Bullet Points (Breaking Bad)
Encyclopedia
"Bullet Points" is the fourth episode of the fourth season
of the American television drama series Breaking Bad
, and the 37th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on AMC in the United States on August 7, 2011.
) patiently waiting inside a refrigerated Los Pollos Hermanos truck smuggling ingredients for the meth lab, should someone attempt to hijack the vehicle. After armed hijackers working for the cartel stop the truck and fire automatic weapons into it, Mike shoots them both but emerges with a wounded ear.
Walter
(Bryan Cranston
) and Skyler (Anna Gunn
) prepare an elaborate story about Walter having a gambling addiction and a successful card counting method. They hope it will explain how they can pay for Hank's (Dean Norris
) medical bills and purchase a car wash (that will actually be used to launder Walter's meth profits). Walter remains too distracted to put much effort into the charade and is worried how Walter Jr. (RJ Mitte
) will perceive him. During a family dinner at Hank and Marie's (Betsy Brandt
), Skyler and Walter tell everyone the gambling addiction story, but Hank and Walter Jr. turn out to be impressed by it. Walter is later shocked to learn that Hank is investigating Gale's (David Costabile
) murder, with Hank believing that Gale was the elusive Heisenberg, expressing regret that he was not able to arrest him. Walter reads Gale's lab notes and is relieved there is nothing in there to implicate him, but worries that the police will connect Jesse
(Aaron Paul
) to the murder.
Walter goes to Jesse's house and is disgusted by its condition, being used as a drug den by addicts and vagrants. Jesse is adamant nothing can connect him to Gale's murder, but when he is asked if he picked up the shell casings from the gun (which would have his fingerprints on them), it is revealed he did not. When he is further questioned about the murder, Jesse starts to panic due to the memory of it and pays two druggies to kick Walter out of the house. Walter later laments to Saul (Bob Odenkirk
) about how the meth business is falling apart because no one is acting professional, and rejects an offer to go into hiding.
Jesse's detached complacence eventually leads to all of his meth money being stolen from his house, but Mike quickly recovers it and warns Jesse that he's on thin ice. Jesse is apathetic about the loss and recovery, leading Mike to tell Gus (Giancarlo Esposito
) that Jesse has become "incautious" and something needs to be done. Jesse does not show up to the lab the next day and Walter realizes that he has been kidnapped. The episode ends with Mike driving Jesse to an unknown destination. When he asks Jesse if he would like to know where they are going, the only reply is a simple "nope."
and directed by Colin Bucksey
, the third Breaking Bad
episode he directed after "Phoenix" in season two
and "I See You" in season three
. During the cold open
scene, one of Gus' drug-smuggling trucks is attacked by members of a Mexican drug cartel
. This is a reference to what series creator Vince Gilligan
refers to as a brewing "cold war
" between Gus and the cartel due to Gus' actions against them during the third season. The scene in "Bullet Points" is the first reference to this storyline since the third season finale "Full Measure", when Mike killed several cartel henchmen who had taken over one of Gus' chemical supply warehouses. To create the bullet holes that strike the truck Mike is hiding inside, the special effects department drilled, wired and hand-planted 380 squib
explosives onto the truck, including 150 on each side of the vehicle and 80 for the back door. Two sets of the back door were used, one for the view of shots being fired at the exterior of the door and one for the view of the interior.
For the scene with Mike waiting inside the refrigeration truck, series creator Vince Gilligan
wanted audiences to be able to see his breath so they would know how cold it was. To create that effect, the special effects crew designed a tiny plastic box with holes in it and placed dry ice
inside, which Banks kept inside his mouth to create condensation when he exhaled. The idea was based on a similar device film director Frank Capra
previously used with his actors in one of his films, which Gilligan read about in Capra's autobiography. The device worked, but had to be adjusted because it initially created an effect that looked more like cigarette smoke. Also for that scene, a bloody chunk of skin can be seen dangling from Mike's ear after he is shot. For that effect, special effects creators Gregory Nicotero
and Howard Berger, who are part of the company KNB Efx Group, made a mold of actor Jonathan Banks' ear and made an application for him to wear during filming. It was applied onto Banks by Breaking Bad make-up artists Corey Welk and Frieda Valenzuela.
