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Breaking Bad
S3.E12
All episodesAll
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
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IMDbPro

Half Measures

  • Episode aired Jun 6, 2010
  • TV-14
  • 47m
IMDb RATING
9.5/10
40K
YOUR RATING
Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul in Breaking Bad (2008)
Drug CrimeTragedyCrimeDramaThriller

Street tensions spike as Jesse pursues a risky plan against rival dealers, pressuring Walt to choose between caution and loyalty, revealing the cost of 'half measures.'Street tensions spike as Jesse pursues a risky plan against rival dealers, pressuring Walt to choose between caution and loyalty, revealing the cost of 'half measures.'Street tensions spike as Jesse pursues a risky plan against rival dealers, pressuring Walt to choose between caution and loyalty, revealing the cost of 'half measures.'

  • Director
    • Adam Bernstein
  • Writers
    • Vince Gilligan
    • Sam Catlin
    • Peter Gould
  • Stars
    • Bryan Cranston
    • Anna Gunn
    • Aaron Paul
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    9.5/10
    40K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Adam Bernstein
    • Writers
      • Vince Gilligan
      • Sam Catlin
      • Peter Gould
    • Stars
      • Bryan Cranston
      • Anna Gunn
      • Aaron Paul
    • 27User reviews
    • 17Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos16

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    Top cast17

    Edit
    Bryan Cranston
    Bryan Cranston
    • Walter White
    Anna Gunn
    Anna Gunn
    • Skyler White
    Aaron Paul
    Aaron Paul
    • Jesse Pinkman
    Dean Norris
    Dean Norris
    • Hank Schrader
    Betsy Brandt
    Betsy Brandt
    • Marie Schrader
    RJ Mitte
    RJ Mitte
    • Walter White, Jr.
    Bob Odenkirk
    Bob Odenkirk
    • Saul Goodman
    Giancarlo Esposito
    Giancarlo Esposito
    • Gus Fring
    Jonathan Banks
    Jonathan Banks
    • Mike Ehrmantraut
    Emily Rios
    Emily Rios
    • Andrea Cantillo
    Jeremiah Bitsui
    Jeremiah Bitsui
    • Victor
    Julia Minesci
    • Wendy
    Ian Posada
    • Brock Cantillo
    Angelo Martinez
    • Tomas
    Mike Seal
    Mike Seal
    • Rival Dealer #1
    Antonio Leyba
    • Rival Dealer #2
    Andrea Good
    • Laundry Worker
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Adam Bernstein
    • Writers
      • Vince Gilligan
      • Sam Catlin
      • Peter Gould
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews27

    9.540.3K
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    10

    Featured reviews

    BellnBarksdaleEnterprises

    Breaking Bad at it's BEST... absolutely

    We all know by now that most TV Series' in this format always save the best for the last 2 or 3 episodes. Well, this is no different. Right from the cold open, hearing The Associations classic rock/oldies song "Windy" will never be heard the same again. This episode grabs you right from the beginning and never lets go. Mike has always been kind of quiet, and we don't know much about him other than his intimidating demeanor, and in this episode we get a little back story. We learn in this episode that Mike really does care about Walt and does want to see him succeed with their business venture, however, Walt cares about his partner too much to just turn his back on him. Gus seems like a real pragmatist on the surface, but perhaps that is just a ploy? In any event, by the end of this episode, it will be made abundantly clear to us just WHO Walt's allegiance is with. The final scene of this amazing episode will leave you "in awe" and unable to change the channel or get up or even move. But not to worry, there is still the finale "Full Measure".
    Red_Identity

    Amazing penultimate episode....

    Half Measures is just as excellent as Season 2's penultimate episode Phoenix. It has the same amazing writing, character moments, directing, and tension. This is what makes this show stand out. The many character moments are full of real mounting tension and the audience can feel it. The ending to the episode made me start sweating with dread and just waiting to see what was going to happen. It also shows just how much the characters have changed. Waiting to see what is going to happen in the finale is really going to be a wait, simply because we want to know how the characters' fates are going to be revealed and how n3ext season will probably start. Hopefully the finale does not disappoint, and obviously I know it won't.
    10Entelodonte

    The best!

