| “ | It wasn't one mistake. I've been... unraveling, y'know? I don't sleep at night anymore. I freeze, I freeze up. My chest gets all tight, I can't breathe. Just...I panic. Ever since that Salamanca thing. Tuco Salamanca, if ever a scumbag deserved a bullet between the eyes... It changed me and I can't seem to control it. I try to fight it, but then El Paso. It just got worse. What I did to Pinkman...that's not who I'm supposed to be. All this, everything that's happened, I swear to God, Marie, I think the universe is trying to tell me something and I'm finally ready to listen. I'm just not the man I thought I was. I think I'm done as a cop.
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| ― Hank Schrader |
Henry R. "Hank" Schrader was the husband of Marie Schrader (the sister of Skyler White) and Assistant Special Agent in Charge (ASAC) of the Albuquerque office of the Drug Enforcement Administration. A high-energy and boisterous man, Hank was Walter White's brother-in-law.
Although he was a highly competent agent and genuinely cared about Marie, Walter, Skyler White and Walter White Jr., his loud ways insulated him from the danger he faced daily.
Hank's year-long investigation of the meth kingpin in the area named "Heisenberg" - the source of a mysterious, high-quality blue meth - led him to expose Gus' Drug Empire and bring down Gustavo Fring. However, he was historically unaware that "Heisenberg" was the alter-ego of his brother-in-law Walter. By linking Walt to Gale Boetticher, a known manufacturer of blue meth for the Fring drug ring, Hank eventually discovered Walt's secret and began to dedicate himself to bringing Walt to justice once and for all. To this end, Hank nearly succeeded in this task before eventually getting caught up in an intense gunfight with Jack's White Supremacist Gang in which fellow DEA Agent and friend Steven Gomez was killed in the midst of the chaos. Despite Walt's pleas, Hank was shot and killed moments later in execution style by Jack Welker.
History
Background Information
Little is known about Hank's early life. He met Marie in high school and asked her out repeatedly until she finally agreed. Hank joined the DEA at some point and he eventually married Marie. No members of his own immediate family are known indicating he is likely an only child and both of his parents are deceased.
Season 1
DEA Agent Hank Schrader.
Hank is demonstrating to the other men at Walt's 50th birthday how his gun works. When Walt holds it and mentions that it's heavy, Hank jests that it's "made for men." Hank gives Walt a quick birthday toast before urging everyone to watch an interview he did in regards to a local meth lab bust. Walt asks him how much money the rolls of cash add up to, to which Hank states is about $700,000. Hank invites Walt on a "ride along," telling him he needs some excitement in his life.
After Walt calls him one morning to take up his offer, he's seen with Walt and his fellow agent Steven Gomez waiting to bust a house. Hank and Gomez have a bet on the cook's ethnicity before the SWAT team bust through the door. Walt asks Hank if he could go inside to see the setup. Hank tells him he'll scope the lab out first and makes Walt wait outside, where he sees that his former student Jesse Pinkman escape from the neighbor's bedroom ("Pilot").
Hank with Walt. Jr at the Crossroads Motel.
Hank is later seen during a drug bust when he gets a call from his wife, Marie, informing him of Walter White Jr.'s usage of marijuana. Though initially stating that it's Walt's job to talk to him, he eventually agrees to have a chat with his nephew. Hank brings Walter Jr. to a run-down motel home to many junkies he calls the Crystal Palace, tricking him into believing the two of them were going to get Cold Stone ice cream. Hank tries to startle his nephew out of doing drugs (unbeknownst to Hank that he wasn't doing any of them) by showing him the results meth has had on a prostitute by the name of Wendy, commenting on her rotted teeth. He then tells her to get lost and mentions that he'll bust her if hesees her working here again. Hank and Gomez are later seen out in the desert at the location of Walt and Jesse's crash site. The two of them deduce that a mobile lab caught fire and the culprits bailed. Hank wonders why a low-rider was left behind before finding some meth behind the stereo ("...and the Bag's in the River").
Hank informs his team that there is a new group of meth cooks in town, making some of the purest meth he's ever seen. He describes these "new players" as having a high skill set. Hank is later seen having dinner with the Whites, giving dating advice to Walter Jr. He's listening to Walt tell the story of how he and Skyler met until she breaks out in tears. Walt confesses that he has cancer. When discussing Walt's situation, Hank tells him that if anything happens he will make sure his family is safe and taken care of ("Cancer Man").
Hank showing Gomez the meth found at the cook site.
Hank is disappointed with Walter Jr. for calling him instead of his father after he got in trouble for trying to purchase alcohol as a minor. Along with the pot use earlier, Hank believes Walter Jr. is lashing out because of Walt's illness. When Walt returns home one night, Hank is found sitting with the rest of the family, waiting to give Walt an intervention on the future of his condition. When it is Hank's turn to speak, he explains through a baseball metaphor that Walt should take the money Elliott Schwartz offered him, briefly changing his mind when Marie mentions that Walt should do whatever he wants to do, believing that Walt has the right to die like a man ("Gray Matter").
Hank meets with Gomez in a parking lot, whom hands him the mask they recovered at Walt's cook site. The mask was traced back to Walt's high school. Hank pays a visit to Walt after school hours and tells him that the mask was used to cook meth. After doing an inventory of the equipment, Hank notices that two respirators are missing, along with some glassware. He tells Walt to take better care of his lab equipment, then jokes about people suspecting him. Hank is later seen arresting the janitor at Walt's school, Hugo, as he had fit the profile. Later on, during a family poker game, Hank admits that they only found pot in his car, saying that he would nonetheless lose his job and serve time in county jail. During the game, Walt puts all his chips in, causing Hank to fold. He was disappointed to see that Walt had nothing noteworthy in his hand. ("Crazy Handful of Nothin'").
During Skyler's baby shower, Hank and Walt share drinks and Cuban cigars outside, with Hank letting Walt know that he did a favor for an FBI guy in exchange for the illegal cigars. After a brief discussion what is and isn't legal, Walt states that the line is arbitrary. Hank responds with saying that many guys in jail have that mentality, and that a lot of legal things shouldn't be, such as meth ("A No-Rough-Stuff-Type Deal").
Season 2
Hank in Season 2
Hank reminds Marie that her therapy appointment was the same time she planned to have dinner with Skyler. She tells him he's mistaken and runs over a neighborhood kid's remote-control car as she's leaving. Hank apologizes to the kid and whips out his wallet to compensate him. Later, Steve Gomez shows Hank surveillance footage of a recent burglary at a chemical warehouse. Unaware that the pair of burglars are Walt and Jesse, makes fun of their criminal methods but commends their knowledge of chemistry. Hank states that they must be needing to cook a lot of meth if they needed to steal a while barrel of methylamine and that they'll be lucky if he and his team catch them before the Juárez Cartel does.
Hank pays Skyler a visit to ask why she doesn't return any of Marie's phone calls. When he says that they all need to support Marie through this, Skyler exclaims that she is the one in need of support, as she's a 40-year-old pregnant woman with a detached husband with lung cancer and a moody son, before breaking down in front of Hank. Later on at a crime scene in a junkyard, Hank sends a photo of Gonzo and No-Doze to Walt, claiming they're the "world's dumbest criminals," ("Seven Thirty-Seven").