David Costabile briefly reprised his role as Gale Boetticher. When Hank first reveals to Walter that he is investigating Gale's murder, he shows him a DVD of Gale singing karaoke with Thai subtitles. The idea was that Gale participated in a karaoke booth in Thailand and kept the DVD as a souvenir; Breaking Bad music supervisor Thomas Golubic specifically found someone who could translate the song lyrics into Thai for the video. A similar joke was featured in the HBO comedy series Flight of the Conchords
. Gilligan said he was not aware of that joke at the time, but watched it after conceiving of the Gale joke and researching karaoke. He said of it: "It was freaking hilarious. It's brilliant. And then I was thinking, 'Oh shit, should we even do this now, because how can it be as good as those guys?'" Gale sings the Peter Schilling
song "Major Tom (Coming Home)", which Gilligan chose because he felt it was appropriate for the character: "It felt right. It's a bit cheesy, it's earnest, but it also kind of sticks in your head and it's fun."
In the background of the karaoke performance, stock footage from the science-fiction television series Quark
was visible in the background. Gilligan was a fan of the show during childhood and recognized it while reviewing available stock footage. The full karaoke video was made available on the official Breaking Bad website after the episode was first broadcast. The scene when Walter looks through Gale's notebook at Hank's behest features a montage of quick cuts
between the notebook pages and Walter's face as he read. The montage was conceived by Gilligan, who wanted to express Walter's stress over reading the notebook to the viewers without overtly showing those emotions on Walter's face and arousing Hank's suspicion. It was difficult to shoot because the actors had to display these emotions without overtly expressing them, and the scene had to be reshot a second time as a result.
Jeremy Howard
made a guest appearance in "Bullet Points" as Sketchy, a drug addict who speaks non-stop during scenes at Jesse's parties. Howard was acquainted with Bryan Cranston, who had cast him in an episode of the comedy series Malcolm in the Middle
that Cranston directed. Howard was originally only slated to play Sketchy in the Breaking Bad episode "Open House
", but Gilligan liked him so much he brought the character back for "Bullet Points". During one scene, Sketchy walks off-screen and accidentally knocks over several beer bottles, making a loud noise. The moment was accidental and unscripted, but the crew found it so funny they included it in the final cut of the episode. During a different scene at Jesse's party, Jesse shaves the heads of several of his long-haired guests. MacLaren said it was difficult to find extras willing to have their heads shaved because those with long enough hair were so conscious of their hair that they did not want it cut. Several extras who signed up for the part dropped out before they finally found those willing to do it. Jesse also has his head shaved, which was actor Aaron Paul's idea because he felt it was appropriate for the inner turmoil his character was experiencing.
Breaking Bad (season 4)
The fourth season of the American television drama series Breaking Bad premiered on July 17, 2011 and concluded on October 9, 2011. It consists of 13 episodes, each running approximately 47 minutes in length...
of the American television drama series Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad is an American television drama series created and produced by Vince Gilligan. Set and produced in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Breaking Bad is the story of Walter White , a struggling high school chemistry teacher who is diagnosed with advanced lung cancer at the beginning of the series...
, and the 37th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on AMC in the United States on August 7, 2011.
Plot
The episode opens with Mike (Jonathan BanksJonathan Banks
Jonathan Ray Banks is an American actor in film and television.Banks was born in Washington, D.C. in 1947. His mother worked for the CIA. Banks attended Indiana University Bloomington where he was a classmate of Kevin Kline...
) patiently waiting inside a refrigerated Los Pollos Hermanos truck smuggling ingredients for the meth lab, should someone attempt to hijack the vehicle. After armed hijackers working for the cartel stop the truck and fire automatic weapons into it, Mike shoots them both but emerges with a wounded ear.
Walter
Walter White (Breaking Bad)
Walter Hartwell "Walt" White is a fictional character and the antihero of the American television drama series Breaking Bad on AMC. He is portrayed by Bryan Cranston and was created by series creator Vince Gilligan...
(Bryan Cranston
Bryan Cranston
Bryan Lee Cranston is an American actor, voice actor, writer and director. He is best known for his roles as Hal the father in the Fox situation comedy Malcolm in the Middle, and Walter White in the AMC drama series Breaking Bad, for which he won three consecutive Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama...
