# Breaking Bad 5.09 "Blood Money" 8/11/2013 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 11, 2013, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-09-blood-money-8-11-2013/665973 "2013-08-11T22:21:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-09-blood-money-8-11-2013/665973/101 "2013-08-12T21:26:11Z")
> [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](#): > > As to the GPS, is it possible someone else put it on Walt’s car, and Hank just reacted the way he did because Walt confronting him about confirmed that Hank is right, and that Walt knows he knows? Possible suspects include Lydia, Madrigal, and even Jesse or Saul. In theory, sure, but I’m not sure what interest they’d have beyond making sure he wasn’t breaking some kind of non-compete clause. Either way, I think when Walt said “It looks like the one we planted on Gus’ car” was the writer’s way of making it very clear that it was Hank. ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-09-blood-money-8-11-2013/665973/102 "2013-08-12T21:30:34Z")
Another thought: does Hank’s removing of ‘Leaves of Grass’ leave that key piece of evidence inadmissable? If so, could Marie, a known kleptomaniac, confess to stealing the book, thus allowing Hank to claim he found it in his own house? Just thinking out loud over here ---
**Author:** ![stoplight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@stoplight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stoplight)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-09-blood-money-8-11-2013/665973/103 "2013-08-12T21:32:09Z")
> [@edwards\_beard](#): > > The “Hi Carol” was showing how much has changed between present time and the flash forward. In the Flash Forward, she freaks out…after the commercials she is all cheerful towards Walt. > > I’ve heard rumors the Saul spin-off could be set prior to Breaking Bad. they think of everything don’t they!! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![stoplight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@stoplight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stoplight)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-09-blood-money-8-11-2013/665973/104 "2013-08-12T21:33:40Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > Another thought: does Hank’s removing of ‘Leaves of Grass’ leave that key piece of evidence inadmissable? If so, could Marie, a known kleptomaniac, confess to stealing the book, thus allowing Hank to claim he found it in his own house? > > Just thinking out loud over here If it ever went to court, probably but from the looks of things court is not where its headed. ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-09-blood-money-8-11-2013/665973/105 "2013-08-12T21:39:05Z")
> [@stoplight](#): > > If it ever went to court, probably but from the looks of things court is not where its headed. Yeah, I just hope Marie’s kleptomania somehow plays a part in the final episodes. Seemed like too much of a character flaw to just drop from the story. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-09-blood-money-8-11-2013/665973/106 "2013-08-12T21:42:07Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > For those who are fans of the show - did the pacing that impressed me as ponderous somehow build drama? If anything, the pacing felt very rushed to me (with the notable exception of the flash-forward opening, which was stellar), especially seen in relation to the show as a whole. Boom, there’s the confrontation between Walt and Hank already. Wait, what the heck just happened? I think everybody had expected that to be a much more drawn-out affair. I’m bracing myself for some flak for this, but honestly, it didn’t feel right to me. It felt too much like what happens on lesser shows or movies when the writers realize that they’re running out of time. And then later, on “Talking Bad”, when Vince was asked why it happened so soon, he basically said: “Well, we only have seven episodes left”. Um, yeah, Vince, that’s not actually a good reason. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-09-blood-money-8-11-2013/665973/107 "2013-08-12T21:45:50Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Another weird (admittedly little) thing: who stands on their street - at any hour of the day or night - in their jockeyshorts with their robe wide open? Really little thing, but what aspect of his character did that illustrate That is relatively normal to me. Growing up my stepfather would go out in the middle of the night and water the front lawn and flowers in JUST (no robe) a t-shirt and whitey-tighties. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-09-blood-money-8-11-2013/665973/108 "2013-08-12T21:49:07Z")
