BREAKING BAD by Vince Gilligan
5/27/05
AMC Sony Pictures Television
TEASER
EXT. COW PASTURE - DAY Deep blue sky overhead. Fat, scuddy clouds. Below them, black and white cows graze the rolling hills. This could be one of those California "It's The Cheese" commercials. Except those commercials don't normally focus on cow We do. TILT DOWN to a fat, round PATTY drying olive the sun. Flies buzz. Peaceful and quiet. until••• shit. drab in ZOOOM! WHEELS plow right through the shit with a SPLAT. NEW ANGLE - AN RV Is speeding smack-dab through the pasture, no road in sight. A bit out of place, to say the least. It's an old 70's era Winnebago with chalky white paint and Bondo spots. A bumper sticker for the Good Sam Club is stuck to the back. The Winnebago galumphs across the landscape, scattering cows. It catches a wheel and sprays a rooster tail of red dirt.
INT. WINNEBAGO - DAY Inside, the DRIVER's knuckles cling white to got the pedal flat. Scared, breathing fast. wide behind the faceplate of his gas mask.
the wheel. He's His eyes bug
Oh, by the way, he's wearing a GAS MASK. That, and white jockey UNDERPANTS. Nothing else. Buckled in the seat beside him lolls a clothed PASSENGER, also wearing a gas mask. Blood streaks down from his ear, blotting his T-shirt. He's passed out cold. Behind them, the interior is a wreck. Beakers and buckets and flasks -- some kind of ad-hoc CHEMICAL LAB -- spill their noxious contents with every bump we hit. Yellow-brown liquid washes up and down the floor. It foams in a scum around••• ••. Two DEAD BODIES. Two freshly deceased Mexican guys tumble like rag dolls, bumping into each other.
Completing this picture is bag lies leaking twenties. wafts around in the air or
the blizzard of MONEY. A Von's Fifteen, twenty grand in cash floats in the nasty brown soup.
CLOSE on the driver's eyes. He's panting like a steam engine. His mask FOGS UP until finally he can't see.
2.
EXT. COW PASTURE - CONTINUOUS The Winnebago comes roaring over a berm and down into a deep gully. Too deep. BAM! The front bumper bottoms out, burying itself. WAAAAAAHI The rear wheels spin air.
The Winnie's door kicks He yanks off his gas
Silence again. underpants man.
The engine cuts off. open and out stumbles mask, lets it drop.
He's forty years old. Receding hairline. A bit pasty. He's not a guy who makes a living working with his hands. He's not a guy we'd pay attention to if we passed him on the street. But right now, at this moment, in this pasture? Right now, we'd step the fuck out of his way. Underpants man looks at the RV. End of the line for that. He listens hard. Out of the silence, we hear.•• SIRENS. They're faint, a few miles off -- but growing louder. Our guy knows he's boned with a capital B. He HOLDS HIS BREATH and leaps back inside the RV. INT. WINNEBAGO - CONTINUOUS A chrome 9mm is clutched in the hand of one of the dead Mexicans. Underpants grabs it, tucks it in his waistband. His unconscious passenger, still strapped in his seat, lets out a groan. Underpants leans past him, yanks open the glove box. He comes up with a WALLET and a tiny Sony CAMCORDER. EXT. COW PASTURE - CONTINUOUS Ducking outside, he starts breathing again. A short sleeve DRESS SHIRT on a hanger dangles from the Winnebago's awning. Underpants pulls it on. He finds a clip-on tie in the pocket, snaps it to his collar. No trousers, unfortunately. He licks his fingers, slicks his hair down with his hands. He's looking almost pulled together now -- at least from the waist-up. All the while, the sirens are getting LOUDER. Underpants figures out how to turn on the camcorder. He twists the little screen around so he can see himself in it. Framing himself waist-up, he takes a moment to gather his thoughts .•• then presses RECORD.
3.
UNDERPANTS MAN My name is Walter Hartwell White. I live at 308 Belmont Avenue, Ontario, California 91764. I am of sound mind. To all law enforcement entities, this is not an admission of guilt. I'm speaking now to my family. (swallows hard) Skyler.•• you are ••• the love of my life. I hope you know that. Walter Junior. You're my big man. I should have told you things, both of you. I should have said things. But I love you both so much. And our unborn child. And I just want you to know that these .•• things you're going to learn about me in the coming days. These things. I just want you to know that•.• no matter what it may look like •.• I had all three of you in my heart.
The sirens are WAILING now, on top of us. WALTER WHITE, the underpants man, turns off the camcorder. He carefully sets it on a bare patch of ground by his feet. Next to it he sets his wallet, lying open where it can be seen. CLOSE ON the wallet -- a photo ID card is visible. Walt's smiling face is on it. It identifies him as a teacher at J.P. wynne High School, Ontario Unified School District. Walt pulls the chrome pistol from the back of his waistband, aiming it across the tall weeds. It glints hard in the sun. Flashing red LIGHT BARS speed into view, skimming the tops of the weeds. Heading straight for us. Walt stands tall in his underpants, not flinching. Off him, ready to shoot the first cop he sees •••
END TEASER
4.
ACT ONE
EXT. WHITE HOUSE - NIGHT No president ever slept here. No millionaire ever visited. This is a three-bedroom RANCHER in a modest neighborhood. Weekend trips to Home Depot keep it looking tidy, but it'll never make the cover of "Architectural Digest." We're in Ontario, California -- the Inland Empire. LEGEND: "ONE MONTH EARLIER." INT. WHITE HOUSE - MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT Dark and silent. SKYLER WHITE, late 30s, sleeps peacefully. Beside her, her husband Walter is wide awake. Walt reaches over and presses a button on his Sharper Image alarm clock. It projects the time in glowing blue numbers on the cottage cheese ceiling: 5:02 AM. Walt lies motionless. Brain churning. He presses the button again, staring straight up. 5:02 turns to 5:03. Close enough. Walt rises without waking his wife. He exits. INT. WHITE HOUSE - SPARE BEDROOM - NIGHT We hear an o.s. SQUEAK-SQUEAK as we drift through this room. We pass an empty crib, Pampers, a baby monitor still in its box. There's going to be a new addition to the family. We come upon the source of the SQUEAKING. It's Walt balanced on a Lillian Vernon stair-stepper, just three easy payments of $29.95. Walt plods up and down in the darkness like he's marching to Bataan. INT. WHITE HOUSE - BATHROOM - NIGHT Walt sits down on the 7dge of the tub. We're watching his face in the bathroom Mlrror. He masturbates. Judging by his expression, he might as well be waiting in line at the DMV.
