Walt rejects everyone who tries to help him with the cancer. Jesse tries his best to create Walt's meth, with the help of an old friend.Walt rejects everyone who tries to help him with the cancer. Jesse tries his best to create Walt's meth, with the help of an old friend.Walt rejects everyone who tries to help him with the cancer. Jesse tries his best to create Walt's meth, with the help of an old friend.
- Server
- (as Kiira Arai Sniegowski)
- Scientist
- (as William Allen)
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Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaIn this episode, Jesse turns down a job as a mascot for a local bank. When Aaron Paul was about 14, he took a job as a furry frog mascot for the radio station where his mom worked at the time.
- GoofsWhen Hank initially opens the fruit tray and grabs food during the beginning of Walter's intervention, Walter Junior is smiling and trying to cover it with his hands.
- Quotes
Walter H. White: [during a family meeting about Walt's cancer treatment, during a tense fight amongst the family] Alright, I've got the talking pillow now... Okay?
[sits down with tears in his eyes]
Walter H. White: Look, we all in this room, we love each other. We want what's best for each other and I know that, I am very thankful for that. What I want... what I want, what I need... is a choice
Skyler White: What does that mean?
Walter H. White: [with tears in his eyes, very emotional] ... sometimes I feel like I never actually make, any of my own... choices. I mean, my entire life it just seems I never... had a real say about any of it. This last one, cancer, all I have left is how I choose to approach this.
Skyler White: [calmly] Well make the right choice, you are not the only one it affects. What about your son? Don't you want to see your daughter grow up? I just...
Walter H. White: [with tears in his eyes, very emotional] Of course I do, Skyler. You've read the statistics sheet, these doctors talking about surviving, one year, two years, like it's the only thing that matters. But what good is it to survive if I'm too sick to work, to enjoy a meal, to make love. For what time I have left, I want to live in my own house, I want to sleep in my own bed. I don't want to choke down 40 or 50 pills every single day, and lose my hair, lie around, too tired to get up, and so nauseated that I can't even move my head. You cleaning up after me. Me... me some um... some dead man, some artifically alive, just marking time... No. And that's how you would remember me. That's the worst part. So... that is my thought process, Skyler... I'm sorry, it's just I choose not to do it.
- ConnectionsReferenced in Jimmy Kimmel Live!: Howard Stern/Aaron Paul (2019)
- SoundtracksDeixa Pra La
Performed by Bronx River Parkway
The pre-credits scene brings a huge novelty for Breaking Bad as we see Jesse suiting up for a job interview that – didn't we expect it? – doesn't work the way he wanted it too. I always love to listen to this dude talking and so I quite enjoyed this introduction, however, it also brought us Matt Jones' Badger, a junkie similarly as unsuccessful with life as Jesse. I really don't like his character and I'm not at all able to take him seriously since he's just too moronic. Now that wouldn't be too bad if "Gray Matter" were the only episode he's starring in, but unfortunately, he returns for eleven additional episodes in the future. Through that, you can reason that I didn't enjoy the scenes with him on screen that much, although Aaron Paul partially compensated for that with great acting. The real assets of this episode were all the conversation scenes between Walt and Skyler plus sometimes Walt Jr., Hank, and Marie. In one outstanding scene of almost 15 minutes, the latter of this list stage an intervention for Walt. Each and every one of them gets the talking pillow (applause to whoever came up with that idea!) and with the number of minutes increasing, you'll find yourself more and more admiring the screen writing and acting work the cast of Breaking Bad has done with this scene.
"Gray Matter" had other touching, amusing, or simply entertaining moments too, which made it a generally really good episode for me. It's just that because of the emphasis laying on the conversations, it's not that thrilling anymore if you re-watch it and, as I've already said, Badger ruins it a bit for my taste.
- stillworkingfortheknife
- Oct 7, 2013
Details
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- Runtime48 minutes
- Color
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- 16:9 HD