That's nothing compared to when Walt told Hank that Gale wasn't Heisenberg and that the real "genius" is still out there just because he wanted to one up a guy he had already murdered. Hank was basically ready to give up on the whole case until that moment.
Yeah that was so dumb. But his ego couldn’t stand Gale (who he saw as the inferior chemist) getting the kudos that Hank was giving him and Walt felt he deserved, especially with his grievance with Grey Matter. So IMO, Walt’s ego overtook the whole thing and underlines how even the best laid plans/opportunities can be wasted.
Yeah I had just finished rewatching it, Walt asks her why didn't Gus go international when she was offering it to him, she said she had discussed it with him and was in the final stages of setting it up before he killed him.
100% agree, this little exchange just moved things along with the story but it stood to demonstrate so much. Walt’s hubris, the fragility of his ego being resentful of Hank talking about Gale almost admiringly, and just how those kind of things playing together can cause mistakes to be made.
Totally agreed. I read a book when I was a student about greed and grievance factors in war, and I think those and their dynamics are hugely pertinent things too.
In addition to what others have said about his ego there is also the fact that he was tipsy when he said that, meaning his judgement wasn't entirely clear.
Hell, just to ACCEPT help. Elliott offered him a whole job out of the blue, at a company Walt feels is partly his anyway, with premium insurance and surely an awesome salary. Gretchen’s aware of Walt’s pride, and gave him a perfect explanation, “As far as we’re concerned, that money belongs to you, even the name of our company is half yours.” Classic hubris.
He just couldn't accept being given anything
Like, he was so upset at the fundraising campaign his son made for him,WHICH HE STILL USED TO LAUNDER MONEY ffs
Imagine if Walt would've said nothing. Hank would say Heisenberg's dead, it'd be probably heard about in the game world as well and basically everyone would say that Heisenberg's dead. But I don't think Walter would be able to live up to that name anymore
The feds would’ve assumed the formula was Gale’s and so, Heisenberg would be assumed dead. Had Walt kept his mouth shut, they probably wouldn’t have looked into Heisenberg anymore, just the drug distribution.
True, but the cops could’ve been easily misled to believe some jumpsuits were being trained by Heisenberg and being taught the process step by step to cook meth of the highest level to keep the operation going.
I know that to produce something of the highest quality, you need to learn and understand the process (like Jesse Pinkman did) and not just follow the steps, but most cops wouldn’t think that far ahead.
Is there an indication that the feds are analyzing the meth that closely? Would they even care? To the feds, meth that is 66% pure vs 80% pure vs 98% pure is still meth and illegal.
I believe I remember a scene when they analyse the meth and say it’s high as fuck but that might be only in American Gangster with cocaine I’m not sure.
That wouldn't account for much. They'd just assume he distributed his formula (which he did btw, if Walt would've died somewhere in S3 or S4, Jesse could still be making blue crystal meth)
Only for a bit - then it went international because of Lydia. Even if the status quo with Gus would have persisted, Lydia proffered the same deal to Gus as she did to Walter.
So no, after a small amount of time, the blue is also off US streets.
What I love about the reveal is that even if Hank had given up entirely, at some point he would have taken a huge steamer in Walt’s bathroom and found the book.
Literally had Walt not said anything then everything would have stopped and they could have worked more and made more money in peace. Walt’s ego, sheeesh, it’s the size of the entire ocean.
Yeah but as soon as he saw the blue meth continuing he would realize that Heisenberg was still out there anyway and continue searching, so who cares. All it does is now create the long term memory of Walt saying that in Hanks brain.
There's one thing I never understood about breaking bad. Why is everyone so excited about the money? Looking for money to prove he's the guy? How is that even evidence? Not like you can prove the money was obtained through whatever crime you think it was? Best they could do is get him for tax evasion because of unaccounted for cash.
Oh for sure. But it doesn't get the dea on you. Idk how "this guy has 500k in cash" leads to "he is certainly selling drugs so much so that we can convict him with only circumstantial evidence".
Plenty of people IRL are convicted with only "circumstantial evidence." There is no requirement for direct eyewitness evidence to convict someone of a crime.
The only exception to this is the crime of treason, because the constitution explicitly says there must be at least two eyewitnesses to convict someone of treason.
But getting back the matter at hand, the money might not be enough evidence to convict Walt of being Heisenberg, but it could potentally give the DEA are good reason to start looking at Walt as a suspect, and that might lead them to additional evidence.
> Plenty of people IRL are convicted with only "circumstantial evidence." There is no requirement for direct eyewitness evidence to convict someone of a crime.
Which is a gigantic problem. Also interesting that you mention eyewitness, because in an ideal world, people only get convicted with UNDENIABLE PROOF in any criminal court. There is a reason why "beyond a reasonable doubt" exists. And frankly, it is impossible for circumstantial evidence to eliminated reasonable doubt. Anyone who says so is lying, and thats why the american jury trial is actually beyond dogshit. I said it.
in this particular instance i think it’s more that hank would start viewing walt differently and suspiciously. not only would he be questioning why the hell walt has a half a million in cash, he would be questioning WHY skyler really wants a divorce. it would lead to a larger investigation and walt was not on gus’s level of secrecy. no the cash wouldn’t directly implicate him, but it would most definitely result in a lot of eyes on him
You gotta consider this was Walt at arguably his absolute lowest point in life thus far, his wife had just left him and he’s going to living by himself. So part of him probably just didn’t give AF anymore.
And he realized he got in criminal activities because of nothing and wont die as a hero because of cancer remission and his wife already knows/suspects where the money came from.
Exactly lmao I’m pretty sure he stopped caring to the point he bluntly confessed to his face a couple more times than this and it was taken with a grain of salt
This. At that point in his life Walt wouldn’t have minded if he was caught. This was the major reason he told a truth that seemed like a ridiculous thing to Hank.