Hank tells his team at the DEA office of the raid on Tuco Salamanca's headquarters, telling them to "get a big-ole raging hard-on" at the thought of catching him. After getting the room to chant, he tells Gomez that he needs to take a personal leave to search for Walt, who has just gone missing. While rendezvousing at the White residence, Skyler asks about Walt's second cell phone, to which Marie suspects he was using to buy weed from a former student of his named Jesse Pinkman. Hank feels they're grasping at straws, but insist Hank question him. Hank pays a visit to Jesse's mom, Mrs. Pinkman, in an attempt to get any info on her son. She reveals that Jesse owns a red Monte Carlo that he converted to a low-rider. Hank calls Gomez to inquire about whether or not the low-rider may be equipped with a LoJack car tracker. This leads to Hank driving out to a shack in the desert, where Jesse's car was presumably reported to be. There, he stumbles upon a wounded Tuco, from whom Walt and Jesse have just escaped captivity. Hank briefly confuses Tuco for Jesse before the two enter a shootout. After a brief pause in fire, Hank steadies his aim while Tuco reloads his assault rifle. As he exits cover to resume fire, Hank puts a clean shot through Tuco's skull ("Grilled").
Hank moments after killing Tuco.
Hank is later seen giving an official statement of what went down at the desert shack. Hank diverts his attention to Jesse, whose car and money he found at the shack. After being tipped off by Badger (set up by Jesse), Hank's team raids the room Jesse and Wendy were staying in at the Crossroads Motel, bringing Jesse in for interrogation. Hank tries to intimidate Jesse into confessing he was at Tuco's shack, despite Jesse saying he was partying with Wendy all weekend and had no idea his car was stolen. During his interrogation of Wendy, she recognizes Hank from his earlier encounter with her when he tried to scare Walter Jr. into not doing drugs and she decides to vouch for Jesse's story. Gomez tells Hank to let it go, as there's no solid evidence to charge him with the crime. Having one more idea, Hank brings in Hector Salamanca, Tuco's uncle, to identify Jesse. Due to being an old-school cartel member, Hector refuses to rat Jesse out, despite being at the shack with Walt and Jesse. Hank has no choice but to buy Jesse's story.
Hank is reviewing the footage of the chemical warehouse burglary, believing that the thieves cooked the blue meth recovered from Tuco's shack, as it was the purest meth seen since the batch recovered from Walt's first cook. Hank's colleagues throw him a party in celebration of his busting of Tuco. After the party, he visits Walt (whom was resting in the hospital after being found). He shows Walt the gift his colleagues gave him during the party: Tuco's grill encased in a lucite cube. Walt apologizes to Hank for putting him at risk searching for him, but tells him not to worry, as his praises are being sung back at the office ("Bit by a Dead Bee").
Hank tells his boss, ASAC George Merkert, that nobody has yet to replace the meth-supply void created by Tuco's death, though the name "Heisenberg" is being tossed around. Impressed by his work, Merkert promotes Hank to the Tri-State Border Interdiction Task Force in El Paso, meaning that he will be dividing his time between Albuquerque and El Paso. Hank thanks him and heads down to meet his co-workers for lunch, but on the elevator down, he begins to suffer a panic attack, only managing to compose himself shortly before exiting. The next day, Hank calls in sick and is found by Marie making some of his original home-made brew called Schraderbräu in his garage, much to Marie's dismay. Later, Hank and Marie invite the Whites over for a barbeque. Hank shares his experience with Tuco to Walter Jr., telling him that criminals are like cockroaches and that you stomp them down when you see one without thinking. That night, Hank is awoken by lound gunshot-like pops coming from inside his house. Tense and alert with gun in hand, he heads to the garage, realizing that the noise was made by his beer bottles popping off. In response to the toll Tuco's death has taken on him, Hank throws the grill in a local river ("Breakage").
Once transfered to El Paso, Hank has a hard time fitting in with his new co-workers. His usual quips and racial humor that got a rise out of the department in Albuquerque are brushed off by the Mexican officers in El Paso. Hank is the only one laughing when he mocks the idea of drug dealers praying to their patron saint, Jesús Malverde. When he asks Vanco why the saint's statue sits on his desk, Vanco states that it's to help him know his enemy, an idea based on the teachings of Sun Tzu.
Hank during the stakeout in El Paso.
Hank joins Vanco and a few others during a visit to a cartel informant named Tortuga. After being mocked for not understanding Spanish as well as becoming increasingly impatient with Tortuga, Hank attempts to intimidate him into giving them the information they're after. Tortuga quickly shuts him down, stating that he may take his time, but he always wins. Hank and the others are later seen at a stakeout in Mexico. Hank is mocked behind his back in by his co-workers in Spanish, mentioning that his promotion was nothing more than politics. After Hank asks them if they're mentioning anything he should know about, they reassure him that they are only complementing him. Shortly after, Tortuga's head is spotted moving slowly in the distance. Upon getting closer, they see that it was Tortuga's severed head on a tortoise with the words "Hola DEA" painted on the side of the tortoise's shell. Hank begins to heave and runs back to the truck to catch his breath. The others surrounding the tortoise laugh at him. As one of the DEA agents begins to 'welcome him to Juarez," another touches the severed head, causing the tortoise to explode, killing the latter and severely injuring the others, Vanco in particular having his leg blown off. Despite being shaken up by the blast, Hank goes to help the injured agents ("Negro y Azul").
Hank's experience at Juarez has a profound affect on him and is shortly after sent back to Albuquerque. Hank refuses to confide in Marie, so she asks Walt for help. As Walt speaks with him, Hank tells him that the conflict in El Paso is like Apocalypse Now. He refuses to see a shrink, believing that doing so can damage his reputation and tarnish his career. When Walt states that he could talk to him about it, Hank mentions that the two of them have an "experiential overlap," as he believes Walt would fail to understand. Instead, Walt tells Hank that his experiences with his lung cancer have helped him to overcome his fears of everyday life. He urges Hank to "get out in the real world" and "kick that bastard as hard as you can, right in the teeth."
Hank arrives back at his old department and is informed by Gomez that blue meth was being sold by a man named Brandon Mayhew, also known as Badger. The two head over to the police station to question him. The two run into Saul Goodman, a local criminal attorney. After a brief exchange of insults, Saul mentions that they are only after Badger looking to find "bigger fish." Badger later informs Hank that Heisenberg is an older man in his 50s or 60s and is even balder than Hank himself.
Hank is later seen with Gomez and Detective Getz staking out the bus stop where Badger was arrested, planning to have Badger take the meth from Heisenberg in order to arrest the latter (unaware of the fact that Saul hired another man to fill in Walt's place). As they watch on, Walt pulls up in front of them and begins to feign naivety in order to buy Badger some time, as he had sat down at the wrong bench and began talking to the wrong man. Much to Hank's frustration, Walt finally leaves. Badger is seen taking the meth from James Kilkelly and the DEA go in for the arrest. Despite all this, Hank suspects that Kilkelly isn't the true Heisenberg ("Better Call Saul").
Hank with Walt and Walter Jr. at the party in celebration of Walt's remission.
Hank is later seen with Walt and the rest of his family when Dr. Delcavoli informs them that Walt has entered remission and that his cancer has shrunk by 80% ("4 Days Out"). In support of the good news, Hank helps Skyler throw a party for Walt, where Hank is complemented for his margaritas. Hank was caught off guard when Walt ended his speech on a depressing note. Later on, Hank is seen sitting with Walt and Walter Jr. by the poolside sharing stories of his time in El Paso to Walter Jr., stating that the cartel was being 'poetic' by putting Tortuga's head on a tortoise and rigging it with an explosive. He jokingly mentions that tortuga is "bean-speak" for tortoise. Walt begins pouring shots for the two of them, only to pour one more for Walter Jr. In good faith, Hank tells Walter Jr. to make sure Skyler doesn't see. After Walt gives his son another shot, Hank questions if he's going for "father of the year." When Walt refuses to stop giving Walter Jr. shots, Hank decides that they've had the bottle for too long. When Walt angrily demands he give him back the bottle, the two have a brief stare-down before being interrupted by Walter Jr. vomiting into the pool ("Over"). After the tension between Hank and Walt were settled, the Whites invite Hank and Marie over to their house for dinner. Hank brings over some chicken from Los Pollos Hermanos, commending them for their taste ("Phoenix").