Walt double-takes, catching sight of himself. examines the sallow bagginess under his eyes. the loose skin under his chin.
Distracted, he He draws at
Staring at himself long and hard, Walt loses his erection. He gives up trying, pulls up his sweat pants.
5.
INT. WHITE HOUSE - KITCHEN - MORNING Walt is dressed for work -- Dockers and a short-sleeve dress shirt courtesy of Target. An American flag pin on his tie. He and Skyler eat their breakfast in silence. Skyler glances up, sees Walt puzzling over his bacon. SKYLER Sizzle-Lean. We need to think about our cholesterol. WALT Huh. Skyler's cute in a way most guys wouldn't have noticed back in high school. But not soft-cute. Not in the eyes. She's dressed for staying home -- she's five months pregnant and just beginning to show. SKYLER When'll you be home? WALT Same time. SKYLER I don't want him dicking you around Seventeen year-old WALTER, JR. enters the kitchen, dressed for school, hair still damp from the shower. The CLICK••• CLICK of his forearm crutches precedes him into the room. Walt and Skyler's son is a sweet-faced teenager who appears to have cerebral palsy. He moves slowly and awkwardly, and grinds his teeth as he labors to talk. But he's a smart kid. WALT Hey. tonight. You get paid till six, you work till six. Not seven. Just seating himself at the table is a trial for Walter, Jr. His parents don't give him the slightest help. They treat him as if he were able-bodied, which is how he wants it. SKYLER You're late. He shrugs. She gets up, serves him breakfast. Walter, Jr. squints at the plate she plops down before him.
6.
WALTER, JR.
What's--that?
SKYLER Sizzle-lean. We're watching our cholesterol. WALTER, JR. Not--me! I want--bacon! SKYLER Eat it. Walter, Jr. picks at his breakfast, annoyed. WALTER, JR. What's this--even--made of?! He looks to his dad for backup. Walt shrugs, ambivalent. WALT Eat it.
EXT. HIGH SCHOOL - MORNING
J.P. Wynne High School. Home of the Fightin' Skyhawks. Two thousand-plus students, many of them in overflow trailers. Into the faculty lot motors a 1991 Nissan wagon. It was a piece of shit when it rolled off the assembly line, and has not improved with age. It parks in a handicapped space. A handicapped placard hangs from the rear-view. Walt climbs out from behind the wheel, checks his watch. He's late. Walter, Jr. struggles to get out of the passenger side. He fumbles with his crutches and his backpack. WALT All set? (off his son's nod) Alright, see you at home. Walt grabs his briefcase and hurries toward the building, leaving his son to work it out for himself -- which is, again, exactly how Walter, Jr. wants it. INT. HIGH SCHOOL - CLASSROOM - DAY Hours later. This is a chemistry classroom -- black-topped lab tables with gas spigots. Walt is lecturing to seniors.
7.
WALT Chemistry is the study of what? STUDENT (a beat) Chemicals. Snickers from the smart kids. Walt smiles. WALT Chemicals. No. Change. Chemistry is the study of change. (a beat) Think about it. Electrons change their orbits, molecules change
their bonds. Elements combine and change into compounds. That's all of life, right? The constant••• (shrug) The cycle. Solution, dissolution, over and over. Walt seems to be talking mostly to himself. A pep talk. WALT Growth, decay. Transformation. It's fascinating, really. Handsome, blonde CHAD sits slouched in the back with his hand jammed in the lap of his cheerleader GIRLFRIEND. He whispers to her and she giggles. Walt snaps out of it. WALT Chad, keep your hands to yourself please. Is there something wrong with your own table? Chad sighs heavily and drags his stool back to an adjoining table. Doing so, he makes as much NOISE as he can. WALT Alright, ionic bonds. Chapter six.
INT. HIGH SCHOOL - FACULTY WORKROOM - DAY
/
Last period. Wide on Walt in the background, who sits alone in this deserted room. Head down, he grades tests while he eats a sandwich from home. It's a lonesome tableau. A physics teacher, MARGARET, enters. She's 30s, redhead, attractive without being pretty. Sexy, more like.
8.
MARGARET
Heya, Walt.
WALT Hey, Margaret.
Margaret feeds the soda machine a dollar. Walt stares at her back a little too long. We feel his interest. Margaret gets her Diet Coke and turns his way. Walt lowers his eyes. Margaret joins him at the table, checks her watch. WALT Happy Birthday.
MARGARET
(surprised) How'd you know? Walt shrugs. Smiles. Margaret does, too.
MARGARET
Thanks. She fumbles in her purse, comes up with a cigarette and lighter. She notices Walt's surprised glance.
MARGARET Be a champ, wouldja? Don't narc. WALT (amused by the word) My lips are sealed.
Margaret lights up and sucks deep. She blows smoke toward the ceiling, gives it a wave with Walt's papers. Ohhh yeah.
MARGARET Walt, you are my hero.
Walt glances up at her once more. She catches him doing it, smiles back and holds his look. He drops his eyes first. WALT Those things '11 kill you, you know. Margaret shrugs, exhales.
MARGARET Something always does.
9.
EXT. VELVET-TOUCH CAR WASH - AFTERNOON This is one of those 60s Googie-style structures -- faded space-age futuristic. young Mexicans dry the cars by hand. INT. VELVET-TOUCH - OFFICE - AFTERNOON Walt's afternoon part-time job. He works the cash register. WALT The CUSTOMER wanders off, re-counting his change. Walt closes his drawer and busies himself with record keeping. AMIR, the middle-aged Persian owner, argues on the phone. AMIR No. Not that is not what I said. What I said to you -- Amir switches to FARSI. The conversation grows more heated. Finally, he barks something and hangs up. He turns to Walt. AMIR -- Eight, nine, ten, and ten makes twenty. Thank you. Come again. Amir, no. We talked about this. Inside only. And only till six. AMIR I'm short-handed, walter. What am I to do? What am I to do? Pissed, Walt unclips his tie, shoves it in his breast pocket. EXT. VELVET-TOUCH CAR WASH - AFTERNOON The sun's sinking low. walt -- master's degree, Inland Empire Science Educator of the Year for '92, '95, and '01 is towel-drying cars alongside the teenage vatos. His slacks and shoes are spotted with soapy water. He's grim. Walt is at work on an anthracite BMW 3-Series. As he hunkers down to Armor-All the tires, we hear: My sister's worthless son -- piece of shit! Shit! Fired for good this time! (sighs; shrugs) I'll run the register. WALT
10.
