Originally Posted by bhutocracy

I'm just going to have to go ahead and assume lone genius unless you want to point out any specific issues with what I've said, although really I imagine it will amount to nothing more than special pleading. This is a guy that can think 3 moves ahead to set up Rube-Goldberg machines with steps that include poisoning children. I'll accept some occasional dumb stuff. Sure ok, take Jesse's word that he's burning your money, I can see that, there is a photo.. I'll gulp down the screaming thoughts in the back of my head yelling at Walt to confirm with Jesse where he found the cash, to shut up on the phone with the over-confession.. to y'know.. actually look for rising smoke at the site.. to not actually frigging stop at the site of the money... To have buried all his eggs in one basket.. To not put it together that Jesse couldn't do this by himself.. How would Jesse know he used a van?????.. That Huell is missing.. I'll forgive that because they actually worked at creating something semi-believable in the photo and the potential van tracking.. and keeping the pressure on with potential money burning so maybe, maybe he doesn't stop for 3 seconds to think about it.. It's just enough to suspend disbelief.

What I won't countenance is continued incompetence without similar rational justification. Why in fuck tell them he's got $80M buried there? Why couldn't he just say he'll give them $40M if they let Hank live? No further info necessary... Has far, far less risk both to his money (which is shown he cares the most about) his own life as $80M and a pack of murderous thugs pretty much removes the need for you to be alive and retains some level of authority and upper hand... then add in the inability to talk down his family when all he does is manipulate.. add in Skylar's instant capitulation with no evidence and instant complete trust in the person who tried to steal her baby, Walt Jr's instant flip on his dad after seeing the exact opposite of what he said.. The only semi-logical thing all episode was the call home to absolve Skylar... (The person who ordered Jesse dead one minute but instantly attacks the person who followed her advice to protect the family.. an attack that might not have happened if Walt pointed this out.. but once again it's all forced to get the pieces going in a certain direction).

I still enjoyed the episode, but mainly because of all the seasons leading up to it allowed me to try and excuse some final missteps.. (Like Hank lasting more than two seconds in a wall of lead with not much more than a scratch, fuck just end the episode on the first trigger being pulled and have a quarter of the amount of shooting when you come back the next week.. or have them only using .22's or something lol.). However if all the other episodes in all the other seasons were written like this with people making stupid illogical decisions multiple times each episode it wouldn't be one of my favorite shows. If I wanted people doing dumb illogical stuff I'll yell at the suspect confessing at the end of each episode of Law and Order.