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Fifty-One
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| "Fifty-One" | |
|---|---|
| Breaking Bad episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 5 Episode 4 |
| Directed by | Rian Johnson |
| Written by | Sam Catlin |
| Featured music | "Bonfire" by Knife Party |
| Cinematography by | Michael Slovis |
| Editing by | Kelley Dixon |
| Original air date | August 5, 2012 |
| Running time | 47 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"Fifty-One" is the fourth episode of the fifth season of the American television crime drama series Breaking Bad, and the 50th overall episode of the series. Written by Sam Catlin and directed by Rian Johnson, it originally aired on AMC in the United States on August 5, 2012.
Plot
[edit]After having it repaired, Walter White impulsively sells his Pontiac Aztek to the mechanic for $50 and leases himself a new Chrysler 300 and a Dodge Challenger for Walter White Jr.
At Madrigal's Houston branch, Lydia Rodarte-Quayle's inside man for methylamine is arrested by the DEA. Mike reassures Lydia that Ron will not talk, adding that she will have a new guy in the warehouse soon.
The next day, SAC Ramey offers Hank Schrader the position of ASAC (Assistant Special Agent in Charge) vacated by Merkert. Hank accepts, even though his pursuit of Heisenberg will be given to a field agent.
That evening, the Whites and the Schraders finish a meager 51st birthday dinner for Walt. After Walt Jr. leaves, Walt notes that it has been a year since his cancer diagnosis. As he reflects, a fully clothed Skyler White steps into the pool and slowly submerges herself. Marie Schrader panics while Walt jumps in to pull her out. Walt then learns that Skyler has asked Marie and Hank to look after the kids until her issues with Walt are resolved. Skyler insists that she will not have her children living in a house where dangerous events that occur are just shrugged off. She threatens to further harm herself if Walt brings the kids back home, but he belittles her plans as unworkable, even threatening to have her institutionalized. Breaking down and realizing there is no way out of her situation without hurting her family, she relents to his arguments but not without admitting to him that her only option is to hope that Walt's cancer will come back and kill him.
At the warehouse in Houston, Lydia leads Jesse Pinkman to a barrel of methylamine. They find a GPS tracker on the bottom of the barrel, compromising it. Mike is skeptical that the tracker was planted by the DEA because of its crude placement on the bottom of the barrel. When informed by Jesse that it was Lydia who spotted it first, Mike concludes that Lydia planted it herself in order to get out of their deal and vows to kill her. Jesse pleads for Mike to show mercy and asks for Walt's opinion. Walt votes to keep her alive so no time is lost finding a new precursor supplier. Jesse later gives Walt a TAG Heuer Monaco Calibre 12 wristwatch as a birthday present, which pleases Walt. Later that night, he shows Skyler the watch, assuring her that if Jesse could change his mind about wanting Walt dead, so will she.
Production
[edit]
Dean Norris (Hank Schrader) spoke about the "tense" family dinner scene: "Those are some of my favorites because we all get together, and they've kind of become a signature thing on the show. I work with the DEA guys all the time, who I love, but from a personal side it's nice to hang out with the rest of the gang. Those scenes are going to be even more interesting if Hank ever knows something about Walt that Walt doesn't know he knows, because for the entire series Walt's had this secret that everybody in the audience knows and Hank is the one guy that doesn't know it."[1]
Reception
[edit]Ratings
[edit]"Fifty-One" was watched by approximately 2.29 million American viewers in its original broadcast, matching the second episode's numbers.[2]
Critical reception
[edit]The Baltimore Sun's Wesley Case called Skyler's pool scene "unnerving" and "heart-wrenchingly sad", adding "Breaking Bad is a show built around action — big explosions, shoot-outs, throat-cutting murders, and other vivid portraits of the messy drug-dealing business. Besides Jesse's breakdowns, we rarely see the existential crises all of these characters must be dealing with at all times."[3]
In 2019, The Ringer ranked "Fifty-One" as the 30th best out of the 62 total Breaking Bad episodes.[4]
Awards and nominations
[edit]For his direction of this episode, Rian Johnson won the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Drama Series.[5] Anna Gunn won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her performance in this episode at the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards.
References
[edit]- ^ Rosenberg, Eli (August 14, 2012). "Q&A – Dean Norris (Hank Schrader)". AMCTV.com. Archived from the original on August 16, 2012. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
- ^ Bibel, Sara (August 7, 2012). "Sunday Cable Ratings:'True Blood' Wins Night, 'Keeping Up With the Kardashians', 'Falling Skies', 'Breaking Bad', 'Army Wives', 'Leverage'& More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on August 10, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
- ^ Case, Wesley (August 6, 2012). "'Breaking Bad' recap: Episode 4, 'Fifty-One'". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on January 16, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2012.
