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"A No-Rough-Stuff-Type Deal" is the seventh and final episode of the first season of the American television drama series Breaking Bad. Written by Peter Gould and directed by Tim Hunter, it aired on AMC in the United States on March 9, 2008.

Plot

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At a high school parent meeting (about the theft of lab equipment), Walter White caresses Skyler White beneath the conference room table. In the parking lot, the two of them have sex in Walt's car. Jesse Pinkman, who is now living in the RV, puts his house on the market because of his trauma from the deaths of Krazy-8 and Emilio. Walt tells him that he made a deal with Tuco, that they will sell two pounds of meth a week to him, but Jesse says producing two pounds (0.91 kg) of meth a week is impossible – his suppliers of the precursor pseudoephedrine are unavailable.

Walt and Jesse meet Tuco and his men at a junkyard, where they hand him approximately one-half pound (230 g) of meth. Tuco is furious that Walt's end of the bargain was not kept and pays him only $17,000. Nevertheless, Walt says he still wants the $70,000 Tuco promised upfront. Tuco agrees to $52,500, charging 25% "vig" or interest. This adds up to $65,625, but Tuco threatens dire consequences if the next quota is not met. To make up for it, Walt promises to have four pounds (1.8 kg) of meth at the next meeting.

At Skyler's baby shower, Marie Schrader presents her with an expensive white gold baby's tiara. In the yard, Walt and Hank have a philosophical conversation about the dividing line between legal and illegal behavior while smoking illegal Cuban cigars Hank was given by an FBI agent. That night, Walt tells Skyler that he is planning to spend a weekend at a holistic medical clinic after she expressed a desire for alternative therapy. In reality, he is cooking meth with Jesse. Skyler goes to return the tiara and is detained in the store – it turns out that Marie stole it, but Skyler matches her description. She feigns going into labor, persuading them to let her go. Skyler later confronts Marie about the theft, who denies it.

Walt has a plan to manufacture the meth using different precursors, and gives Jesse a list of chemicals and equipment to acquire with the cash fronted by Tuco. Jesse gets everything Walt requested except methylamine, which is kept tightly controlled. Jesse knows of a chemical warehouse with men willing to steal and sell the methylamine for $10,000. Walt decides they will steal the methylamine themselves by using thermite. At night, Walt and Jesse trespass into the warehouse, subdue a security guard by locking him in a portable toilet and place the thermite on a locked door, which melts the metal when lit. The two steal a drum of methylamine and escape.

The next day, Walt and Jesse have mechanical troubles when attempting to start the RV that prevent it from driving. They set up to cook in Jesse's basement, unaware of a house viewing that day. Jesse guards the door to the basement while Walt synthesizes the chemicals, and once a man asks to see the basement, Jesse demands that everyone leave and declares that the house is no longer for sale. When Walt arrives back home, he learns of Marie's theft and wonders if Skyler would ever turn him in for a crime, which she answers with "you don't want to find out". At the next meeting with Tuco, Walt supplies 4.6 pounds (2.1 kg) of meth. Despite its blue hue, it is still the same quality and Tuco pays. When one of Tuco's men makes an offhanded remark to Walt, an intoxicated Tuco becomes furious and beats him unconscious, terrifying Walt and Jesse. Tuco then tells Walt to meet next week before he and Gonzo, carrying the beaten man, ride off.

Production

The episode was written by Peter Gould and directed by Tim Hunter; it aired on AMC in the United States and Canada on March 9, 2008.

Series creator Vince Gilligan originally intended to have Jesse be murdered at the end of this episode in a botched drug deal. Gilligan would change his mind after the show began filming, having been strongly impressed by Aaron Paul's performance.

Title meaning

The episode title is a reference to the 1996 film Fargo, in which Jerry Lundegaard used the phrase while discussing the kidnapping of his wife.

Critical reception

Seth Amitin of IGN gave the episode a rating of 9.1 out of 10.

In 2019 The Ringer ranked "A No-Rough-Stuff-Type Deal" as the 35th best out of the 62 total Breaking Bad episodes. Vulture.com ranked it 28th overall.

References

1. Itzkoff, Dave (2010-03-18). "Character and Career, Both Alive". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2013-10-02. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
2. Rosenblum, Emma (2010-03-18). "Aaron Paul on Playing Jesse Pinkman in 'Breaking Bad' -- New York Magazine - Nymag". New York Magazine. Archived from the original on 2012-09-20. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
3. "'Breaking Bad' Cultural References: An A-to-Z Guide". Entertainment Weekly. September 29, 2013. A line by the Coen Brothers' hapless, hitman-hiring protagonist Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy) inspired the title of the season 1 episode A No-Rough-Stuff Type of Deal.
4. Amitin, Seth (March 10, 2008). "Breaking Bad: "A No-Rough-Stuff Type of Deal" Review". IGN. Archived from the original on December 28, 2014. Retrieved December 21, 2014.
5. Danny Heifetz (September 30, 2019). "The Ringer's Definitive 'Breaking Bad' Episodes Ranking". The Ringer. Archived from the original on October 30, 2020. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
6. Potts, Kimberly (10 October 2019). "Every Episode of Breaking Bad, Ranked". Vulture.com. Archived from the original on 12 December 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2022.

External links

• "A No-Rough-Stuff-Type Deal" Archived 2015-05-26 at the Wayback Machine at the official Breaking Bad site
• "A No-Rough-Stuff-Type Deal" at IMDb

• 2008 American television episodes
• Breaking Bad season 1 episodes
• Television episodes directed by Tim Hunter (director)
• Television episodes written by Peter Gould