Episodes 01

“Pilot”

Walter White, a 50-year-old high school chemistry teacher facing a midlife crisis, finds out he has Stage 3, inoperable lung cancer. He keeps the news a secret from his pregnant wife, Skyler, and their teenage son, Walter Jr. Walt rides along with his brother-in-law, DEA agent Hank Schrader, on a raid of a methamphetamine lab, in which they catch a cook/dealer named Emilio. Walt sees his former student-turned-meth cook/dealer, Jesse Pinkman, escape from the raid. Walt realizes he can use his knowledge of chemistry to cook meth and make enough to support his family after he dies. He enlists Jesse’s help and they begin cooking in a remote area of the desert in an RV they buy. The pair create a pure, unadulterated form of crystal meth. Jesse tries to sell the meth they made, and one of the dealers is his ex-partner Emilio, who forces Jesse to show them the lab. Emilio recognizes Walt from the DEA raid and knocks Jesse unconscious for betraying him. Under the guise of teaching them his recipe, Walt poisons them with phosphine gas, knowing the dealers intend to kill them.

Episodes 02

“Cat’s in the Bag…”

Walt and Jesse try to dispose of the two bodies in the RV, which becomes increasingly complicated when one of them, Krazy-8, wakes up and escapes. Walt finds him barely conscious walking along the street and puts him in his car. They eventually imprison him in Jesse’s basement. Meanwhile, Skyler grows suspicious of Walt’s recent behavior. She asks him about Jesse, whom she discovers after he calls Walt at their home, and Walt covers by telling her that Jesse sells him marijuana. Skyler visits Jesse and threatens to call Hank if Jesse contacts Walt about marijuana again. Jesse disposes of Emilio’s body using hydrofluoric acid as Walt instructs, but he ignores Walt’s warning to use a plastic bin and uses his bathtub instead, resulting in a heavy clean-up when the acid eats through the floor below. Two children playing in the desert area where the RV had been find a gas mask that Walt and Jesse left there.

Episodes 03

“…And the Bag’s in the River”

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

Episodes 04

“Cancer Man”

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

Episodes 05

“Gray Matter”

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

Episodes 06

“Crazy Handful of Nothin'”

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

Episodes 07

“A No-Rough-Stuff-Type Deal”

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