treated. Walt's family is ecstatic, but Walt, privately, has a violent outburst. Production The episode was directed by Michelle MacLaren and written by Sam Catlin. It aired on AMC in the United States and Canada on May 3, 2009. Critical reception The episode received critical acclaim. Emily VanDerWerff, writing for Slant, praised the episode for its cinematography: "It's also staggeringly beautiful, drinking in the desert landscape that dominates its running time with a wide-eyed sense for the beauty of the wilderness." She added that the episode continued the series' world-building, comparing it to the likes of The Wire and The Sopranos, stating "the best television series are full of the breadth and depth of the panoply of human life." Alan Sepinwall felt similarly, writing "image after image—the glowing orange light of the desert, the cool blues of the chemicals mixing together, the tableaux of the RV resting in the tall grass or Walt and Jesse enjoying the night air after a hard day's work—looked absolutely gorgeous." Donna Bowman, of The A.V. Club, gave the episode an A. She praised the episode for highlighting the characters' ability to act under pressure. The Ringer ranked "4 Days Out" as the 27th best out of the 62 total Breaking Bad episodes. References External links "4 Days Out" at the official Breaking Bad site 2009 American television episodes Breaking Bad (season 2) episodes