Rabid Dog

"Rabid Dog" is the twelfth episode of the fifth season of Breaking Bad and the fifty-eighth episode altogether.

Summary[]

Teaser[]

Walt parks down the street from the his house, seeing Saul's abandoned car in the driveway. He jumps the wall into his backyard and enters the house through the rear patio door. The living room is soaked in gasoline, but the house has not been set on fire and there are no signs of Jesse. Searching the car, he finds used meth residue on a compact disc, indicating that Jesse is currently high.

Act I[]

Walt hires a cleaning crew to clean the gasoline before his family returns, as well as a locksmith to fix the door, while Huell retrieves Saul's car. Walt insists that the cleaning crew remove the scent of gasoline from the living room carpet but is told this cannot be done due to it being soaked into the padding and subfloor; his only method to remove the gasoline smell is to recarpet and redo the flooring. He leaves a voicemail for Jesse, telling him that they should talk. As a cover story, Walt soaks his clothes and his driver's seat in gasoline. When Skyler and Walt Jr. return home, he attempts to explain away the scent by claiming that his clothes got soaked by a malfunctioning gas pump and how, when he returned home, he stripped down in the living room to take a shower, which caused the gasoline to seep into the living room carpet and floor. Junior urges his father to be truthful, thinking his cancer has caused him to faint while pumping gas. Since they cannot live at home due to the gasoline smell, Walt suggests the family stay at a hotel temporarily to escape the vapors.

Walt sneaks out at night to meet with Saul and Kuby in the parking lot, urging them to find Jesse. Kuby mentions they have eyes on Jesse's house, his parents' house, Andrea's house as well as the houses of Badger and Skinny Pete, but that Jesse isn't there. Saul suggests that perhaps Walt should consider killing Jesse; this prompts Walt to lean in close and warn Saul to never flout that suggestion again.

In their hotel room, Walt tells Skyler that he just went to grab some ice and it took some time because the key wasn't working. Skyler tells him that she went along with the gasoline story for Walt Jr.'s sake but asks what really happened, although Walt sticks to the gas pump story. Skyler then asks how Saul is doing; when Walt continues to pretend, but Skyler reveals she was spying on him and therefore saw them talking in the parking lot. Walt reluctantly comes clean, telling her that Jesse found out about something that he did and got angry, prompting him to attempt to burn down their house. Skyler is shocked, saying she knew that someone would come to their home because of something Walt did. Skyler asks Walt what his next plan of action is, and he states he will find Jesse and speak to him. To Walt's horror, Skyler suggests that Walt kill Jesse, citing that he is a danger to the family. Walt explains that he doesn't think Jesse would truly harm them, and when Skyler yells back that he tried to burn down the house, Walt rationalizes that Jesse clearly changed his mind and didn't go through with it. Walt finds the idea of killing Jesse appalling, but Skyler mentions all the crimes they've already committed; indicating the people Walt has already killed out of preservation, she adds "What's one more?", which affects Walt.

Act II[]

Hours earlier, Jesse drives Saul's car onto Walt's lawn. He snorts a line of meth, grabs the gasoline can from the trunk, breaks into the house, and pours gasoline all over the living room. Wrapping up some paper, he is about set it on fire with his lighter when Hank enters the house and points his gun at Jesse, telling him to put down the lighter and adding that he does not want to kill him. Jesse asks Hank if he knows what Walt's done, and reveals that Walt poisoned an 8 year old boy; Jesse then breaks down crying, stating that Walt can't keep getting away with it. Hank suggests that perhaps he and Jesse can work together to take Walt down. Jesse puts down the gasoline and the lighter and agrees. Hank takes Jesse to his car, where he ensures that Jesse is strapped in safely, and they drive away just as Walt turns the corner at the end of the street, missing Hank's departure by mere seconds. Jesse asks if Hank is taking him to be arrested officially, and when Hank affirms this, Jesse scoffs, indicating that he would not be safe there and would be found by Walt.

