Thirty-Eight Snub
In the episode, Walter plots to kill Gus for fear of repercussions from him, while Jesse holds wild parties to try to forget his despair.
Jesse's party scenes, which symbolized the character's internal guilt and fragile state of mind, included background songs by rapper Flavor Flav and the band Honey Claws.
Meanwhile, Mike Ehrmantraut drinks coffee at a bar and notices Victor’s dried blood on his jacket sleeve, serving as a grim reminder of Gus' ruthlessness.
At his house, Jesse Pinkman tries to cope with his guilt over Gale Boetticher’s murder by splurging on expensive electronics, including a high-end sound system.
In an attempt to distract himself, he asks Badger and Skinny Pete to organize a multi-day drug-fueled party, turning his house into a chaotic mess of dancing, drinking, and drug use.
Back at Jesse’s house, after three days of partying, Badger, Skinny Pete, and the rest of the guests finally leave, too exhausted to continue.
[8] "Thirty-Eight Snub" also featured the first appearance by Ray Campbell as Tyrus Kitt, an employee of Gus who has replaced Victor, who was killed in the episode "Box Cutter".
He also previously appeared in "Field Trip", a sixth season episode of The X-Files which was written by Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan.
[13] Mastras said he particularly enjoyed that the character tries to convince Walter to buy a gun legally because, "I like the aspect that you've got this black market dealer who in an ironic way is the sound of morality here.
The writing staff spent weeks discussing how Jesse would react to having killed Gale and went with the course of events in "Thirty-Eight Snub" in part because they felt it would be the most unexpected for the audience.
"[26] The scenes were shot on a set in a sound stage built by production designer Mark Freeborn and construction coordinator William Gilpin.
[11] During a scene at Jesse's house, Badger and Skinny Pete debate which zombie video games are better, Left 4 Dead, Resident Evil 4 and Call of Duty: World at War.
[35] In its original American broadcast, "Thirty-Eight Snub" was seen by an estimated 1.97 million household viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research,[36] making it the second most-watched episode of Breaking Bad in series history.
[37] Nevertheless, it marked a significant drop in viewership compared to the previous week's episode, fourth season premiere "Box Cutter", which was seen by a series-high of 2.58 million household viewers.
So much of it felt like a Western, right down to the High Noon standoff, with our hero casting a long shadow, and pulling down the brim of his hat as he approached his archenemy.
Entertainment Weekly writer Melissa Maerz compared the direction in "Thirty-Eight Snub" to the film-making of Sergio Leone, particularly in its "extreme close-ups", "tense silences" and the "saloon fight" between Walter and Mike.
[4] New York magazine writer Logan Hill praised the film noir elements in the episode's photography, and said the opening scene, with Walter staring into the mirror asking, "So, how's it look?
[19] Los Angeles Times writer Emily VanDerWerff said while the episode didn't advance the plot very far, it included a great deal of internal development among the characters, which she called "an interesting new dynamic for the show to explore".
[40] Paste magazine writer Brent Koepp called it "another incredible episode" and said the impending conflict between Walter and Gus "has the makings of one of television's finest showdowns".
[41] Matt Seitz of Salon.com compared "Thirty-Eight Snub" to excellent third season episodes that had "very few scenes and sequences but luxuriated in them, allowing the characters (and the viewer) time to experience the tiny eddies and currents of the moment".
[1] Tim Surette of TV.com especially praised the scene with Walter approaching Gus' house, writing: "Breaking Bad has always been good at creating an air of tension, but now it seems as though the series has mastered it.
[11] The Hollywood Reporter writer Tim Goodman said the photography and direction during Jesse's party scenes were masterful: "Here we are four seasons into Breaking Bad and I shouldn't still be amazed at the innovated visuals or perfectly honed sense of sound.
"[42] Slate writers Jessica Grose and June Thomas both enjoyed the episode, although they found Walter's character increasingly difficult to sympathize with.
[5] Matt Richenthal of TV Fanatic complimented the opening scene with the gun purchase, which he called "reminiscent of season one, when the show took the slow, fascinating steps that no other program would touch".
[35] Michael Arbeiter of Hollywood.com compared the opening scene to the works of Quentin Tarantino, and called the bar Mike frequents "the most beautifully shot setting I've seen in TV lately".
