Trama

As Walter embraces his growing power, tensions at home reach a breaking point. Meanwhile, Skyler takes drastic action, and the DEA's investigation gains momentum.

Walter, his confidence up, leases two muscle cars - one for himself and one for Junior. He's turning 51 and would like a party, Hank and his team visit Lydia in Houston, Jesse flies there to pick up the accelerant, Mike makes a decision that Jessie wants reversed, Hank is offered a promotion, Walter explains Skyler's behavior to Marie and Hank with references to Ted, and Skyler, coming slowly out of her funk, hatches a makeshift plan to protect her children.—<jhailey@hotmail.com>

Lydia nearly blows a gasket when Hank Schrader and other DEA agents show up at Madrigal's US offices. They look through the warehouse and arrest one of the workers. Mike tells her to calm down but she's clearly not happy. When Jesse stops by to pick up chemicals, he and Lydia see a GPS device attached to the bottom of the barrel. Mike knows who put it there and decides to take action. At home, Walt celebrates his 51st birthday. He leases a couple of fancy cars and they invite Hank and Marie over for dinner. Skyler is still having a nervous breakdown and makes it clear to Walt that she does not want the children in the house.—garykmcd

Walt and Walter Jr. pick up the station wagon after its repair. The mechanic talks them through the laundry list of work, all of which was covered by insurance. He tells Walt he really loves the vehicle, saying it could probably go another 200,000 miles. Walt then offers to sell him the car for $50. Next we see Walt and Walter Jr. pull up into the driveway, with Walt behind the wheel of a muscle car and Walter Jr. driving something sensible. They look at each other, then in the next scene Walt Jr. is driving a muscle car of his own.

Lydia is at work in Madrigal's Houston location when she gets a heads-up from Mike that the Feds are about to pay her a visit. A few moments later Hank and a team of agents walk into her office. She takes them to a warehouse and directs them to an employee who works there. They promptly arrest him. Back in her office, a very panicked Lydia calls Mike and says "Ron's done." Mike assures her there is nothing to worry about. When she points out Ron was the person who handled everything in the warehouse, Mike says he'll send a new guy.

Skyler sits silently while Walt and Walter Jr. talk about their new rides. In the bedroom Walt tells Skyler that they can explain the new cars as a birthday present and a moment of weakness for their son. Also they are both leases. He hands her a stack of cash, saying he needs to make up the 600K they lost. She suggests an Arizona boarding school for Walter Jr. Skyler says she's worried about the "environment" their kids are living in. Walt puts his arm around her and says there is nothing to be worried about. He references his birthday and says he thinks a celebration would be good for the family.

At breakfast the next morning Skyler is pretty disinterested in the fact it's Walt's birthday.

Hank and Gomez talk about the fact they still aren't able to piece together Gus's operation. They feel there should be somebody between Peter Schuler and Ron. Lydia's name comes up, but Gomez doesn't buy it. Hank and Gomez tell a superior they believe Mike is keeping Gus's guys from talking and we learn they are planning surveillance on Mike. Hank even wonders if Mike might be part of a new cooking team.

Hank is offered a promotion to replace Merkert at the department's ASAC. He accepts.

Walt leaves the next cook early, telling Jesse it's his birthday and he expects a party waiting for him at home.

But at home Skyler tells Walt all that will be happening is dinner with Hank and Marie and a chocolate cake.

On the way to dinner Marie reluctantly spills the beans to Hank about Skyler's infidelity.

After dinner Walter Jr. leaves to hang out with his friends. The conversation turns to all that happened in the last year. Walt talks about the fact a year ago he wasn't sure he'd have made it to this birthday. Skyler listens to all of this silently and walks over the pool; Walt continues to talk about cancer and Skyler walks into the pool fully clothed. She walks to the deep end and Walt jumps in to grab her.

Jesse arrives in Houston to meet a very nervous Lydia. After finally trusting he's there on Mike's behalf she takes him to the warehouse and shows him the drum of chemical she's erased from the records. But as Jesse brings it down with a forklift, Lydia spots something suspicious on the bottom of the drum.

Hank tells Walt he thinks Skyler should probably talk to somebody. They discuss the fact that the couple has been "having some issues." Marie walks in and suggests that maybe she and Hank can take the kids for a few days and let Walt and Skyler work on their marriage. Walt asks Marie who came up with the idea. She says it was Skyler.

In the bedroom Walt tells Skyler arrangements have been made for the kids to stay with Hank and Marie. She tells him she doesn't want the kids to live with them anymore. Walt tells her things are safe, but she doesn't believe him. When it becomes clear she wants the kids away from them as long as he's back cooking, he starts asking what sort of plan she has to make that happen long-term. He pokes holes in the logic of all of the plans she's thought of. Eventually she admits to basically waiting until his cancer comes back.

Walt gives himself a fresh head shave. He gets a call from Jesse, who wants to meet. What Lydia spotted on the bottom of the barrel was what looked like a tracking device. Jesse thinks this must be the DEA, which would mean they are screwed in terms of precursor. But Mike thinks the tracking equipment looks shoddy, far too amateur to be federal agents. When Jesse tells him that Lydia was the one who spotted the device, Mike figures out this was her attempt to scare them into no longer using her for chemical acquisition. This convinces Mike it's time to kill Lydia. She's too dangerous, Mike says, and must be taken care of even if it means taking a break from cooking. Jesse disagrees and calls for a vote. Walt says that slowing down the operation is not an option: "Nothing stops this train. Nothing."

After the meeting Jesse tells Walt he likes his idea. "I think it's the way to go." Jesse gives him a watch as a birthday present.

Walt comes home to a chain-smoking Skyler and tells her "there's going to be some more money coming in soon. Is that okay?"

Walt shows her the watch and tells her it came from somebody who very recently wanted him dead. "He changed his mind about me Skyler. And so will you."