Breaking Bad: Season 5 (2012 - 2013)

Flash ahead to Walter's 52nd birthday: he's at a Denny's, disheveled, hair and beard unkempt, using a false name and a New Hampshire driver's license, paying a guy for a car with weapons in the trunk. Back to the immediate aftermath of Gus's death: Skyler is dazed at Walt's murderous success, Walt and Jesse make peace, and Hank visits the burned-out lab. Walt remembers the surveillance cameras Gus used at the lab, so they turn to an angry Mike for help. Can they get rid of the digital evidence in police custody? Is hubris going to trip up Walt?

In Germany, the head of a multinational company's fast food division - which includes Gus' franchised chicken restaurants - commits suicide when the police come to question him. With Jesse fretting over what happened with the poison cigarette intended for Gus Fring, Walt plans an elaborate ruse to let him find it in his house. With that out of the way, they approach Mike to join them in starting up the business but he refuses.

Walt, Jessie, and Mike's business starts back up. Walt finds an ingenious solution to the problem of where to set up the lab, Jesse makes a decision about his personal life, and Mike visits each of his crew to ensure that they stay mum, even with the feds pressuring them. Hank goes back to work. Skyler remains numb, and Marie badgers her about what's wrong. Walt is in for a surprise when Mike divides the money from the first cook.

Walter, his confidence up, leases two muscle cars - one for himself and one for Junior. He's turning 51 and would like a party, Hank and his team visit Lydia in Houston, Jesse flies there to pick up the accelerant, Mike makes a decision that Jessie wants reversed, Hank is offered a promotion, Walter explains Skyler's behavior to Marie and Hank with references to Ted, and Skyler, coming slowly out of her funk, hatches a makeshift plan to protect her children.

A boy on a motorbike finds a large tarantula in the desert. Walter pays a visit to Hank in the new office; Walt's intentions are not entirely above board. The team's search for methylamine continues, with Michael and Lydia at odds, and Jesse wanting to obtain the chemical without resorting to murder. They hatch an elaborate plan involving buried tanks, a train trestle, and a stalled truck. The children remain with Hank and Marie to Junior's increasing anger and frustration. Skyler lays more of her cards on the table. What price success?

With blood on their hands, the Walter, Jesse, and Mike partnership must first decide what to do about Todd. After that's settled, Walter is ready to cook again, but Jesse and Mike have another idea. Skyler spends some time with her daughter and with Marie, and Walter's invitation that Jesse stay for dinner adds to Skyler's misery. Hank and his team put nearly round-the-clock surveillance on Mike, and a meth producer in Phoenix has a plan.

In the desert, Walter meets with the Phoenix crystal meth distributors to set up a new partnership. Mike's out, Jesse wants out, Skyler's checked out, and Hank's boss wants him to stop spending time and resources on pursuing Mike. Walt needs to get the bug out of Hank's office, and Hank may have one more play.

After disposing of Mike's body, Walt sets out to eliminate anyone who can tie him to the Fring investigation. And as a new global partnership makes them richer than ever, Skyler wonders how much money is enough.

As Walt and Jesse adjust to life out of the business, Hank grapples with a troubling lead.