# Breaking Bad 9/25/11 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 26, 2011, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-9-25-11/597623 "2011-09-26T03:07:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2011, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-9-25-11/597623/81 "2011-09-27T02:20:10Z")
> [@Bytegeist](#): > > Ah, I wasn’t sure. I didn’t remember seeing him die specifically, so I thought perhaps he left the party early. (I remember him at the start, when Don Eladio says he doesn’t care whether Jesse’s a “pig farmer”, he’s still cooking better than the guys with all the degrees.) I watched the episode 2 3/4 times, and I paid close attention to the head chemist (because I didn’t quite catch it the first time). He never fell down, but in one glimpse of him in the background he’s seated sort of leaning on the table clutching his chest, then the next glimpse he’s slightly slumped over in his chair. That still leaves behind all the junior chemists though, but as I said in the previous episode’s thread, I assume Gus would have that lab destroyed/cleaned-up. (They were videotaping the whole process, if I recall correctly. Besides protecting the recipe, there’s no telling whose faces are on that video.) > [@Bob Ducca](#): > > I agree with your assessment of the Ted situation (he didn’t think for a second that she’d take that check, and was only angling for more money) but you should know by now that nothing is ever resolved on Breaking Bad. Actions have consequences that have consequences that have consequences… Yeah, maybe my use of the word “resolved” referring to the Ted situation was oversimplifying it. I was really only talking about getting the check signed, because I assume there will still be some repercussions. > [@marshmallow](#): > > Hank would have to be really oblivious not to suspect anything by now. > > The mask and jars were missing from Walt’s lab. > Badger’s description of Heisenberg. > Walt driving by just as he was on a stakeout to catch the fake Heisenberg. > The Whites suddenly becoming rich + their laughable gambling story. > Walt’s initials in Gale’s notebook. > Walt acting weird everytime Hank brings up meth (interrupting him repeatedly to ask questions etc.). > Walt saying Heisenberg is still out there. > Walt acting really weird about installing the bug. > And now you can add Walt purposefully crashing into the car after acting really weird about going to the laundry. To add to your list: - Walt knowing Jesse - The time someone conveniently knew to call Hank telling him that Marie was in an (false) accident right before Hank was going to bust Jesse (and Walt) in the RV at the junkyard. - The time someone conveniently called Hank to warn him that the cartel guys were going to attempt to kill him. - Walt visibly beat to shit, but won’t tell Hank what happened. - Walt occasionally asking certain specific questions, like asking about the cartel guys. - Not just the lame gambling story (as you mentioned), but the resulting separation with Skyler over it, when he made over $1 million dollars doing it!!! - The whole drunken “Gale isn’t Heisenberg” where he was saying it with WAY too much smug self-satisfaction and certainty, as if he had A LOT of experience knowing how hard it would be to make such high quality meth. - I’m pretty sure there are even a few other things neither of us remembered to mention. > [@](#): > > And him thinking that Walt ‘doesn’t have it in him’ only goes so far. Do you mean that you think that Hank already suspects him? Because I don’t think so, and I think it’s _precisely_ because he doesn’t think Walt has it in him. Hank is indeed an experienced investigator. If it wasn’t for him completely dismissing Walt by default, he would have surely seen what’s been right under his nose the whole time. If/when Hank finds out, I have a feeling he’ll be more upset at himself for not seeing it, then he is upset at Walt for doing it. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2011, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-9-25-11/597623/82 "2011-09-27T02:41:12Z")
Breaking bad isn’t so easy, is it Skylar. Whats your belief about Beneke’s sincerity? Was turning down Skylar’s money blackmail or some shredded sense of honor? Being broke and homeless IS better than prison, if it truly was blackmail Skylar should have called his bluff. Beneke doesn’t know what shes really involved in and what she’s really afraid of and theres no way from his knowledge she’d do a lot of time, especially when compared to what he’s going to get. ---