At the DEA office, Hank asks his co-workers for donations to fund Walt's surgery. Afterwards, he is seen talking about the recent murder of Combo. He regards him as a "dipshit, wannabe banger" and wonders why he was dealing blue meth. Hank notes that after his death, the aforementioned blue meth is nowhere to be found in Albuquerque, appearing instead in areas to the Southwest. He states that Heisenberg wised up and stopped "shitting where he eats." Hank concludes by believing that Heisenberg is still in town.
Some time later, ASAC Merkert introduces Hank to three local businessmen donating funds to the department. Among them is Gustavo Fring, owner of Los Pollos Hermanos. After briefly discussing the meth issue in the region and thanking them for their contributions, Gus asks Hank about Walt's photo on the donation jar. Hank informs him that Walt is his brother-in-law and is currently fighting lung cancer. After Gus generously donates some money, Hank gladly thanks him ("ABQ").
Season 3
Hank is helping Walt move, as well as trying to offer advice to Walt about his relationship troubles. He struggles for a second with Walt when trying to store a bad (filled with Walt's drug money) into his car. When Hank jokes about what he might have in there, Walt tells him that he has half a million in cash. Hank laughs and brushes it off ("No Más").
Hank and the others having dinner without Walt.
Hank is discussing a recent truch explosion near the border with his team, indicating that it must be high-end cartel work before receiving a call telling him that Walt has been arrested. After releasing him, Walt tells Hank that Skyler is divorcing him and doesn't want him near the kids. Later, Hank and the family have dinner without Walt. Hank asks Skyler why she's keeping Walt away from their kids, to which she replies "It's none of your business." Marie tells Hank that she suspects Walt of having an affair ("Caballo Sin Nombre").
Hank later tells his partner, Steve Gomez, that El Paso wants him back. He tells Gomez that errands are delaying his return to El Paso, to which Gomez questions why he isn't jumping at the opportunity to return. After a brief anxiety attack in the bathroom of a bar, he returns to his car to stash his gun before going back to the bar. He picks a fight with two "dirt-balls" and proceeds to beat them up, informing them that he's part of the DEA. Hank is later confronted by ASAC Merkert, stating that, as far as he knows, Hank was confronted when Gomez was outside calling for backup. Gomez tells Hank that he didn't mention putting his gun away before going back inside in his report ("I.F.T.").
Hank starting a bar fight.
Hank is dropped off at the airport by Marie en route to El Paso, but gets a call shortly afterward informing him that the blue meth has returned to the streets of Albuquerque. After a brief questioning of a tweaker in an interrogation room, he is told that the blue meth's source comes from a guy whose name starts with an "M." Gomez, feeling the information is inconsequential, tells Hank he should just report to El Paso, to which Hank replies "I'm getting tired of all the second guessing." After a stern voicemail left by ASAC Merkert informs Hank that the folks in Texas are "breathing down his neck," Hank follows up on the tweaker's lead. He arrives at a gas station, where he convinces the cashier lady to tell him how she got some of the meth. She states that a man with blue eyes and an RV sold it to her, then proceeded to give it to a friend named Matt. Outside, Hank notices a camera on an ATM facing the gas pump before stating "Bingo," When Merkert asks him if he's going to El Paso, Hank tells him no, only due to being on the verge of something big ("Green Light").
Hank continues his search by staking out an RV with Gomez. He climbs up back and peers through a latch on top, only to startle an older couple playing cards. Hank suggests they keep up their search, but Gomez tells him he won't be able to, as he has to pack for El Paso. Back home, Marie asks for him to share his thoughts on Gomez going to El Paso instead of him, saying that it makes sense for him not wanting to return after what happened. Hank shouts that Mexico has nothing to do with it and that the only reason he's staying behind is to pursue leads on Heisenberg. Marie is later seen talking with Skyler on the well-being of her husband.
Back at the office, Hank asks his secretary, Janice, to check the DMV and look for any RVS they may have missed. During Gomez's farewell party, Hank gives him a statuette of Jesús Malverde after learning of his importance back in El Paso. Janice then tells Hank that she found an additional RV whose registration was never renewed, but was never reported as non-operational, stolen, or destroyed. This leads him to the home of Combo's mother, Mrs. Ortega. She tells Hank that she never reported the RV as stolen because she did not want to have her son arrested. In Combo's old room, he finds a picture of him with Jesse Pinkman in a strip club ("Más").
Hank is watching Jesse talk with Skinny Pete and Badger from afar. He gets a call from Marie asking when he'll be home. Hank tells her that he can't return until Jesse gives him a lead. She suggests he give Walt a call, as he might have sold him marijuana at some point. After Hank gives Walt a call about his theory of the RV being a mobile meth lab, Walt realizes Hank suspects Jesse. Hank continues to follow Jesse until he arrives at a junkyard where Walt and Jesse takes the RV. Hank pounds on the RV door, telling Jesse to do things the easy way. After some resistance, Hank attempts to pry the door open with a crowbar before being confronted by Old Joe, informing him that he cannot search the RV without a warrant. After finding bullet holes behind duct tape on the door, he heads back to his car to call ASAC Merkert and ask for a warrant. During this time, Saul's secretary Francesca calls Hank's cell under the guise of a police officer, informing him that his wife was in a terrible car accident as is being taken to the hospital. He leaves immediately and enters the hospital in a panic before getting a call from Marie herself, telling him about dinner plans. Hank immediately realizes he was tricked ("Sunset").
Hank beats up Jesse after he believes he was responsible for the call informing him of Marie's fake hospitalization.
Infuriated, Hank confronts Jesse at his house and proceeded to beat him to a pulp, asking him whom he's working for and how he know his wife's name. After beating him unconscious, Hank realizes he's gone overboard and calls the paramedics. Merkert tells him that he'll want to talk to a lawyer. Later, Hank makes a statement about what happened at the junkyard, but pleads the Fifth in regards to assaulting Jesse. He is informed that Jesse is pressing charges and is asked to have pictures of his hands taken for the record. Hank meets Marie at the elevator and proceeds to break down, composing himself before the door opens.
Back home, Hank refuses to take Marie's advice on lying about his confrontation with Jesse, stating "I'm supposed to be better than that," despite Jesse being a mere 'low-life." He admits to becoming unraveled after his encounter with Tuco Salamanca and decides he's done being a cop. Back at the DEA office, Hank admits to assaulting Jesse, refusing to amend any statements on placing himself or the department in a better light. ASAC Merkert has no choice but to suspend Hank without pay and confiscate his gun. Afterwards, Hank is told by Merkert that Jesse chose not to press charges after all. Hank asks why, to which Merkert replies, "Maybe you have a guardian angel."
Hank before shooting Marco Salamanca in the head.