- ^ Michael Baumann (September 30, 2019). "The Ringer's Definitive 'Breaking Bad' Episodes Ranking". The Ringer.
- ^ McNary, Dave (February 2, 2013). "Ben Affleck wins top prize at DGA Awards". Variety. Retrieved February 7, 2013.
External links
[edit]- "Fifty-One" at AMCTV.com
- "Fifty-One" at IMDb
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Fifty-One
View on GrokipediaOverview
Episode Summary
"Fifty-One" is the fourth episode of the fifth season of ''Breaking Bad'' and the 50th episode of the series overall. It was written by Sam Catlin and directed by Rian Johnson, and originally aired on August 5, 2012.[1] In the episode, Walter White celebrates his 51st birthday by trading his old Pontiac Aztek for a new Chrysler 300 at the same auto shop where he originally purchased the Aztek. He surprises Walt Jr. with a Dodge Challenger. Skyler, increasingly distressed by Walt's return to cooking methamphetamine, tries to protect their children by suggesting they stay with the Schraders or attend boarding school. She confronts Walt about his dangerous lifestyle. Meanwhile, Lydia Rodarte-Quayle panics over the DEA's investigation into Madrigal Electromotive following the arrests related to Gus Fring's operation and reaches out to Mike for assistance in removing a tracking device from a methylamine barrel. Jesse visits the White family for Walt's birthday and gifts him a custom Tag Heuer watch. During a tense family dinner with the Schraders, Skyler stages a dramatic intervention by walking into the pool and submerging herself, shocking everyone and highlighting her desperation.[2]Background and Context
"Fifty-One" serves as a pivotal installment in the fifth and final season of Breaking Bad, building directly on the events of the preceding episode, "Hazard Pay." In that episode, Walter White, Jesse Pinkman, and Mike Ehrmantraut establish a covert methamphetamine production operation using a mobile pest control business as a front, allowing them to cook in fumigated houses without arousing suspicion. This setup enables the use of the methylamine stolen in the season's opening train heist, marking the trio's first successful batch under their new independent enterprise following the collapse of Gustavo Fring's organization.[3] Thematically, "Fifty-One" represents the series' midpoint as its 50th episode overall, coinciding with White's 51st birthday and underscoring a full year since his cancer diagnosis in the pilot. This milestone highlights White's complete transformation into his alter ego, Heisenberg, after eliminating Fring in the season four finale, "Face Off," where he orchestrates the drug lord's death using a bomb hidden in an elderly man's wheelchair. No longer constrained by external threats, White's unchecked ambition drives the narrative forward, emphasizing his moral descent and the erosion of his family life.[4][2] Aired on August 5, 2012, as part of AMC's Sunday night lineup, the episode aired at 10:00 p.m. ET, contributing to the network's prestige drama block that later included Hell on Wheels preceding it at 9:00 p.m. starting August 12. Within the broader series arc, it reflects Skyler's deepening entrapment in White's criminal world, a progression evident from her reluctant complicity in money laundering schemes introduced in prior seasons.[5][2]Production
Writing and Direction
The episode "Fifty-One" was written by Sam Catlin, a longtime member of the Breaking Bad writing team who had previously penned episodes such as "Fly" and contributed to the series' exploration of Walter White's psychological transformation.[6] Catlin's script centered on White's 51st birthday, a pivotal marker emphasized by series creator Vince Gilligan as a key milestone in the protagonist's moral decline, symbolizing his full embrace of a criminal empire and the erosion of his former ethical boundaries.[6] Conceived in the writers' room as a deliberate "breather" following the high-stakes action and revelations of preceding episodes like "Hazard Pay," the script allowed for a slower pace to delve into the White family's fracturing dynamics, providing emotional respite while underscoring the domestic fallout of White's choices.[6] During development, revisions focused on amplifying interpersonal tensions, particularly in scenes depicting the Whites' strained interactions; for instance, Catlin collaborated on the set to refine blocking and dialogue, ensuring the narrative highlighted Skyler's growing desperation and White's unyielding dominance without overt violence.[6] Directed by Rian Johnson, who had previously helmed the acclaimed bottle episode "Fly," the production aligned with the show's established cinematographic style under director of photography Michael Slovis.[7] Principal photography took place in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The car dealership scene, where Walt purchases a Dodge Challenger, conveyed his casual arrogance and the integration of his illicit gains into everyday life. Similarly, the pool sequence was staged with adjustments to blocking to create a cat-and-mouse dynamic between Walt and Skyler, heightening the underlying tension in their marital discord.[6]Casting and Performances
