If you’ve lived in a cave for the past few years, you might not know the story of “Breaking Bad.” Entering into its final season, the story reaches an apex with Episode 509 entitled “Blood Money.”
The story centers on Bryan Cranston’s character “Walter White.” He is a much beloved high school chemistry teacher diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Concerned for his family’s financial security, White turns to crime. He enlists help from one of his delinquent, former students, “Jesse Pinkman”, played by Aaron Paul; the two partner-up as methamphetamine or “meth” dealers. White takes on an alternate criminal persona he names “Heisenberg,” after one of his favorite physicists. It’s a persona that takes him from mild-manner teacher and husband to wanted drug kingpin and murderer.
White’s skills as a chemist become the two partner’s “claim-to-fame.” He creates a particularly pure strain of meth drug referred to as “Blue Sky.” The potent drug makes White rich faster than he anticipates; he then expands his business and creates associations with a viscous criminal element. His subsequent success captures the attention of the local DEA. One agent, “Hank Schrader” just happens to be White’s brother-in-law. A series of events transpires and because he believes he will die from the cancer, he rationalizes his heinous crimes which ultimately leave a trail of victims in his wake. Over several seasons, Schrader remains blissfully unaware of his brother-in-law’s secret life until Episode 509.
In “Blood Money,” Pinkman is beset by depression feeling deep guilt for all the pain both he and White have caused. He tries to pay money to dead victims’ families. White stops him, but Pinkman isn’t deterred. At one point in the show, the young former student starts throwing large sums of cash at passersby.
The end of Episode 509 is the beginning of the “end” of both White and Schrader’s relation as well as their long, endearing friendship. Schrader reveals to White that he is well aware of his secret identity and tells him of his future plans to send his former friend to prison. With this, White responds calmly.
“It’s a time for you to tread very lightly,” he said.