Relieved and ecstatic, Hank stops by a shopping center to purchase some flowers for his wife, Marie, telling her that everything's going to be alright after all. Shortly before leaving, he receives an ominous call from an electronic voice informing him that he has one minute to leave before two men arrive to kill him. Panicking, he calls Gomez, believing it to be some sort of prank. He reaches for his gun, only to realize it was confiscated. After scanning the area for one minute, Leonel Salamanca appears behind Hank and begins shooting at him from the back of his car. Hank immediately puts his SUV in reverse and floors it, pinning Leonel between another car, despite sustaining a bullet wound to the arm. Marco Salamanca appears from the side and begins firing at Hank, whom grabs the gun Leonel dropped in the backseat and dives out of the car. After Hank escapes, Marco frees Leonel, whom tells him to finish off Hank. While searching for him, Hank gets the drop on Marco, only to have his shots be stopped by a Marco's bulletproof vest. Marco shoots Hank twice in the chest before going back to his car to grab an axe, as shooting him in the head would be "too easy." Meanwhile, Hank spots a bullet dropped by Marco as he was looking for him and loads it into Leonel's gun. Just before Marco returns to swing the axe into Hank's skull, he shoots him in the head, killing him instantly ("One Minute").
Hank is rushed to the hospital via ambulance and is seen being wheeled inside by Jesse, whom was just released. Merkert tells his family that Hank was attacked by two cartel hitman and, despite being shot four times, managed to kill one and critically wound the other. Numerous police officers and DEA agents donate their blood in support of Hank. A doctor announces that Hank is stabilized and out of surgery, but cannot have any visitors. Nonetheless, Marie insists on staying at the hospital. Walter Jr. later shared with his dad a book that Hank gave him about infamous druglord Pablo Escobar. He quotes Hank by stating "Good guys never get ink like the bad guys do." While Hank's family is sleeping in the waiting room, a doctor informs them that he is finally able to have visitors. Hank lies asleep in the room. Marie leans over and kisses his forehead ("I See You").
Hank is hospitalized after his encounter with the Cousins.
Steve Gomez visits Hank in the hospital and shows him a map detailing the blue meth's reappearance. Gomez tells him that he's the only one who saw it coming. Little to reaction is given by Hank due to his current state, however. Later, a more cognitive Hank is having the nerves in his legs tested, noting that feeling seems to be slowly returning. Marie and Skyler are pulled aside by the doctor to discuss Hank's condition, stating that a recovery is stacked against Hank's favor and that therapy could land the couple bankrupt. Despite this, Marie vows to get Hank the best physical therapists she can find ("Kafkaesque").
Hank is seen working with his physical therapist in an electromagnetic patient lifter. He struggles in pain to take another step and forces the lesson to be cut short. Marie later joyfully informs Hank that he'll soon be released, as a hospital bed and the equipment necessary for physical therapy have been installed in their home. Furious, Hank tells her to remove all the equipment from his home and that the only time he'll be leaving the hospital is when he's walking out of it by himself ("Abiquiú").
Marie and Walter Jr. are playing cards with Hank in the hospital. Marie mentions to Walter Jr. that Hank is well enough to leave the hospital, but angrily retorts that he cannot move his legs. Walter Jr. asks him if everyone in a wheelchair or crutches should be in a hospital before asking "Should I be in a hospital?" Hank does nothing but grumble. Marie is later seen giving Hank a sponge bath and playfully bets him that if she can successfully give him an erection using her hands he has to check out. Hoping to get her out of there sooner, Hank agrees, as he feels she's beating a dead horse. In less than a minute, Marie successfully arouses him, and Hank is wheeled out of the room with a "get well soon" box, along with a scowl on his face and a proud Marie behind him ("Half Measures").
Season 4
Hank, now bedridden at home, is seen bidding on a magnesite crystal online when Marie begins to praise his progress in physical therapy. He dismisses her compliment, stating that he's only covered 16 feet in 20 minutes. Humiliated, he asks her for his bedpan ("Box Cutter"). Marie finds Hank up late at night examining the minerals he's been collecting. When she mentions how late it is, he dismissively informs her that there are other bedrooms in the house. During another session of physical therapy, Hank pushes through the routine on the way to his bedroom, indicating great improvement. Elated, Marie begins to complement him, but once the therapist leaves, he coldly tells her to get out. The next day, a deliveryman arrives with numerous boxes of minerals. Hank asks Marie to check the boxes for damage, to which she replies, "They're rocks!" Hank corrects her by stating that they're minerals and that some of them are very delicate ("Thirty-Eight Snub").
Hank, still bedridden, meets with Tim Roberts.
Hank is seen watching porn when Marie returns home. He promptly turns off the TV as Marie begins to unpack her shopping. Among the items is a figurine she stole, indicating that her kleptomania has returned and that Hank's hostility towards her is likely the reason. Hank later receives a phone call from Marie when she's arrested for stealing from an open house, infuriated that she's "doing this to [him] again." He tells her to sit tight while he makes a call. Later that day, APD Detective Tim Roberts, a colleague of Hank's, pays him a visit after he helps get Marie out of the police station. As a way to repay the favor, he asks for Hank's help in solving the recent murder of Gale Boetticher, speculating that the notes he has from a copy of Gale's notebook indicate a meth superlab. Hank dismisses Tim's favor as "charity," but nonetheless he halfheartedly agrees to help. Once Tim leaves, he tosses the notes on a pile of minerals and begins to watch TV. Later that night, Hank is unable to sleep. Out of boredom and curiosity, he begins to look through Gale's notebook ("Open House").
Hank invites the Whites over for dinner. During their stay, he shows a DVD of Gale Boetticher performing karaoke to Walt and Walter Jr., during which he laughs uncontrollably with Walter Jr. while Walt stares in shock. At dinner, Walt and Skyler confess to Walt having a 'gambling addiction' that landed him hundreds of thousands in winnings, explaining how they're able to afford to pay for Hank's treatment. Later, Hank goes to check up on Walt after he left to go to the bathroom (unbeknownst to him that Walt wanted to dig through Gale's lab notes in Hank's room). When he runs into him in the hallway, Hank offers to hear Walt out if he ever has any issues with gambling. In turn, Walt offers the same pertaining to anything Hank might want to share with him in regards to casework. Hank and Walt are then shown in his bedroom, discussing the files. Hank believes Gale was the infamous 'Heisenberg,' showing regret in not being the one to catch him red handed and cuff him. Hank indicates that the operation must have been making hundreds of pounds of meth weekly, if not more. Hank shows a quote written by Gale dedicated an unknown 'W.W' to Walt. Walt concludes that it was addressed to Walt Whitman, whom Gale was a fan of ("Bullet Points").
Hank and Walter Jr. laugh at Gale's karaoke video as Walt stares lifelessly.
Tim Roberts visits Hank once more. Hank is joking about the odd personality displayed in Gale's notes, stating "it's like Scarface had sex with Mr. Rogers." He reveals that Jesse and Badger were the only people directly tied to the blue meth that he knows of. After revealing he has a 'history with Jesse, Hank says that he doesn't think Jesse was the murderer. After finding closure in seeing Gale - the man he thinks is Heisenberg - dead, he states to Tim that he's done with the research.
Hank and Marie have the Whites over for dinner again, where Walt is becoming increasingly drunk off of wine. Hank complements Walt on his gambling skills, only to be scolded by Marie for enabling him. When Walter Jr. asks Hank about the Boetticher case, he states that he's no longer looking into it. He states that Gale was truly a master at his craft and a genius who could've been something great had he put his talents to good use. Annoyed and tipsy, Walt dismisses the notes as likely being copies of someone else's work, telling Hank that the true mastermind might still be at large. And thus, Walt's hubris pushes Hank to pick up the case once more. The next morning, Hank tells Marie that he's continuing to look into the Boetticher case after apologizing for making a mess, indicating that his attitude towards her has been greatly reduced since returning to his usual line of work. Hank notices a leaflet from Los Pollos Hermanos in one of the pictures of Gale's house, with numbers and letters scribbled on the bottom. He asks Marie, "Since when do vegans eat fried chicken?" ("Shotgun").
