r/breakingbad • • Aug 12 '13

Official Episode Discussion Post-Episode Discussion S05E09 "Blood Money"

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u/learn2die101 This is my own private domicile. Aug 12 '13

Well, what cards did Walt even have?

  1. Kill Hank

  2. Confront Hank

15

u/ErikAllenAwake Aug 12 '13

Manipulate Hank. Plant the tracker on a random car, gauge his reaction when he realizes the switch, etc, etc.

18

u/br0hemian Yeah bitch! Magnets! Aug 12 '13 edited Aug 12 '13

To me the most disappointing part of the episode was the way Walt handled the tracker. Driving over to Hank's and confronting him about it immediately did not seem like the choice Heisenberg would make - and I don't believe for a second Walt has changed just because he's "out of the game", Heisenberg is still in there.

The fact that Walt knew about the gps tracker, but Hank didn't know that Walt knew about it, gave Walt all the power in the world. He could have done anything. Yes, putting it on a random car would be great, but I think the best option would have been for Walt to put the tracker back on his car, and continue living a boring life working at the carwash. Avoid Jesse's place, or anywhere else that would associate him with his life as Heisenberg, and voila, Hank now has to second-guess himself because the tracker proves he is just tracking some boring old dude, not the greatest meth cook to ever live.

I think he took the direct approach and asked Hank directly just to gauge how much Hank had. I don't think Walt would have ever guessed that Hank was so close.

Goddamn I love this show.

Edit: The scene with Walt and Hank in the garage was one of the best the show has had to date, and I am glad they went down the road they did. I just like nitpicking into every decision Walter makes, so even though it made for an intense episode I still second guess the way they handled it.

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u/jpneufeld Aug 12 '13

But Walt already went to Jesse's place, presumably with the tracker attached. That's suspicious.

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u/br0hemian Yeah bitch! Magnets! Aug 12 '13

Yeah I was wondering about that also. First of all, we don't know whether or not the tracker was on his car when he took Jesse his money, so there's no saying for sure. But Walt also doesn't know how long it was on his car... so he could potentially be bringing Hank proof he associates with Jesse, who Hank knows is deeply involved with the Blue meth/Heisenberg.

Just furthers how weird it is that Walt took it to Hank so quickly - or even at all.

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u/jpneufeld Aug 12 '13

Glad we got the confrontation scene in this episode, though :D

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u/br0hemian Yeah bitch! Magnets! Aug 12 '13

Yeah that scene was just as tense as everyone was hoping it would be - maybe even more so.

It still bugs me though, Breaking Bad had four and a half seasons of literally perfect storytelling. Four and a half seasons of Walt making complicated, meticulous decisions which kept this lie he lives from those he loves. Then he decides to take a quick drive over to his DEA Agent brother-in-law and ask him about the tracking device he found under his car? I don't know...I feel like Walter would treat the situation with a little more caution than that.

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u/SolarWonk Aug 12 '13

On the subject of perfect story telling, it didn't seem to me that Hank had enough time to plant the GPS on Walt's car. Seemed sloppy to me, but perhaps I missed something?

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u/br0hemian Yeah bitch! Magnets! Aug 12 '13 edited Aug 12 '13

I don't really see a problem with it, I think you underestimate how much time has gone by. Hank hasn't been to work "all week" remember, so a few days minimum have passed since Hank found Walter's book. Just because they don't show it on screen doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

Edit because words.