CHAD (O.S.) Hey, you missed a spot.
Walt looks up to see handsome CHAD smirking down at him. young master Chad is tickled pink. This is his Beemer, by the way. Chad's girlfriend stands in b.g., giggling into her cell phone. Whispering just loud enough to be heard.
GIRLFRIEND phone) Oh -- my -- God. to believe •••
(into
Ohmigod. not going
You are
She cups a hand over her mouth, turns away. Walt says nothing. He needs this job. Off him, scrubbing harder •••
INT. NISSAN SENTRA - DRIVING - EVENING The speedometer vibrates at 86. Walt is alone in the car, speeding home. Tired and dirty. He's swallowed a lot of anger today. It's way down deep, but it glows inside him. The needle creeps up to 91. Things rattle and shake. Walt's eyes fix on something ahead. Walt's POV -- through the windshield, it's a straight shot down the freeway. A mile ahead of us is a TRIPLE OVERPASS. It's a graceful, swooping thing made of ribbons of white concrete. It rises up out of the flatlands as we approach, dwarfing everything for miles around. Walt studies it. He lets off the gas a little. Cars crawl the overpass, over and under each other. Endless strings of white headlights, red taillights. This giant structure routes them in every direction a person can travel. Something about it distracts Walt. Occupies him. Walt coasts underneath it all, staring up at it through his sunroof. Once he's past it, he speeds up again. He eyes it in his rearview mirror, then leaves it behind. EXT. WHITE HOUSE - EVENING Walt's Sentra chugs into the driveway, parking behind a shiny new VOLVO SUV. Staring at the Volvo, Walt is not happy. WALT Oh, shit.
11.
The front door of walt's house opens. Out steps a big, barrel-chested man with a bourbon in one hand. This is HANK, Walt's brother-in-law. Hank raises his glass hello. He taps his watch and shakes his head -- you're late.
EXT. APPLEBEE'S - NIGHT Deep suburbia. The shiny Volvo SUV is parked in foreground.
INT. APPLEBEE'S - NIGHT Family night in this chain restaurant. Walt, Skyler and Walter, Jr. sit in a corner booth with Hank and his wife MARIE. Marie is Skyler's sister. We see the resemblance.
HANK Amir, this guy's name is? Jesus. Call Homeland Security. MARIE Hank ••• HANK
I'm serious. Call the FBI, see if he's legal. Might not be. Ship his ass back to Camel-Land. Hank shoots a winning grin at his nephew. Walter, Jr. snorts with delight as he chews a mouthful of hamburger. SKYLER (flat)
I don't know, Hank. Do they actually have camels in Iran? MARIE No. Horses. Arabian stallions. HANK Arabian what? Jesus. Camels, horses -:-;-towel-head is a towel-head. You're missing my••• (interrupts himself) ••• And they're not Arabian anyway, they're Persian. But you're missing my point here. This guy is treating your husband like uh, you know. Door mat. Here Walt is, got a brain the size of Wisconsin and he's shampooing dried cum outta some teenager's back seat?
12.
WALT & SKYLER
HANK (to Walter, Jr.) Sorry. You didn't hear that. (to Walt)
You say the word, I'll go talk to this guy. I'll set him straight. Walt gives a pained little smile, shakes his head. HANK You sure? Happy to do it. WALT
No. Thank you. let's change the
Let's, please, subject.
Hank shrugs and drains his beer. He winks at Walter, Jr., who grins. The teenager worships his fire-pisser uncle. Walt can't help but notice. Hank is everything Walt isn't: bold, brash, confident. Skyler sips her white wine. Marie stares at her. MARIE You're ~ it's okay to drink. SKYLER After the first trimester, yes. It was even in "Newsweek." MARIE Well, I didn't see that. Marie disapproves. prickly. Hank's eyes are on the bar TV. HANK Oh, hey! Turn it up!
Hank WHISTLES. confused. Hank nearest TV SET. the restaurant,
The college-age BARTENDER glances at him, hustles over and keys up the volume on the They're all wired together. Everybody in like it or not, has to listen to •••
The local news. HANK, the man himself, is being interviewed on television. He's polished and official.
13.
HANK (ON TV) -- At which point we apprehended three individuals and placed them in custody. I'm proud to say that the outstanding professionalism shown by my fellow agents of the San Bernardino District Office resulted in a substantial quantity of methamphetamine being taken off the street.
HENRY WELD, a nod, not just Such is the
An on-screen graphic identifies him as "AGENT D.E.A." The real-live Hank gives a smile and to his family, but to everyone in the place. force of his will that strangers APPLAUD him.
Walter, Jr. holds up a hand, which Hank high-fives. WALTER, JR. Damn. TV does--add ten pounds. HANK Ah hah-hah. Sit and spin. Hank rubs the corner of his mouth with his middle finger, flipping off Walter, Jr. They're like two teenagers. Walt eats french fries and tries his best to tune everyone out. Something on TV catches his eye. It's the spoils of this drug bust. Laid out on a table are bags and bags of crystal meth and several guns. But also.•• eight big SHOEBOXES full of CASH. Walt chews his food, watches. Despite himself .•. WALT Hank? How much money is that? HANK Almost seven hundred thousand. Pretty good haul. The TV lingers on fat rolls of $20s rubber-banded together. It's more currency than Walt has ever seen outside of a heist movie. He's surprised. WALT That's got to be unusual, right? That kind of cash?
14.
HANK
Not the most we ever took. (to the room)
Mmm.
There's no deficit of total morons in the drug trade. And they can make a ton of money, too. At least until we catch 'em. But we catch 'em eventually.
