History Recap / BreakingBadS5E4FiftyOne

Walt takes his son with him to a mechanic to have his van fixed up. After retrieving and donning his pork pie hat, Walt decides to sell the van to the mechanic for pennies on the dollar. Junior wonders why, and finds out when Walt gets a new car to replace it: a pitch-black 2006 Chrysler 300. Junior is impressed, but implies that Walt can do better, so Walt one-ups himself by trading in Junior's SUV for a red-hot 2012 Dodge Challenger, father and son revving their engines in their driveway and having a grand time of it.

In Houston, Lydia, working at Madrigal's US office, receives a tip-off from Mike about the DEA coming to question her. Lydia manages to evade suspicion by selling out her patsy, Ron Forenall, with Mike promising to get her a replacement after the DEA leave.

Back at the White residence, Walt and Junior brag about their new cars (both of which Walt leased instead of buying outright to maintain his cover of having modest income) at dinner as Skyler silently eats her dinner, still fearful of her husband. The following morning, she almost neglects the family tradition of breaking Walt's bacon to form the number of his age on his birthday: "51".

Walt heads home early from a cook site with Jesse to celebrate his birthday. When he arrives home, he finds, to his disappointment, that Skyler brought home a pre-cooked dinner instead of cooking for him. Hank and Marie join them, and while Walt talks about how he has coped with cancer and how Skyler was a big support to him, Skyler slowly walks into the pool, as if to drown herself.

Walt rescues Skyler from her apparent suicide attempt and, after Hank and Marie go home, chastises her for being "shortsighted". Skyler adamantly demands that the children not be at home with them while Walt conducts his illegal enterprise, in spite of Walt's assurances that they were the safest they had ever been now that he was in charge. Walt asks Skyler how she intends to keep his own children away from him. Skyler suggests she have another self-injurious incident like at the pool, to which Walt counters that he would have her placed in a mental institute and raise the children by himself. Skyler states she will hurt herself and tell the police Walt abused her, but Walt shoots down that suggestion, stating that learning his father was a wife-beater would destroy Junior. Skyler claims she'll send Junior to boarding school, but Walt questions the wisdom in having Junior uproot his entire school life so late in the school year and be separated from his friends.

Walt meets with Jesse and Mike. Jesse went to Madrigal's office in Houston some days earlier to pick up a barrel of methylamine, only to find that a GPS tracker had been placed on it. He talked the matter over with Mike, who states that the bug planting was too sloppy to be the DEA. Most likely, Lydia put the tracker on the barrel herself, to make them suspect that the DEA was tracking them so they would not try to use her as their connection. Mike prepares to leave to kill Lydia once and for all, but Jesse stops him and insists the three take a vote. Walt plainly states that the flow of methylamine was not to stop: they were going to proceed as usual, to Mike's chagrin.

Before Walt returns home, Jesse gives him a late birthday present: a new watch. Walt flaunts the watch to Skyler when he returns home, bragging of how Jesse wanted to kill him a few weeks ago, but how he managed to bring him back around, just like he believes he'll bring Skyler around.

* ContinuityNod: To "[[Recap/BreakingBadS1E1Pilot Pilot]]", when Skyler arranges the bacon to form a "51" for Walt's birthday, albeit reluctantly this time.

* SymbolicSereneSubmersion: After Skylar walks into the pool, there are several beautiful shots showing her floating passively under the water with her hair and clothes billowing and [[DissonantSerenity a calm expression on her face]]. The pale blue she's surrounded by (which the show associates both with Walt's signature meth and with [[MeaningfulName Sky]]lar's optimism), coupled with the monologue Walt is delivering as she walks in (about everything she's done for him), creates the impression that she is literally drowning in Walt's criminal enterprises and her own failure to put a stop to them.

* KickTheDog: Walt threatening to have Skyler commited if she keeps trying to keep his children away from him.

Before Walt returns home, Jesse gives him a late birthday present: a new watch. Walt flaunts the watch to Skyler when he returns home, bragging of how Jesse wanted to kill him a few weeks ago, but how he managed to bring him back around, just like he believes he'll ja bring Skyler around.

