"Open House" is the third episode from the fourth season of Breaking Bad and the thirty-sixth episode altogether.
Summary[]
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While preparing for another cook in the superlab, Walt hears a whirring sound. He looks up to see that a motion tracking surveillance camera has been installed above the lab, allowing Gus to watch his every move. Furious, Walt walks up to the camera and gives it the middle finger.
Act I[]
Frustrated that Walt won't return her calls, Skyler visits his apartment and rings the doorbell incessantly. When she calls his cell phone, she hears it ringing from inside the apartment. She demands that they discuss buying the car wash; Walt replies that he's facing far more pressing matters. Noticing the bruise on Walt's face from Mike's beating, she tells him to go to the police and confess to them in exchange for protection, which Walt dismisses. When she presses for details, Walt admits he got into a minor disagreement with a colleague over a "business strategy," and refuses to turn to the authorities for such a "minor incident." Skyler makes Walt promise to inform her if he's ever in danger.
Marie attends a residential open house, giving a fake name and conjured life details. After she arrives home, Marie unpacks her shopping, along with a figurine she stole from the open house; her kleptomania has resurfaced.
Act II[]
In the superlab, Walt complains about the surveillance camera to Jesse, who just shrugs it off. He asks if Walt would like to race go-karts with him after work. Walt, confused and uninterested, says he has other plans. He then asks Jesse how he's doing and if there's anything he should know. Jesse denies the request to discuss matters openly, then points to Walt's bruised eye and asks Walt the same question. Before he leaves, Jesse tells Walt that those who get hit a lot get used to it after a while.
After work at Walt's apartment, Saul pitches the prospect of using the Zen Nail Spa as their front for laundering Walt's money. Walt thinks that the nail spa is the safer option, believing that the car wash is a bad idea, although Skyler insists the car wash is the best option. Walt then mentions that they don't need to buy Bogdan's car wash as there are other car washes in town. Skyler retorts that it has to be Bogdan's because she wants to get back at him for being condescending to her and rude to Walt. Walt asks her how he was rude to him, and Skyler replies that Bogdan questions Walt's manhood for "sending his woman" to buy the car wash instead of being "man enough" to do it himself. Offended, Walt changes his mind and insists to Saul that they buy Bogdan's car wash.
Marie visits another open house, presenting another persona, and admires the owner's collection of souvenir spoons. After Marie leaves, the agent, Stephanie, notices that one of the spoons is missing. That evening, Jesse races go-karts alone, shouting at the top of his lungs as he takes a curve. He arrives home to a meth party that's spiraling out of control, with people fighting, having sex, stealing his stuff, and vandalizing the house. Jesse sits down, lights a cigarette, and impassively watches the chaos, relishing in the noise.
Act III[]
Marie attends another open house with yet another life story, but tries to exit quickly when Stephanie recognizes her. Stephanie confronts Marie outside and they tussle over Marie's purse, the agent already having called the police. The purse falls to the ground, dumping the contents, including a silver picture frame that Marie had just taken from this open house. Marie is arrested and calls Hank from the police station. Hank then has his police friend Tim Roberts handle the situation for him. Tim tells Marie that the homeowners are not pressing charges. When asked if she's ready to go home, Marie breaks down sobbing.
While giving Holly a bubble bath, Skyler is struck by an idea and calls Saul. Soon after, Patrick Kuby, a man claiming to be an EPA agent, talks with Bogdan outside the car wash. Kuby presents Bogdan with multiple water samples that he claims are full of contaminants. Kuby, in actuality an associate of Saul, has Skyler coaching him through a Bluetooth earpiece, where he cites multiple environmental statutes being violated and that the car wash must be shut down until the filtration system can be replaced, which would cost Bogdan $200,000. When Bogdan refuses to comply, Kuby notifies him that he would be fined heavily every day that the car wash remains operational without the filtration system fixed, leaving Bogdan frustrated.
Act IV[]
Hank is visited by Tim, who solicits his help in the Gale Boetticher case. Showing Hank a copy of Gale's notebook, Tim speculates that it pertains to a methamphetamine superlab. Hank dismisses Tim's overture and tells him to give it to Steven Gomez, but Tim replies that doing so would cause him to lose the case as the investigation would now become a DEA case. Tim tells Hank that he wants Hank's help, and Hank halfheartedly agrees to review the notebook. As Tim leaves the Schrader residence, Hank disregards the notebook and continues watching TV.