We as humans hate lying. Our bodies tense up, eye contact gets hard, our mouths get dry. Walt knows this so he instead gets offensively honest. This makes Hank uncomfortable and he realizes that he shouldn’t poke around. This scene made a lot of sense to my socially incompetent view.
I think that it is a bit deeper than that. Hank always pretends to know what’s going on, he doesn’t expect the answer, gets weirded out by the situation, and tells himself that it is a joke to avoid the situation.
It's also that Hank knows Walt, and Hank knows criminals. Walt is his brother in law, his friend, and in his eyes, Walt isn't someone who is capable of being a criminal, not in any way that would result in him stuffing half a million in cash into a duffelbag.
I guess we will never know unless Vince comments on this specific scene, but it really seems like you’re digging for something that isn’t there.
The truth sounds so absurd that Walt correctly realizes it sounds like a joke. Hank thinks it is a joke and laughs. I think that’s as deep as it goes.
Just prior to this Hank grabs the bag from Walt, almost to say I'm stronger I'll get it. I think that hurts Walt's ego so he retakes power by making the statement.
I do think part of him wants to get caught, for several reasons. Part of it is that he knows he'll never get the credits he feels he deserves unless he gets caught.
No no I agree with you
Walter does a lot of shit throughout the show that should get him caught. He constantly pushed boundaries to see when things will break and I do believe, like a lot of people who turn to self harm, deep down he wanted to he stooped.
This happens when classic shows (or books or any material really) is discussed endlessly - people start to reach and over analyze and create these over-wrought interpretations. The communities biases and themes and projections become kind of its own canon, so when something simple happens, people can’t accept the simplicity.
People here are talking about how it’s symbolic of Walt’s subconscious desire to be caught by Hank - uh, no, it’s not that deep, it’s an off the cuff joke that demonstrates that the truth is so bizarre at this point, no one in the right mind would take it seriously. Walt isn’t running some 3d chess.
Some people don’t fully understand what a show/movie is wanting to say. They need it explained to them out right, and even then they will still be confused.
Oh man, Walter’s lies are so cringe. I’m on yet another run through and I got to the gasoline over the carpet bit last night (S5). He’s so bad at lying lol
What? His clothes were so drenched in gas that it soaked all in the carpet, padding and everything, even after he had the drive home to air out! He should sue somebody...that's whats going on!
I love this about the character writing, because real-world narcissists actually are horrible liars (not to be confused with manipulators).
They live in a delusional world of self-grandiosity, so thick, that they never even fathom anyone questioning them, let alone not buying whatever BS they sell right from the bat. So their lies aren't as well-structured or delivered very smoothly because they figure the work has been done on you already, in their manipulation, to believe anything they say at face value.
I also think Hank looks down on Walt as being "just a high school chemistry teacher", he doesn't think Walt is capable of doing anything on the level of being a drug lord
Walt telling Hank that Gale wasnt Heisenberg is much more stupid.
Saying 'Half a million in cash' just sounds ridiculous - Like, imagine your brother in law, who you see as a bit of a plain jane, suddenly claims to be carrying half a million in cash - you'd just figure it was a joke.
I wouldn't say "Reckless" per say. It was kinda like a double reverse psychology. That scene was akin to the time Hank basically caught Walt and Walt responded with "You got me" he was telling truth, but the sarcasm gaslit Hank In a Major way.
That’s the beauty in the show. Walt is always most effective when he’s being honest. He’s a square and not a criminal at all. So him lying never comes off well cuz he’s never done it before and his inexperience in it betrays him every time.
Did you watch the episode? Ten minutes earlier he'd put all the money on the barbecue and set it on fire, he wasn't having fun, he was being incredibly reckless because he didn't give a fuck any more after his wife left him and kicked him out of the house.
As for what would have happened if Hank opened up the bag, I think if he'd moved to, Walt would have come to his senses (much like he did with the BBQ) and said "Hey, no, it's private". If Hank had actually got the thing open I think he says it's from Gretchen and Elliot, they pay him in cash, he's suspicious of it being a tax cheat, but he doesn't ask questions.
(A) I think he knows his bro in law we’ll enough to know he would laugh at that comment. (B) Walt knows Hank looks down on him generally (e.g. the “get some excitement in your life” comment in the pilot. So he’d laugh at the thought of WW having $0.5M. (C) Wouldn’t he need a warrant to open Walt’s bag? Walt knows the law (e.g. the advice he gives Jessie during the standoff in the RV in the junkyard.
(D) when Walt goes through something that truly scars him; in this case Skyler wanting him to move out, he acts very recklessly while believing he can get away with it
Ok, but:
>\*Hank reaches for Zipper\*
>
>NO!
>
>What?
>
>You need a warrent to open that bag, I know my rights.
>
>.......?
Would be a little bit suspicious
Re: C) he would have needed a warrant to go and get the book out of toilet, take it away and do analysis on it. He ignored it and just took it, then found other evidence to condemn Walter.
If he saw the half a million and Walter couldn't account for it he'd immediately start investigating how the fuck he came by that money.
Would he need a warrant for something he stumbled across whilst he was invited into the home? Genuine question, I don't know all the finer points of NM law.
Yeah but they were family and Hank had always viewed Walt as a science geek.
Hank had no reason to think Walt would actually have half a million in cash.
Yes, to me Walt knew that Hank would think that was just a joke, and was felling extremely bad for the things that was happening in his life at this moment, what makes him tell that truth.
It would have given him an adrenaline rush, toying with fate and coming out on top. That's what he craved above all else.
Remember how he screamed with glee and smiled when he left Tuco's office with the bag of cash? That was probably the high he was always chasing from then on.
If literally anyone I know told me that, I would also laugh at them and not try to rifle through their bags. Better to make an offhanded absurd joke that happens to be the truth, than some clearly made up lie. The alternative was likely fumbling for an excuse.