Hank flashes his great smile around the room. Walt's continued interest in the news report.
He notes Likes it.
HANK Walt, just say the word and I'll take you on a ride-along. You can watch us knock down a meth lab. (good-natured) 'Less that's too much excitement for you.
Walt forces a pained grin and shrugs -- maybe someday.
EXT. WHITE HOUSE - NIGHT The lights are off. It's late.
INT. WHITE HOUSE - MASTER BEDROOM/BATHROOM - NIGHT
t-shirt, checks himself loving what he sees. He COUGHS a little.
Walt, dressed for bed in sweats and a out in the bathroom mirror. He's not He pulls at the skin under his eyes.
In the bedroom, Sky1er's in her nightgown, sitting at the computer. She's following the final moments of an auction on eBay. Walt pads into the room, sits down beside her. WALT Which one's this? SKYLER (eyes on the screen) That faux-La1ique vase I picked up at the flea market. WALT How's it doing? SKYLER I met my reserve and there's still two minutes.
15.
Walt nods, sits watching. without taking her eyes off the screen, Skyler reaches over and slips a hand into Walt's sweatpants. Walt smirks, surprised. WALT What's up? SKYLER You tell me. Skyler plays with him, out of sight below frame. A beat. SKYLER What are you doing tomorrow? WALT (shrug) Actually, I was thinking about, urn. Maybe drive to Caltech. SKYLER You're not gonna mow? WALT
Yeah, I'll mow. exhibit of Mars Supposed to be, really amazing.
JPL's got an rover photographs. the detail ••• just Really beautiful.
SKYLER I just need you to mow at some
point. I'd do it myself, except it always throws rocks at me. I think it needs a new bag. WALT I will mow. First thing. Skyler glances at walt's crotch. Good-naturedly: SKYLER What's going on down there? Is he asleep? WALT I'm just••. we gotta be careful of the baby. SKYLER
Don't worry about the baby. This is for you. We're only doing you tonight.
16.
Obscured by the computer, Skyler gives Walt a vigorous handjob with one hand and works the mouse with the other. SKYLER Just relax. Just ••• close your eyes and let it••• Skyler glances again at her husband. Apparently, there's no mighty oak sprung from whence the lowly acorn lies. SKYLER Just close your eyes. walt does so, concentrating. Trying hard. Tugging away, Skyler's attention drifts back to the computer. Completely. SKYLER That's it. That's ••• it.
There you go. Keep going. Keep going. Keep it going. Keep••• (reacting to the screen) Yes! Fifty-six.
Walt's eyes open. The thrill is gone.
EXT. CALTECH CAMPUS - DAY Old Pasadena. Wide greenbelts and dark magnolias. The sign says "Jet Propulsion Laboratory." Einstein was a visiting professor at Caltech, once upon a time. This place looks it. INT. JPL - DAY MARS fills frame, stark red rocks and red sand. We PAN OFF this blow-up of Martian terrain -- we're in a hallway mounted with two dozen such photos, big and striking. Small in the distance stands Walt. He's not looking at any of these photos. He's down an adjacent hallway, staring at something else, instead. CLOSER ANGLE - WALT He's studying names engraved on an old plaque. It's a list of grad students awarded a particular research grant. Closer. "ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, 1988 -- Walter H. White." Walt stares at his own name on the plaque. We can't read his thoughts, but we can guess at them.
17.
EXT. CALTECH CAMPUS - COFFEE STAND - DAY An outdoor snack bar. Walt sits alone. Around him, young STUDENTS pore over textbooks or quietly type on laptops. Walt sips his coffee and stares into space. At the nearest table, a CHINESE GUY sits with two CHINESE GIRLS. They're laughing and talking in CANTONESE. They keep their voices low so their gossip might not be overheard -- but it's not like we have any idea what they're saying. Walt takes another sip of coffee, carefully sets down the cup. He looks at his hand for a long moment. He notices his fingers are TREMBLING slightly. He makes a fist, squeezes it tight. Opens it. The Asian students are talking a mile-a-minute, the two girls giggling. walt glances at them, looks back to his hand. He presses it flat against the tabletop. UP-ANGLE -- as seen through this GLASS TOP TABLE, Walt's fingers stick to the surface. They pull loose with a slow, gluey SLURP. CLOSER on Walt. He rubs his mouth, sneaks his fingertips to his carotid artery just under his ear. He's feeling his pulse. The furtive whispering in CHINESE fills his head. He's starting to breathe faster. His cellphone RINGS. He glances at the readout screen. "HOME," it says. Walt silences it, tucks the phone back in his pocket. Rapid-fire CHINESE is all we hear. Now it gets drowned out by a sudden WHOOSH that makes Walt blink. It's the whoosh of the nearby cappuccino machine. It's unnaturally loud, like a jet engine. Walt's had enough. Time to go. HIGH ANGLE - DOWN THROUGH THE TREES Magnolia leaves sway in f.g. We're looking down at Walt, tiny in the distance, as he rises to his feet. He makes it three steps before he COLLAPSES, flipping an empty table. Students look up, hesitate. The Chinese guy and a couple of others rise to help. Off Walt, lying on his face •.•
END ACT ONE
18.
ACT TWO
INT. ER - EXAM ROOM - DAY Walt is conscious, seems okay. He sits in a blue paper gown, legs dangling off an exam table. He's alone, waiting. Absently tapping the table. He's been here for hours. Muffled RINGING. Walt reaches for his pants, fishes out his cellphone. "HOME" is yet again displayed on the readout. Walt considers, answers it. WALT Hey. (a beat) Yeah, sorry. I had it turned off. I was, uh ••• (a beat) Yeah, probably about an hour or so. Amid the bustle out in the hall, two ER DOCTORS stand conferring. They're looking at blood chemistry results first one man studies them, then the other. When one of them glances back our way, we realize they're talking about Walt.
He can't hear what they're saying, but it Walt is anxious. However, he doesn't let it his voice. WALT
Walt sees this. looks weighty. come through in
I'm at Caltech. I ran into an old professor, we got to talking. I should be home in about an hour. Okay.
