# Breaking Bad 4.02 "Thirty-Eight Snub" 7/24 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 24, 2011, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-02-thirty-eight-snub-7-24/590212 "2011-07-24T21:59:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-02-thirty-eight-snub-7-24/590212/101 "2011-07-27T02:25:25Z")
Please refresh my memory: was Hank shot or was he run over? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-02-thirty-eight-snub-7-24/590212/102 "2011-07-27T02:26:38Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Please refresh my memory: was Hank shot or was he run over? [Shot](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg-qqVJ6g6Y) ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-02-thirty-eight-snub-7-24/590212/103 "2011-07-27T02:28:37Z")
Sorry- should have [youtubed](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg-qqVJ6g6Y) before posting. ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-02-thirty-eight-snub-7-24/590212/104 "2011-07-27T03:10:55Z")
Walt is going about this all wrong. First he needs to take out Mike, which would be ridiculously easy. Just wait until Mike is standing around the lab not wearing a mask. Red phosphorus + hot water = dead Mike. Killing Gus shouldn’t be too hard either. Just pay a couple of Jesse’s junkie buddies to stage a robbery at the El Pollo Cranko while Gus is there and blow him away. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-02-thirty-eight-snub-7-24/590212/105 "2011-07-27T05:08:39Z")
> [@Washoe](#): > > Walt is going about this all wrong. First he needs to take out Mike, which would be ridiculously easy. Just wait until Mike is standing around the lab not wearing a mask. Red phosphorus + hot water = dead Mike. Killing Gus shouldn’t be too hard either. Just pay a couple of Jesse’s junkie buddies to stage a robbery at the El Pollo Cranko while Gus is there and blow him away. Uh, no. ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-02-thirty-eight-snub-7-24/590212/106 "2011-07-27T05:12:37Z")
Explain. Aside from the fact that the synthesis they’re using in the lab doesn’t require red phosphorous. ---
**Author:** ![II\_Gyan\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@II\_Gyan\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/II_Gyan_II)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-02-thirty-eight-snub-7-24/590212/107 "2011-07-27T05:48:29Z")
> [@Washoe](#): > > Just wait until Mike is standing around the lab not wearing a mask. Red phosphorus + hot water = dead Mike. Dead Mike + CCTV + New Guy = Dead Walt. ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-02-thirty-eight-snub-7-24/590212/108 "2011-07-27T06:03:13Z")
He could take out New Victor at the same time. Just wait until he and Mike are both in the lab. While New Victor and Mike are busy weighing the product, Walt has the red phosphorous brewing in one of the reaction vessels. As soon as the phosphine gas starts coming out of the vessel, Walt and Jesse hold their breaths and run for the masks. After they get their masks on, they yell “hey Mike! Hey New Victor! Something’s wrong—_grab a mask!_” But by then it’s too late. Even 3 p.p.m atmospheric will fry your brain permanently. Mike and NV are No Mas. ---
**Author:** ![Tarwater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9de0a6/32.png) [@Tarwater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tarwater)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-02-thirty-eight-snub-7-24/590212/109 "2011-07-27T06:09:10Z")
I doubt Mike would put himself in a position where Walt could do something like that. He knew Walt was carrying a weapon, even though he had purchased a gun that was supposedly nigh-invisible if carried correctly. Hell, he knew Walt was following him to his favorite dive. Walt could try what he did in the first episode, making phosphene gas, I think it was, but he’s not in a closed environment and Mike would almost certainly shoot him before he could do anything else. I mean, as we saw from the latest episode, Mike’s been playing the game long enough to see almost everything Walt can throw at him and Gus long before it happens. If Walt is going to out-smart Mike, it’s going to take some damn clever maneuvering on his part. ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-02-thirty-eight-snub-7-24/590212/110 "2011-07-27T13:47:34Z")
Yeah, you’re right. Stupid phosphene tricks aren’t going to accomplish the task. I still think better killing through chemistry is the best option for Walt, though. Since neither Gus nor Mike just fell off the turnip truck, it’s the only real leg up he has on them. ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-02-thirty-eight-snub-7-24/590212/111 "2011-07-27T15:48:27Z")
Weren’t they going to kill Tuco with ricin? That could be used on Mike/New Victor/Gus. ---
**Author:** ![Bytegeist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@Bytegeist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bytegeist)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-02-thirty-eight-snub-7-24/590212/112 "2011-07-27T17:09:37Z")
> [@Invisible\_Chimp](#): > > Weren’t they going to kill Tuco with ricin? That could be used on Mike/New Victor/Gus. Right. They even had it in their possession when Tuco kidnapped them, and managed to sneak it into his food. (Though he died by other means of course.) Also, Jesse was asking Walt for ricin as a means to kill the two street dealers in Season 3, though Walt refused to cooperate. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-02-thirty-eight-snub-7-24/590212/113 "2011-07-27T20:15:38Z")
> [@Washoe](#): > > Stupid phosphene tricks aren’t going to accomplish the task. I still think better killing through chemistry is the best option for Walt, though. Since neither Gus nor Mike just fell off the turnip truck, it’s the only real leg up he has on them. The [Mr. White Teaches Fun Things To Do with Mercury Fulminate](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGN3SBVIjjA) scene was one of the greatest ‘brains over brawn’ triumphs in TV history. That probably made more kids take an interest in chemistry than the meth money. ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-02-thirty-eight-snub-7-24/590212/114 "2011-07-27T22:28:50Z")
