Breaking Bad re-watch: Season 2, Episode 9: "4 Days Out"

The dynamic between Jesse (Aaron Paul) and Walt (Bryan Cranston) is a complicated one. Though the highs they experience may be good (in terms of the money they make if not morality), the lows seem much more frequent, and their relationship can be destructive. Sort of like a certain drug.

In this episode, Walt fears his disease will soon kill him, and he and Jesse take the RV out to the middle of nowhere to cook as much meth as they can over four days. They momentarily triumph by making enough for both of them to net over $600,000. But when their vehicle dies, thanks to Jesse’s carelessness, the two become stranded. What begins looking like a humorous “Pine Barrens”-esque story quickly takes a turn for the harrowing as the two run out of food, water, and ideas.

The whole ordeal captures the total essence of the two’s relationship. There’s a little camaraderie when they complete their cook, but this positivity is fleeting and the tension returns. Walt is in charge of the whole situation, both in the cook and finding a solution to their predicament (one of the last bits of Mr. White the science teacher comes out when they build a makeshift battery out of sponges, chemicals, and loose change), while Jesse just follows. After they finally make it out of the boondocks, Jesse assures Walt that if he dies, he’ll make sure his family gets his share of their earnings. Walt seems distant (and has the whole episode), barely mustering a small “thank you.”

That scene says it all: in spite of all their mishaps, Jesse’s still loyal to Walt. Maybe it's because his former teacher was one of the few people who saw anything in him, even if what he saw were skills in doing something very bad. Walt, on the other hand, is only loyal to Jesse because he knows that in his former student he's got someone who’ll do what he’s told, a person he can control.

The final moment with just Walt is also a great one. After finding out his cancer’s in remission, he punches a paper towel holder in the clinic’s bathroom. The scene is ambiguous. Is he angry that he committed so many evil deeds only to find out he’s not going to die, punching at his reflection in the metallic dispenser because he hates what he’s become? Or is it an adrenaline rush from another triumph, and he’s pumped because he’ll live to spend his dirty money?

Walt’s actions will soon answer that question.