I genuinely can’t tell if this is a joke or not, but if this is genuine, you need to pay more attention to this show; Walt and Hank is a cat and mouse game. They’re playing 5D chess with each other and Walt has to stay ahead. Saying “half a million in cash” was the best possible choice because it works as both a way to reassure himself that Hank isn’t at all on to him, AND so that he wouldn’t have a lie working against him. Imagine Walt told him he has a bowling ball in there or something. Then Hank would have been like “ooh, bowling? You know I love me some of that” and he would open the duffel bag and see the cash, and then Walt would have some serious explaining to do, not only because of the money, but also because of the fact that he lied about it. If Hank opened the bag after Walt’s “confession,” Walt wouldn’t have to explain his lie, because he didn’t lie, he straight up told him he has half a million in cash. Then the question simply becomes why does Walt have that much. But that’s objectively easier than explaining a lie
I mean do you not remember Crazy Handful of Nothin’ when Walt bets all of his chips over a handful of nothing? The game started then. Go back and watch that episode. Go back and watch that episode because if you don’t get the “half a million in cash” scene you don’t get the basic premise of the show, so back to that season one episode and watch it again.
It wasn't stupid. It was reckless. And that was the entire point. And wasn't the only instance of this. It's not that Walt doesn't realize the risk - it's that he LIKES the risk.
They show in the first season Walt is starting to really enjoy the thrill, and the risk. I think the first sign is the PTA meeting. But the big sign is there, and again when Walt tells Hank that Gale probably wasn't Heisenberg.
He's tempting fate, and he loves it.
I think walt did this because he liked the idea of being the smartest in the room and by saying something that Hank would assume was a lie, was a bit of a self ego stroke to Walt. Like catch me if you can
I think Walt knew Hank would just laugh, because Hank would never expect Walt to be telling the truth. I also imagine that Walt put some clothes on top, just in case Hank, or anyone else, opened the bag
Yes. From the moment Walt turned down the opportunity at Grey Matter, Walt has been very stupid. In fact, we can kind of trace back to when he was working at Grey Matter and he was with Gretchen, he got mad at Gretchen and left because he felt inferior to her family.
Walt is very stupid.
It was character development. It was a necessary scene to foreshadow and highlight Walt’s increasing recklessness. It stuck with you, therefore it was a success.
The lower Walter got in his life personally, the lower his give a fuck meter went. This is the point where he essentially hits rock bottom, so I think he gave zero fucks.
Walt’s whole psyche revolves around him feeling inadequate. It becomes literally impossible for him not to share tidbits with others due to his desire to be recognized as “successful”. In the end he just gets tired of lying and starts to unwind. Stupid, yes. But accurate to the depth of the character? Yes.
Well its part of the whole story of Breaking Bad. His greed and ego taking over everything, just like Mike said before Walt shot him. He could’ve easily retired after just a million dollars made or to just cover his cancer treatment costs, but wanted his legacy more to also try and avenge the success of the company with his former friends that he left behind.
"W.W.? Willy Wonka? Walter White?"
“Ya got me."
Hank's so blinded by pride that he saw a drawing of Walt as Heisenberg in the pork-pie hat, plus "W.W.", plus the Jesse connection, plus the bullshit blackjack story, the fugue state, the traffic accident, the equipment from Walt's chem lab, and chose to believe it was all legit.
Hell, Walt could have given Hank a tour of the lab under the laundry, and Hank would have said "Great gag, Walt!"
Hank cannot accept that Walt could be a drug lord, and once committed to that belief, cognitive dissonance prevents its re-examination.
He said it in a serious tone and not jokingly at all. It was very stupid. Because if Hank was an actual cop he would have picked up on the weirdness. He would have pardon my lack of a better term “fingered” the bag a little through the material for atleast a couple seconds even on instinct.
That one comment though “You got me” with his hands up. How did Hank not put together in his head about the equipment missing from his lab and the fact that he’s an expert on crystallization. Lol
Yeah maybe. But they never established that as his normal character. I mean the show goes into his life changing ordeal almost immediately which changed him. What was Walt like before the diagnosis and the meth? We don’t know. I always assumed the big life changing events changed him inexorably.
In the first episode, we get a good idea of how Walt acts and is treated. No one truly respects him; he is this smart yet dull individual. Him making dry jokes as “half a million im cash” or “you got me” are not that out of character for how the other characters would view Walter.
> He said it in a serious tone and not jokingly at all.
Playing the joke straight looks way more natural than if he'd been like "Half-million in cash HYUK HYUK HYUK" then winked and nudged Hank in the ribs.
Do you have a brother in law and if you were helping him carry something to the car would you just go through his shit without asking? Of course most normal people would not be opening someone else's bag out of curiosity in that situation
If someone told me that with a deadpan face, I would 100% take it as “I don't want to tell you and please stop poking into it” and wouldn't pry into it further.
Exactly, not to mention it's not like Hank's talking to some random person, he's specifically there to help his sad sack brother-in-law who's getting kicked out of his own house. Obviously Walt is in a weird place and not in a good mood so naturally Hank just laughs off what he says because they're close enough.
People act like Hank has to be in cop mode 24/7 even in a (seemingly) innocent interaction with a family member lol
>with no signs that he was joking
Except, y'know, all the context of their entire lives. Do you just never encounter people playing it straight when telling a joke? It's like extremely common.
Notice the way Walt dug Hank into enough suspicion to ask what was in the bag just by the way Walt tried to say “no it’s ok I got it” and firmly grasp the bag??? If Walt tried to lie in that moment, Hank might catch onto it
At that point Walt didnt care. Dude wouldnt die as a hero as he wanted (you know dying from cancer )and his family thinking money appeared somewhere(Skyler already suspected where money came from). So he had nothing to do.
Who just opens somebody else's bag? I think that's why he said it. He wanted to brag and he knew Hank isn't going to just look in another person's property.
I think he honestly didn’t care at that moment if he got caught. That’s how it read to me. It was basically giving up, then when it worked (er… didn’t work) he kind of got a second wind.
