box cutter breaking bad box cutter fourth season premiere american television drama series breaking bad 34th episode overall written series creator directed box cutter originally aired united_states july narrative follows protagonist partner face repercussions drug killing gale previous season breaks husband walter investigate sudden disappearance struggles help recover injuries episode marked final regular performances actors gale victor considered changing episode based audience responses season finale measure gale killed ultimately decided twist scene box cutter loyal victor throat utility knife right eyes said concerned filming scene hurting spirit soul concentrated hard remained silent focused filming rarely speaking set scene bloody daughter faint screening major theme box cutter entire fourth season involved walter gradual change darker character violent dangerous episode illustrates moral decline feelings guilt killing gale growing involvement walter illegal activities episode received positive reviews watched million households according nielsen_media_research fifth season premiere box cutter watched breaking bad episode series history highest rated season premiere seasons walking dead received work episode marked second win individual work breaking bad award pilot episode plot pre credits flashback sequence manufacturer sets equipment underground drug gale asks blue produced chemist point working explains reservations hiring walter gale insists hire superior product present day partner shot gale death orders foil plot kill replace victor arrives gale apartment finds dead surrounded neighbors called police victor finds stunned sitting car outside forces gunpoint return lab employee mike holding hostage mike concerned victor seen murder scene calls inform events victor watched work starts cooking prove need grows concerned victor proves better process expected wife observes car wishing son drives blocks away conceal concerned apparent disappearance calls lawyer paranoid falling busy checking office listening devices hires break claiming belongs identification claims purse stolen panic attack finally agrees finds little interest inside sister marie struggles maintain caring husband hank attempt life arrives says launches nervous monologue trying convince needs alive claims ultimately responsible gale death insists victor produce needs maintains silence changing gear selecting box cutter victor anticipation changing demeanor suddenly victor throat startling killing simultaneously victor delivering stern message drops body floor eyes duo ensure message received quietly returns street clothes walks lab work later dispose victor body gun killed gale box cutter barrel acid breakfast later insists gale death necessary expresses concern kill opportunity doubts believing trouble find drug manufacturer understand situation kill wish dead episode ends police investigating gale apartment camera focusing lab notes discovered production box cutter fourth season premiere breaking bad directed written series creator filmed january episode edited handful editors regularly worked series broadcast july original episode months season finale episode measure aired june officials delayed fourth season premiere july felt nielsen ratings better summer breaking bad scripts generally pages long screenplay box cutter pages long originally concerned want stretch episode simply pad running time measure ended pulling gun gale firing directly screen gale death visibly revealed screen led wide speculation fans reviewers actually kill gale aimed away fired gun speculation continued original broadcast box cutter confirmed killed gale said intended scene cliffhanger thought clearly conveyed gale died box cutter featured final regular appearances recurring breaking bad characters respectively played victor stand comedian guest appearances box cutter new bodyguard stated named episode box cutter mainly sounded like cool title concerned climax episode took long build calling box cutter thinking level better let audience know end breaking bad staff intended gale killed audience reaction measure breaking bad writing staff reconsider plans best ones said instead decided follow original plan saying end day choice press forward choice felt honest best continue story said read script box cutter shocked walk away said want scene home deep concern able coming unscathed hurting spirit soul worked concerns actions killing victor protecting works said difficult moment victor throat tried character die scene took days film remained silent focused filming rarely speaking set boots originally given large concerned slip character completely calm control costume designer quickly right sized boots writing script staff decided early speak scene felt dramatic way appropriate character felt scene pivotal moment character relationship walter warning walter continue operate way risk death character murder victor said got seen survival way sent message people weren listening said expecting episode direction called scene painful beautifully crafted reasonably commented contrast calm demeanor walter tap dancing stay alive said performance plays bad character eyes dead takes look eyes said actions scene scripted surprised little talked played man amazing instincts major theme box cutter involves walter gradual change participant drug dealing enterprise man comfortable life crime darker violent dangerous development began episodes season continue major theme