Fifty - One - wikipedia Fifty - One This article is about the Breaking Bad episode. For the number, see 51 ( number ). `` Fifty - One '' Breaking Bad episode Episode no. Season 5 Episode 4 Directed by Rian Johnson Written by Sam Catlin Featured music `` Bonfire '' by Knife Party Original air date August 5, 2012 ( 2012 - 08 - 05 ) Running time 47 minutes Guest appearance ( s ) Laura Fraser as Lydia Rodarte - Quayle Steven Michael Quezada as Steven Gomez Todd Terry as SAC Ramey Russ Dillen as Ron Forenall John Ashton as Mechanic Melissa McCurley as Lydia 's Secretary Episode chronology ← Previous `` Hazard Pay '' Next → `` Dead Freight '' Breaking Bad ( season 5 ) List of Breaking Bad episodes `` Fifty - One '' is the fourth episode of the fifth season of the American television drama series Breaking Bad, and the 50th overall episode of the series. Written by Sam Catlin and directed by Rian Johnson, it originally aired on AMC in the United States on August 5, 2012. Contents 1 Plot 2 Production 3 Reception 3.1 Ratings 3.2 Critical reception 3.3 Awards and nominations 4 References 5 External links Plot Walt and Walt Jr. retrieve Walt 's Pontiac Aztek from an auto repair shop. The mechanic believes the car will last a long time, but when Walt puts on the hat he dons for his Heisenberg persona, his pride takes over : Walt sells the Aztek to the mechanic for $50, leases a new Chrysler 300 and later leases a new Dodge Challenger for Walt Jr. At Madrigal 's Houston branch, Lydia receives a call from Mike, who warns her that the police are about to arrive. She escorts Hank, Gomez, and other officers to the Madrigal warehouse and points out foreman Ron, who was supplying her with methylamine. Mike reassures Lydia that Ron will not talk, adding that she will have a new guy in the warehouse soon. Walt presents Skyler with a stack of newly - earned drug money, saying they have to recoup the lost $600,000. After her suggestion of sending the kids to boarding school is struck down by Walter, he mentions that she should throw him a party for his 51st birthday. The next day, SAC Ramey offers Hank the position of ASAC vacated by Merkert. Hank accepts, even though his pursuit of Heisenberg will be given to a field agent. That evening, the Whites and the Schraders finish a meager birthday dinner in the backyard -- a noticeable shift from the well - attended surprise party one year before, which annoys the ever - prideful Walt. After Walt Jr. leaves, Walt notes that it has been a year since his cancer diagnosis. As he reflects, a fully clothed Skyler steps into the pool and slowly submerges herself. Marie panics while Walt jumps in to pull her out. At the Madrigal warehouse, Lydia leads Jesse to a barrel of methylamine. As Jesse lowers the barrel with a forklift, Lydia points her flashlight at a GPS tracker affixed to the bottom of the barrel, forcing them to leave empty - handed. Back at the house, Walt learns that Skyler has asked Marie and Hank to look after the kids until her issues with Walt are resolved. Walt tentatively agrees though he considers it a temporary arrangement. Skyler insists that she will not have her children living in a house where dangerous events that occur are just shrugged off. She threatens to fake spousal abuse if Walt brings the kids back home, but he belittles her plans as unworkable. Breaking down and realizing there is no way out of her situation without hurting her family, she relents to his arguments but not without admitting to him that her only option is to hope that Walt 's cancer will come back and kill him. The next day at Vamonos Pest, Mike is skeptical that the GPS tracker was planted by the DEA because of its crude placement on the bottom of the barrel. When informed by Jesse that it was Lydia who spotted it first, Mike concludes