Negro y Azul

This article is about the Breaking Bad episode. For the song, see Negro y Azul: The Ballad of Heisenberg. For the Better Call Saul episode, see Black and Blue.

"Negro y Azul" is the seventh episode of the second season of Breaking Bad and the fourteenth episode altogether.

Summary

Teaser

A narcocorrido band called Los Cuates de Sinaloa performs "Negro y Azul" (Black and Blue), in which "a gringo boss" named Heisenberg disrespects a Mexican drug cartel by cornering the Albuquerque market with high-quality blue meth.

Act I

Walt tries to call Jesse as he has changed his mind about "handling" the meth thieves, wanting to let the matter go. When he doesn't get any responses back, he heads to Jesse's apartment. Pounding on the front door, Walt attracts the attention of Jesse's landlord, Jane, who refuses to grant him access even after he claims to be Jesse's father. Jesse finally appears at the door, and tells "dad" to come in.

Inside, Walt scolds Jesse for holing up in his apartment and getting high. After learning that one of the junkies who ripped off Skinny Pete is dead, Walt claims that he didn't want anybody to get killed. Jesse tells Walt that he couldn't stop Spooge's girlfriend from crushing his head with the ATM machine because she had stolen his gun. Jesse can't stomach witnessing the gruesome murder, and is relying on pot to cope.

At his new office in El Paso, Hank mocks the idea of drug dealers praying to their patron saint, Jesús Malverde, and is the only one laughing at his own joke. When he asks his colleague Vanco why the saint's statue sits on his desk, the agent quotes Sun Tzu's The Art of War in saying that it's to help him know his enemy. Hank then witnesses as his superior and the others in the office all converse with one another in fluent Spanish, which makes him feel left out.

Jesse is due to make an exchange with Skinny Pete, Badger, and Combo, but is still distraught and refuses to leave his apartment. Walt goes in his place, meets the three at the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History, introducing himself as "Heisenberg." Handing over the latest haul, the trio assure Walt constantly that every dollar is there and that he should check for himself if he doesn't believe them. Walt is a little confused, but Skinny Pete tells Walt that everyone on the streets heard about Jesse crushing Spooge's head with an ATM machine for robbing him, which resulted in everyone eagerly paying for the meth on time. When the trio ask Walt if the rumor is true, Walt merely replies "You didn't hear it from me" before turning around and walking away with a smile.

Act II

Skyler applies for a data-entry job at Beneke Fabricators, her old employer. When the receptionist gives her the brush-off, Skyler bolts past her to chat with the owner, her former boss Ted Beneke. After catching up, Ted offers Skyler her old bookkeeping position. Later, Marie alludes to a past incident of sexual harassment between Skyler and Ted. Skyler tells Marie that the drunken incident happened once and won't happen again.

Back at Jesse's apartment, Walt says that they should expand their territory to take advantage of Jesse's newfound street cred, comparing Jesse to a blowfish: the blowfish is small, but it scares off more formidable predators by puffing itself up to appear large and intimidating. Skeptical at first, Jesse eventually gets on board: "I'm a blowfish, yeah!" Meanwhile, Hank and the others from the El Paso DEA squad travel to Juárez, Mexico to interrogate Tortuga, a high-level drug informant. Hank becomes irritated by his colleagues' strategy of kowtowing to Tortuga. Tortuga asks the others why Hank is on their team if he can't even speak Spanish, and informs Hank that he got his name (Spanish for "turtle") because, "I take my time, but I always win."

Act III

Jesse leaves his apartment for the first time in days. Outside, Jane sketches a tattoo design, which Jesse admires. While Jesse chats with Jane, a biker rolls by and loudly addresses him as "Pinkman" before praising him for his reputation. Jane notes the name, as he told her his name was "Jesse Jackson" when he began renting the duplex.

Meanwhile, on a stakeout, Hank overhears as fellow agents mock him in Spanish, wondering why their superiors assigned a "loudmouth" who doesn't speak Spanish to their team, to which another agent replies that Hank's promotion was about politics. Hank, realizing that they're speaking about him, asks them if there's anything he needs to know, but the other agent falsely reassures him that they're just singing his praises. Hank then informs them that he has spotted Tortuga in the distance in the valley below their overlook.