    If I could I would give it more than 10, the best episode of the first three seasons, from start to finish.

    Many new and unexpected situations keep you always on the lookout.
    10zhosani-70453

    As per usual

    Another very deep,emotionally riveting episode That contains very important character developing choices.The intensity is consistent throughout the episode
    10Troll_Patrol101

    A Great Goddamn Episode to a Great Goddamn Season

    "No more half measures." - Mike

    Wow. Oh Wow.

    There are many wonderful things about the show and Season 3. First, the character evolution is better than on almost any other show on TV. You can actually track the changes to these folks in a way that makes you realize that most other TV characters basically remain unchangeable. You see that Walt has become a crafty "bad" guy... he has truly broken bad. His wife has evolved . His son. Hank. And poor Jesse. They hardly resemble the characters we first met... and time has not been kind to any of them. And with the excellent writing, directing and acting for this particular episode... we can practically feel the guild and corruption pouring off of them.

    Related interests

    Wendell Pierce and Dominic West in The Wire (2002)
    Drug Crime
    Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams in Manchester by the Sea (2016)
    Tragedy
    James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Sharon Angela, Max Casella, Dan Grimaldi, Joe Perrino, Donna Pescow, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Tony Sirico, and Michael Drayer in The Sopranos (1999)
    Crime
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Cho Yeo-jeong in Parasite (2019)
    Thriller

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Aaron Paul had the phrase "No Half Measures" tattooed on his arm in homage to this and the following episode.
    • Goofs
      When Jesse and Mike arrive at the chicken farm they stop behind Gustavo's black Volvo. In the next shot the Volvo is gone, and back in the next shot.
    • Quotes

      Mike Ehrmantraut: I used to be a beat cop a long time ago. I'd get called on domestic disputes all the time, hundreds, probably, over the years. But there was this one guy, this one piece of shit that I will never forget: Gordie. He looked like Bo Svenson. You remember him? Walking Tall? You don't remember?

      Walter White: No.

      Mike Ehrmantraut: Anyway, big boy, 270, 280, but his wife or whatever she was, his lady was real small, like a bird, wrists like little branches. Anyway, my partner and I'd get called out there every weekend, and one of us would pull her aside and say: "Come on, tonight's the night we press charges." This wasn't one of those "deep down, he loves me" setups. We got a lot of those but not this. This girl was scared. She wasn't gonna cross him, no way, no how. Nothing we could do but pass her to the EMTs, put him a car, drive him downtown, throw him in a drunk tank. He sleeps it off. Next morning, out he goes, back home. But one night my partner's out sick, and it's just me. The call comes in, and it's the usual crap. Broke her nose in the shower kind of thing. So I cuff him, put him in the car, and away we go. Only that night we're driving into town, and this sideways asshole is in my back seat humming "Danny Boy." And it just rubbed me wrong. So instead of left, I go right out into nowhere. And I kneel him down, and I put my revolver in his mouth, and I told him, "This is it. This is how it ends." And he's crying, going to the bathroom all over himself, swearing to God he's gonna leave her alone, screaming, much as you can with a gun in your mouth. And I told him to be quiet, that I needed to think about what I was gonna do here. And, of course, he got quiet, goes still and real quiet, like a dog waiting for dinner scraps. Then we just stood there for a while, me, acting like I'm thinking things over and Prince Charming kneeling in the dirt with shit in his pants. And after a few minutes, I took the gun out of his mouth, and I say, "So help me if you ever touch her again, I will such and such and such and blah, blah, blah."

      Walter White: It was just a warning?

      Mike Ehrmantraut: Of course. Just trying to do the right thing. But two weeks later he killed her, of course. Caved her head in with the base of a Waring blender. We got there, there was so much blood you could taste the metal. Moral of the story is I chose a half measure when I should have gone all the way. I'll never make that mistake again. No more half measures, Walter.

    • Connections
      Featured in The 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards (2010)
    • Soundtracks
      Windy
      (uncredited)

      Written by Ruthann Friedman

      Performed by The Association

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 6, 2010 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official Instagram
    • Language
      • English
    • Filming locations
      • Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
    • Production companies
      • High Bridge Productions
      • Gran Via Productions
      • Sony Pictures Television
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 47m
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 16:9 HD

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