) and Skyler (Anna Gunn
Anna Gunn
Anna Gunn is an American actress, best known for her roles as Assistant District Attorney Jean Ward on The Practice, Martha Bullock on Deadwood, and, currently, Skyler White on Breaking Bad. She appeared on Seinfeld in the episode "The Glasses" and on the first season of Murder One...
) prepare an elaborate story about Walter having a gambling addiction and a successful card counting method. They hope it will explain how they can pay for Hank's (Dean Norris
Dean Norris
Dean Joseph Norris is an American actor currently starring as DEA agent Hank Schrader, the brother-in-law of main character Walter White in the AMC series Breaking Bad, which premiered on January 20, 2008.-Biography:...
) medical bills and purchase a car wash (that will actually be used to launder Walter's meth profits). Walter remains too distracted to put much effort into the charade and is worried how Walter Jr. (RJ Mitte
RJ Mitte
Roy Frank “RJ” Mitte III is an American actor best known for his role as Walter White Jr. on the AMC television series, Breaking Bad....
) will perceive him. During a family dinner at Hank and Marie's (Betsy Brandt
Betsy Brandt
Betsy Brandt is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Marie Schrader in Breaking Bad-Early life:Brandt is a native of Bay City, Michigan. Betsy graduated from Western High School in 1991....
), Skyler and Walter tell everyone the gambling addiction story, but Hank and Walter Jr. turn out to be impressed by it. Walter is later shocked to learn that Hank is investigating Gale's (David Costabile
David Costabile
David Costabile is an American actor. Born in Washington, D.C. He is best known for his recurring television roles on The Wire , Flight of the Conchords , Damages , and Breaking Bad...
) murder, with Hank believing that Gale was the elusive Heisenberg, expressing regret that he was not able to arrest him. Walter reads Gale's lab notes and is relieved there is nothing in there to implicate him, but worries that the police will connect Jesse
Jesse Pinkman
Jesse Bruce Pinkman is a fictional character of the American television drama series Breaking Bad on AMC. He is portrayed by Aaron Paul and was created by series creator Vince Gilligan.-Background:...
(Aaron Paul
Aaron Paul
Aaron Michael Paul is an American actor. After appearing in several roles in American television, including a recurring role on the HBO series Big Love, Paul came to prominence in the late 2000s for his critically acclaimed portrayal of Jesse Pinkman in the AMC series Breaking Bad, for which he...
) to the murder.
Walter goes to Jesse's house and is disgusted by its condition, being used as a drug den by addicts and vagrants. Jesse is adamant nothing can connect him to Gale's murder, but when he is asked if he picked up the shell casings from the gun (which would have his fingerprints on them), it is revealed he did not. When he is further questioned about the murder, Jesse starts to panic due to the memory of it and pays two druggies to kick Walter out of the house. Walter later laments to Saul (Bob Odenkirk
Bob Odenkirk
Robert "Bob" Odenkirk is an American actor, comedian, writer, director and producer. He is best known as the co-creator and co-star of the HBO sketch comedy series Mr...
) about how the meth business is falling apart because no one is acting professional, and rejects an offer to go into hiding.
Jesse's detached complacence eventually leads to all of his meth money being stolen from his house, but Mike quickly recovers it and warns Jesse that he's on thin ice. Jesse is apathetic about the loss and recovery, leading Mike to tell Gus (Giancarlo Esposito
Giancarlo Esposito
Giancarlo Giuseppe Alessandro Esposito is a Danish-born American film and television actor and director.-Early life:Esposito was born in Copenhagen, Denmark to an Italian father and African-American mother. His mother was an opera and nightclub singer from Alabama, who once appeared on the same...
) that Jesse has become "incautious" and something needs to be done. Jesse does not show up to the lab the next day and Walter realizes that he has been kidnapped. The episode ends with Mike driving Jesse to an unknown destination. When he asks Jesse if he would like to know where they are going, the only reply is a simple "nope."
Production
"Bullet Points" was written by Moira Walley-BeckettMoira Walley-Beckett
Moira Walley-Beckett is a Canadian-born, American-based television actress, producer and writer. She has worked on the AMC drama Breaking Bad as a writer and producer and has been nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for her work on the series.-Biography:Walley-Beckett worked throughout...
and directed by Colin Bucksey
Colin Bucksey
Colin Bucksey is a British-born American film and television director.Since the 1970s, He has amassed a number of credits in the television industry directing episodes of Crown Court, Armchair Thriller and Educating Marmalade.He eventually moved on to American television, directing episodes of...