Walter Jr. drives Hank to Los Pollos Hermanos, where Hank has a brief chat with Gus Fring, who recognizes him from his charity with with the DEA. Gus refills Hank's soda and offers to pay for any future meals, even offering Walter Jr. a job if he were to ever be interested. Hank thanks him and proceeds to slip the cup into an evidence bag once Gus is gone and stashes under the car seat.
Hank meets with Steven Gomez and ASAC George Merkert at the DEA office. He describes the murder of Gale Boetticher and hypothesizes that he was Heisenberg's cook. The lettering scribbled on Gale's Los Pollos Hermanos were the parts number for an industrial air-filtration system that Gale took part in delivering. Hank mentions that the unit is perfect for the "biggest meth lab north of the border." In addition, the manufacturer of the air-filtration unit, German-based Madrigal Electromotive, has a stake in Los Pollos Hermanos. He states that a vegan such as Gale would have no business going to a chicken restaurant unless he was meeting with somebody, deducing that Gustavo Fring might just be the guy. When Merkert tells Hank that he's really reaching, Hank brings out both the soda cup Gus held earlier and prints from the crime scene, indicating that they are one and the same and questions why Gus was ever at Gale's apartment ("Problem Dog").
Hank and other members of the APD and DEA questioning Gus.
Hank meets with the APD and DEA when Gus Fring is summoned to the APD headquarters for questioning. Gus states that Gale was the winner of a chemistry scholarship Gus established in honor of his late friend Maximino Arciniega. Gus continued by stating that Gale reconnected with him and, after inviting him over for dinner, offered a business proposal to him that he promptly declined. Hank wasn't buying his alibi, however. Hank asks if Fring was his real name and proceeds to reveal to his colleagues that Gus emigrated as a Chilean national in 1986 and has no official records of himself from Chile, to which Gus explains was a result of unreliable records under the Pinochet dictatorship. After Gus leaves, Hank's colleagues seem convinced. Hank, on the other hand, finds it strange that a man who strongly supports local law enforcement didn't come forward on a murder case he's clearly aware of. The head detective informs Hank that they cannot go around investigating people on the grounds that they haven't volunteered any information.
Later at dinner, Marie brings up Hank's meeting as being something secretive, to which Hank quickly changes the subject. He asks Walt if he could drive him to a mineral show the next day, to which Walt agrees. During the drive, Hank reveals that where he really wants to go is Los Pollos Hermanos. He shares with Walt that he thinks Gus Fring is a major drug distributor and asks Walt to plant a bug on his car. After some time trying to convince Walt, he reluctantly goes to plant the bug, but not before going inside to buy a drink. As Walt returns, he goes back to actually plant the bug, much to Hank's dismay over Walt's clumsiness. Walt explains to him that he was checking to see if the device was firmly planted ("Hermanos").
Hank checking the bug he had Walt plant on Gus Fring's car.
After some time, Walt takes Hank back to Los Pollos Hermanos and retrieves the bug for him. Hank shares disappointment that Walt didn't go inside this time, as he was hoping for a vanilla milkshake. Upon checking the GPS data at home, he notices that Gus has only gone between his home and one Los Pollos Hermanos restaurant. Hank commends Gus for being either squeaky clean or very careful, wondering how he could catch him. Hank later proposes to Walt that they drive out to what he believes to be Gus Fring's drug distribution center, but Walt fakes an illness, delaying the trip ("Bug").
Hank and Walt eventually find themselves watching Gus's factory farm in hopes of getting a lead. Hank mentions that a big cartel incident involving many deaths occurred in Mexico before bringing up Walt's bruised face. He lets Walt know that if he's in over his head with his gambling issue, he is the first guy he should come to. As the two head out another day for the farm once more, Hank tells Walt to take a different direction and instead tells him to drive to a local industrial laundromat. He informs him of the connections the laundromat has between Madrigal Electromotive, Gus Fring's operation, and Gale Boetticher and fully believes it to be the location of the superlab. Walt, panicking from Hank's sudden state of knowledge, deliberately drives past the laundromat and into oncoming traffic. Luckily, all Hank needed from the crash was a neck brace. He mentions back at home that he's getting a car that can be driven without using floor pedals and makes fun of Walt's driving abilities. Later, Marie gets a call (set up by Walt) stating that Hank's life is in danger by the cartel and, in a panic, informs Skyler of the attack ("Crawl Space").
Skyler and her kids have taken shelter with Hank and Marie at the Schrader residence. After some arguing, Hank tells everyone to calm down and claims that this threat was only because of his insistence on tracking Gustavo Fring's operations. Gomez finally agrees to help Hank with the investigation. Hank is later seen looking at clean photos of the laundromat, frustrated that his investigation seemed to have lead nowhere ("End Times").
Steve Gomez returns to Hank's house and informs him that Hector Salamanca wants to speak only to him. At the office, Hector only attempts to spell out insults to Hank before he stops him. Hank, feeling the encounter was a waste of his time, jokes that he at least "didn't shit himself this time," ("Face Off").
Season 5
After Gus's death, Hank surveys the remains of the superlab in awe that he was correct, but anger that it wasn't him who brought him down ("Live Free or Die"). George Merkert, Hank's boss, gets forced out as ASAC and the job given to Hank after the unheard success of his fixation with Gus. After Walt and Jesse's magnet heist revealed bank accounts for Gus's associates, Hank becomes obsessed with following Mike Ehrmantraut to track down the loose ends of Gus' Drug Empire ("Madrigal"). He is informed by his boss multiple times that he is to suspend the Fring/Ehrmantraut investigation, but he asks Steven Gomez to keep following Mike. He and Marie offer to take the kids from Skyler and Walt as they sort out their marital issues ("Fifty-One").
One morning, Walt talks with Hank about Skyler and begins crying. Hank excuses himself to get coffee and while he is along, Walt bugs Hank's office ("Dead Freight"). Jesse and Mike use the bug to plan their next big move which is to sell their methylamine to Declan. Mike does this by issuing a restraining order against Hank, which pisses him off("Buyout") . After Walt thwarts Mike's deal with Declan and replaces it with his own, Mike retires with his $5 million but his house is searched by Hank and the DEA, who turn up nothing. Hank is instructed by his boss to end the Fring/Ehrmantraut case for once and for all, but they manage to track Mike's lawyer who is giving cash to the henchmen's families ("Say My Name").
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Hank investigating Gus' Drug Empire
Without incoming funds, the henchmen begin itching for deals with the DEA. Since there are 10 men, Hank had his pick of the litter for which deal he wanted to make. Walt, however, makes a move and has all ten get shanked in jail within the same two minute span. Three days after the attack, Hank and Walt share a drink and Hank wonders if his first job, a backbreaking outdoor job was better than his current job of "hunting monsters". Weeks later at a cookout at the White's, Hank excuses himself to use the restroom, where he finds a copy of Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman while searching for reading material. Hank notices that the inside cover was signed by "G.B." and addressed to "my other favorite W.W." Remembering his conversation with Walter, in which the two joked that the "W.W." mentioned in Gale Boetticher's notes referred to Walter White, Hank comes to the shocking realization that his brother-in-law was the Heisenberg he has been chasing all along ("Gliding Over All").
