Crawl Space (Breaking Bad)

Plot

Making their escape after killing off Don Eladio (Steven Bauer) and the Cartel's leadership, Jesse (Aaron Paul) drives a weakened Gus (Giancarlo Esposito) and a wounded Mike (Jonathan Banks) to a makeshift emergency room Gus had prepared. Gus recovers quickly but Mike has to stay another week before he can safely travel, so he is left behind in Mexico. Jesse is told that he will take over cooking meth for Walter (Bryan Cranston), but Jesse insists that Walter must not be harmed. Gus later visits Hector (Mark Margolis) to tell him that all of the Cartel's leaders are dead, and that the henchman Jesse shot during the escape was Joaquin Salamanca, Hector's grandson, and the last of Hector's relatives.

Hank (Dean Norris) continues to investigate Gus on his own with Walter driving him, and decides to inspect the industrial laundry that hides the meth lab. Hoping to stop Hank's investigation, Walter purposefully gets into a car crash, injuring himself and Hank. Although he stops asking for Walter's help, Hank is still undeterred and buys a car made for disabled drivers. Meanwhile, Ted (Christopher Cousins) attempts to return Skyler's (Anna Gunn) money after learning it was from her and earned from Walter's gambling (the cover story that she uses for the meth profits). Ted says the money will only pay off the IRS and not help his business and pay bills, which Skyler views as an attempt to blackmail her for more money. She calls Saul (Bob Odenkirk), who has his bodyguard Huell (Lavell Crawford) and con artist Kuby (Bill Burr) scare Ted into paying the IRS. He does, but slips and hits his head while trying to escape from them, knocking himself out as a result.

Walter realizes that Jesse has also been cooking in the lab. Walter pleads for them to stick together to thwart Gus, but Jesse, still bitter after their fight, turns his back on Walter. Walter is suddenly paralyzed with an electric cattle prod by Tyrus (Ray Campbell) and brought to the desert where Gus confronts him. Gus tells Walter that he is fired, warning him to stay away from Jesse, and that although he cannot kill Walter due to Jesse's continuing loyalty to him, he asserts that Jesse will inevitably relinquish that loyalty and side with Gus, effectively eliminating what little protection Walter still enjoys. Gus also says that Walter has failed to stop Hank's investigation so Hank will need to be killed, and if Walter interferes, Gus will kill Walter's entire family.

A panicked Walter barges into Saul's office and takes Saul up on an earlier offer to go into hiding. The man who will do it needs $500,000 in cash immediately, which Skyler has stored in a crawl space in the house. Walter also asks Saul to anonymously warn the DEA that Hank is being targeted. Saul initially refuses but agrees if Gus' name isn't mentioned. Walter rushes home and is perplexed when there is not enough money; Skyler tells him about the money she gave to Ted. A horrified Walter screams and then suffers a breakdown, laughing maniacally. As Skyler backs away, a crying Marie (Betsy Brandt) calls to say that the DEA have received an anonymous tip that Hank is again a target and they are sending numerous agents to guard him.

Accolades

Due to his nomination, Bryan Cranston submitted this episode for consideration for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards.

Reception

The episode received laudatory reviews from television critics and has been cited by many as one of the best in the series. Noel Murray of The A.V. Club awarded the episode an "A" describing it as being "intense and terrifying". Seth Amitin of IGN awarded the episode 9 out of 10 praising Bryan Cranston's performance calling it "an amazing piece of acting" and further described the episode as "shocking and eye-brow-raising and fascinating".