Meanwhile, Marie meets with her therapist Dave and admits that she has searched up ways to kill people with untraceable poisons because a "family friend" has betrayed their trust and endangered many lives by engaging in criminal activity. Dave attempts to pry, asking for more information on who she is talking about and what they did. Marie frustratingly tells Dave that he knows she can't divulge details as it would be bad for Hank and asks if they can just discuss her feelings. She then mutters about a poison she thinks she can use, but when Dave reminds him that he cannot condone violence as an answer, she assures him that she won't do anything and that her revenge ideas are just fantasy.

Returning home, Marie notices two luggage bags waiting for her at the entrance. Hank tells her that he has booked a weekend for her at a spa and that she should leave. After asking what's going on, he tells her that they have a guest and brings her to the guest bedroom, where Jesse is sleeping. Hank explains that Jesse worked with Walt and that he could not hold Jesse in a law enforcement office because Walt would learn about it, and that if he had Jesse stashed in a DEA safehouse, he would have to officially file it into the system; since Walt managed to arrange the murder of ten men in prison, Hank states that this would be too dangerous and therefore their house is the best place to hide Jesse. Marie asks whether working with Jesse is bad for Walt, and when Hank agrees, Marie smiles and states that she is staying. Jesse's burner phone then rings, and as Jesse is asleep, Hank secretly retrieves it from Jesse's belongings. He then listens to the voicemail message that Walt left for Jesse.

Act III[]

Walt sits by the hotel pool, deep in thought, when Walt Jr. joins him and shares his concerns about his father's mortality. Walt stresses that he will survive, adding that he did not come this far to be taken out by lung cancer. Walt Jr. then hugs his father before he heads back to his room. When he leaves, Walt decides to leave Jesse another voice message.

The following morning, Jesse wakes up and is greeted by Marie, who offers to make him coffee. He finds Hank and Gomez setting up a camcorder in the living room, which they will use to record Jesse's confession. Jesse expresses some initial concern about their approach, but Hank dismisses them. Starting the recording, Hank tells Jesse to share everything he remembers. Jesse tells them everything that went down between him and Walt, including their first meeting when he was his teacher in high school, to his recruitment, his murder of Gale Boetticher on Walt's orders, the involvement of Lydia Rodarte-Quayle, and Todd's killing of Drew Sharp. Hours later, the video confession is over, and Hank and Gomez step out to the balcony to process the sheer magnitude of Walt's crimes. Hank asks Gomez if he believes everything Jesse has said, and Gomez responds that he does. but they need solid proof to convict Walt. Hank laments that since Walt has retired, along with any dead bodies having been dissolved and the superlab was burned down, there is no evidence to convict, and that Jesse's confession isn't enough as it would be seen as an unreliable statement made by a junkie addict.

Hank comes up with a second idea: he reveals that Walt left Jesse another voice message, asking to meet Jesse at the Civic Plaza the following day at noon. Hank asks Jesse to wear a wire so they can record any incriminating statements that Walt makes. Jesse is against the idea, believing that Walt asked them to meet so he can kill him, referring to Walt as "the Devil". Hank tries to reassure Jesse that he can tell that Walt cares for Jesse and therefore would not kill him. When Jesse leaves to go to the bathroom, Gomez voices his belief that he doesn't think it would be safe for Jesse. However, Hank reveals that he does not care what happens to Jesse as he is a junkie and a murderer, and that if Walt does kill Jesse, they would have it on tape.

Act IV[]

The following day, Hank tapes a wire to Jesse and leaves him at the plaza; Gomez remains in a nearby van while Hank waits in his vehicle nearby. Jesse walks towards the plaza and notices Walt sitting nearby on a bench. Jesse approaches him from behind but notices a hulking man seemingly staring at him. Believing that the man is a hitman and that Walt has people waiting for him, Jesse leaves the plaza and heads for a public payphone. He calls Walt's burner phone, telling him "nice try" and indicates that he will come and kill him where he "really" lives. A furious Hank, who can hear the call due to the wire, speeds up; pulling up next to Jesse, he orders Jesse to get into the car. He then asks Jesse what his stunt was for, but Jesse merely responds that he has a better way to get back at Walt.

Back at the plaza, Walt gets up from the bench and passes the hulking man, who was actually not associated with him at all, but a man waiting for his little daughter to finish playing. Having heard Jesse's death threat against him, Walt gets in his car and calls Todd, telling him that he has "another job" for his uncle.

