Breaking Bad Season 3 Episode 13: Full Measure
The season finale of Breaking Bad begins with a flashback showing Walt and Skyler as a young couple buying their first house with Walt wanting to purchase a fancier home on their limited budget. Flash forward to Walt sitting in his Aztek out in the middle of nowhere waiting for someone to meet him. Walt spies an SUV with lights on. A phone call instructs him to get out of the car and walk towards the SUV. Walt takes a deep breath and walks to the SUV. Midway there Gus’ hired gun Mike meets him and pats him down. Gus Fring and Victor step out of the car and approach Walt. Gus chides Walt about his drug dealer employees deaths, saying “Some worthless junkie, for him, you intervene and put us all at risk.” Gus asks Walt where Jesse Pinkman is and Walt tells him he doesn’t know but Jesse is on the run. Walt proposes to Gus that he has two choices: kill him here and now, then hunt down Jesse and kill him, or let Jesse go and let Walt continue to cook for Gus, suggesting that he prefers option two. Gus stares at Walt thinking, then he come to an agreement with Walt to continue cooking in the lab on the condition that Gus chooses his lab assistant, to which Walt agrees. Walt walks back to the car and drives off.
Walt arrives at work the next day and finds that Victor has changed the locks to the lab. Victor lets Walt in and Walt sees that Gale is once again his lab assistant. Gale tells Walt he will be the perfect lab assistant and do whatever he says. Walt soon realizes that Gale is Gus’ inside man, the key to learning Walt’s method of cooking meth.
Gus visits Gale at his home, Gale is startled to see Gus at his door and invites him inside. Gus tells Gale about Walt’s terminal lung cancer and asks Gale how soon he could be ready to take over the lab if something unforeseen would happen to Walt. Gale tells Gus Walt is an artist and he has much to learn from him still. When Gus presses Gale for an answer and seems impatient, Gale assures Gus he would be ready after another session of cooking even though he knows he needs a few more cooks with Walt. Gus seems satisfied with Gale’s response.
Mike visits Saul in his office and demands to know where Jesse Pinkman is. Saul tries to charm Mike and joke off the request, but Mike’s description of how he will hurt Saul convinces Saul to take Mike’s request seriously. Saul as Jesse’s lawyer cannot divulge where Jesse is but suggests there may be an address where Jesse is lying on his desk, then walks out of the office. Mike picks up the paper from Saul’s desk showing an address to a trailer park in Virginia.
Walt and Saul drive up to the laser tag building to discuss their money laundering scheme. Victor follows close behind and parks as they walk into the building. Once inside Walt motions for Saul to be quiet until he is sure they cannot be heard. Saul errupts in anger over Mike’s threatening visit, telling Walt it is only a matter of time before Mike finds out the address he gave him on Jesse is bogus. Saul proceeds to point to Jesse, who is hiding in the shadows, then walks away.
Walt tells Jesse he is safe only until Gale knows his meth cooking system, then Gus will have him eliminated. When Jesse asks Walt “So what do we do?” Walt tells Jesse there is only one way out of their situation, “You know what we do”. “There’s got to be some other way,” says Jesse, who thinks Walt should turn himself in to the DEA for witness protection. Walt tells Jesse he won’t turn himself in, reasoning aloud “If I’m the only chemist that he’s got,” Gus must keep him alive. Jesse tells Walt he can’t kill Gale so Walt tells him he will do it, saying “When it comes down to you and me versus him I’m truly sorry, but it’s gonna be him.” Walt tells Jesse Victor is following him and instructs Jesse to find out where Gale lives. Jesse calls Walt with Gale’s address while he is having dinner with the family and pleads for him not to kill Gale. Walt leaves the house to find Victor waiting for him in front of the house. Victor tells Walt “There’s some kind of chemical leaking in your lab, you gotta come with me.” When Walt suggests he follow Victor to the lab, Victor insists he get in the car with him.
At the industrial laundry Walt sees Mike and knows he has been set up to be killed. Walt pleads with Mike “I’ll cook for free, and I won’t be any more trouble, if I could just talk to Gus, I know I could make him understand.” Mike tells Walt he can’t help him. Walt tells Mike he will give up Jesse and take them to him but he has to call him to arrange a meeting since Jesse moves around so much. Mike allows Walt to call Jesse.
“You’ll have about a twenty-minute lead,” Walt tells Jesse, while Mike listens to the call. Walt yells “They’ve got me at the laundry, and they’re going to kill me, Jesse, do it now!” screams Walt, as Mike grabs the phone from Walt. When Mike and Victor pull their guns Walt suggests “You might want to hold off,” Walt says. “Your boss is going to need me.” Walt recites Gale’s address as a stunned Mike realizes what is happening. Mike calls Gale, but Gale’s music drowns out his cell phone ring.
Jesse knocks on Gale’s door. When Gale opens the door he is met by Jesse’s pale face, his eyes filled with tears as he raises his gun. Gale pleads with Jesse for his life, telling him he doesn’t have to shoot him. Jesse lowers the gun to chest level and fires.
