"Thirty-Eight Snub" | |
---|---|
Breaking Bad episode | |
Episode no. | Season 4 Episode 2 |
Directed by | Michelle MacLaren |
Written by | George Mastras |
Original air date | July 24, 2011 |
Running time | 46 minutes |
Guest appearance(s) | |
|
|
"Thirty-Eight Snub" is the second episode of the fourth season of the American television drama series Breaking Bad, and the 35th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on AMC in the United States on July 24, 2011. In the episode, Walter plots to kill Gus for fear of repercussions from him, while Jesse holds wild parties to try to forget his despair. Meanwhile, Skyler tries to purchase a car wash business, while Marie struggles to deal with Hank's growing depression problems.
Written by George Mastras and directed by Michelle MacLaren, "Thirty-Eight Snub" featured guest appearances by Emily Rios as Andrea, Jim Beaver as black market gun vendor Lawson, and the first appearance by Ray Campbell in the recurring role of Gus' henchman Tyrus Kitt. Due to filming commitments with the television series Supernatural, Beaver had only a half-day to film his scene, which was set on a constructed set resembling a motel room. "Thirty-Eight Snub" included several unusual camera angles, including a shot from the point of view of a Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner, and an extremely high crane shot of Walter from 180-feet in the air.
Jesse's party scenes, which symbolized the character's internal guilt and fragile state of mind, included background songs by rapper Flavor Flav and the band Honey Claws. "Thirty-Eight Snub" received positive reviews, with some reviewers comparing it to the work of filmmakers Sergio Leone and Quentin Tarantino. It was seen by an estimated 1.97 million household viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research, making it the second most-watched episode of Breaking Bad by the fourth season, although it marked a significant decline in viewership compared to the previous episode, season premiere "Box Cutter".