> [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](#): > > You are definitely in the minority. I’ve never met someone who loved The Wire who didn’t love Breaking Bad. This was an epic season premiere. Well, now you have! Only reason I mentioned Wire is so many folk seem to bandy these two as the best show ever. Which has always confused me, because I see them as so different. Wire was such an ensemble, with different characters taking the leads in different seasons, and vastly different “themes” from season to season. Along the lines of Hill Street Blues, NYPD Blue, and other ensemble shows. Whereas BB really all revolves around Walt. And if you find yourself not really caring what happens to Walt, then you really don’t have as much reason to keep watching. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-09-blood-money-8-11-2013/665973/109 "2013-08-12T22:03:33Z")
> [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](#): > > I thought it was perfect - very Shakespearean to give us a clown acting like a buffoon to cleanse the palate after an incredibly intense dramatic scene. “Meth, and a bit with a dog, that’s what they want.” ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-09-blood-money-8-11-2013/665973/110 "2013-08-12T22:03:44Z")
> [@Martian Bigfoot](#): > > If anything, the pacing felt very rushed to me (with the notable exception of the flash-forward opening, which was stellar), especially seen in relation to the show as a whole. Boom, there’s the confrontation between Walt and Hank already. Wait, what the heck just happened? I think everybody had expected that to be a much more drawn-out affair. > > I’m bracing myself for some flak for this, but honestly, it didn’t feel right to me. It felt too much like what happens on lesser shows or movies when the writers realize that they’re running out of time. > > And then later, on “Talking Bad”, when Vince was asked why it happened so soon, he basically said: “Well, we only have seven episodes left”. Um, yeah, Vince, that’s not actually a good reason. I agree that it’s not a good reason but Vince likes to be a little sly with the audience at times. He knows how this thing is going to end and I can’t wait to see how he gets there. I was worried that the writers might take the easy route and tease the whole Hank&Walt cat-n-mouse game for a bunch of episodes. That would have driven me nuts. By bringing it to a head in the first episode of the second half tells me that Vince meant it when he said: > [@](#): > > As far as I’m concerned, the end of this story is contained within these final eight episodes. We now have freedom, carte blanche I suppose, to dispense with the timid, pusillanimous storytelling we’ve been doing so far. And I have no idea where it’s leading from here. Which is as it should be and is the way I want it to be. ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-09-blood-money-8-11-2013/665973/111 "2013-08-12T22:14:30Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > For those who are fans of the show - did the pacing that impressed me as ponderous somehow build drama? The ST discussion was funny in and of itself, but it also served to demonstrate that Jesse is depressed and can’t go back to his normal life. The carwash scene was showing that Walt was not lying about leaving the drug game but the game wasn’t going to leave him alone (Lydia). It was also entertaining because he was acting just like Gus, a major character you wouldn’t know about. The Walt/Hank showdown has been simmering almost the whole series. If anything it seemed like the direct confrontation went faster than most people were expecting because Hank found the book in just the previous episode. > [@](#): > > Another weird (admittedly little) thing: who stands on their street - at any hour of the day or night - in their jockeyshorts with their robe wide open? Really little thing, but what aspect of his character did that illustrate? Walt has never been gunshy about traipsing around in his underwear. It was also the dead of night. Is it really that unusual? If I saw a guy getting the mail or the paper like that I wouldn’t think much of it. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-09-blood-money-8-11-2013/665973/112 "2013-08-12T22:15:16Z")
Geebus! If they think so far it’s been pusillanimous then this is gonna get ugly - for reals, Yo! ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-09-blood-money-8-11-2013/665973/113 "2013-08-12T22:29:19Z")
Here’s some random fun stuff from around the intertubes. > [@](#): > > They were talking about Star Trek and Hank was wearing a red shirt. > [@](#): > > Fourteen dollars for the basic car wash and no hot wax!? I thought Walt said he was leaving the criminal life. > [@](#): > > Todd doesn’t respect the chemistry. Or apply himself. > [@](#): > > Lydia was definitely not having an A1 day. > [@](#): > > Did Honk atleast Hank before he ran over that poor man’s fence? > [@](#): > > They wanted to take Walt Jr bowling? Is that some kind of sick joke or something? Let’s take our handicapped kid bowling. > [@](#): > > Lydia said “you’re putting me in a box” and the next episode is called Buried. > > I’d put it in her box. > [@](#): > > I think the toy car was to contrast Marie’s behavior with Walt’s. After she was caught shoplifting, she lost control of her emotions and ran over the car. On the other hand, Walt is facing the complete destruction of his life, but he calmly avoids the car while pulling into the driveway. It’s a way of showing how calculated his actions are. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-09-blood-money-8-11-2013/665973/114 "2013-08-12T22:34:10Z")