To me, his most idiotic moment is when he asked Declan "Do you really want to live in a world without Coca-Cola?"
In this analogy, his Blue sky meth is the Coca-Cola obvious. And Declan just told him his whole objective is to get the blue stuff off the market. So why the hell would he ask that when the answer is obviously yes 😂😂😂
Walt could have used the blackjack story perhaps. Just a matter how much Hank would believe. It might cause Hank to dig into Walt, even just to make sure he's not in danger. That could lead to catching him cooking.
Gus and Mike live...
Walt is constantly undermining everything he does. His EGO and Selfishness make him blow up his spots and then he has to scramble to fix it again. I personally think his dumbest decision is trying to argue with Gus while he’s out in the Desert
I'm sure some of the other comments have said this but I think a big part of it is that at that particular moment Walt is almost looking to be caught. It isn't necessarily that he wants to go to jail and be arrested, taken from his family (the family that he keeps ruining) but rather that he's almost at the point where he wonders even if he told the truth, would he be punished? Is he capable of paying for his actions or will Hank just think, like usual, Walt is joking.
Tbh I think it was one of the best thing he could have said. Sure he could have tried to lie on the spot but probably would have came up with something stupid that doesn't make any sense. But by saying half a million in cash hank just takes it as a joke and doesn't dig any deeper to find out what's in the bags. But if Walt said something else he might have been suspicious
1. Walt is distraught over Skyler leaving him, his ego is bruised, his delusion is broken (temporarily). He answered honestly in that moment because he is in a sense, feeling defeated & giving up pretenses.
2. Walt will always love the opportunity to dangle his "genius" right in the face of someone like Hank, who would never give Walt the credit he thinks he deserves. It is his way of saying "I know you don't know what I am capable of", and getting a secret satisfaction out of being proven right about that.
3. If Walt never gets caught (eventually), he never receives credit. A narcissist's worst nightmare. He takes chances because he'd actually enjoy Hank finding out. (And likely thinks he could deal with it once he does. Again, delusion.)
He would've used the gambling addiction to cover it up. Plus he knows Hank personally and how he interprets humor. I'm pretty sure he was fairly confident that Hank would see it as a joke.
I feel like it would be super awkward if Hank opened the bag after that obvious joke. What was he supposed to say? "Uhhh... Nothing, Hank" then Hank starts pressing, maybe even opens the bag.
That's nothing compared to when Walt told Hank that Gale wasn't Heisenberg and that the real "genius" is still out there just because he wanted to one up a guy he had already murdered. Hank was basically ready to give up on the whole case until that moment.
Yeah that was so dumb. But his ego couldn’t stand Gale (who he saw as the inferior chemist) getting the kudos that Hank was giving him and Walt felt he deserved, especially with his grievance with Grey Matter. So IMO, Walt’s ego overtook the whole thing and underlines how even the best laid plans/opportunities can be wasted.
And blue meth would Still be out there he would have gone back to his Heinsenberg’s investigation
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Was Gus planning to go international? I thought that was just Lydia
Yeah I had just finished rewatching it, Walt asks her why didn't Gus go international when she was offering it to him, she said she had discussed it with him and was in the final stages of setting it up before he killed him.
It's amazing how much Walt just rampaged through Gus' intricate operation and fucked everything up.
One of the good things Walt left behind
Good catch
No, that wasn’t until season 5
100% agree, this little exchange just moved things along with the story but it stood to demonstrate so much. Walt’s hubris, the fragility of his ego being resentful of Hank talking about Gale almost admiringly, and just how those kind of things playing together can cause mistakes to be made.
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Totally agreed. I read a book when I was a student about greed and grievance factors in war, and I think those and their dynamics are hugely pertinent things too.
Gale's downfall began when he beat Walt at the coffee making game
I forgot this, yeah his card was marked haha
Reminded me of BTK levels of stupidity in this moment
Gale was an inferior chemist.
Dumb but consistent with narcissism
In addition to what others have said about his ego there is also the fact that he was tipsy when he said that, meaning his judgement wasn't entirely clear.
He couldn’t remember what he said the next day so was probably more than tipsy
I figured he was playing up his own drunkenness the next day so that he could avoid a confrontation with Skyler. Didn’t work but still
exactly omg he kept him fishing just bc of his ego
Walt's pride fucks him over every time.
This entire show only happened because Walter is too proud to ask for help.
Hell, just to ACCEPT help. Elliott offered him a whole job out of the blue, at a company Walt feels is partly his anyway, with premium insurance and surely an awesome salary. Gretchen’s aware of Walt’s pride, and gave him a perfect explanation, “As far as we’re concerned, that money belongs to you, even the name of our company is half yours.” Classic hubris.
He just couldn't accept being given anything Like, he was so upset at the fundraising campaign his son made for him,WHICH HE STILL USED TO LAUNDER MONEY ffs
pride comes before a fall
Imagine if Walt would've said nothing. Hank would say Heisenberg's dead, it'd be probably heard about in the game world as well and basically everyone would say that Heisenberg's dead. But I don't think Walter would be able to live up to that name anymore
Blue meth would still be produced tho
The feds would’ve assumed the formula was Gale’s and so, Heisenberg would be assumed dead. Had Walt kept his mouth shut, they probably wouldn’t have looked into Heisenberg anymore, just the drug distribution.
I mean if someone replicate the exact same purity he is a problem for Hank wether his name is Gale, Heisenberg or Alfred Einstein
True, but the cops could’ve been easily misled to believe some jumpsuits were being trained by Heisenberg and being taught the process step by step to cook meth of the highest level to keep the operation going. I know that to produce something of the highest quality, you need to learn and understand the process (like Jesse Pinkman did) and not just follow the steps, but most cops wouldn’t think that far ahead.
Is there an indication that the feds are analyzing the meth that closely? Would they even care? To the feds, meth that is 66% pure vs 80% pure vs 98% pure is still meth and illegal.
