This article is about the pilot episode for Breaking Bad. For the Better Call Saul pilot, see Uno.

P ilot Synopsis: Unassuming high school chemistry teacher Walter White discovers he has lung cancer. Desperate to secure his family's financial future and finally free from the fear that had always inhibited him, Walt teams up with a former student to turn a used RV into a mobile drug lab. Season Episode 1 1 Directed by Vince Gilligan Written by Vince Gilligan Running time 58 minutes Air date January 20, 2008 U.S. Viewers 1.41 million ← Previous Next → —— " Cat's in the Bag... " Images (98)

"Pilot" (titled "Breaking Bad" on the DVD and Blu-Ray release) is the first episode of the first season of Breaking Bad and the first episode of the series altogether.

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Summary

Teaser

In the desert outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico, a man wearing nothing but his underwear and a gas mask erratically drives an RV down a desolate highway. In the passenger seat, another man is passed out, also wearing a gas mask. In the back of the RV are two bodies. After crashing the RV in a ditch, the drivers climbs out, dons a shirt handing from the side view mirror, and retrieves a video camera and gun from the vehicle. Recording a message on the camera, the man identifies himself as Walter White and bids a cryptic farewell to his wife and son as sirens are heard in the distance. Walt then walks onto the road and awaits the apparent approach of police, gun in hand.

Act I

Three weeks earlier, on his 50th birthday, Walt wakes up before dawn and exercises while contemplating of a plaque on his wall commemorating his contributions to research that won a Nobel Prize. At breakfast, his pregnant wife, Skyler, hands him a plate of eggs topped by veggie bacon spelling out "50". They banter with their handicapped son, Walt Jr., who complains about the veggie bacon. Afterwards, Walt drops off Junior at J. P. Wynne High School, where Walt also works as a chemistry teacher. In class, Walt explains to his apathetic students how he regards chemistry as the study of change as well as matter.

Act II

After school, Walt performs his second job at a car wash, where he finds himself washing the convertible of a disrespectful student. Returning home, Walt discovers that Skyler has organized a surprise birthday party for him. Among the guests is Walt's gregarious brother-in-law, Hank Schrader, a DEA agent. Coincidentally, Hank is the subject of a local news report covering a methamphetamine lab bust. Walt is impressed with the amount of money recovered from the dealers, and Hank discloses that he confiscated $700,000. Hank then invites Walt to accompany him on another bust. Meanwhile, in the living room, Skyler talks to her sister Marie, Hank's wife, about her pregnancy.

While working at the car wash the following day, Walt suddenly collapses and is taken away by ambulance. At the hospital, a doctor informs a detached Walt that he has inoperable lung cancer and has a couple of more years to live at best. Upon returning to the car wash, Walt becomes angry when his boss, Bogdan, asks him to wipe down cars again. Walt makes a scene and screams obscenities at Bogdan as he storms out of the car wash.

Taking up Hank's offer, Walt joins him at a drug bust along with his partner, Steven Gomez. While Hank and Gomez raid a meth lab belonging to local dealer "Captain Cook", Walt waits outside in their car. There, he unexpectedly spots a former student named Jesse Pinkman escaping through the window of a neighboring house. As Jesse flees the scene, Walt realizes that he is the dealer whom Hank and Gomez are trying to catch. Later that night, Walt visits Jesse's house and blackmails him into letting him become a partner in his meth operation, with Walt offering his knowledge in chemistry in exchange for Jesse's knowledge in drug dealing.

Act III

The following day, Walt steals boxes full of chemistry equipment from his high school, while Jesse arranges to buy a used RV so that will be used as the duo's mobile meth lab. Upon driving into the desert, Walt strips down to his underwear (so as not to contaminate his clothes with chemical odors) and cooks his first batch of crystal methamphetamine. Jesse is astonished with the chemical purity of the product Walt has produced.

Jesse takes a sample of Walt's meth to Krazy-8, a mid-level drug distributor who happens to be the cousin of his Jesse's partner, Emilio Koyama. Emilio, who was arrested in Hank's bust and is now out on bail, believes that Jesse ratted him out. The three then drive out to the RV, where Krazy-8 asks Walt if he wants to switch allegiances. Before he can answer, Emilio recognizes Walt from the bust and begins threatening him. Jesse tries to flee, but trips and knocks himself out on a rock. Walt barters for his life by promising to reveal his meth formula.

Act IV

Emilio ties up Jesse, then joins Krazy-8 in watching Walt cook. As Walt prepares the ingredients, Emilio absent-mindedly throws a cigarette out the window, thereby starting a brush fire. Inside, Walt mixes chemicals that produce a deadly vapor before he dashes out of the RV. Krazy-8 and Emilio begin firing bullets through the door of the RV over Walt's head, but are eventually overcome by the fumes. Walt unties Jesse, puts a gas mask on him, and props him in the passenger seat before making his attempt to escape in the opening scene.