Hank exits the bathroom, stunned and transformed. He stows Leaves of Grass in his bag, returns to the poolside, and departs the get-together with Marie, claiming that he feels sick. The overwhelming realization of how Walter has deceived, endangered, and crippled them all blurs Hank’s vision and steals his breath, causing him to careen off the road and hit a neighbor's mailbox. Hank, fuming with rage, shame, and vertigo, is left panicked and gasping. Armed with this new lead, Hank decides to take time off work and revisit all the evidence boxes relating to the blue meth, Heisenberg, and the drug empire of Gustavo Fring. Suddenly, the boxes of evidence tell a whole new story. Hank even peers at the surveillance video of the methylamine precursor theft, and the grainy figures now clearly resolve into Walt and Jesse ("Blood Money").
Walter later discovers that Leaves of Grass is missing, connects the dots to Hank's discomfort, and confirms his suspicions by finding a tracking device on his car. Walt travels to Hank's house, where they meet in the garage. After some cordial discussion, Walt brings up the GPS device, all but sneering at Hank for his clumsy use of the same tracking device the two of them planted on Fring’s car. Hank closes the garage door, enraged, and punches Walt in the face, shouting his knowledge of Walt's true criminal nature. Walt does not seem worried, and warns a shaken, awestruck Hank: "If you don’t know who I am, maybe your best course of action is to tread lightly." Walter argues that he will be dead from cancer before the law will see him put behind bars. Furthermore, the fragile peace they've achieved is built on death and deceit, but it still might be better than the alternative. Hank - who, having been crippled and unmanned in Walt's quest for power, still desires vengeance on Heisenberg as the key to reclaiming his self - is left to contemplate his next move ("Blood Money").
Hank confronts Walt about the atrocities Walt has done under the name Heisenberg.
As soon as Walt leaves Hank's house, both parties are frantically attempting to call Skyler, with Hank reaching her first and asking her to meet up in a local coffee shop to talk about everything.
When they meet, Hank's demeanor is initially comforting and respectful, but soon changes to demanding and hasty as Skyler begins to see that Hank's true intention seems to be apprehending Walt rather than the welfare of the extended family. After repeatedly asking if she is under arrest, to which Hank does not directly answer, Skyler angrily leaves the premises leaving Hank to ponder his next move once more.
Some time later, Hank sends Marie to speak with Skyler but after a short but tense confrontation, he leaves with Marie who now also sees what Walt has done to her sister. Hank tells Marie that he requries concrete proof of his brother-in-law being Heisenberg but if he tells the office that it is Walt, his career will be over due to his familial relationship with the man.
Hank returns to the DEA office, where he is notified by Steven Gomez that Jesse has been mindlessly throwing large amounts of money around Albuquerque. Meeting with the two agents who spoke to Jesse when Brock was poisoned, Hank suggests that he speak to Jesse to see what information he can draw from him. He then enters the interrogation room where Jesse remains silent ("Buried").
Hank fails to extract any information from Jesse, and a short time later he meets with Walt and Skyler. At the meeting he accuses Walt of being weak and that his only option is to admit all of the bad things he has done. Walt leaves a DVD on the table and departs with Skyler.
Upon watching the DVD, Hank and Marie realize that this is not a confession, as Walt speaks of how Hank is the mastermind behind his drug empire and that he was held against his will as a chemist, while Hank used his connections to the DEA. Walt references several events that did occur and ties them in to the story (such as the attempt on Hank's life by Gus, as well as the mark left by Hank when he punched Walt), weaving an increasingly believable web. Hank finds out that Walt and Skyler paid for his medical bills when he was shot by The Cousins as Marie did not know it was drug money when she accepted it from Skyler. He claims that this has killed him, and that this is the last nail in the coffin. At the DEA offices, Hank calls off Gomez's guys as they are watching Saul's office. He decides to leave his office, cancelling a meeting in the process ("Confessions").
Later, Jesse careens Saul's car into Walt's driveway and snorts some meth before storming into the house with a gas can. He douses the living room with gasoline and attempts to spark a lighter. Hank bursts through the door and stops him. "You wanna burn him down?" Hank offers to Jesse. "Let's do it together."
Hank buckles Jesse into his car, and drives away just before Walt's car pulls around the corner, in a near miss. Hank suggests that things will go easier for Jesse if he agrees to act as a witness. Jesse scoffs, reminding Hank of the brutal deaths of the last witnesses against Walt in the local prisons. Hank meets Marie at the door when she arrives home and attempts to send her on an impromptu spa trip. Refusing, she demands to know why he's trying to get her out of the house. Hank shows Marie the guest bedroom, where Jesse is fast asleep. He launches into a lengthy explanation about why their house is the safest place for Jesse. Marie interrupts, and asks if having Jesse there will be bad for Walt. "Very," Hank confirms. "Good," she replies. "I'm staying. I'll heat up lasagna." Jesse's cell phone rings. Hank checks the voicemail and listens to Walt's message, a plan already forming in his mind ("Rabid Dog").
Jesse wakes up to find Hank and Gomez waiting for him in the Schraders' living room. "You're never gonna catch him with a camcorder," Jesse says as Hank sets up a video camera. He argues that it's his word against Walt's, now that Walt is retired. Hank waves off Jesse's misgivings, and asks him to describe on camera everything he remembers about Walt's business dealings and criminal activity. Afterward, Gomez tells Hank privately that he believes Jesse, but agrees that they have no physical evidence against Walt. He's at a loss as to how to proceed: should they pursue Lydia, Vamonos Pest, or maybe the Drew Sharp case? "I say we start with this," Hank answers, pulling out Jesse's cell phone.
Hank plays Jesse the voicemail that Walt left him, in which Walt asks Jesse to meet him at noon the next day in Albuquerque's Civic Plaza "to talk." Jesse balks, suspecting that Walt will kill him at the meeting. "He's the devil," Jesse insists. Hank admits that Jesse's right, but points out how much Walt seems to care for Jesse. He argues Walt would never try anything in public, and doesn't allow Jesse to refuse. While Jesse is in the bathroom, Gomez tells Hank that he agrees with the kid: Walt might be setting a trap. Hank is unperturbed. "Pinkman gets killed?" he shrugs. "We get it all on tape" ("Rabid Dog").
Later at Civic Plaza, Gomez sets up surveillance while Hank tapes a wire to Jesse's chest. After giving him a quick pep-talk, Hank ushers Jesse out into the Plaza. Jesse nervously approaches the meeting point and spots Walt sitting on a bench. Nearby, a hard-looking dude in a leather jacket is surveying the crowd. Suspecting he's a hired gun, and seemingly with new purpose, Jesse veers away and heads to a pay phone, where he calls Walt and then departs. Hank hurtles toward Jesse and forces him into the car, blasting him for backing out of the meeting. "There's another way to get him," Jesse promises. "A better way" ("Rabid Dog").
Jesse gives Hank the idea to go after Walt's money, which Hank likes. Hank goes to Saul's assistant, Huell, and tells him that Walt has gone crazy and killed Jesse, showing him a photo of what seems like Jesse with his brains across the floor. Huell gets worried and tells them all he did was help him move some barrels filled with money. That gives Hank an idea. Hank buys a barrel, and with the help of Jesse fills it up with some money, and Jesse sends a photo to Walt, Walt not knowing the photo was a fake.
Walt rushes to where his money is buried, as Hank, Jesse and Gomez follow not far behind. When Walt gets there he realizes Jesse had just manipulated him, and runs behind a rock and calls Todd and Jack, saying he found Jesse and needs backup. He then sees Jesse get out of the car with Hank and Steve and calls off Todd and Jack. He hangs up the phone and gives himself up. Hank handcuffs him, and puts him in the car. Hank tells Steve he is going to call the police to come and dig up the money, but instead (or before he was going to) he calls Marie, and tells her "I finally got him" as she smiles in the phone. Neither is aware that those will be the last time that they will ever talk to each other. Just as he hangs up, two cars come from a distance, then you realize its Jack and Todd, and Jack's crew. Immediately, both sides face off into a stand-off. Despite being heavily outnumbered and outgunned, and facing almost certain death, Hank stands his ground. ("To'hajiilee")
Hank during his final moments.