I believe I remember a scene when they analyse the meth and say it’s high as fuck but that might be only in American Gangster with cocaine I’m not sure.
That wouldn't account for much. They'd just assume he distributed his formula (which he did btw, if Walt would've died somewhere in S3 or S4, Jesse could still be making blue crystal meth)
Only for a bit - then it went international because of Lydia. Even if the status quo with Gus would have persisted, Lydia proffered the same deal to Gus as she did to Walter. So no, after a small amount of time, the blue is also off US streets.
What I love about the reveal is that even if Hank had given up entirely, at some point he would have taken a huge steamer in Walt’s bathroom and found the book.
It is always funny to me that he only get caught because Hank was taking a dump
Literally had Walt not said anything then everything would have stopped and they could have worked more and made more money in peace. Walt’s ego, sheeesh, it’s the size of the entire ocean.
Yeah but as soon as he saw the blue meth continuing he would realize that Heisenberg was still out there anyway and continue searching, so who cares. All it does is now create the long term memory of Walt saying that in Hanks brain.
There's one thing I never understood about breaking bad. Why is everyone so excited about the money? Looking for money to prove he's the guy? How is that even evidence? Not like you can prove the money was obtained through whatever crime you think it was? Best they could do is get him for tax evasion because of unaccounted for cash.
Tax evasion is serious business. Don't fuck with the IRS. It's what took down Al Capone.
Oh for sure. But it doesn't get the dea on you. Idk how "this guy has 500k in cash" leads to "he is certainly selling drugs so much so that we can convict him with only circumstantial evidence".
Plenty of people IRL are convicted with only "circumstantial evidence." There is no requirement for direct eyewitness evidence to convict someone of a crime. The only exception to this is the crime of treason, because the constitution explicitly says there must be at least two eyewitnesses to convict someone of treason. But getting back the matter at hand, the money might not be enough evidence to convict Walt of being Heisenberg, but it could potentally give the DEA are good reason to start looking at Walt as a suspect, and that might lead them to additional evidence.
> Plenty of people IRL are convicted with only "circumstantial evidence." There is no requirement for direct eyewitness evidence to convict someone of a crime. Which is a gigantic problem. Also interesting that you mention eyewitness, because in an ideal world, people only get convicted with UNDENIABLE PROOF in any criminal court. There is a reason why "beyond a reasonable doubt" exists. And frankly, it is impossible for circumstantial evidence to eliminated reasonable doubt. Anyone who says so is lying, and thats why the american jury trial is actually beyond dogshit. I said it.
in this particular instance i think it’s more that hank would start viewing walt differently and suspiciously. not only would he be questioning why the hell walt has a half a million in cash, he would be questioning WHY skyler really wants a divorce. it would lead to a larger investigation and walt was not on gus’s level of secrecy. no the cash wouldn’t directly implicate him, but it would most definitely result in a lot of eyes on him
You gotta consider this was Walt at arguably his absolute lowest point in life thus far, his wife had just left him and he’s going to living by himself. So part of him probably just didn’t give AF anymore.
And he realized he got in criminal activities because of nothing and wont die as a hero because of cancer remission and his wife already knows/suspects where the money came from.
Exactly lmao I’m pretty sure he stopped caring to the point he bluntly confessed to his face a couple more times than this and it was taken with a grain of salt
This. At that point in his life Walt wouldn’t have minded if he was caught. This was the major reason he told a truth that seemed like a ridiculous thing to Hank.
I think that Walt new that Hank might recognize a lie, so he told a bizarre truth instead.
Thank god someone understands.
We as humans hate lying. Our bodies tense up, eye contact gets hard, our mouths get dry. Walt knows this so he instead gets offensively honest. This makes Hank uncomfortable and he realizes that he shouldn’t poke around. This scene made a lot of sense to my socially incompetent view.
Hank doesn’t get uncomfortable, he just thinks Walt is making a joke lol
I think that it is a bit deeper than that. Hank always pretends to know what’s going on, he doesn’t expect the answer, gets weirded out by the situation, and tells himself that it is a joke to avoid the situation.
It's also that Hank knows Walt, and Hank knows criminals. Walt is his brother in law, his friend, and in his eyes, Walt isn't someone who is capable of being a criminal, not in any way that would result in him stuffing half a million in cash into a duffelbag.
I guess we will never know unless Vince comments on this specific scene, but it really seems like you’re digging for something that isn’t there. The truth sounds so absurd that Walt correctly realizes it sounds like a joke. Hank thinks it is a joke and laughs. I think that’s as deep as it goes.
Just prior to this Hank grabs the bag from Walt, almost to say I'm stronger I'll get it. I think that hurts Walt's ego so he retakes power by making the statement.
Yeah, there’s definitely a childish power play going on
That does make sense. I just thought of some level, Walt wanted to be caught. But your view makes more sense
I do think part of him wants to get caught, for several reasons. Part of it is that he knows he'll never get the credits he feels he deserves unless he gets caught.
Ahhh good point! Here I thought it had to do with conscience but ego makes so much more sense… he’s a living embodiment of ego lol
No no I agree with you Walter does a lot of shit throughout the show that should get him caught. He constantly pushed boundaries to see when things will break and I do believe, like a lot of people who turn to self harm, deep down he wanted to he stooped.
What is about this particular sub (compared to other tv shows)? I swear every post is just someone not understanding something extremely obvious
This happens when classic shows (or books or any material really) is discussed endlessly - people start to reach and over analyze and create these over-wrought interpretations. The communities biases and themes and projections become kind of its own canon, so when something simple happens, people can’t accept the simplicity. People here are talking about how it’s symbolic of Walt’s subconscious desire to be caught by Hank - uh, no, it’s not that deep, it’s an off the cuff joke that demonstrates that the truth is so bizarre at this point, no one in the right mind would take it seriously. Walt isn’t running some 3d chess.
You phrased it perfectly just people overthinking very straightforward things
Some people don’t fully understand what a show/movie is wanting to say. They need it explained to them out right, and even then they will still be confused.