Walt clicks off. He looks again to the doctors in the hall. One man nods to the other, walks off. The remaining doctor puts on his bedside smile and enters Walt's room. DOCTOR Sorry for the wait. You can put your clothes back on. Walt climbs off the table, steps into his pants. WALT Low blood fast. He's fishing. The doctor doesn't saying anything, just fills out a form. Walt pulls on his shirt, buttons it. I've had it before. sugar. Stood up too
19.
WALT Guess I should've had breakfast this morning. DOCTOR There's a specialist I'd like you to see. His name is Dr. Belknap. I should have his •.• card here somewhere. Yes.
The doctor finds a business card, hands it to Walt. Walt stands in his socks, staring at the card for a long beat. WALT Oncologist ••• DOCTOR (forced breezy) It's probably absolutely nothing. INT. DR. BELKNAP'S OFFICE/EXAM AREA - DAY Days later. A MONTAGE OF CLOSE-UPS: a blood pressure cuff gets pumped with a WHOOSH-WHOOSH-WHOOSH; a stethoscope slides here and there over bare skin; glands get palpated; blood is drawn; eyes, ears, nose and throat are checked; more blood is drawn; colorful MRIs pop up on a monitor; still more BLOOD is drawn. END MONTAGE. CUT TO -- Walt in his street clothes, sitting in a red leather chair. He's staring almost directly into camera. SILENCE. Up from it rises a faint sort of buzzy, shimmering TINNITUS sound. It's the RINGING in Walt's ears. It gets louder as we slowly CREEP IN on Walt's face. He's staring at us blankly. He's staring at: Walt's POV -- DOCTOR BELKNAP. Dr. Belknap is a balding man in his late fifties. On a good day, he's maybe avuncular. He's sitting behind his desk, looking right at us, talking in slight SLOW-MOTION. We don't hear a single word he's saying. We only hear the buzzy RINGING. CLOSER POV -- we tilt down from Belknap's face, his moving lips, to his doctor's coat. On the pristine white of his lapel, there's a spot of yellow MUSTARD. We fixate on it. Suddenly: DR. BELKNAP --Mr. White? Are you listening?
20.
We've snapped out of it. The SOUND in the room is normal. No more SLOW-MOTION. Walt looks up from the man's lapel. WALT Yeah. DR. BELKNAP Did you •• ? You understood what I've said to you? WALT Yeah. Multiple myeloma. Stage 3. (a beat) Best-case scenario, with chemo, I'll live another two years. (off the man's gaze) Walt points. Belknap glances down at the spot on his lapel, then back up at Walt. He has no idea what to say to that. Off Walt, looking very matter-of-fact ••• disconcertingly so: INT. VELVET-TOUCH CAR WASH - OFFICE - EVENING Same clothes, same day -- Walt came to work straight from getting his terrible news. He's on autopilot, standing behind the cash register. The BUZZ is back in his head. Amir is in the b.g., arguing on the phone in Farsi. The sound is muted. We can barely hear him. We don't know what he's yelling about anyway -- it's pointless, doesn't matter. We're on Walt, who simply stares into space. It's just, you've got mustard on your ••• you've got mustard there. No customers. Walt suddenly jerks, like a tiny zap of electricity goes through him. He steps out from behind the counter and exits. Amir doesn't notice him leave. As seen through the windows, Walt pads along like a zombie and nearly gets run over by a car. The vatos all watch, confused, as Walt climbs in his Nissan and drives away. INT. NISSAN SENTRA - DRIVING - EVENING Walt drives. Not speeding. No expression on his face. His POV: it's a straight shot up the 10 Freeway. The familiar TRIPLE OVERPASS looms ahead in the distance. Walt stares at it like it's the monolith in "2001."
21.
EXT. OVERPASS - CONTINUOUS An AERIAL VIEW, looking straight down at this vast and complex concrete knot. Walt's tiny Nissan is an ant trundling toward it. The car disappears from view underneath, as if being swallowed.
INT. WHITE HOUSE - KITCHEN - EVENING
A glass of white wine. Sky1er stands talking on the phone. SKYLER (into phone) Absolutely. I sent it to you on the third. It's number••• wait a minute, let me get my checkbook. She cups a hand over the phone, does nothing. After a beat: SKYLER (into phone)
Here it is. It's check number 1148. So mY records show I paid that, and I certainly don't feel like we owe any late••• (listens)
Alright. I guess then I'll check with my bank and, I don't know, if the post office lost it or something.•• alright then. Let me look into that. Thank you. Walt enters, hearing the tail-end. Skyler hangs up. SKYLER You're home early.
His fingers tremble a doesn't notice --
Walt nods, finds a beer in the fridge. little as he pries off the cap. Skyler she's sifting through a stack of bills.
Walt sits at the table. He drinks deep, rubs his mouth. SKYLER How was your day? WALT You know. Same.
22.
SKYLER Don't tell me Amir's sending you home at five now. WALT No, just. Today. SKYLER (studying a bill) Did you use the MasterCard last month? $15.88 at Staples? WALT Uh. We needed printer paper. SKYLER Walt, the MasterCard's the one we don't use.
Walt nods, overwhelmed and hiding it. Skyler doesn't know about his doctor's appointment. Even if Walt wants to tell her, something stops him. He sips his beer, stares. Loud MACHINE GUN FIRE startles them both. Skyler yells into the living room. SKYLER DAMMIT, WALTER 1 TURN THAT DOWN 1 (more GUNFIRE) Go talk to him. Walt rises, sets his bottle in the sink. INT. WHITE HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS The end of "Scarface" plays on the TV. TONY MONTANA, with his mountain of cocaine and his M-16, takes on all comers. Walter, Jr. is sprawled on the couch, watching. His crutches are leaned against the armrest. WALTER, JR. Hey. WALT Hey. (watches TV, remembers) Your Mom wants you to turn it down. WALTER, JR. Shit, come--on. This is--the best-- Wait, wait •••
23.
TONY MONTANA (ON TV) COME AN' MEET MY LEETLE FRIEND! WALTER, JR. Oh--damnl Hell, yeahl
Walter, Jr. awkwardly pumps his fist. Walt keeps watching.
WALT
DVD?
WALTER, JR.
(nods) Uncle Hank--gave--it to me.
