Breaking Bad Episode 52: Buyout

In "Buyout," Walt, Jesse, and Mike deal with the aftermath of their train heist, including the disposal of a dirt bike and the body of a 14-year-old boy named Drew Sharp who witnessed them. Todd, who killed the boy, casually dismisses the act, prompting an enraged Jesse to punch him in the face. After a heated debate about whether to keep Todd, Walt and Mike decide to spare his life and retain him on the Vamonos Pest payroll, overriding Jesse's objections.

Jesse and Mike, both shaken by the killing and the increasing DEA surveillance on Mike, decide to exit the operation. They propose selling their shares of the stolen methylamine to a rival distributor for $5 million each, totaling $15 million for all three partners. Walt refuses the buyout, arguing that cooking the methylamine into meth could yield up to $300 million, and compares selling now to his past regret of selling his share of Gray Matter Technologies for only $5,000. He insists he is building an empire, not just running a drug business.

When Walt attempts to hide the methylamine to prevent the sale, Mike anticipates the move, traps Walt in the Vamonos Pest office, and restrains him with zip ties. Mike and Saul Goodman then meet with DEA agents Hank Schrader and Steve Gomez to inform them that Mike has obtained a legal injunction blocking their surveillance. Walt manages to free himself by burning through the zip ties and successfully hides the methylamine before Mike returns.

Upon discovering the tank is gone, Mike threatens to kill Walt, holding a gun to his head. Jesse interrupts the standoff, claiming that Walt has a new plan that will allow both Mike and Jesse to receive their $5 million payouts while Walt continues cooking. The episode ends with this unresolved promise, leaving Mike and Jesse uncertain but temporarily preventing Walt's execution.

Meanwhile, Skyler spends time with her daughter Holly and her sister Marie Schrader. While visiting Holly, a tearful Skyler nearly confesses her troubles to Marie but stops when Marie reveals she knows about Skyler's affair with Ted Beneke, mistakenly believing the affair is the source of Skyler's distress. Later, Jesse comes to Walt's house to try to change Walt's mind about the buyout, but Walt remains firm. Walt's invitation for Jesse to stay for dinner adds to Skyler's misery as she watches the tension between them.