, the third Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad is an American television drama series created and produced by Vince Gilligan. Set and produced in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Breaking Bad is the story of Walter White , a struggling high school chemistry teacher who is diagnosed with advanced lung cancer at the beginning of the series...
episode he directed after "Phoenix" in season two
Breaking Bad (season 2)
The second season of the American television drama series Breaking Bad premiered on March 8, 2009 and concluded on May 31, 2009. It consisted of 13 episodes, each running approximately 47 minutes in length. AMC broadcast the second season on Sundays at 10:00 pm in the United States...
and "I See You" in season three
Breaking Bad (season 3)
The third season of the American television drama series Breaking Bad premiered on March 21, 2010 and concluded on June 13, 2010. It consisted of 13 episodes, each running approximately 47 minutes in length. AMC broadcast the third season on Sundays at 10:00 pm in the United States...
. During the cold open
Cold open
A cold open in a television program or movie is the technique of jumping directly into a story at the beginning or opening of the show, before the title sequence or opening credits are shown...
scene, one of Gus' drug-smuggling trucks is attacked by members of a Mexican drug cartel
Drug cartel
Drug cartels are criminal organizations developed with the primary purpose of promoting and controlling drug trafficking operations. They range from loosely managed agreements among various drug traffickers to formalized commercial enterprises. The term was applied when the largest trafficking...
. This is a reference to what series creator Vince Gilligan
Vince Gilligan
Vince Gilligan is an American writer, director and producer. He is the creator of the highly acclaimed television series Breaking Bad. Gilligan has also worked on the hit series The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen. He is a graduate of the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University...
refers to as a brewing "cold war
Cold war (general term)
A cold war or cold warfare is a state of conflict between nations that does not involve direct military action but is pursued primarily through economic and political actions, propaganda, acts of espionage or proxy wars waged by surrogates...
" between Gus and the cartel due to Gus' actions against them during the third season. The scene in "Bullet Points" is the first reference to this storyline since the third season finale "Full Measure", when Mike killed several cartel henchmen who had taken over one of Gus' chemical supply warehouses. To create the bullet holes that strike the truck Mike is hiding inside, the special effects department drilled, wired and hand-planted 380 squib
Squib (explosive)
A squib is a miniature explosive device used in a wide range of industries, from special effects to military applications. It resembles a tiny stick of dynamite, both in appearance and construction, although with considerably less explosive power...
explosives onto the truck, including 150 on each side of the vehicle and 80 for the back door. Two sets of the back door were used, one for the view of shots being fired at the exterior of the door and one for the view of the interior.
For the scene with Mike waiting inside the refrigeration truck, series creator Vince Gilligan
Vince Gilligan
Vince Gilligan is an American writer, director and producer. He is the creator of the highly acclaimed television series Breaking Bad. Gilligan has also worked on the hit series The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen. He is a graduate of the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University...
wanted audiences to be able to see his breath so they would know how cold it was. To create that effect, the special effects crew designed a tiny plastic box with holes in it and placed dry ice
Dry ice
Dry ice, sometimes referred to as "Cardice" or as "card ice" , is the solid form of carbon dioxide. It is used primarily as a cooling agent. Its advantages include lower temperature than that of water ice and not leaving any residue...
inside, which Banks kept inside his mouth to create condensation when he exhaled. The idea was based on a similar device film director Frank Capra
Frank Capra
Frank Russell Capra was a Sicilian-born American film director. He emigrated to the U.S. when he was six, and eventually became a creative force behind major award-winning films during the 1930s and 1940s...
previously used with his actors in one of his films, which Gilligan read about in Capra's autobiography. The device worked, but had to be adjusted because it initially created an effect that looked more like cigarette smoke. Also for that scene, a bloody chunk of skin can be seen dangling from Mike's ear after he is shot. For that effect, special effects creators Gregory Nicotero
Gregory Nicotero
Gregory Nicotero is an American special effects creator and actor. In 1988, along with Robert Kurtzman and Howard Berger, he formed KNB Efx Group, a special effects studio which has gone on to work on over 400 film and television projects...
and Howard Berger, who are part of the company KNB Efx Group, made a mold of actor Jonathan Banks' ear and made an application for him to wear during filming. It was applied onto Banks by Breaking Bad make-up artists Corey Welk and Frieda Valenzuela.