Walt's eyes stay on the screen. The garish little kingpin mows down acres of Columbians, then dies in a blaze of glory. Off Walt, whose thoughts are unknown to us ••• INT. WHITE HOUSE - MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT Glowing blue numbers project on the cottage cheese ceiling: 4:26 AM. Walt lies awake beside his sleeping wife. INT. WHITE HOUSE - SPARE BEDROOM - NIGHT SQUEAK-SQUEAK, SQUEAK-SQUEAK. Walt thumps up and down on his cheapie stair-stepper. He speeds up -- faster than the last time. Thump, thump, thump. As seen through the bars of the empty crib, he's really working it hard. Sweat beads on his face. Bam, bam, bam. Faster, faster. Harder. Violent. Sweat drips off his nose. until-- -- CRACK. He BREAKS the stair-stepper. One footpad snaps free, hangs limp. Walt steps off and examines it.
He stares his face. Belknap's
down at it for the longest time. We CREEP IN on The thousand-yard stare he's had since Doctor office gives way to something else now. WALT Two years.
He says it barely audibly. It's like the clouds have parted. The situation has finally, truly registered in Walt's brain.
24.
EXT. WHITE HOUSE - DAWN Early morning. A faint glow in the sky. Silence except for the THWACK••• THWACK of the NEWSPAPER GUY driving past. INT. WHITE HOUSE - KITCHEN - DAWN walt sits alone at the kitchen table, staring into space. Deep in thought. Considering something carefully. He rises, picks up the phone and dials. Keeps his voice low. WALT Hank? Hey, it's Walt. I didn't wake you, did I? (a beat)
Good. Listen, I've been thinking. Could I take you up on your offer? The ride-along?
CUT TO:
EXT. BLUE-COLLAR NEIGHBORHOOD - MORNING
A different morning -- these things take time to set up. We're in a neighborhood not unlike Walt's. A non-descript Ford is parked at the curb, blended in with the other cars. HANK (O.S.)
It's down there on the cul-de-sac. White? Kinda redwood-looking trim?
INT. FORD - MORNING - CONTINUOUS Hank sits behind the wheel. A subordinate agent, GOMEZ, is beside him. Hank is pointing out the TARGET HOUSE to Walt, who sits in the back seat in an ill-fitting bulletproof vest. HANK See it? WALT Yeah. Tiny house, a block down the street. Not at all noteworthy. WALT (quiet interest) That's a meth lab.
25.
HANK So says our snitch. Says some dude who goes by "Cap'n Cook" lives up to his name in there. Got himself a three pound flask and keeps it bubbling day and night. Says he always adds a dash of chili powder. (to Gomez) Ah, you exuberant Mexicans. GOMEZ Uh-uh. "Cap'n Cook?" that's a white boy's name. Dopey as hell.
HANK Yeah? I got twenty bucks says he's a beaner. GOMEZ You're on. A yellow SCHOOL BUS chugs into frame, driving past. HANK Ah, here we go. Finally. (into his radio) School bus is clear. You got the green light. An affirmation comes back. Hank starts his engine.
HANK (smiling, to Walt) watch this. This makes 'em shit.
Out of the distance, we hear a BIG ENGINE REVVING, speeding our way. A TRUCK roars past, heading for the cul-de-sac. Hank slowly follows it in his Ford -- just so Walt can see. Hank hums Ride Of The Valkyries, channeling "Apocalypse Now." Walt's POV: as seen through the windshield, the lead truck goes speeding into the target house's driveway. An ENTRY TEAM of six agents jumps out, looking like they just came from the set of a sci-fi movie -- they're covered head-to-toe in CHEMICAL SUITS and RESPIRATOR GEAR. They carry carbines and shotguns. One man lugs a battering ram.
HANK Meth labs are nasty on a good day -- but when you mix that stuff wrong, you wind up with mustard gas.
26.
WALT Phosgene gas, I think.
HANK Yeah, exactly. One whiff'll kill you. That's why the moon suits.
Walt nods, watches the entry team take position at the door.
INT. TARGET HOUSE - KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS To call this a shithole would be an insult to shitholes everywhere. There's filthy clothes, overflowing garbage, rotting pizza boxes dating to the Clinton administration••• along with stacked cannisters of plumber's lye and Coleman stove fuel. A rambling, Rube Goldberg lab of hoses and buckets stands out against the knotty pine panelling. A Mexican man, EMILIO, sits at the kitchen table, listening to headphones -- oblivious to the o.s. BANGING at the door. He's got an enormous mound of RED POWDER in front of him, and an even bigger pile of MATCHBOOKS on the floor. He scrapes off the striker strips and collects the powder. This is a source of red phosphorus for meth production. BOOOM! The front door busts open. Feds pour in, pointing guns and breathing through their masks like Darth Vader. Emilio nearly pisses himself. He starts to run for it, but doesn't get far. The agents hold him down, cuff him. EXT. TARGET HOUSE - MORNING Hank, Gomez and Walt wait in the Ford. The RADIO crackles. AGENT (RADIO V.O.) House is clear. We've got one suspect in custody. HANK Copy that. The suspect••• might he be of the Latin persuasion? AGENT (RADIO V.O.) Si, Senor. Hank triumphantly puts a hand out. Gomez grumbles and pays him his twenty.
27.
HANK Cheer up. You people still got J. Lo. (grins at Walt)
How you doing back there, buddy? This sure as hell beats spending your day clapping erasers, huh? Walt smiles, acts agreeable. Hank turns to Gomez.
HANK I made the mistake of watching "Jeopardy" with this dude one time. He is a stud, Gomez. He's a brainiac. BEEP! "What is E equals MC squared, Alex?" BEEP! "What is, like, freaking .•• Shakespeare? Hamlet?" I'm telling you Walt, you shoulda gone on that show. You'da cleaned up. GOMEZ Right on, man.
HANK (to Gomez)
Shit, you don't know the half of it. Two big companies wanted him while he was still in college. He coulda written his own ticket.
