Episode no. Season 1
Episode 5 Written by Patty Lin | Directed by Tricia Brock Running time 48 minutes | |
Original air date February 24, 2008 (2008-02-24) | ||
"Gray Matter" is the fifth episode of the first season of the American television drama series Breaking Bad. Written by Patty Lin and directed by Tricia Brock, it aired on AMC in the United States and Canada on February 24, 2008.
Contents
Plot
Walt and Skyler attend a birthday party for their wealthy acquaintance, Elliott Schwartz. Walter and Gretchen had formed the company Gray Matter Technologies with Elliott years before, but Walter opted to sell off his portion. Subsequently, the company had flourished off Walter's innovations, and Elliott married Gretchen, Walter's lab assistant and girlfriend at the time. Elliott offers Walt a job, but he declines. Walter is tense at the birthday party due to this troubled past. When Elliott tells him the company has excellent health insurance, Walter realizes that Skyler told him about his cancer and gets upset with her.
After a failed job interview, Jesse shows his friend Badger the RV they use as meth lab. In the desert, Jesse is frustrated he can't cook the meth as well as Walt and throws it away, much to Badger's disgust. Jesse cooks a few more batches, which he also eventually throws away. Badger and Jesse brawl over the meth, and Jesse pushes him out of the RV and drives away.
Over the weekend, Walter Jr. and two friends are waiting outside a convenience store, waiting for somebody to buy them beer. The friends run away when Walter Jr. approaches an off-duty cop. The cop tells him he got his "first and last warning." This prompts Skyler to hold an intervention for Walt, where she says she doesn't understand why Walt refuses the treatment. Hank, Walter Jr. and Marie argue over what to do: while Skyler and Walter Jr. want him to take the treatment, Marie, and later Hank, feel Walt should be given the choice to decline the treatment if he wants. Walt ends the intervention saying he will not do the treatment.
The next morning, Walt has a change of heart and tells Skyler he will do the treatment, and he will take care of Elliott's check. Later Gretchen calls, telling him that he has to accept the money. Walt says he appreciates the offer, but lies and says his insurance will now cover it. Walt then goes to Jesse's house and asks him if he wants to cook.
Production
The episode was written by Patty Lin, and directed by Tricia Brock; it aired on AMC in the United States and Canada on February 24, 2008.
Critical reception
The episode was well received. Seth Amitin of IGN gave the episode a rating of 8.9 out of 10. And Donna Bowman of The A.V. Club gave the episode an "A-".