**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:** [September 27, 2011, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-9-25-11/597623/83 "2011-09-27T02:47:19Z")
> [@voltaire](#): > > Do you mean that you think that Hank already suspects him? Because I don’t think so, and I think it’s _precisely_ because he doesn’t think Walt has it in him. Hank is indeed an experienced investigator. If it wasn’t for him completely dismissing Walt by default, he would have surely seen what’s been right under his nose the whole time. If/when Hank finds out, I have a feeling he’ll be more upset at himself for not seeing it, then he is upset at Walt for doing it. I, like you, don’t think Hank is even kind of thinking that Walt is related to anything, not even a little bit. If he runs across some hard evidence\* then all those things will certainly come into play,\*\* but right now I think Hank just thinks of Walt as a little pussy that’s kind of curious about Big Hank’s important job and he just gets kind of jumpy when he’s in a situation that a civilian that watches too much TV thinks is dangerous. \*I’m thinking maybe he’ll see Walt’s car at Jesse’s house or the laundry, maybe run across his name on a receipt for chemical shipment or maybe it’ll play out that Walt will confess to Hank. \*\*Whenever we have a show or movie like this I like to think that we’ll get a montage ala The Usual Suspects (I think they did it in Fight Club as well) when Hank figures it out that’ll cover all the things in the list. ---
**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:** [September 27, 2011, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-9-25-11/597623/84 "2011-09-27T02:52:04Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > Breaking bad isn’t so easy, is it Skylar. > > Whats your belief about Beneke’s sincerity? Was turning down Skylar’s money blackmail or some shredded sense of honor? Being broke and homeless IS better than prison, if it truly was blackmail Skylar should have called his bluff. Beneke doesn’t know what shes really involved in and what she’s really afraid of and theres no way from his knowledge she’d do a lot of time, especially when compared to what he’s going to get. I honestly thought he was being sincere in trying to give her the money back. Basically that was his way of saying “Thanks, but if you’re going to control what I have to spend it on, I’m not interested”. I figured _her_ reaction was her sort of blackmailing/guilting him into keeping it and paying off the IRS. I mentioned earlier that in hindsight she should have had Saul ‘will’ him the money but then say that the IRS took the money all ready. Hell, she could have just paid them directly, but that would have taken out a lot of the drama. Even now, I still don’t understand why she didn’t just take the money back and send it into the IRS herself. Then the IRS would be happy and off her back. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2011, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-9-25-11/597623/85 "2011-09-27T02:53:27Z")
A bunch of Mexican capos got killed. Their employees are going to be pissed and want revenge. In their possession is a tape with Jesse cooking blue. You’re going to see that tape again before the end of this season. Bet. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2011, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-9-25-11/597623/86 "2011-09-27T02:58:29Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I honestly thought he was being sincere in trying to give her the money back. Basically that was his way of saying “Thanks, but if you’re going to control what I have to spend it on, I’m not interested”. I figured _her_ reaction was her sort of blackmailing/guilting him into keeping it and paying off the IRS. I mentioned earlier that in hindsight she should have had Saul ‘will’ him the money but then say that the IRS took the money all ready. Hell, she could have just paid them directly, but that would have taken out a lot of the drama. > Even now, I still don’t understand why she didn’t just take the money back and send it into the IRS herself. Then the IRS would be happy and off her back. Because she’s afraid of how this looks to the IRS, she has gone far out of her way to look as cash poor as possible. Beneke paying them is the best case scenario for her and she didn’t figure anyone would be stupid enough to not pay the government to avoid jail. Her assumption and it being wrong is plausible I think. ---
**Author:** ![Nicest\_of\_the\_Damned](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8baadc/32.png) [@Nicest\_of\_the\_Damned](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nicest_of_the_Damned)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2011, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-9-25-11/597623/87 "2011-09-27T03:13:01Z")
Great episode, very intense. When Ted tripped over the rug the first time I wondered if the actor had actually tripped but just continued with the scene. I should have known better. There is not a lot that happens for no reason on this show. Watching it a second time I noticed after he hit his head the bowl of oranges spilled down over him. Wasn’t it the Godfather movies where oranges mean death/bad things happening? The ending also reminded me of Shallow Grave when: Ewan McGregor is lying there (possibly dead depending on your interpretation) laughing hysterically with the money hidden under the floor beneath him. ---