Official Photos[]

Trivia[]

• The title refers to a scene where Saul refers to Jesse as a rabid dog that needs to be put down (referencing the movie "Old Yeller (1957)") It is the seventh episode to reference an animal in the title.
  • In the episode "Problem Dog", the "dog" that needed to be put down was Gale Boetticher, who was killed by Jesse himself. In this episode, Jesse is the "dog" that people want put down.
  • During a scene between Skyler and Walter where Walter states that "Jesse is not just some rabid dog" (having said this due to the aforementioned conversation with Saul he just came back from) when Skyler implies that they should kill Jesse.
• As Walt douses his clothing in gasoline, his gun is shown to be tucked in the back of his underwear. He did the same in "Pilot".
• When Walt asks Patrick Kuby about his search for Jesse, Kuby tells him, "I put a bug in the tall kid's mom's place.  For three hours straight all he kept talking about was something called Babylon 5."  Bryan Cranston had a small part in that show as Ranger Captain Ericsson in the episode "The Long Night."
• When Saul is in the car talking with Walt, he makes a joke by saying that even though Jesse beat him, "deep down inside he loves me." Mike says this same line in his speech to Walt in the episode "Half Measures".
• In this episode, Jesse meets Marie for the first time. As such, Walt Jr. is the only series regular who never shared a scene with Jesse.
• Marie’s therapist Dave makes his first and only appearance in this episode.
• When Hank encounters Jesse in Walt's house just before Jesse burns the house down, Jesse is standing in the same spot where Walt was when Jesse had a gun pointed right between Walt's eyes ("End Times"). But this time the gun is pointed at Jesse.
• When Jesse is looking at Hank's bookcase, he picks up a copy of Dutch: A Memoir of Ronald Reagan. Ronald Reagan heavily opposed illicit drug use and declared them a threat to national security. Drug raids and drug-related incarcerations rose dramatically during his administration.
• A DVD box set of "Deadwood" appears on a bookshelf in Hank's house. Anna Gunn starred in Deadwood as Martha Bullock.
• The microphone and wireless audio system Hank uses during the failed meeting was the actual equipment used by the film crew to record audio dialogue.
• When Jesse is getting into Hank's car, the pink teddy bear can be seen stuck in a tree behind him.
• Laura Fraser (Lydia) and Jesse Plemons (Todd) do not appear in this episode, although both are mentioned in dialogue

Production[]

Credits[]

Featured Music[]

• "Fumes" by Dave Porter (as Walt stalks his home)
• "Chaotica" by The Bambi Molesters (Walt cleans up the gasoline and fabricates a story)
• "Gas Can Rage" by Dave Porter (as Jesse pours gas over Walt's lounge and is confronted by Hank)
• "Hello Kitty Wonderland (Instrumental)" by M3m (After Hank tells Marie about Jesse staying with them, Jesse's cellphone rings with this ringtone and Hank listens to Walt's voicemail to Jesse)
• "Circling the Square" by Dave Porter (during the sting operation with Jesse) 

Memorable Quotes[]

Walter: "I–I don’t know how we got off on whatever it is we’re talking about here. But clearly, I haven’t explained the situation well enough, because this is a big overreaction. We all need to just take a deep breath and calm down, because Jesse isn’t just some–some–some rabid dog. This is a person."

Skyler: "A person that is a threat to us. I mean–my God–where we are now with Hank and Marie and that awful tape we made. After everything we’ve done, you can’t just talk to this person."

Walter: "You’re saying that I just…What–what exactly are you saying?"

Skyler: "We’ve come this far. For us. What’s one more?"

―Skyler asking Walter to eliminate Jesse.

---

"Look– look, you two guys are just guys, okay? Mr. White–he’s the devil. You know, he is–he is smarter than you, he is luckier than you. Whatever–whatever you think is supposed to happen–I’m telling you, the exact reverse opposite of that is going to happen, okay?"

―Jesse to Hank and Gomez at Hank’s house.

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Gomez: "What if the kid’s right? What if it’s a trap?"

Hank: "The kid? Oh, you mean the junkie murderer that’s dribbling all over my guest bathroom floor? Well, then, he’s right. Pinkman gets killed, and we get it all on tape."

―Gomez and Hank about sending Jesse to the appointment organized by Walter.