Salud (Breaking Bad)

Jesse, Mike, and Gus take a chartered plane to Mexico so Jesse can teach the cartel how to cook Walt's blue meth. Although the cartel's chief chemist is initially skeptical because Jesse cannot synthesize phenylacetic acid, the cartel is impressed when Jesse cooks a successful batch. Jesse is then horrified to hear the cartel state that they now own him and that he will cook for them from now on. Later, Mike reassures him that either the three of them will leave together, or none of them will.

It is Walter Jr.'s birthday and Walt never arrives to help Skyler present his birthday gift, a Chrysler PT Cruiser which he is less than excited about. Concerned about his father, Walter Jr. pays him a visit, only to find him bloodied and on painkillers and alcohol. Walt blames it on gambling; he tearfully apologizes but later accidentally calls Walter Jr. "Jesse" before drifting off to sleep. The next morning, Walt finds Walter Jr. on his couch and apologizes for his drugged state, saying he doesn't want to be remembered that way after he's gone. However, Walter Jr. seems to be more satisfied with Walt's apparent truthfulness than his double life for the past year.

Ted is unable to pay back taxes to the IRS, which in turn raises Skyler's concerns of being investigated herself. She convinces a highly skeptical Saul to tell Ted of an inheritance from a fictitious aunt, a cover story for the money she plans to give Ted. Unfortunately, Ted uses the money to lease a new Mercedes-Benz and restart his business instead of paying off the IRS, forcing Skyler to tell him that the money actually came from her.

Jesse, Mike, and Gus are brought to the hacienda of Don Eladio Vuente, where Gus and Eladio make peace, capped off with a bottle of rare tequila from Gus. As Eladio and his capos party, Gus goes to the bathroom and induces himself to vomit – the tequila was poisoned, and everyone who drank it collapses. Gus, who is affected despite taking activated charcoal and vomiting, yells out to the surviving henchmen that Eladio and his men are dead and they therefore no longer have a reason to fight, suggesting they leave with whatever riches they can carry. Most remaining cartel soldiers then flee. As the trio escapes, Mike is shot by one of the enforcers, Joaquin Salamanca, Hector's grandson. Jesse kills Joaquin and drives the weakened Gus and the wounded Mike away from the hacienda.

Seth Amitin of IGN gave the episode a 10/10 ("Masterpiece") rating.[1] Donna Bowman of The A.V. Club gave it an A− grade.[2]

In 2019 The Ringer ranked "Salud" as the 20th best out of the 62 total Breaking Bad episodes.[3]

• "Salud" at the official Breaking Bad site
• "Salud" at IMDb
• "Salud" at TV.com