With the sound of sirens closing in, Walt tries to shoot himself only to find that the gun's safety is on. However, he soon realizes that the sirens he is hearing are not coming from police cars, but from fire trucks responding to the brush fire. Walt hides the gun in the back of his underwear while Jesse, sporting a black eye, comes out to join him. Walt's first day as a meth cook leaves him spent, shaken, but also invigorated. Returning home, he meets Skyler's troubled queries with atypical sexual aggression which leaves her stunned.

Official Photos

Trivia

Extended and uncensored on home video. After airing for the first time, AMC edited the episode so it could fit into an hour time slot (including commercials), meaning the episode was cut down to roughly 45 minutes, whereas the version on the DVD and Blu-ray release runs about 58 minutes. Occasionally, AMC will still run the 58-minute long episode. Uncensored on home video, Walt says, "Fuck you, Bogdan. I said, 'Fuck you.' And your eyebrows." Hank asks, "Do you work at the fucking Pottery Barn?" And, finally, Emilio says, "You rata snitch motherfucker." A detailed analysis of the additions in the extended version can found here.

When introduced to the audience for the first time, both Walt and Jesse are nude down to their underwear and are struggling to get dressed in a hurry. Walt had taken off his clothes before cooking in the RV and exits after crashing it, while Jesse is putting his clothes on as as he jump's out the "sexy neighbor's" window.

The show was supposed to be set in Riverside, California. However, Albuquerque was giving incentives to the production crew to film there. They still had the option of setting the series in Riverside, given the area's status a center of meth production, but the need to always film away from the Sandia Mountains led them to choose Albuquerque as a both the setting and filming location.

Studio executives wanted the Walter White character to be played by John Cusack or Matthew Broderick. Both actors turned down the role.

Originally, Walter White was to be 40 years old. AMC requested his age be changed to 50. They thought 40 was too young for the crisis that Walt was facing.

The 1985 winners of the Nobel Chemistry prize were Herbert Hauptman and Jerome Karle, for their development of methods to determine crystal structures.

Walt was washing a Chevrolet Corvette C6.

While Hank and Gomez take Walt on a bust, civilians are actually not allowed into DEA vehicles by law.

An actual DEA agent was on set to provide instructions on how to synthesize methamphetamine.

The cigarette brand, Morley, is a common prop shared by various TV shows. It is a parody of Marlboro, a.k.a. “Marley”. On "The X-Files", where Vince Gilligan was an associate producer, they were the brand associated with the mysterious character The Cigarette Smoking Man. See references to The X-Files.

The handicap license for Walt's car was registered on 27 December 2008.

The frame around Jesse's "THECAPN" license plate reads “Save a Tree, Eat a Beaver”.

Among some of the chemicals Walt was working with are: denatured alcohol, methanol, red phosphorus, iodine, ephedrine HCl, toluene, acetone and isopropyl alcohol.

With this episode, Vince Gilligan was nominated for an Emmy Award best direction in a series and won a WGA award for best dramatic episode. John Toll, was nominated for an Emmy Award for Best Cinematography in a series of one-hour.

"Pilot" can also refer to the pilot light used to light a stove and start the reactions needed to cook.

This episode ends with sirens coming at Walt. Ironically, in the end (Felina) sirens came by Walt again.

Walt has full grown hair on both the first and last episode.

For an unknown reason, Walt was exercising on some sort of a stairmaster. This does not contribute to his cancer in any way (He finds out that he has cancer later on). This stairmaster is only seen one other time, in a deleted scene from 3x13 " Full Measure ". Along with the pilot, another episode written and directed by Vince Gilligan.

". Along with the pilot, another episode written and directed by Vince Gilligan. One of the first times we see Skyler in the series she lies to a bill collector about sending in their payment. Skyler is the first one to lie in the whole series. She is also established as a creative writer--it explains her zeal for the gambling story in Bullet Points of season 4.

Due budget constraints, it was not possible to hire additional extras to fill the school bus seen during the scene where Walter accompanies Hank on a drug bust. Co-executive producer Melissa Bernstein volunteered to play the last student in the bus.

While Jesse and Walt are talking to each other, a sign for Mesa Credit Union can be seen in the background. Mesa Verde also plays a big role in the spinoff series Better Call Saul.

Walt is told in this episode on the day after his 50th birthday that he'll live maybe another couple of years. Ironically, Walt's death in Felina comes on his 52nd birthday, almost 2 years to the day after he receives this news.

Cultural references

Hank calls Walt "Keith Richards" co-founder, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-principal songwriter of the Rolling Stones

Production

Credits

Filming Locations

The A1A car wash makes its first appearance, located at 9516 Snow Heights Circle, Albuquerque in real life. It has been named the "Octopus" and the "Mister" by multiple owners.

The first cook location is at the same site Walter buries the money barrels. Its located just off trail 7089 on the Tohajiilee indian reservation. The real GPS coordinates are (35.101972, -107.137222).