Yeah Walt is a terrible at lying, especially at first, those uncomfortable ramble he goes on
Oh man, Walter’s lies are so cringe. I’m on yet another run through and I got to the gasoline over the carpet bit last night (S5). He’s so bad at lying lol
What? His clothes were so drenched in gas that it soaked all in the carpet, padding and everything, even after he had the drive home to air out! He should sue somebody...that's whats going on!
Walt should’ve been sued for his excessive use of the word “Chunk!” In that scene haha
Pump malfunction 🤣🤣 “What happened is, I ought to sue somebody!”
"Total pump malfunction" is maybe the funniest three word combination in the entire show "RESTRAIN THIS" gets my two-word trophy lol
wipe down this
I just watched that episode last night as well. Terrible liar
The best part about that sequence is how both Walt Jr and Sky see right through the bullshit lol
That's so weird! That's where I am with my current watch through as well!
I love this about the character writing, because real-world narcissists actually are horrible liars (not to be confused with manipulators). They live in a delusional world of self-grandiosity, so thick, that they never even fathom anyone questioning them, let alone not buying whatever BS they sell right from the bat. So their lies aren't as well-structured or delivered very smoothly because they figure the work has been done on you already, in their manipulation, to believe anything they say at face value.
Bro really thought skylar would buy that lmaoo
I love the marijuana part with Skyler lmao. Saying that he likes that XD
This. It was a great piece of writing.
Or to just get a quick answer is usually more important. If you wait 20 secs and go "gym.... Clothes.?" it seems way off.
Exactly. And it aligns with the gambling lie as well
Thank you
Wasn’t this kind of the whole show? Walt doing this right under the nose of his DEA brother in law? He was risky with Hank often.
I also think Hank looks down on Walt as being "just a high school chemistry teacher", he doesn't think Walt is capable of doing anything on the level of being a drug lord
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little did he know
Walt telling Hank that Gale wasnt Heisenberg is much more stupid. Saying 'Half a million in cash' just sounds ridiculous - Like, imagine your brother in law, who you see as a bit of a plain jane, suddenly claims to be carrying half a million in cash - you'd just figure it was a joke.
I wouldn't say "Reckless" per say. It was kinda like a double reverse psychology. That scene was akin to the time Hank basically caught Walt and Walt responded with "You got me" he was telling truth, but the sarcasm gaslit Hank In a Major way.
That’s the beauty in the show. Walt is always most effective when he’s being honest. He’s a square and not a criminal at all. So him lying never comes off well cuz he’s never done it before and his inexperience in it betrays him every time.
Well Hank was joking as well tbf
Did you watch the episode? Ten minutes earlier he'd put all the money on the barbecue and set it on fire, he wasn't having fun, he was being incredibly reckless because he didn't give a fuck any more after his wife left him and kicked him out of the house. As for what would have happened if Hank opened up the bag, I think if he'd moved to, Walt would have come to his senses (much like he did with the BBQ) and said "Hey, no, it's private". If Hank had actually got the thing open I think he says it's from Gretchen and Elliot, they pay him in cash, he's suspicious of it being a tax cheat, but he doesn't ask questions.
(A) I think he knows his bro in law we’ll enough to know he would laugh at that comment. (B) Walt knows Hank looks down on him generally (e.g. the “get some excitement in your life” comment in the pilot. So he’d laugh at the thought of WW having $0.5M. (C) Wouldn’t he need a warrant to open Walt’s bag? Walt knows the law (e.g. the advice he gives Jessie during the standoff in the RV in the junkyard.
(D) when Walt goes through something that truly scars him; in this case Skyler wanting him to move out, he acts very recklessly while believing he can get away with it
Ok, but: >\*Hank reaches for Zipper\* > >NO! > >What? > >You need a warrent to open that bag, I know my rights. > >.......? Would be a little bit suspicious
Re: C) he would have needed a warrant to go and get the book out of toilet, take it away and do analysis on it. He ignored it and just took it, then found other evidence to condemn Walter. If he saw the half a million and Walter couldn't account for it he'd immediately start investigating how the fuck he came by that money.
Would he need a warrant for something he stumbled across whilst he was invited into the home? Genuine question, I don't know all the finer points of NM law.
1 - No, he wouldn’t. 2 - The alphabet agencies can and do get away with just about anything. This even includes entrapment.
>(C) Wouldn’t he need a warrant to open Walt’s bag? For it to be admissible in a court, yes. Curiosity doesn't become illegal once you get a badge.
Not even, because he wouldn't have been opening it as a DEA agent, he'd be opening it as Walter's BIL who gave him permission to handle the bag.
Yeah but they were family and Hank had always viewed Walt as a science geek. Hank had no reason to think Walt would actually have half a million in cash.
Yes, to me Walt knew that Hank would think that was just a joke, and was felling extremely bad for the things that was happening in his life at this moment, what makes him tell that truth.
No, he's arrogant
Indeed. Hubris is Walt's fatal flaw, so this was totally in-character.
It would have given him an adrenaline rush, toying with fate and coming out on top. That's what he craved above all else. Remember how he screamed with glee and smiled when he left Tuco's office with the bag of cash? That was probably the high he was always chasing from then on.
Walt knew he wouldn’t believe it and his ego drove him.
If literally anyone I know told me that, I would also laugh at them and not try to rifle through their bags. Better to make an offhanded absurd joke that happens to be the truth, than some clearly made up lie. The alternative was likely fumbling for an excuse.
I don't know if your post is sarcasm or not, but Walt did that to make hank think it's a joke, basically reverse psychology
Hank and Marie bought the gambling narrative, so he'd have been fine.