Hank looks to Walt for confirmation. Walt stares out the window, barely shrugs -- and changes the subject. WALT Hank? Do you think I might get to go inside? See the lab? HANK Yeah, tell you what -- we're gonna go peek our heads in, check it out. Stay here a minute. Hank and Gomez exit the car, leaving Walt behind. Walt's pleasant demeanor fades. Spending time with Hank is hard for him. While feds in moon suits come and go across the lawn, Walt's attention drifts to the HOUSE NEXT DOOR. He double-takes, noticing a high WINDOW get raised. It's out of sight of the D.E.A. agents. Only Walt can see as •••
28 •
••• A DUDE dressed only in underpants backs out the window. He dangles for a moment, then drops eight feet to the grass. This guy is white, gawky, early 20s -- picture a hip Shaggy from "Scooby Doo." His sneakers come tumbling from the window, nearly hitting him in the head. Above him, a naked HOUSEWIFE leans out, boobs dangling, frantically tossing him his jeans, his socks, his Cypress Hill T-shirt. The kid dresses at mach speed, peeks around the corner of the house. He's desperate not to be seen by the feds. Walt watches, jaw slackening. He can't believe his eyes. He recognizes this kid. He knows him. WALT (to himself) God. Dupree .. ? It's like a psychic connection -- at this moment, the kid, MARION ALAN DUPREE, feels eyes on him. He turns and looks, even more shocked to see Walt than Walt is to see him. Staring at walt, Dupree swallows hard, puts a finger to his lips -- shhh. Keeping one eye on the D.E.A., he hurries to an old Daytona parked on the curb. As it creeps away, Walt notes the license plate: "THE CAPN."
Nobody sees any of this but Walt. of the Ford, watching Dupree go.
He climbs out of the back He still can't believe it.
Hank surprises him, having walked up behind him carrying a shoebox in a big evidence bag. It's stuffed full of CASH. HANK Hey, check it out, walt -- these assholes like their shoeboxes better'n Bank Of America. Walt stares at all that beautiful green, turns and glances back down the street. The Daytona is gone.
HANK Whatcha looking at? WALT (a beat) Nothing.
HANK Wanna come meet a bad guy?
29.
Walt nods, follows him to the house. He's not going to tell Hank what he knows.
EXT. BUNGALOW STREET - NIGHT We're in an old neighborhood of Sears-Roebuck cottages up in the foothills. One particular bungalow is shabbier than the rest. Its paint peels off like sunburned skin. EXT. BUNGALOW - BACK YARD - NIGHT "THE CAPN" license plate gets covered -- Dupree is out here in the darkness, hurriedly draping his Daytona with a tarp. He's antsy as hell. Hearing FOOTSTEPS, he grabs a tire iron, crouches behind the car. The FOOTSTEPS slow, stop. WALT (0. S. ) It's me. I'm alone. Walt appears out of the blackness. Dupree slowly rises. After a wary beat: DUPREE How'd you find me? WALT
You're still in our filing system. Your aunt owns this place, right? DUPREE I own it. Walt nods. Whatever. He glances at the tarp. WALT Nobody's looking for you. DUPREE what do you want? WALT I was curious. (a beat; shrug)
Honestly, I never expected you to amount to much. Methamphetamine, though. I didn't picture that. (off the silence) Lotta money in it, huh?
30.
Dupree peers into the darkness beyond Walt, wonders who else is out there. His hand tightens around the tire iron. DUPREE I don't know what you're talking about. WALT No? DUPREE No freakin' clue. WALT Huh. Cap'n Cook? That's not you? (off his head shake) Like I said, no one's looking for you. I didn't tell anyone. Dupree grows more agitated. His voice stays low. DUPREE I don't know what you think you're doing here, Mr. White. If you're planning on giving me some bullshit about getting right with Jesus or something, turning myself in -- WALT No. Not really. DUPREE You ain't "Welcome Back, Kotter," so step off. No speeches. Dupree points the tire iron for emphasis. Walt should leave, but he doesn't. Instead••• WALT Short speech. You lost your partner today. What's-his-name, Emilio? Emilio's going to prison. The D.E.A. took your money, your lab. You got nothing. Square one. But you know the business, and I know the chemistry. I'm thinking. Maybe you and I ••• partner up. Long, pregnant silence. Dupree can't believe his ears.
31.
DUPREE You -- wanna cook crystal meth. (off Walt's nod) You. You and me.
Walt means it. Dupree breaks into a crooked, spreading grin. Before he can laugh out loud WALT Either that, or I turn you in. Dupree's smile fades. Off Walt, serious as a heart attack•••
END ACT TWO
32.
ACT THREE
INT. WHITE HOUSE - KITCHEN - AFTERNOON Brown shipping tape gets pulled off its roll with a SKRRECK! skyler seals a cardboard box, readies it for the post office. The kitchen table is stacked with bubble wrap and boxes. Marie helps pack. She holds up an item. MARIE What the hell is this? SKYLER
Damned if I know. I described it as a "mid-century objet d'art." MARIE And somebody bought it? SKYLER Some guy in Minneapolis. Fourteen dollars plus shipping and I got it at a yard sale for eighty cents. God, I love eBay. Marie shakes her head, bubble-wraps the objet. MARIE At this rate, in fifty or sixty years you'll be rich.
That's the dynamic -- Marie is constantly yitzing her older sister. Sometimes, she's not even aware she's doing it. She's just naturally negative. And competitive. MARIE What's up with Walt lately? SKYLER He's fine. What do you mean? MARIE He just seems ••• I don't know. Quieter than usual. Skyler thinks about it, shrugs. SKYLER
Turning forty was a big deal. I know I'm not looking forward to it. (smirk) You -- are gonna be a basket-case.
33.
MARIE SO, it's a mid-life crisis. SKYLER NQ. He's just. Quiet. MARIE (a beat) How's the sex? SKYLER Marie! Jesus.
Marie holds up her hands. Irked, Skyler runs her tape gun over the top of a box -- SKKKRRRECK. A beat or two. MARIE (mumbles) Guess that answers that. Whatever.
INT. HIGH SCHOOL - CLASSROOM - AFTERNOON Walt's chern lab is empty -- school has ended for Hurrying around, Walt peers in cabinets high and out FLASKS, BEAKERS, TUBING, STANDS and BURNERS. all this up, loads it in a cardboard box.
the day. low, pulls
He gathers
He pauses, hit by a brief fit of COUGHING. He recovers, sniffs and feels his chest with his fingertips. Margaret the physics teacher sticks her head in the door behind him. MARGARET Hey, you're still here. WALT Oh, hey. MARGARET I missed lunch -- I was thinking of swinging by T.G.I. Fridays. I could use a drink. How 'bout you? Walt clearly would like to join her, and she knows it. WALT Shoot, I can't. My other job. MARGARET Okay. Some other time. (notices the box) Whatcha doing?
