‘Breaking Bad’ Retro Recap: ‘4 Days Out’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

If there is one particular hypothetical question, that each and every one of us have pondered upon in some capacity… it would have to be, what would we do with the time we have left, if we know we are going to die tomorrow? Because somewhere along the line, we come to realize that tomorrow is not a guarantee in the slightest and we need to be prepared for the possibility that bad news or the end could come our way. And pondering upon such a morbid and dark question… allows for us to take inventory and think about whether or not we’ve done everything we can to create a quality legacy and whether or not we've put enough cash away for our loved ones to survive upon, after we are gone.

But what is truly incredible about this particular question, is that some people are forced to actually face it. For they come to learn that an illness is bringing them to the brink and the time has come to act, in regard to what they leave behind and oddly enough, this is a question that Walter White had to face in the next episode of Breaking Bad. For ‘4 Days Out’ saw Walter return for a follow up scan with his doctor, one that would tell him whether or not the chemotherapy had worked, or if more tough days were ahead. But getting a quick glance at his scan and seeing an odd patch of solid white, combined with the fact that his cough was getting worse… motivated him to believe that he was days away from death and that he needed to ensure sure that his family would be taken care of once he said goodbye to this world.

Which meant, the time had come to drop everything and cook like he had never cooked before and just like that… he and Jesse were off into the middle of nowhere, to make an unwholesome amount of meth and believe it or not, they were successful at cooking enough of the blue stuff… that Jesse and Walt’s family would never have to worry about money again. However, getting that incredible blue gold back to town was going to be a difficult task. Because shenanigans on Jesse’s part, stranded them. Which made it seem as though it would be impossible to get the meth back to the 'Querque and that Walt might die in this desolate place. But despite having a few down moments, he refused to believe that this was the end and he eventually figured out how to get the van rolling again, through science… allowing for him to finally feel as though he was going to do right by his family and be remembered in the highest regard by his beloved wife and son.

Or so he thought, rather. Because eventually, it was revealed that his tumor was actually in remission and the white spot and his cough were related to a form of radiation sickness and were treatable. Which meant… that Walt was going to live a lot longer than he anticipated and despite the relief that such a revelation brought him, it also engendered guilt and fury. Because he came to realize that he was beyond the point of no return when it comes to his decision to commit to a drug empire, and that a hard and angry and morally corruptive path awaited him once again, and that was quite the incredible and poignant moment. Because you so rarely see bad guys ponder upon their roots after they’ve committed to their new path, but it was there, if only for a moment.

Because that revelation didn't change his mind about his commitment to Heisenberg in the slightest, and deep down he knows... that he continues to crave the thrill that being a criminal gives him, and that’s some powerful stuff to jam into a short sequence of storytelling and it was wonderfully bookended by the events that preceded that moment of stunning and horrifying inflection. Because this is a story that really put Walt and Jesse to the test, and now they know what they are capable of when they apply themselves to a task and that is likely going to serve them well in the days to come. As they continue to grow the Heisenberg Drug Empire and revel in the buckets of cash that magical meth is going bring their way. Until next time.

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