About Breaking Bad Season 1 – TV Series

Breaking Bad Season 1

The first season of the American television drama series Breaking Bad premiered on January 20, 2008 and concluded on March 9, 2008. It consisted of seven episodes, each running approximately 48 minutes in length, except the pilot episode which runs for approximately 58 minutes. AMC broadcast the first season on Sundays at 10:00 pm in the United States. The first season was originally going to consist of nine episodes, but was reduced to seven by the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike. The complete first season was released on Region 1 DVD on February 24, 2009 and Region A Blu-ray on March 16, 2010.

Breaking Bad Season 1

STORY

Episodes 01

“Pilot”

Walter White celebrates his 50th birthday breakfast with his wife, Skyler, and their teenage son, Walter Jr, before heading off to his job as a high-school chemistry teacher. Frequent coughing fits result in Walt passing out at his second job at a car wash. Later, he is diagnosed with Stage 3 terminal lung cancer. Walt does a ride-along on a methamphetamine lab raid with his brother-in-law, DEA Agent Hank Schrader. DEA agents apprehend a cook/dealer named Emilio. Walt, waiting in the car, spots his former student Jesse Pinkman escaping the raid through a neighbor’s window. Walt tracks down Jesse to propose a partnership wherein Walt cooks crystal meth and Jesse manages sales and distribution. They begin cooking crystal meth in a remote area of the desert in a recreational vehicle. Walt’s skill in chemistry results in a pure, highly valuable product. Jesse approaches Krazy-8, a local distributor and cousin to Emilio, to arrange distribution. At a meetup with Walt, Emilio recognizes him from the DEA raid. A panicked Jesse tells Walt to run but knocks himself unconscious. Knowing the dealers intend to kill them both, Walt pretends to teach Emilio and Krazy-8 the crystal meth recipe before poisoning them with phosphine gas and driving off.

Episodes 02

“Cat’s in the Bag…”

Returning to Albuquerque, Walt and Jesse try to dispose of the two bodies in the RV, which becomes increasingly complicated when Krazy-8 disappears. Driving back to Jesse’s from work, Walt discovers a barely-conscious Krazy-8 wandering the streets of Jesse’s neighborhood, returning him to the house and restraining him with a bicycle lock. Walt continues to procrastinate killing Krazy-8, instead providing him with food, water, and a means to relieve himself. Meanwhile, Skyler grows suspicious of Walt’s recent behavior and, at an ultrasound appointment, questions him about his recent phone call with Jesse. Walt covers by telling her that Jesse sells him marijuana. Skyler visits Jesse and threatens to call Hank if Jesse contacts Walt about marijuana again. Jesse disposes of Emilio’s dead body using hydrofluoric acid as instructed by Walt, but he elects to use his bathtub instead of Walt’s suggestion of a plastic bin, resulting in the acid eating through the bathtub floor and leaving a huge mess of dissolved body parts. Two children playing in the desert area where the RV had been find a gas mask that Walt and Jesse accidentally left behind.

Episodes 03

“…And the Bag’s in the River”

Skyler’s sister, Marie, believes that Walter Jr. is smoking marijuana and asks Hank to scare him straight. Hank takes Walt Jr. to a rundown motel to teach him about gateway drugs. Walt and Jesse clean up the remains of Emilio, and Walt is torn between whether to keep Krazy-8 alive or kill him. Krazy-8 gets in Walt’s head and creates mistrust and conflict between him and Jesse. While bringing Krazy-8 food, Walt collapses while descending the stairs. Upon waking up, Walt tells Krazy-8 that he has lung cancer—the first person he tells—and they start sharing the unexpected things they have in common. Walt decides to release Krazy-8, but while disposing of the shards of a broken plate, he sees that a shard is missing, and realizes that Krazy-8 has concealed it to use as a weapon. When Walt confronts Krazy-8 with this information, Krazy-8 attacks him; Walt strangles and kills him with the bicycle lock restraint. Walt lies and tells Skyler he was working late at the car wash, but she has already talked to his boss and knows he quit weeks ago. That night, when Walter gets home, he tells Skyler that he has something to tell her, and, off-camera, reveals his cancer diagnosis.

Episodes 04

“Cancer Man”

As Jesse and Walt’s meth begins to spread in Albuquerque, Hank starts looking for the new drug kingpin, unaware that it’s Walt. At a family barbecue, Walt reveals to Walt Jr., Marie, and Hank that he has cancer. Hank promises Walt that he will always take care of his family. Walt Jr. becomes upset that Walt is acting like everything is normal. Jesse becomes paranoid that law enforcement is after him, and he visits his family’s house; Jesse’s parents are disappointed and worried to see him in such a state. Jesse finds out that his younger brother, who is very successful in sports and music, is smoking marijuana to deal with the intense pressure from their parents. Jesse covers for him but is forced to leave his parents’ house, as they believe the marijuana is his. Jesse visits Walt to try and convince him they should continue cooking, but Walt tells him never to try to see him again. Walt and Skyler visit an oncologist who says Walt’s cancer is treatable. Skyler is hopeful, but Walt does not think getting treatment is financially feasible.