that Lydia planted it herself in order to get out of the deal she made with him. He vows to kill her although it will slow down business. Jesse pleads for Mike to show mercy and asks for Walt 's opinion. Walt votes to keep her alive so no time is lost finding a new precursor supplier. Jesse later gives Walt a TAG Heuer Monaco wristwatch as a birthday present, which pleases Walt. At home, Walt informs a chain - smoking Skyler that more money is coming. He shows off Jesse 's gift as proof that Skyler will eventually accept him, as `` the person who gave me this present wanted me dead, too. He changed his mind about me, Skyler, and so will you. '' Walter goes to bed with time on the watch ticking away. Production Sam Catlin wrote the episode. Dean Norris ( Hank Schrader ) spoke about the `` tense '' family dinner scene : `` Those are some of my favorites because we all get together, and they 've kind of become a signature thing on the show. I work with the DEA guys all the time, who I love, but from a personal side it 's nice to hang out with the rest of the gang. Those scenes are going to be even more interesting if Hank ever knows something about Walt that Walt does n't know he knows, because for the entire series Walt 's had this secret that everybody in the audience knows and Hank is the one guy that does n't know it. '' Reception Ratings `` Fifty - One '' was watched by approximately 2.29 million American viewers in its original broadcast, matching the second episode 's numbers. Critical reception The episode received critical praise with many critics singling out Anna Gunn 's and Bryan Cranston 's performances. Luke Gelineau of TV Equals called `` Fifty - One '' the `` best episode of the season thus far '', adding `` I think the first three episodes were all quite good, but I honestly ca n't think of any other episode in this show that focused so heavily on the characters of Walter and Skyler White. '' The Baltimore Sun 's Wesley Case called Skyler 's pool scene `` unnerving '' and `` heart - wrenchingly sad '', adding `` Breaking Bad is a show built around action -- big explosions, shoot - outs, throat - cutting murders, and other vivid portraits of the messy drug - dealing business. Besides Jesse 's breakdowns, we rarely we see the exisential ( sic ) crises all of these characters must be dealing with at all times. '' Awards and nominations For his direction of this episode, Rian Johnson won the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing -- Drama Series. Anna Gunn won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her performance in this episode at the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards. References Jump up ^ Rosenberg, Eli ( August 14, 2012 ). `` Q&A - Dean Norris ( Hank Schrader ) ''. AMCTV.com. Retrieved August 16, 2012. Jump up ^ Bibel, Sara ( August 7, 2012 ). `` Sunday Cable Ratings : ' True Blood ' Wins Night, ' Keeping Up With the Kardashians ', ' Falling Skies ', ' Breaking Bad ', ' Army Wives ', ' Leverage ' & More ''. TV by the Numbers. Retrieved August 7, 2012. Jump up ^ Gelineau, Luke ( August 5, 2012 ). `` Breaking Bad `` Fifty - One '' Review ``. TV Equals. Retrieved August 6, 2012. Jump up ^ Case, Wesley ( August 6, 2012 ). `` ' Breaking Bad ' recap : Episode 4, ' Fifty - One ' ''. The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved August 6, 2012. Jump up ^ McNary, Dave ( February 2, 2013 ). `` Ben Affleck wins top prize at DGA Awards ''. Variety. Retrieved February 7, 2013. External links `` Fifty - One '' at AMCTV.com `` Fifty - One '' on IMDb `` Fifty - One '' at TV.com Breaking Bad episodes Season 1 `` Pilot '' `` Cat 's in the Bag... '' ``... And the Bag 's in the River '' `` Cancer Man '' `` Gray Matter '' `` Crazy Handful of Nothin ' '' `` A No - Rough - Stuff - Type Deal '' Season 2 `` Seven Thirty - Seven '' `` Grilled '' `` Bit by a Dead Bee '' `` Down '' `` Breakage '' `` Peekaboo '' `` Negro y Azul '' `` Better Call Saul '' `` 4 Days Out '' `` Over '' `` Mandala '' `` Phoenix '' `` ABQ '' Season 3 `` No Más '' `` Caballo Sin Nombre '' `` I.F.T. '' `` Green Light '' `` Más '' `` Sunset '' `` One Minute '' `` I See You '' `` Kafkaesque '' `` Fly '' `` Abiquiu '' `` Half Measures '' `` Full Measure '' Season 4 `` Box Cutter '' `` Thirty - Eight Snub '' `` Open House '' `` Bullet Points '' `` Shotgun '' `` Cornered '' `` Problem Dog '' `` Hermanos '' `` Bug '' `` Salud '' `` Crawl Space '' `` End Times '' `` Face Off '' Season 5 Part I `` Live Free or Die '' `` Madrigal '' `` Hazard Pay '' `` Fifty - One '' `` Dead Freight '' `` Buyout '' `` Say My Name '' `` Gliding Over All '' Part II `` Blood Money '' `` Buried '' `` Confessions '' `` Rabid Dog '' `` To'hajiilee '' `` Ozymandias '' `` Granite State '' `` Felina '' Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing -- Drama Series 1971 -- 2000 Daniel Petrie for `` Hands of Love '' ( 1971 ) Robert Butler for `` Dust Bowl Cousins '' ( 1972 ) Charles S. Dubin for `` Knockover '' ( 1973 ) David Friedkin for `` Cross Your Heart, Hope to Die '' ( 1974 ) James Cellan Jones for Jennie : Lady Randolph Churchill ( Miniseries ) ( 1975 ) Glenn Jordan for `` Rites of Friendship '' ( 1976 ) John Erman for `` Second Hour '' ( 1977 ) Gene Reynolds for `` Prisoner '' ( 1978 ) Roger Young for `` Cop '' ( 1979 ) Roger Young for `` Lou '' ( 1980 ) Robert Butler for `` Hill Street Station '' ( 1981 ) David Anspaugh for `` Personal Foul '' ( 1982 ) Jeff Bleckner for `` Life in the Minors '' ( 1983 ) Thomas Carter for `` The Rise and Fall of Paul the Wall ( 1984 ) Will Mackenzie for `` My Fair David '' ( 1985 ) Will Mackenzie for `` Atomic Shakespeare '' ( 1986 ) Marshall Herskovitz for `` Pilot '' ( Thirtysomething ) ( 1987 ) Marshall Herskovitz for `` Therapy '' ( 1988 ) Eric Laneuville for `` I 'm in the Nude '' ( 1989 ) Michael Zinberg for `` Vietnam '' ( 1990 ) Eric Laneuville for `` All God 's Children '' ( 1991 ) Rob Thompson for `` Cicely '' ( 1992 ) Gregory Hoblit for `` Pilot '' ( NYPD Blue ) ( 1993 ) Charles Haid for `` Into That Good Night '' ( 1994 ) Christopher Chulack for `` Hell and High Water '' ( 1995 ) Christopher Chulack for `` Fear of Flying '' ( 1996 ) Barbara Kopple for `` The Documentary '' ( 1997 ) Paris Barclay for `` Hearts and Souls '' ( 1998 ) David Chase for `` The Sopranos '' ( 1999 ) Thomas Schlamme for `` Noël '' ( 2000 ) 2001 -- present Alan Ball for `` Pilot '' ( Six Feet Under ) ( 2001 ) John Patterson for `` Whitecaps '' ( 2002 ) Chris Misiano for `` Twenty Five '' ( 2003 ) Walter Hill for `` Deadwood '' ( 2004 ) Michael Apted for `` The Stolen Eagle '' ( 2005 ) Jon Cassar for `` Day 5 : 7 : 00 a.m. -- 8 : 00 a.m. '' ( 2006 ) Alan Taylor for `` Smoke Gets in Your Eyes '' ( 2007 ) Daniel Attias for `` Transitions '' ( 2008 ) Lesli Linka Glatter for `` Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency '' ( 2009 ) Martin Scorsese for `` Boardwalk Empire '' ( 2010 ) Patty Jenkins for `` Pilot '' ( The Killing ) ( 2011 ) Rian Johnson for `` Fifty - One '' ( 2012 ) Vince Gilligan for `` Felina '' ( 2013 ) Lesli Linka Glatter for `` From A to B and Back Again '' ( 2014 ) David Nutter for `` Mother 's Mercy '' ( 2015 ) Miguel Sapochnik for `` Battle of the Bastards '' ( 2016 ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fifty-One&oldid=804216116 '' Categories : 2012 American television episodes Breaking Bad ( season 5 ) episodes Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 7 October 2017, at 14 : 56. 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Question: what was on the bottom of the barrel in breaking bad
Answer: a GPS tracker