34.
WALT Oh. Inventory. Not a week goes by my kids don't break two or three pieces of glassware.
Margaret considers. Does she believe him? We don't know. But then she winks at him, leaves. Walt glances at his box full of school property. Shit, that was close. He carries it to the door, pauses to peek out. No witnesses. Walt flicks off the classroom lights with his back, then humps the heavy box down the hall and out of the building. EXT. BUNGALOW - AFTERNOON Dupree sits on his front porch, drinking a long-neck beer and glowering. Walt's Nissan putters into view, reverses and backs into Dupree's driveway. Walt climbs out, jazzed. WALT Look what I got. Walt opens his hatchback. Dupree doesn't budge. Walt stares at him -- a teacher staring at a recalcitrant student -- until Dupree slouches down the steps. WALT
Quit my part-time job -- I've got four hours to devote to this every afternoon. And•••
Walt lifts a blanket, revealing his CARGO. Lots of goodies. Dupree peers at the stolen lab gear, pulls something out. WALT
Ah. Kjeldahl-style recovery flask, 2000 milliliters. Very nice. You got your Griffin beakers, you got your volumetric. But check this
out -- the piece de resistance. Round bottom boiling flask, 5000 milliliters. Big. Dupree wipes his nose with his sleeve, refusing to be impressed. He points to something else instead. DUPREE I cook in one of those. A big one. WALT
This? This is an Erlenmeyer flask. You wouldn't cook in one of these.
35.
DUPREE
Yeah. I do.
WALT No, you don't. An Erlenmeyer flask is for general mixing and titration. You do not apply heat to an Erlenmeyer flask. That's what the boiling flask is for. Did you not learn anything in my chemistry class? DUPREE No. You flunked me, remember? Prick? And let me tell you something else -- this shit ain't chemistry. This shit is art. Cooking is art. The shit I cook is the bomb, so don't be telling ~! WALT The shit you cook is shit. I saw your setup. Ridiculous. (firm) You and I will not make garbage. We will produce a chemically pure and stable product that performs as advertised. No adulterants. No baby formula. No chili powder. DUPREE Chili P's my signature!
Walt shakes his head -- not anymore. DUPREE
Yeah, well we'll see about that. The hell's all this?
He pulls out heavy LAB APRONS, GLOVES, RESPIRATORS. These are the respirators we saw Walt and Dupree wearing in the Teaser (Dupree was Walt's unconscious PASSENGER, by the way). WALT Lab safety. We're also gonna have an emergency eye wash station. These chemicals and their fumes are toxic or didn't you know that? Dupree holds up an apron, snorts.
36.
DUPREE Hey, you can dress up like a faggot if you want. Not me.
Walt glares at him, losing patience. Dupree roots through the piles of RAW SUPPLIES walt has brought along. DUPREE
Stove fuel ••• not enoug~ of it. Lye. You got the gener1c crap. Red Devil's better. Iodine, matches ••• also not my brand. W~T Somehow, we'll manage. (points) Sinus tablets. That should be
enough pseudoephedrine to produce the first pound. Then I'm thinking we can switch to a proper phenyl-2- propanone method. Dupree's not listening. Instead, he's noticed something about Walt's shopping bags. They're all the SAME. DUPREE
Wait. Tell me you didn't buy all this from one single goddamn store.
W~T
Why?
DUPREE Jesus! They know what you're doing with this! Any goddamn retard they got workin' a register's gonna know you're making crystal! You're probably on some list now! (as if to a child) You buy -- your supplies piecemeal. One store at a time, one item at a time.
Walt looks worried now. Chastened.
W~T It was way over in West Covina. I paid cash. Nobody seemed to ••• Dupree considers Walt. Studies him like he's from Mars.
37.
DUPREE Acting like some skippy little bitch. Like this is fun and games. This shit is shit you take -- serious. walt suppresses his anger, stares at him evenly. WALT Life and death.
EXT. BUNGALOW - GARAGE/BACK YARD - AFTERNOON
Chemicals, labware, supplies -- the last of the carload of stuff Walt brought gets packed into a back corner of Dupree's messy old garage. Dupree covers it with a tarp. DUPREE This doesn't stay more than a day. WALT What, aren't we gonna cook here? DUPREE
No, we're not gonna cook here. This is my house. I don't shit where I eat. WALT Then where are we going to work? DUPREE
You tell me. This is your deal, man. You wanna smoke it up, smoke it up at your house. (off Walt's look) Nah. I didn't think so. Oh, well. Silence as Walt considers. Stubs at the dirt with his heel. WALT
What if we rented a self-storage place? One of those little orange garages? Worked out of there? DUPREE Nah, they're onto that. They got dogs that sniff around. (grudgingly) RV. That's what you want.
38.
WALT What, like a Winnebago? DUPREE I know a dude wants to sell his. He just goes camping with it -- but
a mobile meth lab'd be the bomb. You can drive way out in th-e--- boonies. Be all evasive. (gauging Walt's interest) Forty-five hundred'd get you in. Off Walt, already calculating how to swing this:
INT. CREDIT UNION - AFTERNOON
The name on the wall says "Ontario Teachers Credit Union." It's closing time. We find Walt standing at the counter, doing business with a TELLER and a BRANCH MANAGER. CLOSER -- crisp ONE HUNDRED DOLLAR BILLS get counted out. TELLER Thirty-nine, forty. Four thousand••• ten, fifteen, sixteen dollars and••• sixty-four cents. Walt stares down at the money, looking distant. Removed. The manager doesn't feel good about this at all. BRANCH MANAGER Mr. White, are you sure you want to
do this? I'm thinking you'd qualify for a home equity loan. WALT I've got two already. BRANCH MANAGER
You do understand you are losing nearly seven thousand dollars of principal. And that this leaves your pension account with a zero balance. WALT Yes. I understand. He's perfectly calm. The man stares at Walt, bewildered.
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