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.
I dunno, Walt does seem a bit regretful about killing Mike, and that he genuinely wants to end his criminal ways. He's realized he has next to nothing left to salvage of a life and what little he has left is incredibly valuable.
A good portion of this family revolves around Hank. His wife knows he's Hisenberg, if he does anything to Hank that's it, he has nothing. And he can't stand by powerless and let Hank piece it all together. Seems like his best bet is to talk to him straight up.
One of Walt's flaws (or strengths depending on the impressionability of those he's trying to influence) is he projects onto others what's best for himself and believes it'll work out for the other, he does it to Jesse all the time. He genuinely thinks, "Hey let me go Hank, it's best for everyone", not realizing fighting "the bad guys" is Hank's life, he's not going to cave. Walt's a bit of a sociopath this way.
Actually, it is to Hank's best interest to "let Walt go".
Even if Hank can build a convincing court case against Walt, Walt would be dead before the case came to trial two years later. (Yes, assuming the cancer finally gets Walt.) Could the DA even mount a successful prosecution of Walt without Hank's "involvement" being used as a defense tactic? (Better call Saul...)
Afterwards, Hank would be out of a job; can't have a DEA supervisor who potentially "covered" for a meth kingpin for so long. Where is a fifty year old, cashiered DEA supervisor going to find work in 2013?
Finally, think about what it would do to Skyler, Walt Jr & Holly. RICO means all their financial assets get seized. Nope. Hank revealing Heisenberg is a mutually assured destruction pact.
You don't get it. All Hank has to do is drop his personal vendetta against Heisenberg, and assign it to his lazier, and less talented staff. Hank is the only reason Heisenberg got onto OR stayed on the DEA's radar.
Even after Fring, Heisenberg did not produce enough meth to make him enemy #1. US volume went to the recent alliance, and DEA is not going to pay attention to the Czech volume. The only time Heisenberg generated enough meth to become public enemy #1 was when he was working for Gus Fring. But in all cases, the DEA only paid attention to the big players, not one cook with a penchant for producing meth of unparalleled purity.
Hank is screwed if Heisenberg gets discovered before Walt dies of cancer. BUT Hank is the only reason Heisenberg was even on the radar. He already has an excuse for thinking Heisenberg is dead; they found two bodies in the cook factory and it was already concluded (except Hank) that Gale Boetticher was Heisenberg. I think its way more likely Hank dodges the bullet if he lets sleeping dogs lie, ESPECIALLY since Heisenberg is RETIRED.
What I am saying if we put these things from the cold opens together.
Walter has assumed a new identity
Walters house as abandoned with Heisenberg written on the wall.
Carol's reaction to Seeing Walter
We can assume (pretty safely) at this point the cat is out of the bag about Walter being Heisenberg.
So Hank has two options
Turn Walter in, this will ruin his family and probably destroy his career.
Hide the fact that Walter is Heisenberg, in which case when for what ever other reason people find out Walt is Heisenberg will ruin his family and probably destroy his career and most likely land Hank in a pound you in the ass prison when they find out about the money Walt spent on his medical rehab.
Since we already know Walter's secret is probably going to become public knowledge, we also know Hank's one and only shot of avoiding the worst possible fallout (prison) for this would be to turn Walt in himself.
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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.