Episodes 05

“Gray Matter”

Jesse becomes frustrated that he cannot secure stable employment. Walt and Skyler attend Walt’s old friend Elliott’s birthday. Skyler tells Elliott about Walt’s cancer, and Elliott offers him a job which Walt declines, feeling insulted about an offer of financial help. Jesse attempts to cook meth on his own but cannot replicate the quality of Walt’s product. Walt Jr. gets caught by an undercover cop trying to buy beer and calls Hank to save him instead of Walt. Walt’s family attempts an intervention to persuade him to undergo chemotherapy; Marie says everyone should let Walt make the decision on his own, to Skyler’s dismay. Walt tells everyone that he needs the agency to make a choice for himself and that he does not want to live his last days miserable with treatment. The next morning, he relents and tells Skyler he will accept Gretchen and Elliott’s assistance. However, Gretchen, who he used to have a relationship with, calls Walt to discuss his cancer diagnosis. He tells her the assistance isn’t needed, lying that his insurance actually does cover treatment. He goes to Jesse’s house and asks to resume their partnership.

Episodes 06

“Crazy Handful of Nothin'”

Walt and Jesse come to an agreement in which Walt will cook the meth while Jesse sells it. Jesse soon discovers Walt’s motivation for their collaboration. Meanwhile, Hank ties a recovered respirator to Walt’s high school’s chemistry lab and investigates further. Hank falsely arrests the school janitor, who has a criminal record for drug possession. After discovering the start of hair loss, Walt shaves his head. When their initial batch of meth only yields $2,600, Jesse’s friend Skinny Pete helps him find the distributor who replaced Krazy-8: psychopathic drug lord Tuco Salamanca. When Jesse demands up-front payment for the meth, Tuco severely beats him and steals the meth. Walt later confronts Tuco himself and causes an explosion in his hideout, forcing him to pay for the meth; Tuco agrees to further dealings with Walt.

Episodes 07

“A No-Rough-Stuff-Type Deal”

Walt and Jesse face difficulties producing the large amount of meth Walt has promised to Tuco. Jesse, who is now living in the RV, puts his house on the market. Skyler has a baby shower at which Marie gives her a diamond tiara for the baby. Skyler decides to return the tiara given to her by Marie, only to be detained at the store and informed that it had been stolen; when she confronts Marie, Marie flatly denies stealing it. Walt and Jesse break into a warehouse and steal a large barrel of methylamine, which they need for a new recipe that produces much more meth in much less time. They deliver the promised amount to Tuco and his associates, No-Doze and Gonzo. When No-Doze makes an offhanded remark to Walt, Tuco becomes enraged and savagely beats him in front of the horrified Walt and Jesse.

CAST

Bryan Cranston as Walter “Walt” White, a high-school chemistry teacher in Albuquerque, New Mexico. After being diagnosed with Stage 3 lung cancer and given two years to live, Walt enters into a partnership with a former student to cook crystal meth as a means of supporting his family.
Anna Gunn as Skyler White, Walt’s pregnant wife and a struggling creative writer.
Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman, a small-time drug dealer and former student of Walt who partners with him to cook and sell crystal meth.
Dean Norris as Hank Schrader, Walt and Skyler’s brother-in-law and a DEA agent.
Betsy Brandt as Marie Schrader, Skyler’s sister and Hank’s wife. She is a radiologic technologist.
RJ Mitte as Walter White Jr., Walt and Skyler’s teenaged son who has cerebral palsy.
Steven Michael Quezada as Steven Gomez, Hank’s partner at the DEA.
Carmen Serano as Principal Carmen Molina, the principal of J.P. Wynne High School.
Max Arciniega as Krazy-8 Molina, an associate of Jesse’s.
Charles Baker as Skinny Pete, one of Jesse’s friends.
Raymond Cruz as Tuco Salamanca, a drug kingpin associated with the cartel.
Jessica Hecht as Gretchen Schwartz, Walt’s friend and former fiancee.
Tess Harper as Mrs. Pinkman, Jesse’s mother.
Matt L. Jones as Badger, one of Jesse’s friends.
Rodney Rush as Combo, one of Jesse’s friends.
Marius Stan as Bogdan Wolynetz, the owner of A1A Car Wash, where Walt was formerly employed.
John Koyama as Emilio Koyama, another associate of Jesse’s who is caught in a drug bust by the DEA.