Walt begins chemotherapy, which leaves him exhausted and nauseous. He hides the severity of the side effects from Skyler, vomiting in private and quietly enduring the fatigue. Skyler notices his deterioration and grows increasingly protective, which Walt finds suffocating. At school, Walt snaps at a student and later stares at his reflection in the bathroom mirror as clumps of hair fall out. He decides to shave his head completely, and when Walter Jr. sees the new look, he shaves his own head in solidarity, a moment that deeply moves Walt. Hank and his DEA partner Steven Gomez investigate the new blue-tinted methamphetamine appearing in Albuquerque. They trace the supply back to a low-level dealer and learn that the product has an unusually high purity level, suggesting a skilled chemist. Hank is intrigued but has no leads on the manufacturer. Jesse, still unable to distribute their product, reconnects with his old friend Badger and recruits him to sell on the street. Jesse devises a plan to claim individual corners and pushes into a territory near the crossroads. A rival dealer confronts Jesse, and the two end up in a standoff that Jesse narrowly wins by bluffing. Meanwhile, Skyler discovers that the baby shower tiara Marie gave her was shoplifted and is furious. She confronts Marie, who denies it. The sisters' relationship fractures as Skyler refuses to speak to Marie until she admits the truth. This pulls Hank into the middle, straining both marriages. Walt and Jesse cook a second batch in the RV out in the desert. Walt insists on maintaining the same high standard of purity, and Jesse is impressed but impatient — they need money now. Jesse starts selling the meth through Badger and his own street efforts, but the amounts are small and the margins thin. Walt calculates they need to move much larger quantities to make the operation worthwhile and tells Jesse they need a real distributor.