poisoning Brock, killing Gus Fring, Emilio Krazy-8 among them) perpetrated against his crew (Brock poisoned Brock before killing Gus Fring, Krazy-8 among many more).
Hank meets Walter Jr. at a gas station. At first hesitant, Hank gives in when Walter Jr. claims he’s trying to put together his life again and listens as Walter Jr. talks about Skyler until Hank finally breaks down in tears while promising him that they will take care of each other even without him around.
Hank visits Jesse’s mother and learns that Jesse has been using old lab equipment from his lab to cook methamphetamine. Hank initially remains dubious but later visits his lab, where evidence points towards Jesse being the meth producer they’re searching for, such as photos taken at a laundromat. Hank then informs Jesse of the pregnancy of his wife.
What is the plot of the episode?
Hank continues to battle his post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) yet has made significant strides since Episode IV. He has resumed his home brewing business, taken up mineral collecting, and begun helping Marie turn her life around – although, unfortunately, cancer has returned and appears terminal. Additionally, Hank realizes that Heisenberg, whom he had initially taken for granted as his brother-in-law, is an evil drug lord he’s been working against for some time.
Gomez tells Hank that Hector Salamanca wishes to speak with him. Hank agrees to meet him at his office, only to find Hector sitting on a toilet spewing insults at Hank instead of talking directly with him. Disillusioned, Hank turns away but notices Steve’s gun lying nearby, which Jack’s foot prevents him from reaching.
Hank attends a dinner hosted by the White family to mark their son’s graduation, although he initially finds them intimidating. Soon enough, he realizes something seems wrong about them; furthermore, Skyler is acting strangely during this dinner, leading him to suspect Heisenberg of hiding something from them.
As night falls, Hank continues to survey Gus’ factory farm for any signs of meth lab activity. When he spots a suspicious vehicle exiting, he follows it to a junkyard, where he discovers Jesse and Walt use it as their meth laboratory on wheels.
Hank confronts Jesse about his suspicions and shows Walt’s voicemail telling him to meet at Albuquerque’s Civic Plaza at noon for a discussion. Jesse immediately assumes Hank is setting a trap for him and threatens to kill him, but Hank assures him they’ll get proof if it happens.
What is the theme of the episode?
Hank Schrader is a high-ranking DEA agent working out of Albuquerque and married to Skyler; he is also an uncle to Walt and Holly. Hank serves as the primary investigator on Gustavo Fring’s meth operation; however, unbeknownst to himself, Heisenberg, who heads it, is one of his brothers-in-law and, as such, was blindsided for over one year by believing Walt is just another mild-mannered-chemistry teacher heist leader. However, despite his skillset in uncovering Fring’s criminal activities, Hank remains unaware that Heisenberg runs it from within. Hank’s competence allows him to expose Fring’s illegal activities, but unfortunately, over one year of blindness prevented him from seeing Heisenberg for what he was.
Hank has many interests, ranging from homebrewing (Schraderbrau) and collecting minerals to mastering firearms and mechanical repair. Additionally, he enjoys cooking for his family and spending time together despite his seemingly carefree demeanor. Although Hank may appear dispassionate at times, his affectionate heart lies deep with both of them; in addition, he’s an attentive father who often plays fantasy football with his son and a veteran hunter.
Hank recovers from his attack by the Salamanca cousins by engaging in several hobbies: collecting mineral samples and beginning his beer brewery, hunting, and cooking outside. When he feels more stable in himself and his abilities, Hank asks Marie for permission to return to work; although initially reluctant, she agrees to support Hank throughout this transition.
Soon after, Hank is made aware of the reappearance of blue meth through Gomez, who informs him it’s being manufactured near his house. Hank finds a shack where Tuco (Grilled), the cartel driver, is being cooked. Hank shoots and kills Tuco (“Grilled”).
Later that day, Hank received a phone call from Skyler asking him to keep away from her children. Upon arriving at their home, he discovered Skyler and her children had taken shelter with him, dismayed by this news and angry that they left him behind. Later, Marie informed Hank she was going to him.