> [@Martian Bigfoot](#): > > If anything, the pacing felt very rushed to me (with the notable exception of the flash-forward opening, which was stellar), especially seen in relation to the show as a whole. Boom, there’s the confrontation between Walt and Hank already. Wait, what the heck just happened? I think everybody had expected that to be a much more drawn-out affair. Was it the writers who couldn’t wait, or Walt? If Walt thinks he has six months to live, he’s not gonna want to leave a mess for Skylar and the kids. So he has to feel Hank out, see what he knows. I could have done without the GPS tracker though – it did seem odd that Walt would look for it. The missing book was enough, if Walt is even slightly paranoid. Walt noticed it was missing soon after Hank was in the bathroom. Hank was in the bathroom for a long time and came out acting weird. Walt might have thought back to all the clues he’d given Hank and finally figured out that Hank’s not as dumb as Walt thought. But it wasn’t too soon, IMHO. Walt had to know what Hank was thinking, and ASAP. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-09-blood-money-8-11-2013/665973/115 "2013-08-12T22:40:13Z")
> [@marshmallow](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > I’d put it in her box. I’d let her grow my business exponentially. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-09-blood-money-8-11-2013/665973/116 "2013-08-12T22:41:48Z")
Thanks for the responses, folk. Enjoy the rest of the show. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-09-blood-money-8-11-2013/665973/117 "2013-08-12T22:42:29Z")
> [@Folacin](#): > > And that ‘you have six months to live’ thing doesn’t come with any kind of guarantee of accuracy. You could go for a couple of years, or drop dead in a week. Yeah, doctors essentially set the line for an over/under. ---
**Author:** ![jrepka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ee59a6/32.png) [@jrepka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jrepka)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-09-blood-money-8-11-2013/665973/118 "2013-08-12T22:43:44Z")
> [@dasmoocher](#): > > Didn’t ricin actually show up in the first episodes on season 1? Didn’t Walt make some to originally poison Tuco? I thought there was a montage of them extracting it from some castor beans. > > Is it the same ricin? I think Walter cooked up the first batch of ricin in S2E1, when the two realized how irrational and violent Tuco could become suddenly. In the next episode Tuco took them out to his little shack in the desert to wait for the Cousins to take them down to Mexico (we were also introduced to Tio, though we wouldn’t actually see the Cousins until S3). Walter dumped the entire batch of ricin into Tuco’s burrito, but Tio knocked it on the floor, shouting “J’accuse!” at Walter (with his eyes). And that was what happened to the first batch of ricin. But it introduced us to the poison and the extraction process (from “ricin beans,” as Jesse put it), so that in season 4 Walter just had to produce a vial and say he’d made some more to kill Gus. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-09-blood-money-8-11-2013/665973/119 "2013-08-12T22:45:38Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > “Meth, and a bit with a dog, that’s what they want.” 😃 > [@Martian Bigfoot](#): > > I’d let her grow my business exponentially. Even with the freaky way her nose moves when she talks? _Shudder_ ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-09-blood-money-8-11-2013/665973/120 "2013-08-12T23:49:40Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Whereas BB really all revolves around Walt. And if you find yourself not really caring what happens to Walt, then you really don’t have as much reason to keep watching. I get’cha. The Wire had Bunk, Omar, Lester, Marlo, Frank, Ziggy, Bodie, Wallace!, etc. If that show had focused on McNulty like BB does on Walt, I would have bailed, because I cared very little for McNulty. Something that makes up for it on BB though is catching the connections through the seasons, and being there for Walt’s progression from Mr. Chips to Scarface. Maybe you’ll be bored someday and try BB again. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-09-blood-money-8-11-2013/665973.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-09-blood-money-8-11-2013/665973.md?page=7)