Thirty-Eight Snub

Lore & Background

The narrative centers on Walter's attempt to secure a .38-caliber snubnosed revolver for a planned hit on Gus, driven by the belief that Gus will kill him first. This tension escalates when Mike tells Walt he will never see Gus in person again and warns him off after catching Walt tailing Mike at a bar. In the lab, Walt waits for Gus to arrive so he can act, but only Tyrus Kitt, Gus's new henchman played by Ray Campbell, appears alongside Mike. Meanwhile, Jesse's psychological state deteriorates; despite buying expensive electronics like a sophisticated sound system, he remains miserable and arranges a multi-day party with dozens of people to cope with the trauma of killing Gale. The episode concludes with Jesse alone after three days of partying, breaking down in front of his speakers at high volume.

In Their Own Story

Skyler takes initiative when Walt fails to act on buying the car wash where he once worked, researching expenses and revenues before approaching owner Bogdan. Her attempt ends in anger as Bogdan rejects her and condemns Walt for past insults. At a bar, Mike reveals to Walt that he saw him carrying the pistol in the lab and punches him to the floor after Walt suggests they are both in danger from Gus. The production utilized unique filming techniques, such as constructing a motel room set to allow for flexible camera angles during Walt's gun purchase scene with vendor Lawson, played by Jim Beaver. Beaver had only half a day to film due to Supernatural commitments. A standout moment involves an extremely high crane shot of Walter standing alone in the street after driving to Gus's house; director Michelle MacLaren rented a 180-foot crane specifically for this visual of Walt's insignificance, which was filmed first due to limited night-time hours.

Reader's Guide

Viewers can identify key production details by noting the specific guest appearances and filming constraints. Emily Rios returns as Andrea, while Jim Beaver appears as Lawson, a black market gun vendor who ironically advises Walter to buy a gun legally. The episode features the first appearance of Ray Campbell as Tyrus Kitt, replacing Victor. Filming took place in Albuquerque during February 2011, where snow storms and record-low temperatures forced a state of emergency declaration. The party scenes were shot on a sound stage set because the mess was too extensive for an actual house location. Music supervisor Thomas Golubic selected tracks by Flavor Flav and Honey Claws to reflect Jesse's fragile mental state. Nielsen Media Research estimates 1.97 million household viewers watched this episode, making it the third most-watched of Season 4 but a significant drop from the premiere.

Did You Know?

• The original script referred to the character Tyrus Kitt simply as "New Victor" until George Mastras named him.
• Jim Beaver had only a half-day to film his scene as Lawson because of filming commitments with the series Supernatural.
• A shot from 180 feet in the air was achieved by renting a specific crane, as the show's normal crane is only 30 feet tall.
• Marius Stan, who plays Bogdan, is not a professional actor but a physicist teaching at the University of Chicago.
• The party scenes were filmed on a constructed sound stage set because the mess from dozens of partiers was too large for an actual house.