**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:** [September 27, 2011, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-9-25-11/597623/88 "2011-09-27T03:14:21Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > Because she’s afraid of how this looks to the IRS, she has gone far out of her way to look as cash poor as possible. Beneke paying them is the best case scenario for her and she didn’t figure anyone would be stupid enough to not pay the government to avoid jail. So have Beneke make the check out to CASH (or give her the cash), get a cashiers check (Saul can take care of that) made out to the IRS and use that to pay the IRS. That should keep her name totally out of it. ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2011, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-9-25-11/597623/89 "2011-09-27T03:36:03Z")
a. Ted’s not dead. Betcha. b. The spare, primal heartbeat music as Walt was cracking up down in the crawlspace added “music” to the growing list of what makes this show so good! ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2011, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-9-25-11/597623/90 "2011-09-27T03:40:38Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > A bunch of Mexican capos got killed. Their employees are going to be pissed and want revenge. In their possession is a tape with Jesse cooking blue. > > You’re going to see that tape again before the end of this season. Bet. When I mentioned the need to cleanup the factory and the videotape, I forgot one thing that I just remembered - they were blindfolded on the way to (and from?) the factory. I guess we’ll see just how thorough Gus was with his planning. Maybe he had some sort of tracker on him to locate the factory. (Or Longshot: ) Maybe he had the forethought to have the GPS pulled on the car they took, and that data is still on there. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2011, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-9-25-11/597623/91 "2011-09-27T03:50:36Z")
> [@B.Serum](#): > > a. Ted’s not dead. Betcha. Assuming he survived the fall, do you think the goons and Saul are that stupid to let him live after that? Though, I admit, keeping him in a coma/quadriplegic would be interesting. Heh, yet another person whose medical costs Skyler would feel obliged to cover! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Tarwater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9de0a6/32.png) [@Tarwater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tarwater)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2011, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-9-25-11/597623/92 "2011-09-27T04:05:29Z")
Was anybody else worried that Tyrus or one of Gus’ men was going to appear behind Skyler while she was talking to Walt? The tension in the scene, combined with the throbbing thump-thump feedback of the music, lead me to believe that the White family was in\* immediate\* mortal danger, and at any second Gus’ goons would be arriving to kill them. ---
**Author:** ![Yaxche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8dc957/32.png) [@Yaxche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yaxche)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2011, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-9-25-11/597623/93 "2011-09-27T04:08:10Z")
…and he wants to go all the way to the top with it. He knows WW is his in, and his mobility is limited. Hell, he may even suspect or know there is a DEA roadblock in the case. He’s obnoxious, but not stupid. From this episode, in the hospital, Walt shows up and apologizes: “Sorry, that guy just came out of nowhere” “Actually, he didn’t, I saw him coming from a mile away” They _love_ planting that sort of stuff. As my wife pointed out, Ted stumbled over that same rug earlier in the episode when Skyler visited for “the talk”. ---
**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:** [September 27, 2011, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-9-25-11/597623/94 "2011-09-27T04:25:44Z")
> [@Yaxche](#): > > …and he wants to go all the way to the top with it. He knows WW is his in, and his mobility is limited. Hell, he may even suspect or know there is a DEA roadblock in the case. He’s obnoxious, but not stupid. What does Hank know? How much does he know about Walt? What makes you think he knows? Personally, I think he knows he’s about 50% sure that Gus is deeply involved in meth production, but as for Walt, I think Hank considering Walt being involved would be like reading about a bank robbery in the newspaper and thinking it might be your grandmother. That is to say, I don’t think he’s even considered it. Now, once something happens that makes the connection, however minute, all the things we talked about earlier will come flooding into Walt’s mind, but for now, Walt is in the clear as far as Hank is concerned…IMO. ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2011, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-9-25-11/597623/95 "2011-09-27T04:31:06Z")
