The tension between their marriage comes to a head in a Season 4 episode of Breaking Bad. But why did Hank tell Marie to get out?
Hank tells Marie to get out because he’s unhappy with his recovery. He used to be an overly-confident super-cop, and now he can barely walk more than a few steps.
Marie tries to celebrate Hank’s physical therapy progress, and this causes him to lash out on her. No matter the progress he makes, Hank is ultimately unhappy so long as he’s stuck in bed.
Hank has recovery progress, Marie wants to celebrate
In Season 4, Episode 2, titled “Thirty-Eight Snub,” we see Hank during one of his physical therapy sessions. His assistant, Chuck, encourages Hank to walk with his own strength down the hallway.
Hank is slowly, but surely, on the road to recovery from his shootout with The Cousins. He is utilizing physical therapy in order to regain his ability to walk. Using a Walker, Hank is encouraged by Chuck and Marie to reach his bedroom.
It seems shaky at first, but Hank is successfully able to make it onto his own bed. Once he sits, Hank instinctively gives a high-five to Chuck. When Marie goes for a high-five, Hank hesitates before giving in.
Marie walks Chuck out to the door. Despite Hank being closed off during his recovery, Marie is enthusiastic over his positive progress. She compliments Chuck on “having a real way with him,” further exemplifying her wish for Hank to open up following his incident.
Hank tells his wife to get out
After Marie returns to Hank’s bedroom, we see him staring longingly into the wall. He has a distant wash over his face, and doesn’t even turn his head to acknowledge Marie entering the room.
She compliments Hank on being strong today, and asks if he worked up an appetite. Before Marie can finish her question, Hank tells her to get out. Marie is taken back by Hank’s bluntness, and with tears forming, leaves the room.
But why did Hank tell Marie to get out? It stems from a sense of frustration and loss of masculinity. Hank used to be the uber-confident super-cop who is full of energy and life, but his injury has, by his own admission, reduced him down to nothing.
Despite making progress, Hank clearly is not satisfied. Celebrating the “win” of walking a few steps down a hallway is a grim reminder of how far he’s fallen.
Further evidence
We see this idea exemplified in the previous episode. In the episode titled “Box Cutter,” Marie also compliments Hank on his progress. He denies this, saying he did not “break new ground” with his physical therapy unless the definition of the phrase has recently changed.
As the scene ends, Hank alerts Marie that he needs to use the bathroom. It’s a grim reminder that he can’t even use the bathroom by himself, and his wife has to help roll him over into a more favorable position. This would reduce anyone’s confidence, but for someone as previously confident as Hank, it’s humiliating.
Once Hank’s spirits recover, he uses the time spent in bed to re-open the “blue stuff” case. He previously put the case down, but is inspired to re-open it by Walter himself. Deep down, Walter White wants to get caught. He pushes Hank to look back into the case.
So that’s the answer. Hank tells Marie to get out because he’s unhappy with his therapy progress. He used to be an overly confident super-cop, but now he’s been reduced to someone who can’t even take themselves to the bathroom.