Featured Music

"Unknown Track #1" by Unknown Artist (during the opening sequence)

by Unknown Artist (during the opening sequence) "Cruisin" by Eric Chun (at the carwash)

by Eric Chun (at the carwash) "Come on Home and Have Your Next Affair With Me" by Stonewall Jackson (during Walt's birthday party)

by Stonewall Jackson (during Walt's birthday party) "Unknown Track #2" by Unknown Artist (at the carwash)

by Unknown Artist (at the carwash) "Unknown Track #3" by Unknown Artist (at the carwash the next day)

by Unknown Artist (at the carwash the next day) "Matches In The Pool" by Dave Porter (playing as Walter throws lit matches into his pool)

by Dave Porter (playing as Walter throws lit matches into his pool) "Ride of the Valkyries" composed by Richard Wagner, performed by Dean Norris (as Hank) (during the DEA raid on Captain Cook's lab)

composed by Richard Wagner, performed by Dean Norris (as Hank) (during the DEA raid on Captain Cook's lab) "Dirty South Hustla" by Carolina Slim (as the DEA carry out the raid)

by Carolina Slim (as the DEA carry out the raid) "Tamacun" by Rodrigo y Gabriela (as Jesse escapes from the scene of the raid)

by Rodrigo y Gabriela (as Jesse escapes from the scene of the raid) "Mango Walk" by The In Crowd (as Walt takes equipment from the school's lab)

by The In Crowd (as Walt takes equipment from the school's lab) "Dead Fingers Talking" by Working for a Nuclear Free City (during the first cook)

by Working for a Nuclear Free City (during the first cook) "A Gosar" by FDK (feat. Tori Papa) (Marc Ferrari, Jonaty Garcia, and Josh Kessler) (playing as Jesse goes to meet Krazy-8)

by FDK (feat. Tori Papa) (Marc Ferrari, Jonaty Garcia, and Josh Kessler) (playing as Jesse goes to meet Krazy-8) "Get Low" by Pudge (playing in Krazy-8's car as he, Jesse and Emilio arrive at the cook site)

by Pudge (playing in Krazy-8's car as he, Jesse and Emilio arrive at the cook site) "Apocalypshit" by Molotov (as Walt escapes the cook site with Jesse)

by Molotov (as Walt escapes the cook site with Jesse) "Out Of Time Man" Mick Harvey (during the final scenes of the episode)

Memorable Quotes

"My name is Walter Hartwell White. I live at 308 Negra Arroyo Lane, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87104. To all law enforcement entitles, this is not an admission of guilt. I am speaking to my family now. Skyler, you are the love of my life. I hope you know that. Walter Junior, you’re my big man. There are going to be some things–things that you’ll come to learn about me in the next few days. I just want you to know that no matter how it may look, I only had you in my heart. Good-bye." ―Walter recorfing a cryptic, handheld farewell to his wife and son as sirens can be heard in the distance.

Walter Jr.: "So, how's it feel to be old?" Walter: "How does it feel to be a smart ass?" ―Junior teasing his father.

"Well, technically, chemistry is the study of matter. But I prefer to see it as the study of change." ―Walter introducing chemistry to his students.

Walter: "Hank, how much money is that?" Hank: "It's about 700 grand. It was a pretty good haul." Walter: "Well, that's unusual, isn't it? That kind of cash?" Hank: "Mm. Well, it's not the most we ever took. It's easy money, till we catch you. Walt, just say the word and I'll take you on a ride-along. You can watch us knock down a meth lab, huh? Get a little excitement in your life." Walter: "Yeah, someday." ―Walter and Hank at Walter's birthday party.

Dr. Belknap: "You understood what I've just said to you?" Walter: "Yes. Lung cancer, inoperable – best case scenario with chemo, I’ll live maybe another couple of years." ―Dr. Belknap informs Walt of his diagnosis.

Walter: "Fuck you, Bogdan." Bogdan: "What?" Walter: "I said, FUCK YOU. AND YOUR EYEBROWS." ―Walter to Bogdan.

Walter: "You lost your partner today. What's his name - Emilio? Emilio is going to prison. The DEA took all 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 could partner up." Jesse: "You, uh...you want to cook crystal meth? You. You and, uh...and me?" Walter: "That's right. Either that...or I turn you in." ―Walter blackmailing Jesse into cooking meth with him.

Walter: "Did you learn nothing from my chemistry class?" Jesse: "No. You flunked me, remember?" Walter: "No wonder." Jesse: "Prick! And let me tell you something else. This ain't chemistry – this is art. Cooking is art. And the shit I cook is the bomb, so don't be telling me." Walter: "The shit you cook is shit. I saw your set-up. Ridiculous. 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." Jesse: "No, no, chili P is my signature!" Walter: "Not anymore." ―Walter dismayed by Jesse's laboratory and his method of cooking his drug.