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Breaking Bad Season 1 Episode 5

Gray Matter

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8.7

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Episode Summary

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AIRED: 2/24/08

Walter and Skyler attend a former colleague's party. Jesse tries to free himself from the drugs. Later, Skyler organizes an intervention for Walt.

FAN RECAP

Fan Episode Reviews (6)

"Breaking Bad" is stuck in a rut. It should be much further along by this episode.

6.9

By swainslove, Oct 21, 2011

"Breaking Bad" is having a hard time catching my attention. I constantly drift off when the writers start letting the characters perform banal, boring and whiney behaviors that do not push the story forward or promote the characters. This show is just not growing legs and walking over the cable system. All the actors do their character by the numbers and nothing new is added to the stable. Every once in a while, Walt seems to break ranks and take the show in a new direction but the next scene or episode shows a no-brain learning curve and no follow through. When will this show catch fire? Next season? They are running out of episodes and the shows have already been written.moreless
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This episode feels lazy and smacks of a forced plot. Some spoilers are within.

6.5

By MrRollyPollyCat, Oct 21, 2011

I've been a big fan of this series so far. I think it's highly intelligent and I feel that it's been brave, in that the show's been delving into areas not normally faced in most television. Certainly, "The Wire" and "Weeds" both deal with drugs, but the focus of "The Wire" is really on how Baltimore itself functions, and "Weeds" is a bit too silly for me. This episode, however, just felt forced. I get Walter's desire to not get Chemotherapy. I'm OK with that. I'm even alright with his eventual decision to go in for the treatment. However, his refusal to accept help of any kind is not explained, especially once he turns around and decides to accept treatment.

The thing is, if he'd taken the job at Gray Matter, then he would have been able to make damn fine money that he could put away for his family. Even if he didn't go forward with the therapy. And he could have simply said to Gretchen in the last scene, "Any money that you would have spent on me... give it to my wife when I'm gone." Frankly, the problem is exacerbated by his going back to Pinkman after he gets his first treatment. The treatment is going to cost him probably over one hundred thousand dollars, and all that money is coming straight out of what he makes cooking meth.

I understand that Gilligan has a reason in the plot for why Walter can't accept help, but the reason feels more driven by how Gilligan wants the story to go (ie, he wants Walter in the Winnebago) than by Walter himself. If Gillian and his team want me to accept this and go with them, they have to sell it to me, and unfortunately, it doesn't feel like they've done the job.moreless
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Walt gets a cancer intervention and Jesse gets back into cooking with an old friend.

8.0

By JaCkKbAuEr2424, Oct 21, 2011

It's inevitable that a show must slow down a bit before kicking into high gear again; after a trio of episodes to begin the show, the previous episode and this one both slow down for a moment to present us different scenarios for both Walt and Jesse. What happens when Walt and Jesse decide to try stepping away from cooking? I feel as if the second Walt approached Jesse about cooking, he stepped over a line that would become nearly impossible to ignore. He's in this game for better or worse.

For me, this episode had more cliche moments and more scenes that felt pointless than the rest of the season. Here, we have the introduction of some people from Walt's past, when he was a scientist as a career.. they're introduced to us, I believe, to explain a bit of Walt's past, but I never actually found myself needing to know anything about his past. I feel like we know enough about the man to explain who he is, and if anything, his new career as meth-producer sort of defines him now; before he started cooking, he was one man. Now he's another, something he can't ignore.

The intervention was probably the best part of the episode. It allowed each and every character a moment to not only speak freely about their feelings but it also gave the supporting cast a perfect chance to prove their worth, and while I think that Walt and Jesse are the main focus and the only focus needed in the first season, at least this episode proved that Anna Gunn, Dean Norris, R.J Mitte and everyone else could pull their own weight.

As for the Jesse/Badger plot, it was interesting at best, but for the most part, I couldn't really understand the purpose. Sure, we see Jesse can't cook without Walt, at least not cook stuff that matters, but the whole "Badger shooting a crossbow at Jesse's truck" thing seemed ridiculous and a little corny.

Definitely more of a filler episode for the show (is there even such thing as a filler episode for Breaking Bad? Maybe just a "great" episode instead of amazing...) However, the next two episodes are superb.moreless
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6.0

By Canogaparkcindy, May 16, 2011

Not a bad episode of Breaking Bad, just at this point, what we really need is something like the first three episodes of this show, intense drama, dark humor, intriguing character interactions. All that were seeing here is development and that can't hold a show together.

This episode did have some terrific acting though and I'm impressed with Anna Gunn's acting lately and the intervention was definitely a dramatic scene, and what I've been looking for in this show for a while. So in ways, this episode was satisfying but it's nothing compared to the first couple episodes of this show.

I hoped to see more Jesse & Walt interactions in this episode but I was sadly disappointed when they didn't even share a scene together, oh well. The end looked promising though, finally this show will get back on track to what this show was in the first place. Two estranged people cooking meth in an RV.

A slow burning episode with some development, but nothing really that special comparing to other episodes.moreless
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A Background Check...

9.0

By Neksmater, Nov 16, 2010

I was fairly impressed by this episode solely based on the fact that they finally got into Walt's past a little. Elliot seems like a jerk and Walt had a history with that woman Gretchen. All in all very eye-opening and especially how he turned down their offer to pay for his cancer treatment even though that would reduce the level of meth that he would ever have to cook. It's almost like he wants to be on the edge, which is what's so great about this and the past episode they are about going back to everyday boring life for Walt and Jesse but Walt has had his eyes open to the drug bizz and wants to go back while Jesse wants to change, such opposites all the time, really good chemistry (hah! I made a pun) Oh and on another note this episode also introduces me to my favorite comic relief character Badger, he is such a moron, but more or less enjoy.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Bryan Cranston	Walter White
Anna Gunn	Skyler White
Aaron Paul	Jesse Pinkman
Dean Norris	Hank Schrader
Betsy Brandt	Marie Schrader
RJ Mitte	Walter White Jr.

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

EDIT

Adam Godley	Elliott Schwartz	Guest Star
William Sterchi	Manager	Guest Star
Jessica Hecht	Gretchen Schwartz	Guest Star
Matt L. Jones	Brandon "Badger" Mayhew	Recurring Role

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (0)
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QUOTES (1)
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- Walt Jr.: Excuse me... Hey... We forgot our IDs and we're wondering if you can do us a favour and buy us a sixpack.
  Guy: You know, what you're asking for is illegal.
  Walt Jr.: No... it's not.
  Guy: Yeah, it is. (Takes out his police badge.)
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NOTES (2)
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- Original International Air Dates:
  Czech Republic: February 11, 2011 on Nova Cinema
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- Featured Music:
  
  "Deixa Pra La" by Bronx River Parkway
  "Mas y Mas" by Bronx River Parkway
  "Uh" by Fujiya & Miyagi
  "Koop Island Blues (feat. Ane Brun)" by Koop
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ALLUSIONS (1)
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- Title:
  
  The episode's title refers to a component of the central nervous system. Crystal meth (the drug Walter produces) can destroy up to 11% of a person's gray matter over a prolonged period.
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