Crazy Handful of Nothin'

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"Crazy Handful of Nothin'"
Breaking Bad episode
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 6
Directed byBronwen Hughes
Written byGeorge Mastras
Featured music
  • "It is Such a Good Night" by the Charlie Steinman Orchestra and Singers
  • "Pa La Playa" by That Click Gang
  • "Suntan Lotion" by Bernie Leadon
  • "Rompo" by Max One
  • "Catch Yer Own Train" by The Silver Seas
  • "Los Pistoleros" by Jonaty Garcia
Cinematography byRey Villalobos
Editing bySkip Macdonald
Original air dateMarch 2, 2008 (2008-03-02)
Running time47 minutes
Guest appearances
  • Tuco Salamanca
  • Steven Gomez
  • Carmen Molina
  • Skinny Pete
  • Cesar Garcia as
    No Doze
  • Jesus Payan as
    Gonzo
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Gray Matter" 		Next →
"A No-Rough-Stuff-Type Deal"
Breaking Bad season 1
List of episodes

"Crazy Handful of Nothin'" is the sixth episode of the

No Doze, played by Raymond Cruz and Cesar Garcia respectively.[1]

Plot

Elliott Schwartz's check came and he deposited it, when in fact he is struggling to pay for the treatment and plans on using his meth profits to cover it. He starts feeling the effects of chemotherapy during class, and after vomiting in the men's room, Hugo Archilleya, the school janitor, cleans up after him. At a family therapy
session, Skyler tells Walt that she is concerned about his missing hours, but he says that he just likes to be alone sometimes and take walks.

While cooking meth, Walt runs out of the RV struggling to breathe, and while tending to him, Jesse observes a

Skinny Pete
, who served time in prison alongside Tuco, to vouch for him. Though Tuco is willing to pay $35,000 for a pound of meth, he insists on paying only after his dealers have completed the sales. When Jesse refuses and attempts to take back the drugs, Tuco severely beats him.

Meanwhile,

drug possession
. Walt feels guilty letting Hugo take the blame and tries to contact Jesse, only to learn about his hospitalization. He visits Jesse and learns what happened with Tuco.

Now starting to lose his hair from the chemo, Walt decides to shave his head. Afterward, he arranges for a meeting with Tuco. He introduces himself under the alias Heisenberg, and demands $50,000 from Tuco—$35,000 for the meth he took from Jesse, and $15,000 for beating Jesse. Tuco laughs at Walt for bringing him more meth after his previous batch was stolen, but Walt reveals that the substance he brought is not meth by throwing a piece against the floor, causing an explosion that blows out the windows and A/C units, knocking everyone in the room off their feet. He reveals that the bag contains fulminated mercury, and threatens to smash the entire bag to the ground. Tuco agrees to the payment as well as agreeing to a purchase for the next week, offering Walter $35,000 for the next pound of meth. Walt demands instead that Tuco buys two pounds of meth a week for $70,000. An incredulous Tuco agrees. Once back in his car with the money, Walt exhibits an intense rush from what he has just done.

Production

The cafe Java Joe's was used as the location for Tuco's headquarters.

The episode was written by George Mastras and directed by Bronwen Hughes; it aired on AMC in the United States and Canada on March 2, 2008.

Title meaning

The episode title is a part of a line from the 1967 film Cool Hand Luke. A "handful of nothing" means that one lacks valuable cards in one's poker hand and must bluff to win. This is also alluded to in a scene where Walter wins a family poker game by bluffing.

Critical reception

Seth Amitin of IGN gave the episode a rating of 9.8 out of 10 commenting: "There is a certain truism about television and this is it: start an episode with an explosion and we like you. Start it off with an explosion and someone walking away with a bag full of cash and no explanation, we love you. Build up five episodes that were leading to a conclusion as drastic as this, and we'll worship the ground you walk on. This, friends, was a fantastic episode."[2]

In 2019 The Ringer ranked "Crazy Handful of Nothin'" as the 32nd best out of the 62 total Breaking Bad episodes.[3]

References

  1. ^ Herzog, Kenny (April 21, 2020). "Every Breaking Bad Crossover Character in Better Call Saul". Vulture. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  2. ^ Amitin, Seth (March 3, 2008). "Breaking Bad: 'Crazy Handful of Nothin' ' Review". IGN. Retrieved December 21, 2014.
  3. ^ Daniel Chin (September 30, 2019). "The Ringer's Definitive 'Breaking Bad' Episodes Ranking". The Ringer.

External links

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