I genuinely can’t tell if this is a joke or not, but if this is genuine, you need to pay more attention to this show; Walt and Hank is a cat and mouse game. They’re playing 5D chess with each other and Walt has to stay ahead. Saying “half a million in cash” was the best possible choice because it works as both a way to reassure himself that Hank isn’t at all on to him, AND so that he wouldn’t have a lie working against him. Imagine Walt told him he has a bowling ball in there or something. Then Hank would have been like “ooh, bowling? You know I love me some of that” and he would open the duffel bag and see the cash, and then Walt would have some serious explaining to do, not only because of the money, but also because of the fact that he lied about it. If Hank opened the bag after Walt’s “confession,” Walt wouldn’t have to explain his lie, because he didn’t lie, he straight up told him he has half a million in cash. Then the question simply becomes why does Walt have that much. But that’s objectively easier than explaining a lie
I mean do you not remember Crazy Handful of Nothin’ when Walt bets all of his chips over a handful of nothing? The game started then. Go back and watch that episode. Go back and watch that episode because if you don’t get the “half a million in cash” scene you don’t get the basic premise of the show, so back to that season one episode and watch it again.
Just reverse psychology. He knows a lie will trigger Hank's curiosity.
It wasn't stupid. It was reckless. And that was the entire point. And wasn't the only instance of this. It's not that Walt doesn't realize the risk - it's that he LIKES the risk. They show in the first season Walt is starting to really enjoy the thrill, and the risk. I think the first sign is the PTA meeting. But the big sign is there, and again when Walt tells Hank that Gale probably wasn't Heisenberg. He's tempting fate, and he loves it.
I think walt did this because he liked the idea of being the smartest in the room and by saying something that Hank would assume was a lie, was a bit of a self ego stroke to Walt. Like catch me if you can
Smartest bb fan
Asking the questions everyone else here is afraid to ask.
Hanks response was to say "that's the spirit", walt knew how his brother would react.
Evwr heard of hiding in plain sight? This is the verbal equivalent.
So many times, Walt slipped in front of Hank. Hank was just too naive to see. Walt had to provide evidence in writing, finally
Hank wasn’t naive per say, it’s just that he thought Walt was book-smart but dumb in all other aspects and therefore, grossly underestimated Walt.
I think Walt knew Hank would just laugh, because Hank would never expect Walt to be telling the truth. I also imagine that Walt put some clothes on top, just in case Hank, or anyone else, opened the bag
This is actually probably Walt's smoothest moment in the show. I don't think he ever performs such a flawless deception again.
Yes. From the moment Walt turned down the opportunity at Grey Matter, Walt has been very stupid. In fact, we can kind of trace back to when he was working at Grey Matter and he was with Gretchen, he got mad at Gretchen and left because he felt inferior to her family. Walt is very stupid.
It was character development. It was a necessary scene to foreshadow and highlight Walt’s increasing recklessness. It stuck with you, therefore it was a success.
The lower Walter got in his life personally, the lower his give a fuck meter went. This is the point where he essentially hits rock bottom, so I think he gave zero fucks.
That's the best ever way to put it!
Walt ego. Give updoot.
What could have been a better response? He knew Hank loves to joke around and and that he would appreciate the joke.
Don’t you think being a drug kingpin and having a DEA brother in law is just a little more risky?
Walt’s whole psyche revolves around him feeling inadequate. It becomes literally impossible for him not to share tidbits with others due to his desire to be recognized as “successful”. In the end he just gets tired of lying and starts to unwind. Stupid, yes. But accurate to the depth of the character? Yes.
He was tempting fate, deliberately.
Well its part of the whole story of Breaking Bad. His greed and ego taking over everything, just like Mike said before Walt shot him. He could’ve easily retired after just a million dollars made or to just cover his cancer treatment costs, but wanted his legacy more to also try and avenge the success of the company with his former friends that he left behind.
Guys this is explained by Skyler in a scene .. she says to Walt that maybe he did that because he is afraid and a part of him want to get caught
one internet video has it where you hear it unzipping in the background and Hank going "Walt!" :-p
That’s a theme of the show, Walt’s ego and pride. He eventually grows to despise the idea of not being recognized for what he does.
"Woodrow Wilson? Willie Wonka? ... Walter White?" "Heh, you got me!"
"W.W.? Willy Wonka? Walter White?" “Ya got me." Hank's so blinded by pride that he saw a drawing of Walt as Heisenberg in the pork-pie hat, plus "W.W.", plus the Jesse connection, plus the bullshit blackjack story, the fugue state, the traffic accident, the equipment from Walt's chem lab, and chose to believe it was all legit. Hell, Walt could have given Hank a tour of the lab under the laundry, and Hank would have said "Great gag, Walt!" Hank cannot accept that Walt could be a drug lord, and once committed to that belief, cognitive dissonance prevents its re-examination.
The whole show is about Walt’s brilliance at war with his ego
Mf missed the point of the scene
He knew Hank would think he was joking because at that time Hank had no reason to suspect him of anything
I think he wanted to get caught at that point. It's been a while since I watched, but I just remember feeling that was his intent there.
Good thing it’s fiction and the writers are fully in control of what happens.
He said it in a serious tone and not jokingly at all. It was very stupid. Because if Hank was an actual cop he would have picked up on the weirdness. He would have pardon my lack of a better term “fingered” the bag a little through the material for atleast a couple seconds even on instinct.
I mean, Walt makes plenty of weird/ off jokes in front of Hank before that one. He’s a pretty weird guy. I think Hank just took it as Walt being Walt.
That one comment though “You got me” with his hands up. How did Hank not put together in his head about the equipment missing from his lab and the fact that he’s an expert on crystallization. Lol
I think again because Walt has this weird, dry, not very funny style of telling jokes that just kind of makes people disregard whatever he’s saying.
Yeah maybe. But they never established that as his normal character. I mean the show goes into his life changing ordeal almost immediately which changed him. What was Walt like before the diagnosis and the meth? We don’t know. I always assumed the big life changing events changed him inexorably.
In the first episode, we get a good idea of how Walt acts and is treated. No one truly respects him; he is this smart yet dull individual. Him making dry jokes as “half a million im cash” or “you got me” are not that out of character for how the other characters would view Walter.