Here’s a nitpick: Gus’s crew let Walt barge right into Jesse’s house almost. You’d think they’d have learned from the Gale incident. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2011, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-9-25-11/597623/96 "2011-09-27T04:39:44Z")
> [@Raygun99](#): > > Yeah, I mean, they’re going to have to name it Chekov’s Ricin soon. When I saw the “Previously on…” clips and the ricin wasn’t mentioned, I figured the episode wouldn’t involve it. In fact, the need to reintroduce the ricin will rather blunt the surprise of its use, it it ever _gets_ used. I could imagine a few bluff episodes. Show clips of the ricin, then have its only involvement in that episode be: Walt: You still got that ricin? Jess: Yeah, bitch. Repeat a few times, then blammo. ---
**Author:** ![Yaxche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8dc957/32.png) [@Yaxche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yaxche)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2011, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-9-25-11/597623/97 "2011-09-27T04:39:48Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > What does Hank know? We don’t know what Hank knows, that’s what makes those scenes so uncomfortable… But: [ul] [li]The laundry trip came out of left field with Walt, even though Hank new about the German company connection.[/li] [li]Hank hasn’t been exactly subtle about taking Walt on the rides, but now that Walt’s out, he’s going it alone.[/li] [li]Hank was a good investigator from our previous experience with him, but was derailed by the cartel hit. With what we’ve seen this season, there may be “dirty cop” implications[/li] [li]The line I mentioned was telegraphed, granted they do a lot of misdirection here.[/li] [li]…but most of all for me, Hank as a cop does not miss the Gail/Gus/Academia/Money/Walt implications.[/li][/ul] In Hank’s mind, maybe Walt isn’t Heisenberg, but he certainly could be the kind of person who would be hired to take the place of a suddenly dead chemist, particularly since he ‘recently came into money’. I have to say, I love this season, I love that they’ve made Skyler important as anything but a harpy foil to Walt, and I love that they killed Ted :)… But if they play Hank off as that stupid in the end, based on what we’ve seen of his job competency in the past, it will leave a little bit of a sour taste in my mouth. ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2011, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-9-25-11/597623/98 "2011-09-27T04:50:48Z")
> [@voltaire](#): > > Assuming he survived the fall, do you think the goons and Saul are that stupid to let him live after that? Though, I admit, keeping him in a coma/quadriplegic would be interesting. Heh, yet another person whose medical costs Skyler would feel obliged to cover! :eek: I couldn’t begin to hypothesize where this show goes. All I know is that there were two opportunities to confirm that Beneke is dead (directly after the event and during the call) and they passed both times. We’ll know for sure in a few days. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2011, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-9-25-11/597623/99 "2011-09-27T05:03:18Z")
> [@Yaxche](#): > > [ul] > [li]The laundry trip came out of left field with Walt, even though Hank new about the German company connection.[/li][/ul] Hank knew about the German company (Madrigal Electromotive?) and that it owned Pollos Hermanos and the chicken farm, but I think he only recently tracked down the fact that they also owned the industrial laundry. Had he known about the laundry previously, I assume he would have started his recon there, rather than the less likely chicken place. ---
**Author:** ![Naxos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/50afbb/32.png) [@Naxos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Naxos)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2011, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-9-25-11/597623/100 "2011-09-27T05:22:18Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Holy shit. Cranston has to be one of the best actors of our time. His breakdown at the end was simply awesome. A world of shit has descended. I kinda like him. The hysterical laugh was beyond difficult to pull off and he did it. The revelation of this show is Aaron Paul. This kid is a new age De Niro and it’s only a decent script writer and a director that will showcase his talent. I’m so pissed that Scorsese whores himself for the likes of trash like DiCaprio and can’t see the talent of Aaron Paul. Oh well. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-9-25-11/597623.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-9-25-11/597623.md?page=6)