Laura Fraser portrayed Lydia Rodarte-Quayle, a nervous Madrigal Electromotive executive introduced as a jittery methylamine supplier who becomes a reluctant ally and potential antagonist to Walter White and Jesse Pinkman in the episode's tense diner meeting. Fraser, a Scottish actress known for roles in Small Faces and A Knight's Tale, auditioned via self-tape without meeting show creator Vince Gilligan, submitting three versions before securing the part on her third attempt; casting director Sharon Bialy described the character as a "smart businesswoman with nervous energy and a tendency to bristle," prompting Fraser to draw from Jodie Foster and Tilda Swinton for inspiration, employing upper-body breathing techniques to convey Lydia's sustained anxiety, which left her lightheaded during filming.[8] Bryan Cranston delivered a commanding performance as Walter White, embodying the character's growing arrogance during his 51st birthday celebrations, from gifting himself a luxurious Dodge Challenger to bonding with his son over Scarface while dismissing Skyler's unease. Anna Gunn's portrayal of Skyler White reached a pivotal emotional peak in the episode's iconic pool sequence, where her character wades into the water fully clothed as a staged suicide attempt to shield her children from Walt's criminal life; Gunn later reflected on the scenes as "the turning point of Season 5 for Skyler," highlighting her emotional paralysis and the marriage's collapse, describing the subsequent confrontation with Walt as "utterly gut-wrenching to play" in a "grueling, transcendent, epic" manner that underscored Skyler's desperation, contributing to Gunn's Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for the fifth season.[9] Aaron Paul brought subtle frustration to Jesse Pinkman, evident in his wary exchanges during the methylamine handoff with Lydia, where Jesse's impatience clashes with her paranoia, revealing the strain on their operation without overt confrontation. RJ Mitte's interactions as Walt Jr. added familial tension to the birthday festivities, particularly in the car-buying excursion and late-night viewing, portraying the teen's admiration for his father amid the household's unraveling dynamics.Music and Sound Design
Original Score
The original score for "Fifty-One" was composed by Dave Porter, featuring tense motifs that underscore the episode's themes of celebration and underlying tension.[10]Featured Music
In the episode "Fifty-One," the primary licensed song is "Bonfire" by the Australian electronic duo Knife Party, featured prominently in the opening sequence at the car dealership. As Walter White purchases a Chrysler 300 for himself and a Dodge Challenger for his son Walt Jr. to mark Walt's 51st birthday, the track's pulsating dubstep rhythm amplifies the scene's exuberant yet ominous tone, highlighting Walt's growing extravagance amid escalating personal chaos. Released in 2012 as part of Knife Party's debut album Rage Valley, the song was licensed through music supervisor Thomas Golubic to underscore the episode's themes of fleeting triumph. Additional featured tracks include "Good and Lonely" by Easterling & Gildersleeve, which plays softly in the background during a casual gathering scene at Benny's garage, providing a mellow country undertone to interpersonal conversations.[11] Later, "My Good Thing's Gone" by Pier Branch accompanies the scene at the auto repair shop where Walt and Walt Jr. get a rundown on repairs to the Aztec, its soulful guitar riffs evoking a sense of everyday normalcy.[12] These selections blend seamlessly with the episode's original score for transitional flow.[12]Reception and Legacy
Viewership and Ratings
The episode "Fifty-One" premiered on AMC on August 5, 2012, attracting 2.29 million total U.S. viewers and earning a 1.2 rating in the adults 18-49 demographic according to Nielsen measurements.[13] This represented a modest increase from the previous episode, "Hazard Pay," which drew 2.20 million viewers and a 1.1 rating in the key 18-49 demo on July 29, 2012. The slight uptick reflected growing season momentum for Breaking Bad's fifth and final season, as live viewership continued to build toward later episodes, such as "Dead Freight" with 2.48 million viewers the following week.| Episode | Air Date | Total Viewers (millions) | Adults 18-49 Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hazard Pay (S5E3) | July 29, 2012 | 2.20 | 1.1 |
| Fifty-One (S5E4) | August 5, 2012 | 2.29 | 1.2 |
| Dead Freight (S5E5) | August 12, 2012 | 2.48 | 1.3 |