At the White residence, Walt and Skyler wait anxiously to see if Bogdan will call to agree to their offer to buy the car wash. When the phone finally rings, Bogdan offers to sell the car wash for Skyler's original $879,000 price. Against Walt's objections, Skyler reduces her offer to $800,000, citing Bogdan's unpleasant attitude and market changes. She refuses to budge on the price when Bogdan balks and ends the call. Walt then complains at Skyler for potentially losing the sale due to her wanting to stick it to Bogdan for just $79,000, which at this point isn't much money to Walt. Skyler then gazes at the phone, wondering if she was wrong. To Walt's astonishment, a few moments later, Bogdan calls back; Skyler prevents Walt from immediately picking up and waits for a few rings before answering. Bogdan accepts the counteroffer, much to Skyler's satisfaction.
Meanwhile, trying to breathe some life into the very unsavory and lethargic crowd in his living room, Jesse tosses some of his drug money into the air and watches his guests scramble after it. In a nearby car, Tyrus Kitt watches Jesse's house.
Back at the White residence, Walt toasts the success of Skyler's scheme with a $320 bottle of champagne. Skyler is upset at his purchase, claiming that it would raise questions about how an unemployed teacher could make such a purchase and undermine their story. Walt insists that she's being paranoid and that he bought it with cash, therefore leaving no record of the purchase. Skyler retorts that he could have been seen, and reveals that she intentionally pays some bills late and asks for extensions to maintain the cover that they are broke and must wait for Walt's unemployment checks to arrive. Walt, still believing her to be paranoid, apologizes. Skyler then hands him the champagne glass and tells him, with a smile, that they should at least finish the expensive champagne to "get rid of the evidence," and the pair then laugh.
Later that night, a bored and sleepless Hank watches television while Marie sleeps next to him. Restless, he decides to read the copy of Gale's notebook.
Official Photos[]
Trivia[]
- This episode was filmed in February 2011.
- The title of this episode refers to Marie's visits to multiple selling houses and taking articles on display; her kleptomania has returned. Additionally, the title refers to Jesse leaving his house open to strangers and junkies, even allowing them to take his possessions and vandalize his house.
- The footage shown from the first-person perspective of Gus' camera at the start of the episode is actual footage from the real security camera.
- Marie's theft of a Hummel figurines was also perpetrated by Jimmy McGill in "Something Beautiful", incidentally also the third episode of the fourth season of Better Call Saul.
- The Go-Kart facility shown was often used by Aaron Paul and crew in their off time. The location is Albuquerque Indoor Karting.
- The champagne enjoyed by Walt and Skyler after sealing the car wash deal is a bottle of vintage Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill, produced by the expensive label Pol Roger.
- The Watergate Scandal that Skyler refers to when speaking to Walt about the champagne, is a scandal where President Nixon and his administration in 1974 were found guilty of a break-in at the Watergate Office Building in Washington D.C that was exposed by a security guard noticing door latches being taped over.
- When Skyler renegotiates with Bogdan, he can be heard saying "crazy bitch" and "you are a very very crazy lady".
Production[]
Credits[]
Starring
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Guest Starring
Co-Starring
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Featured Music[]
- "Spasm" by Dave's True Story (at the first open house Marie attends)
- "If I Had A Heart" by Fever Ray (as the realtor notices the missing spoon, Jesse go-karts & then returns home)
Memorable Quotes[]
- Skyler: "I don't accept that. I don't accept that he won't sell. I think he just lacks the proper...motivation."
- Saul: "Motivation? Uh, as in motivation motivation? Just so we're on the same page here, you're saying we'll make him an offer he can't refuse?"
- Skyler: "Nothing so dramatic as that, no. Motivation. Attitude adjustment."
- Saul: "Ho ho ho ho! This one, she's a keeper."
- ―Skyler and Saul on how to push Bogdan to sell his business.
- Saul: "Look, there's always, "You gotta real nice place here. It'd be a shame if something happened to it." That angle."
- Skyler: "What are you talking about? Violence?"
- Saul: "Attitude adjustment."
- Skyler: "Oh no, that, no. That is not at all what I meant. We do not do that. That is not who we are, right?"
- Walter: "[slight pause] Yeah, no, no, no. She's right."
- ―Skyler, Saul, and Walter about "Attitude adjustment".
- Skyler: "I don't like him. Bogdan. He was condescending to me, he was rude about you, and I do not like him. Simple as that."
- Saul: "Hey, nobody appreciates a passionate woman more than I do, but in this business – and Walt can back me up on this – the number one rule is, "Don't take things personal."
- Walter: "What do you mean rude about me?"
- Skyler: "Something along the lines of you weren't man enough to face him yourself."
- Walter: "What?"
- Skyler: "That you had to send your woman to do your business for you."
- Saul: "OK, uh, speaking as your lawyer, I'm gonna go on record and say this is a bad idea. Now I advise against–"
- Walter: "It's this one."
- ―Skyler, Saul, and Walter on the choice of Bogdan's car wash.