Including this kid. I’ve never been that fond of chemistry. I enjoy math and physics, even though my understanding of both is quite limited. But I’ve never been able to get a hard-on for chemistry—I’m really not sure why. But Breaking Bad has actually aroused a little bit of interest in the subject for me. Especially the mercury fulminate scene—that was the fucking bomb (pun intended). Interesting .pdf concerning the appearance of blue meth in cities around the United States. There are several other articles on the subject if you Google for them: > **[EPICBlueMeth.pdf](https://info.publicintelligence.net/EPICBlueMeth.pdf)** > > 950.64 KB ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2011, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-02-thirty-eight-snub-7-24/590212/115 "2011-07-28T00:30:46Z")
> [@Washoe](#): > > Including this kid. I’ve never been that fond of chemistry. I enjoy math and physics, even though my understanding of both is quite limited. But I’ve never been able to get a hard-on for chemistry—I’m really not sure why. But Breaking Bad has actually aroused a little bit of interest in the subject for me. Especially the mercury fulminate scene—that was the fucking bomb (pun intended). > > Interesting .pdf concerning the appearance of blue meth in cities around the United States. There are several other articles on the subject if you Google for them: > > [http://info.publicintelligence.net/EPICBlueMeth.pdf](http://info.publicintelligence.net/EPICBlueMeth.pdf) So just by dyeing it blue they can get more per pound, presumably because of _Breaking Bad_. They certainly do have stupid customers; although anyone who messes with meth is pretty stupid to begin with. ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2011, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-02-thirty-eight-snub-7-24/590212/116 "2011-07-28T05:51:14Z")
> [@Washoe](#): > > Including this kid. I’ve never been that fond of chemistry. I enjoy math and physics, even though my understanding of both is quite limited. But I’ve never been able to get a hard-on for chemistry—I’m really not sure why. But Breaking Bad has actually aroused a little bit of interest in the subject for me. Especially the mercury fulminate scene—that was the fucking bomb (pun intended). > > Interesting .pdf concerning the appearance of blue meth in cities around the United States. There are several other articles on the subject if you Google for them: > > [http://info.publicintelligence.net/EPICBlueMeth.pdf](http://info.publicintelligence.net/EPICBlueMeth.pdf) This is amusing: > [@](#): > > EPIC’s first reporting of blue meth was the result of a seizure made by officers of the Lompoc, California, police department in July 2009, who recovered an ounce of alleged “blue” methamphetamine. The substance was field tested but since the methamphetamine was already blue, and is supposed to turn blue when mixed with the reagent, they were not certain that it was positive for meth. Testing performed later on the substance revealed that the product was blue chalk mixed with a cut of some other material (NFI). I can just imagine the scene when they tried to test it. ROOKIE: Ok, I put the substance in the bottle, then I added the stuff from the vial. Now what? SARGE: Did you close it tight? ROOKIE: Yeah. SARGE: Now shake it up and see if it turns blue. ROOKIE: What do you mean? SARGE: SHake it and see if it turns blue. If it turns blue, it’s meth. ROOKIE: But how can it _turn_ blue? SARGE: Just shake it. Now look at it. What color is it? ROOKIE: Blue. SARGE: See, it’s meth. ROOKIE: So if it’s blue, it’s meth? SARGRE: Yep. ROOKIE: So what did we need the kit for, then? SARGE: How else would we make it turn blue? ROOKIE: I dunno. How’d they make it turn blue? SARGE: “How’d they make it turn blue?” Why would they want it to turn blue? They already know it’s meth! That’s why they deal it! ROOKIE: Oh. So why was it blue before? SARGE: Blue before? ROOKIE: Yeah, it was blue when I got it off the perp. SARGE: Wait, you’re saying it was blue _before_ you did the test? ROOKIE: Yeah. That’s why I wondered what we needed the test for. It was already blue. SARGE: So it didn’t change color when you did the test? ROOKIE: No. It was still blue. SARGE: Oh geez. This is gonna be a long shift. ROOKIE: It’s still meth, though, right? I mean, it _is_ blue! ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2011, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-02-thirty-eight-snub-7-24/590212/117 "2011-07-28T22:08:23Z")
> [@Alan\_Smithee](#): > > This is amusing:I can just imagine the scene when they tried to test it. > > ROOKIE: Ok, I put the substance in the bottle, then I added the stuff from the vial. Now what? > SARGE: Did you close it tight? > ROOKIE: Yeah. > SARGE: Now shake it up and see if it turns blue. > ROOKIE: What do you mean? > SARGE: SHake it and see if it turns blue. If it turns blue, it’s meth. > ROOKIE: But how can it _turn_ blue? > SARGE: Just shake it. Now look at it. What color is it? > ROOKIE: Blue. > SARGE: See, it’s meth. > ROOKIE: So if it’s blue, it’s meth? > SARGRE: Yep. > ROOKIE: So what did we need the kit for, then? > SARGE: How else would we make it turn blue? > ROOKIE: I dunno. How’d they make it turn blue? > SARGE: “How’d they make it turn blue?” Why would they want it to turn blue? They already know it’s meth! That’s why they deal it! > ROOKIE: Oh. So why was it blue before? > SARGE: Blue before? > ROOKIE: Yeah, it was blue when I got it off the perp. > SARGE: Wait, you’re saying it was blue _before_ you did the test? > ROOKIE: Yeah. That’s why I wondered what we needed the test for. It was already blue. > SARGE: So it didn’t change color when you did the test? > ROOKIE: No. It was still blue. > SARGE: Oh geez. This is gonna be a long shift. > ROOKIE: It’s still meth, though, right? I mean, it _is_ blue! 😃 Blue’s on first? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-4-02-thirty-eight-snub-7-24/590212.md?page=5)