David Costabile briefly reprised his role as Gale Boetticher. When Hank first reveals to Walter that he is investigating Gale's murder, he shows him a DVD of Gale singing karaoke with Thai subtitles. The idea was that Gale participated in a karaoke booth in Thailand and kept the DVD as a souvenir; Breaking Bad music supervisor Thomas Golubic specifically found someone who could translate the song lyrics into Thai for the video. A similar joke was featured in the HBO comedy series Flight of the Conchords
Flight of the Conchords (TV series)
Flight of the Conchords is an American television comedy series that debuted on HBO on June 17, 2007. The show follows the adventures of Flight of the Conchords, a two-man band from New Zealand, as its members seek fame and success in New York City. The show stars the real-life duo, Jemaine Clement...
. Gilligan said he was not aware of that joke at the time, but watched it after conceiving of the Gale joke and researching karaoke. He said of it: "It was freaking hilarious. It's brilliant. And then I was thinking, 'Oh shit, should we even do this now, because how can it be as good as those guys?'" Gale sings the Peter Schilling
Peter Schilling
Peter Schilling is a German synthpop musician whose songs often feature science-fiction themes...
song "Major Tom (Coming Home)", which Gilligan chose because he felt it was appropriate for the character: "It felt right. It's a bit cheesy, it's earnest, but it also kind of sticks in your head and it's fun."
In the background of the karaoke performance, stock footage from the science-fiction television series Quark
Quark (TV series)
Quark is an American science fiction situation comedy starring Richard Benjamin broadcast on NBC. The pilot first aired on May 7, 1977, and the series followed as a mid-season replacement in February 1978. The series was cancelled in April 1978. Quark was created by Buck Henry, co-creator of the...
was visible in the background. Gilligan was a fan of the show during childhood and recognized it while reviewing available stock footage. The full karaoke video was made available on the official Breaking Bad website after the episode was first broadcast. The scene when Walter looks through Gale's notebook at Hank's behest features a montage of quick cuts
Fast cutting
Fast cutting is a film editing technique which refers to several consecutive shots of a brief duration . It can be used to convey a lot of information very quickly, or to imply either energy or chaos...
between the notebook pages and Walter's face as he read. The montage was conceived by Gilligan, who wanted to express Walter's stress over reading the notebook to the viewers without overtly showing those emotions on Walter's face and arousing Hank's suspicion. It was difficult to shoot because the actors had to display these emotions without overtly expressing them, and the scene had to be reshot a second time as a result.
Jeremy Howard
Jeremy Howard
Jeremy Patrick Howard is an American actor. He appeared in the films Sydney White, Galaxy Quest, and Accepted.Howard was born in Burbank, California, the son of Sharon Hess and actor Joe Howard.-Filmography:...
made a guest appearance in "Bullet Points" as Sketchy, a drug addict who speaks non-stop during scenes at Jesse's parties. Howard was acquainted with Bryan Cranston, who had cast him in an episode of the comedy series Malcolm in the Middle
Malcolm in the Middle
Malcolm in the Middle is an American television sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for the Fox Network. The series was first broadcast on January 9, 2000, and ended its six-and-a-half-year run on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons and 151 episodes...
that Cranston directed. Howard was originally only slated to play Sketchy in the Breaking Bad episode "Open House
Open House (Breaking Bad)
"Open House" is the third episode of the fourth season of the American television drama series Breaking Bad, and the 36th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on AMC in the United States on July 31, 2011...
", but Gilligan liked him so much he brought the character back for "Bullet Points". During one scene, Sketchy walks off-screen and accidentally knocks over several beer bottles, making a loud noise. The moment was accidental and unscripted, but the crew found it so funny they included it in the final cut of the episode. During a different scene at Jesse's party, Jesse shaves the heads of several of his long-haired guests. MacLaren said it was difficult to find extras willing to have their heads shaved because those with long enough hair were so conscious of their hair that they did not want it cut. Several extras who signed up for the part dropped out before they finally found those willing to do it. Jesse also has his head shaved, which was actor Aaron Paul's idea because he felt it was appropriate for the inner turmoil his character was experiencing.
External links
- "Bullet Points" at the official Breaking Bad site