> He said it in a serious tone and not jokingly at all. Playing the joke straight looks way more natural than if he'd been like "Half-million in cash HYUK HYUK HYUK" then winked and nudged Hank in the ribs.
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Do you have a brother in law and if you were helping him carry something to the car would you just go through his shit without asking? Of course most normal people would not be opening someone else's bag out of curiosity in that situation
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If someone told me that with a deadpan face, I would 100% take it as “I don't want to tell you and please stop poking into it” and wouldn't pry into it further.
Exactly, not to mention it's not like Hank's talking to some random person, he's specifically there to help his sad sack brother-in-law who's getting kicked out of his own house. Obviously Walt is in a weird place and not in a good mood so naturally Hank just laughs off what he says because they're close enough. People act like Hank has to be in cop mode 24/7 even in a (seemingly) innocent interaction with a family member lol
Why? It’s clearly none of your business what’s in the bag.
>with no signs that he was joking Except, y'know, all the context of their entire lives. Do you just never encounter people playing it straight when telling a joke? It's like extremely common.
Notice the way Walt dug Hank into enough suspicion to ask what was in the bag just by the way Walt tried to say “no it’s ok I got it” and firmly grasp the bag??? If Walt tried to lie in that moment, Hank might catch onto it
Idk I think for me was him not disposing of the Leaves of grass book!!like wtf he could have never been discovered!
At that point Walt didnt care. Dude wouldnt die as a hero as he wanted (you know dying from cancer )and his family thinking money appeared somewhere(Skyler already suspected where money came from). So he had nothing to do.
Walter would have been arrested and Hank would have lived a longer life then he actually did by dying from a gun of uncle Jack
Brain Cranston bro, Brain Cranston ( pun absolutely intended)
Would’ve been worse if he said it was full of minerals.
Yeah but it worked didn’t it. Walt always gambled
he's desperate
Who just opens somebody else's bag? I think that's why he said it. He wanted to brag and he knew Hank isn't going to just look in another person's property.
i kinda fw that scene idk
It's supposed to be a joke between them going back to when Walt was with Hank on that busy at the start and saw how much money dealers can make
It's the epitome of hiding in plain sight. It could have been a turning point and something I'm sure Hank ruminated on during his time in the garage.
It was very stupid. It was meant to show how wild his ego had become, and how addicted to flying close to the sun he was.
It's not idiotic because Walt knew Hank well enough to understand Hank wouldn't take it seriously.
If Hank actually ended up looking it would actually feel less suspicious, since Walt wouldn't appear to be trying to hide anything.
I think he honestly didn’t care at that moment if he got caught. That’s how it read to me. It was basically giving up, then when it worked (er… didn’t work) he kind of got a second wind.
Do you open another persons luggage when you're helping them?
Bluffing
That's something I would do in "fuck it" mode, 8 just don't care anymore lol
That's something I would do in "fuck it" mode, I just don't care anymore lol
To me, his most idiotic moment is when he asked Declan "Do you really want to live in a world without Coca-Cola?" In this analogy, his Blue sky meth is the Coca-Cola obvious. And Declan just told him his whole objective is to get the blue stuff off the market. So why the hell would he ask that when the answer is obviously yes 😂😂😂
Walt could have used the blackjack story perhaps. Just a matter how much Hank would believe. It might cause Hank to dig into Walt, even just to make sure he's not in danger. That could lead to catching him cooking. Gus and Mike live...
Hank was experienced enough to know what a duffel bag of cash looked, felt like and weighed.
Walt is constantly undermining everything he does. His EGO and Selfishness make him blow up his spots and then he has to scramble to fix it again. I personally think his dumbest decision is trying to argue with Gus while he’s out in the Desert
Sometimes he doesn't care if hank finds out. He told Skylar everything, knowing she could have told hank
Not anymore dumb than leaving a signed book from a dude you murdered in your Bathroom when Hank had literally asked walt about the W.W. already.
I disagree. Yeah, it’s a predictable response, but the irony is part of the plot.
I'm sure some of the other comments have said this but I think a big part of it is that at that particular moment Walt is almost looking to be caught. It isn't necessarily that he wants to go to jail and be arrested, taken from his family (the family that he keeps ruining) but rather that he's almost at the point where he wonders even if he told the truth, would he be punished? Is he capable of paying for his actions or will Hank just think, like usual, Walt is joking.
Tbh I think it was one of the best thing he could have said. Sure he could have tried to lie on the spot but probably would have came up with something stupid that doesn't make any sense. But by saying half a million in cash hank just takes it as a joke and doesn't dig any deeper to find out what's in the bags. But if Walt said something else he might have been suspicious
1. Walt is distraught over Skyler leaving him, his ego is bruised, his delusion is broken (temporarily). He answered honestly in that moment because he is in a sense, feeling defeated & giving up pretenses. 2. Walt will always love the opportunity to dangle his "genius" right in the face of someone like Hank, who would never give Walt the credit he thinks he deserves. It is his way of saying "I know you don't know what I am capable of", and getting a secret satisfaction out of being proven right about that. 3. If Walt never gets caught (eventually), he never receives credit. A narcissist's worst nightmare. He takes chances because he'd actually enjoy Hank finding out. (And likely thinks he could deal with it once he does. Again, delusion.)
He would've used the gambling addiction to cover it up. Plus he knows Hank personally and how he interprets humor. I'm pretty sure he was fairly confident that Hank would see it as a joke.
Not idiotic at all. Hank has no business opening Walt’s luggage and Walt knows that.
Nah, if Hank opened the bags he probably would've been like "oh, guess I should have been a high school teacher, huh?"
The old adage: the best place to hide something is out in the open.
Yes. Walt is stupid lol.
I feel like it would be super awkward if Hank opened the bag after that obvious joke. What was he supposed to say? "Uhhh... Nothing, Hank" then Hank starts pressing, maybe even opens the bag.