Before Walt returns home, Jesse gives him a late birthday present: a new watch. Walt flaunts the watch to Skyler when he returns home, bragging of how Jesse wanted to kill him a few weeks ago, but how he managed to bring him back around, just like he believes he'll bring Skyler around.

--> '''Walt:''' Gus Fring is dead. And he was the threat. He was the danger.
--> '''Skyler:''' I thought [[Recap/BreakingBadS4E6Cornered you were the danger.]]

--> '''Walt:''' It was almost exactly a year ago that I got my cancer diagnosis.
--> '''Marie:''' It seems like longer.

* WouldntHitAGirl: Jesse pushes back hard against Mike's decision to kill Lydia.

[[caption-width-right:350:"[[BlackComedy Hey-O. Pool party!"]]]]

'''Skyler:''' For the cancer to come back.

* ADayInTheLimelight: More Skyler-centric than most episodes. This is the same episode that Anna Gunn won an Emmy for Breaking Bad. Probably not a coincidence.

* WebcomicTime: Lampshaded by Marie:
--> '''Walt:''' It was almost exactly a year ago that I got my cancer diagnosis.
--> '''Marie:''' It seems like longer.
* ContinuityNod: To "Pilot", when Skyler arranges the bacon to form a "51" for Walt's birthday, albeit reluctantly this time.

* DissonantSerenity: The suicide scene

* CatharticScream: After the DEA's visit, Lydia retreats to her office, close the blinds and screams in a pillow before calling Mike.

Back home, Walt had rescued Skyler from her apparent suicide attempt. After Hank and Marie go home, Walt chastises Skyler for being "shortsighted". Skyler adamantly demands that the children not be at home with them while Walt conducts his illegal enterprise. Walt asks Skyler how she intends to keep his own children away from him. Skyler suggests she hurt herself and tell the police Walt abused her, but Walt shoots down that suggestion, stating that learning his father was a wife-beater would destroy Junior. Skyler claims she'll send Junior to boarding school, but Walt questions the wisdom in having Junior uproot his entire school life so late in the school year and be separated from his friends.

"Bide your time for what?" Walter asks.

"''Wait until the cancer returns.''" Skyler answers.

Walt meets with Jesse and Mike. Jesse went to Madrigal's office in Houston some days earlier to pick up a barrel of methylamine, only to find that a GPS tracker had been placed on it. He talked the matter over with Mike, who states that the bug planting was too sloppy to be the DEA, thus, he suspects the bug to be planted by Lydia. Mike prepares to leave to kill Lydia once and for all, but Jesse stops him and insists the three take a vote. Walt plainly states that the flow of methylamine was not to stop: they were going to proceed as usual, to Mike's chagrin.

Walt takes his son with him to a mechanic to have his van fixed up. After retrieving and donning his pork pie hat, Walt decides to sell the van to the mechanic for pennies on the dollar. Junior wonders why, and finds out when Walt buys a new car to replace it: a pitch-black 2006 Chrysler 300. Junior is impressed, but implies that Walt can do better, so Walt one-ups himself by trading in Junior's SUV for a red-hot 2012 Dodge Challenger, father and son revving their engines in their driveway and having a grand time of it.

Back at the White residence, Walt and Junior brag about their new cars at dinner as Skyler silently eats her dinner, still fearful of her husband. The following morning, she almost neglects the family tradition of breaking Walt's bacon to form the number of his age on his birthday: "51".

Skyler considers packing up the kids and leaving. Walt and Jesse's ongoing plan may be foiled by a new team member.

!This episode provides examples of:

-->Walt: For what [are you waiting for]?
-->Skyler: For the cancer to come back.

* DrivenToSuicide: Skyler fakes an attempt so she can get Walt Jr. and Holly away from Walt.

[[caption-width-right:350:"Hey-O. Pool party."]]

* CallBack: To "Pilot", when Skyler arranges the bacon to form a "51" for Walt's birthday, albeit reluctantly this time.

* ADayInTheLimelight: More Skyler-centric than most episodes.

* CallBack: To "Pilot" where Skyler arranges the bacon to form a "51" for Walt's birthday, albeit reluctantly.

* DrivenToSuicide: Skyler fakes an attempt in Season 5 so she can get Walt Jr. and Holly away from Walt.

* Dissonant