Act IV

The DEA El Paso team pile into their vehicles and drive down into the valley, only to discover a gruesome sight: Tortuga's severed head has been mounted on a live tortoise, with "HOLA DEA" painted on its shell. To his colleagues' amusement, Hank edges away in disgust; when they laugh at him for his reaction, Hank claims that he's going back to get an evidence bag. Seconds later, one of the Spanish-speaking officers tries to lift the head off of the tortoise, setting off a hidden explosive device. The blast kills the tortoise and the agent and wounds three other men; one of them, Vanco, has his right leg blown off below the knee. A still-woozy Hank totters over to Vanco and uses his belt as a tourniquet.

At the museum, Jesse meets with Badger, Combo, and Skinny Pete and tells them that they need to recruit more dealers into a layered command structure. Even with the new system, however, Walt tells Jesse that they are still not earning enough, and adds that after they've cornered the market, they need to raise their prices.

On Skyler's first day at Beneke Fabricators, Ted reveals that he has split up from his wife. He suggests that they go out to lunch some time.

At the duplex, Jesse is smoking a cigarette on his back porch while Jane does the same on hers. He admits that his name is Pinkman and that Walt isn't really his father. Jane says that she doesn't care what his business is, as long as he doesn't do it at the duplex. Jesse invites Jane over to see his new flat-screen television. The two sit in folding lawn chairs waiting for the satellite dish to acquire a signal. Jesse squirms impatiently until Jane reaches over and holds his hand.

Official Photos

Trivia

• "Negro y Azul" (pronounced [ˈne.ɰɾo i aˈsul]) is Spanish for "Black and Blue."
• The title of the song "Negro y Azul" refers to fact that, when Walter poses as "Heisenberg" he typically wears black attire (his sunglasses, windbreaker and pork pie hat) and deals his distinctive blue methamphetamine.
• Black and blue also refers to heavy bruising meaning a lot of pain. It could also refer to Jesse's TV at the end of the episode, which has a black case and shows a blue screen because it isn't working properly, while Jesse and Jane are dressed in black in the dark environment.
• Tortuga appears during the teaser.
• Someone dressed as Jesús Malverde appears in the "Negro y Azul" music video. A bust of Jesús Malverde later appears in the El Paso DEA offices.
• Sun Tzu is incorrectly identified by Vanco as being from the 6th century CE, when in fact he most likely lived during the 6th-5th century BCE (c. 544 - 496).
• During the end credits, a whistling instrumental version of "Negro y Azul" can be heard.
• As Jesse enters the science museum he passes a photo of an atomic bomb explosion. The display mentions 'headed by Werner Heisenberg', the man who inspired Walt's pseudonym.
• The turtle explosion in this episode is foreshadowed when Walt meets Badger, Combo and Skinny Pete in the Cold War museum. The 1950s civil defence song "Duck and Cover", about a cartoon turtle named Burt who knows how to stay safe if a nuclear bomb detonates, is played just before an image of an atomic bomb is shown in the museum.
• Ted Beneke previously appeared in a photograph in "Down".

Production

Credits

Filming Locations

• Beneke Fabricators exterior was filmed at 2241 Pheonix Ave, Albuquerque.

Featured Music

• "Negro y Azul: Ballad of Heisenberg" by Los Cuates de Sinaloa (during the teaser, whistling version in the end credits)
• "Duck and Cover" by Federal Civil Defense Administration (when Walt meets Badger, Combo and Skinny Pete)
• "Nariz Inquieta" by Miguel Enriquez y Sus Torrenciales (while the DEA meet with Tortuga)

Memorable Quotes

Jesse: "I’m a blowfish."

Walter: "You are a blowfish. Say it again."

Jesse: "I’m a blowfish."

Walter: "Say it like you mean it."

Jesse: "I’m a blowfish!"

―Walter trying to motivate Jesse.