Hermanos (Breaking Bad)

"Hermanos"
Breaking Bad episode
Episode no. Season 4
Episode 8
Directed by Johan Renck
Written by Sam Catlin
George Mastras
Original air date September 4, 2011 (2011-09-04)
Running time 46 minutes
Episode chronology
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Breaking Bad (season 4)
List of Breaking Bad episodes

"Hermanos" is the eighth episode of the fourth season of the American television drama series Breaking Bad, and the 41st overall episode of the series. It originally aired on AMC in the United States on September 4, 2011.

Contents

Plot

During a pre-credits flashback sequence that takes place right after the deaths of Marco and Leonel Salamanca and Juan Bolsa (Javier Grajeda), Gus (Giancarlo Esposito) meets with Hector (Mark Margolis) and hints that he orchestrated their deaths out of revenge, infuriating the immobile Hector.

Gus is called to meet with the police and DEA, where he is asked about his fingerprints in Gale's (David Costabile) apartment. He explains that Gale was a recipient years ago for a college scholarship that he created, and Gale had invited Gus to his apartment for dinner and asked for money. Hank (Dean Norris) asks if Gus Fring is his real name, as there are no immigration records of anyone with that name in Chile, but Gus says he immigrated at the time of Augusto Pinochet's government, who were notorious for poor record keeping. The investigators are satisfied with his answers, but Hank still has doubts. Meanwhile, Skyler (Anna Gunn) begins to hide Walter’s (Bryan Cranston) meth money in a crawl space below the house.

Hank later asks Walter to drive him to a mineral show, but reveals he really wants to go to Los Pollos Hermanos and have Walter plant a GPS tracker on Gus' car. Walter is nervous since he is already on poor terms with Gus and because Mike (Jonathan Banks) is watching him, but ultimately relents. Walter pretends to plant the tracker and goes into Los Pollos Hermanos, where Gus tells him to do it. He plants the tracker and leaves and Gus promptly removes it. Mike later tells Gus that Hank is acting on his own but he may pose a problem if Gus and the Cartel go to war. Walter warns Jesse (Aaron Paul) about Hank's investigation and again urges him to kill Gus, but realizes that Jesse is becoming loyal to Gus and may not do it.

A flashback to the 1980's in Mexico shows Gus and his close friend, Max (James Martinez), meeting with Hector, Juan, and their boss, Don Eladio (Stephen Bauer), where they pitch their methamphetamine in hopes of going into business with the Cartel. Max produces the meth and it is sold out of their restaurant, Los Pollos Hermanos, named after Gus and Max since they are as close as brothers. Although he likes the idea, Eladio feels Gus disrespected him by giving meth to his henchmen in order to manipulate him into a meeting. Hector shoots Max in the head and Eladio tells a distraught Gus that he is not dead because Eladio knows who Gus really is. In the present day, Gus tells Hector to look at him so that he can further relish in his vengeance, but a defeated Hector cannot bring himself to do it.

Production

"Hermanos" was the first episode to delve into Gus Fring's back story, although much remains unexplained about the character's past in Chile, which Gus seems anxious to keep concealed in the episode. Series creator Vince Gilligan has said Fring was likely involved in the government of former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, but that the writing staff had deliberately not determined the entire back story. Gilligan said he believed this would make Gus a more interesting and mysterious character, while simultaneously allowing the writers greater flexibility in writing for him in future episodes.[1]

References

External links