fourth season episode introduced ongoing theme moral decline self guilt killing gale said raw season distant turned utter chaos destruction mind busy left thoughts things kind dangerous scary scene walter pleads demonstrates paternal sense walter developed scene walter tells kill kill don visibly moved statement described moment realizes loyalty box cutter illustrated growing involvement walter illegal activities subplot lies break walter house going far use baby prop facade breaks walter apartment finds plastic bear series second season eye long symbol identify walter gradual descent life crime discovery similar descent ankle filming scene walter corpse barrel dispose acid following scene lifts barrel lit way barrel seen accomplished lighting barrel tying staff members moved twisted outside view camera create lighting effect cultural references scene gale neighbor calls police report murder clock gale apartment reads deliberate reference number frequently appeared x-files worked writer producer actor refers x-files creator chris_carter production company turn reference chris_carter birthday october copy eventual collection short stories seen gale apartment walter released eat lunch coffee shop family restaurant chain scene wearing matching shirts country music singer shirts deliberately explained episode said believed mike simply bought articles clean clothing find walter clothes soaked victor blood final scene box cutter walter walks song truth plays background reception initial screening ratings box cutter publicly shown june hollywood scene killed victor daughter taylor seat inside theater sight blood prompted theater officials briefly screening ask doctor audience causing brief panic crowd violent scenes box cutter proved bloody included warning violence start episode commercial break halfway episode original american broadcast box cutter seen estimated million household viewers according nielsen_media_research watched breaking bad episode series second highest rated season premiere falling series premiere walking dead drew million household viewers percent increase viewership compared season premiere box cutter performed especially strong men ages viewership percent compared season premiere episode seen million household viewers age groups percent increase group percent increase reviews box cutter received critical acclaim alan_sepinwall hitfix said episode demonstrated effective creators manipulating emotions viewers sepinwall described story remarkably simple execution extremely effective called screen time dedicated changing clothes killing victor brilliant actually started second time time magazine writer james_poniewozik said episode demonstrated effective breaking bad minimal dialogue silence scene lab episode processed gale praised color scheme blood red lab illustrator walter descent hell entertainment_weekly writer ken_tucker said episode breath taking compositions pleasures television usual attempts dirty realism fashionable squad called killing victor scenes history writer called intense episodes seen said solidified standing greatest antagonists seen compared filmmaking box cutter works brothers called best example television ability elastic approach narrative let certain incidents moments expand fill episode episode television series mad men ign called minimalist deliberately paced episode said boring excellent acting dialogue suspense illustrates quickly lost innocence said involving hank marie kept episode pace los_angeles_times writer todd_vanderwerff praised performance despite complete lack dialogue episode felt script raised interesting contrasts acts captured calm control said felt like victor killed walter simply writers kill main protagonists called great intriguing way start season particularly praised said phenomenal despite barely speaking dialogue episode mixed feelings character evolution scenes criminal hands killer called exquisite exercise tension builds slow looks strong season called great start keeps getting better praised dark humor kept tension balanced particularly complimented pre credits scene characters writer found cinematography pacing tension effective box cutter think broke sweat watching paste magazine writer praised transformation walter said shows risk making protagonist called climactic scene brilliant complimented script taking time building tension fanatic praised episode effectiveness scenes featuring little dialogue particularly claiming silence like breaking bad complimented desperate monologue trying convince kill claiming provided deep insight character inability accept responsibility actions zap2it writer called scene killing victor master class building tension strong writing direction acting particularly called fantastic bloody shocking season premiere best history particularly praised performance suggested actor worthy contention magazine writer strongly praised performance described silence calm climactic scene great recent moments menace slate magazine called fine opening episode advance plot significantly served reminder characters stand psychologically thomas said believed episode demonstrated walter fact weak man comparing useless pleas ineffective attempts drug manufacturing activities earlier seasons reviews positive slate magazine said prefers episodes mixed darker aspects black humor box cutter fear philadelphia_inquirer columnist condemned violent scene victor death called totally ing plot character purpose
Box Cutter (Breaking Bad)