As the next episode starts, you see Hank with a bullet wound in the leg, his gun empty, and his partner, Steve Gomez, lying on the ground dead. Hank, realizing how lost the situation is, sees Steve's gun out in the open and makes a desperate crawl to it (despite the fact that there was absolutely no way Hank could have taken them all out before being killed, even with the gun), but as soon as he's about to reach it, Jack's foot is on it. They're about to shoot Hank as Walt screams for them to stop and comes out of the car trying to bargain with Jack to let him live, even offering his money, but Hank smarts off to Jack, knowing full well that the murderous gang leader will never let him walk out of the desert alive and can now get his hands on Walt's money either way.
Hank is executed by Jack.
In his final moments, Hank states to Walt; “You want me to beg? You’re the smartest guy I ever met, and you’re too stupid to see—he made up his mind ten minutes ago.” Hank then looks over to Jack and tells him "Do what you're gonna do", before Jack shoots him in the head, killing him. After Jack's gang digs up Walt's money, Hank is buried alongside Gomez in the middle of the Tohajiilee Navajo reservation. In a sad and ironic twist, they are buried in the same hole Walt had dug to hide his money in, a symbolic representation of the same greed and violence that they had fought against as DEA agents. Ironically, despite ultimately failing to arrest Walt and being murdered, he gets his revenge on Walt and exposes his criminal activities to the world, as Marie (unaware of his death), forces Skyler to reveal the truth to Walt Jr, and the news of his death finally causes Skyler to turn on Walt, something Hank had tried to convince her to do numerous times. He is later mourned by his sister-in-law, nephew and widow (and, presumably, all his fellow DEA agents) after Walt takes credit for the deed. ("Ozymandias").
When Walt returns to Albuquerque, he meets with Skyler, and gives her the lottery ticket containing the co-ordinates to where Hank and Gomez were buried. Both Hank and Steve's deaths were avenged by Walt, who kills Jack in the same manner that he killed Hank and kills his entire crew as well ("Felina"). It can be assumed that due to Skyler getting the coordinates to the burial site, Hank and Steve's bodies would be recovered by the DEA and given a proper burial.
Personality and traits
- "Hank is a dogged investigator who is going to be sorely disappointed when he finds out who he's been chasing all this time."
- ―Vince Gilligan
Hank in Season 4
Boisterous and outspoken by nature, Hank can sometimes come off as rude or insensitive to the viewer or to other characters. His cavalier attitude causes him to believe that having friends and co-workers of color gives him a free pass to call Mexicans "beaners," and that working for the government entitles him to certain contraband perks, like Cuban cigars. In some ways, Hank is introduced as the antithesis of Walt, in a good way: he's popular, cheerful, successful, and constantly bragging about his skills. Walt dislikes it when Walter Jr. looks up to Hank, yet he loves Hank on some grudging level, at one point making it very clear to Saul that Hank is family. Hank has shown himself to be a good law enforcement agent and competent investigator who was able to expose Gustavo Fring for what he truly was. Despite his skills, Hank's image of Walt as a mild-mannered chemistry teacher blinded him from discovering, for a whole year, that the mysterious drug kingpin "Heisenberg" he was pursuing so vigorously was under his nose the whole time (although, admittedly, Walt's cunning schemes and lies to cover his tracks can be credited for Hank's continued ignorance as well).
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In the course of his work, Hank is promoted to the prestigious yet more dangerous base in El Paso, Texas from Albuquerque for a short time, but experiences a traumatic event courtesy of the Mexican drug cartels and moves back to Albuquerque. This experience leaves him with enduring, debilitating anxiety attacks. These attacks, which reveal a more vulnerable side to Hank that he tends to disguise, increase in intensity after two brutal members, The Cousins, ambush Hank leave him with a debilitating injury. After the Cousins' shootout, Walt realizes he's partly responsible for Hank's situation and thus saves him from Gus by the end of season 4.
Hank has a cavalier exterior, but the dark side of his job affects him more than he cares to admit. Despite his considerable shortcomings, Hank is basically a good-hearted family man. Although he is loud and opinionated, he is competent at his job and, before learning Walt's secret and Skyler's complicity, cared deeply about his in-laws. Hank brews his own beer, which he has named "Schraderbräu", in his garage, and enjoys playing fantasy football. Hank drives a midnight blue 2006 Jeep Commander until he is attacked by the Cousins. After he is well enough to drive, he drives a silver 2011 Dodge Durango. During his incapacitation following the attack by the Salamanca cousins, Hank started collecting minerals as a hobby. On several occasions, he irritably corrected people (especially Marie) when they referred to this activity as "rock collecting" ("Thirty-Eight Snub").
When Hank finally finds out that Walt is the meth kingpin and mastermind "Heisenberg" he has been searching for, he feels betrayed, humiliated, and vengeful towards Walt, swearing he will put Walt "under the jail." He plots even more feverishly to destroy Walt, trying to gather the evidence from Skyler and trying to persuade Jesse to give Walt up. Hank's single mission in life becomes trying to get Walt to pay for his crimes, and he becomes deeply invested in making sure Walt doesn't die of cancer before he can be convicted. Even after being blackmailed into silence by Walt and Skyler, Hank refuses to give up and continues to try and find a way to put Walt behind bars. Despite knowing that exposing and arresting Walt would mean the end of his DEA career, due to Walt operating for so long beneath his nose, he continues anyway. Jesse, furious at Walt for other reasons, forges an uneasy alliance with Hank, and Hank allows Jesse to stay at his house, seeing him as his only option of bringing Walt down and refuses to risk his safety by putting him in DEA protection. Hank's strong desire to bring Walt down is evident when Jesse states that he is afraid Walt will kill him at a proposed meeting and after leaving the room, Gomez is worried that the "kid" might be right about the meet being a trap and Hank corrected Gomez by saying "Oh, you mean the junkie murderer?" Hank clearly believes Jesse is just as guilty as Walt is for the crimes they have committed (most notably the Gale murder, and the manufacturing of crystal meth under Walt's drug empire). Hank tells Gomez that if Walt does kill Jesse, at least they'll get it on tape, showing that he does not care for Jesse much and is willing to sacrifice him in order to catch Walt. After tricking Walter into leading them to the location of his buried drug money and confessing to a multitude of his crimes, Hank finally succeeds at his mission to bring his brother in law to justice and is filled with joy. Unfortunately, this is short lived as Hank is almost immediately caught in a gunfight with Jack and his gang, whom Walt had called to rescue him, leaving him wounded and defeated.
Even in his final moments, Hank maintained his composure and a remarkable display of courage, even though Jack sadistically played along to Walt's offer that he would spare Hank if he agreed to let them go. Hank saw through this facade and refused to sacrifice his dignity and beg Jack for his life. He possibly gains back some small amount of respect for Walt, due to his pleading for his life and no hesitation of offering up his money to save his life, despite everything Hank had done to Walt to try and take him down. To this end, Hank accepted his death despite Walt's pleas, knowing full well that Jack intended to kill him anyway. Hank met his fate with the same disposition that he carried throughout his life. This is a direct contrast to Jack himself, who lacked the intuition Hank possessed and attempted to save his own life by attempting to bribe Walt with the promise of telling him the location of his money when faced with death, even though Walt had already made up his mind for revenge after Jack killed Hank.
Notable kills
- Tuco Salamanca: Shot in the forehead in self-defense.
- Marco Salamanca: Shot in the face in self-defense.
Quotes
- "So be on notice: We got new players in town. Now we don’t know who they are or where they came from, but they possess an extremely high skill set. Me personally, I think Albuquerque might just have a new kingpin."
- ―Hank talking to his DEA team about Heisenberg's arrival.
- "Chick’s got an ass like an onion… makes me wanna cry."
- ―Hank after meeting Principal Carmen.
- "I've been...unraveling, y'know? I don't sleep at night anymore. I freeze, I freeze up. My chest gets all tight, I can't breathe. Just...I panic [...] What I did to Pinkman...that's not who I'm supposed to be. All this, everything that's happened, I swear to God, Marie, I think the universe is trying to tell me something and I'm finally ready to listen. I'm just not the man I thought I was. I think I'm done as a cop."
- ―Hank talking to his wife, Marie.
- "I walked sixteen feet in twenty minutes, which is up from like fifteen-and-a-half yesterday. And I had maybe this much less shit in my pants. So, yeah, Marie, if you and him and everybody else in America secretly took a vote and changed the meaning of the entire English language, yeah, I guess I broke new ground."
- ―Hank while recovering from The Cousins' attack.
- "It was you. All along, it was you! You son of a bitch. You drove into traffic to keep me from that laundry. That call I got telling me Marie was in the hospital...that wasn't Pinkman. You had my cell number. You killed ten witnesses to save your sorry ass. You bombed a nursing home. Heisenberg. Heisenberg! You lying, two-face sack of shit."
- ―Hank confronting Walt.
- "I swear to Christ..... I will put you under the jail."
- ―Hank threatening Walt.
- Walter: "Hank my cancer is back."
- Hank: "Good. Rot you son of a bitch."
- ―Hank to Walt after learning of his cancer's return[src]
- "Skyler, my-- my head is spinning. And yours I-- I can't even imagine. So much makes sense to me now. You jumping in the pool, you sending us your kids, I get it. I just wished I'd seen it sooner. He's a monster. He's a Look, I don't know what he did to you to force you to keep his secrets. If he threatened you, or whatever mind games he played. I don't know if there was abuse. But I want you to know that you can be open with me. Don't hold anything back, okay? I mean, I don't even-- understand if you know the full extent of this, what he's done. Not just the meth cooking, but the lives he's destroyed. But, look, that's all behind you. Starting now. You're done being his victim. Because here's what we're gonna do. Sky. Here's what we're gonna do. You and the kids are gonna move back to our house where you'll be safe, where he can't get to you."
- ―Hank to Skyler about Walt.
- Hank: "I mean, you see, building a case this big, gathering all this evidence, enough to get a conviction, we're talking a long-haul proposition here, and I don't want that bastard running out the clock. But with your testimony--"
- Skyler: "Wait, what do you mean running out the clock?"
- Hank: "His cancer. His cancer's back. So he said. He didn't tell you? Who's to say it's even true? Lying piece of shit."
- ―Hank to Skyler about Walt.[src]
- "Look, the day I go in with this, it's the last day of my career, Marie. I'm going to have to walk in there, look those people in the eye and admit that the person I've been chasing the past year is my own brother-in-law. It's over for me. Ten seconds after I tell this story, I'm a civilian. Then how can we help Skyler if she comes to her senses? When I go in there, I'm bringing proof. Not suspicion. I can be the man who caught him, at least."
- ―Hank to Marie.
- Walter: "This investigation, Hank-- Do you realize what this will do to him? Hearing these things?"
- Hank: "He's gonna hear it when I kick in your front door and arrest you."
- ―Hank to Walt about Walter Jr.[src]
- Walter: "Look, Junior just found out that my cancer is back. He's already facing the idea of living without his father. To put this on top of that? It's just not right."
- Hank: "I swear to God, you start throwing the word "right" at me- (...) Was it right to run a drug empire?"
- Walter: "There is no drug empire."
- Hank: "Lying to your son, to all of us-- is that right?"
- ―Walter and Hank arguing.[src]
- "No, it's not a solution. He's not getting off that easy."
- ―Hank after hearing Marie's suggestion for Walt to kill himself.
- Hank: "Both of you think you're just gonna walk away from this thing? Never gonna happen."
- Walter: "That is not what we're saying--"
- Hank: "Enough with the bullshit. You're not gonna negotiate your way out of this thing. There's only one solution-- step up, be a man, and admit what you've done. That's it. There is no other option."
- ―Hank threatening Walt and Skyler.[src]
- Jesse: "He can't keep getting away with it! He can't keep getting away with it!"
- Hank: "He won't. You really wanna burn him down? Let's do it together."
- ―Hank to Jesse about working together to take Walt down.[src]
- Gomez: "What if the kid's right? What if it's a trap?"
- Hank: ""The kid"? Oh, you mean the junkie murderer that's dribbling all over my guest bathroom floor? Well, then, he's right. Pinkman gets killed, and we get it all on tape."
- ―Hank to Gomez about Jesse,[src]
- "Walter White, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney and have an attorney present during any questioning. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you at the government's expense. Do you understand these rights as I have just recited them to you?"
- ―Hank reading Walt is Miranda rights after finally catching him.
- Hank: "Hey, baby. I got him. Dead to rights."
- Marie: "You got Walt?"
- Hank: "Yeah. I got him in handcuffs as we speak. Want me to wave to him for you? Huh? Well, he's not, uh-- he's not feeling too friendly."
- ―Hank to Marie about catching Walt.[src]
- Hank: "Things are gonna be a little rough for the next couple weeks, but they'll get better. Baby, you okay?"
- Marie: "I'm much better now."
- Hank: "I gotta go. It may be awhile before I get home. I love you."
- Marie: "I love you too."
- ―Hank and Marie during their final conversation.[src]
- Jack: "How about it, Hank? Should I let you go?"
- Hank: "My name is ASAC Schrader. And you can go fuck yourself."
- ―Hank refusing Jack's "offer" to be let go.[src]
- "You want me to beg? You’re the smartest guy I ever met, and you’re too stupid to see—he made up his mind ten minutes ago."
- ―Hank's final words to Walt.
- "Do what you're gonna do—"
- ―Hank's final words before being executed by Jack.
Appearances
Breaking Bad
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||
| Season 2 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||
| Season 3 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Season 4 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Season 5A | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||
| Season 5B | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Trivia
- Hank wears his wristwatch on his right wrist as seen in the final scene of Problem Dog and many other episodes.
- On the spec script of the Pilot, his last name was Weld.
- Hank is the only character besides Walt and Steve Gomez to have shared a scene with every main character.
- Hank's blood type is O negative.
- Both of Hank's onscreen kills are headshots. Ironically, he is killed by a headshot.
- Hank has been in three gunfights throughout the series due to Walt. The first was the gun battle with Tuco Salamanca, as Hank was trying to track down Walt after his mysterious disappearance. The second was the shootout with Marco & Leonel Salamanca, who were hunting Walt due to the death of Tuco, and diverted to Hank by Gus. The third and final shootout was the battle with Jack's White Supremacist Gang, whom Walt had called to come rescue him due to Walt thinking Jesse had come to kill him and came anyway despite Walt calling them off.
- Hank's vehicles include:
- Hank was shot 6 times over the course of the series:
- Shot once in the arm by Leonel Salamanca ("One Minute")
- Shot three times by Marco Salamanca, once in the back, once in the stomach and once in the chest ("One Minute")
- Shot once in the leg by a member of Jack's White Supremacist Gang (off screen between To'hajiilee and Ozymandias)
- Shot fatally in the head by Jack Welker ("Ozymandias")
Video
