Well his whole meth empire has always half been his ego for selling off grey matter and half trying to provide for his family. It was kind of implied when Skylar showed him the money that he had generated enough for his family to live comfortably with a legitimate business to live mighty fine without him. Plus as much as he might want to be in the empire business you always seem to be winding up in situations where you or your family might get killed. That realization, if he had it, hasn't been shown from his point of view yet.
Happened to watch that episode the other day. The last thing he said to Skinny Pete in the hospital (while Jesse was comatose) was "tell me everything about Tuco." He was absolutely expecting Tuco to laugh in his face for bringing him more 'meth' and asking for both the money he ripped off of Jesse, plus extra for his pain and suffering, at which point he would throw the phosphorous-y stuff and get what he wanted plus more. He didn't just mosey on in, hoping for the best. It was a plan, and it worked perfectly (hence his freak out in the car after). There was also his money/methylamine split up plan with Mike, Jesse and Declan, which worked alright (at the time), just as another one off the top of my head. But look, you're missing my point (i.e.-the part you omitted when you quoted me). I agree he isn't a super evil genius (you kept that part in), certainly not like Gus. But these last episodes have shown him acting ONLY emotionally, without a semblance of a plan. He didn't even think of the possibility that Jesse would rat. So I'm wondering, and hoping, that things go back the other way, at least a little bit, because when he does have a plan, it's often the best part of the show. I wouldn't hold your breath. You basically answered your own question. He said he was "in the empire business", and sure enough, he created his own empire from nothing, and proved to himself he could do it. Add that to the fact he had more money than his grandchildren could spend, and a viable option to pass on the empire to Declan, and it just made sense, from all perspectives. I think the closest you'll get is the scene where he tells Skylar in the kitchen that he's out. Anyone see a way the Nazis don't kill Jesse?
I could see them holding him hostage to get Walt to cook. I think someone mentioned something like that. Im not sure Jesse would be up for cooking meth anymore even if it were to get back at Walt in some way. Walt might be coming to save Jesse with the M60, but after Jesse ratted and Walt knows it, who knows.
I'll watch it, Saul is a scene stealer <a class="postlink" href="http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-77365225/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/ar ... -77365225/</a>
Maybe it will be something no one expects, and Walt will end up killing Skyler. If he really takes on traits of people he kills it would make sense. In the season 5 flash forward, he arranges his bacon like she did for him and uses her maiden name. Who knows.
It just occurred to me last night, what if the skinheads were aiming for WALT as well as Hank and Gomez. They see Jesse, they know Jesse can cook as good as Walt, and they know Jesse is someone they can actually control (thanks to Walt, they now know all about Brock and his mother). Easy enough to force him to make Todd better, or just keep him cooking for the rest of his miserable life.
I had a similar thought of them aiming for Walt with how they seemed to be indiscriminately shooting at the car they new he was in but Im not sure of what their end goal in killing him would be.
If they kill Walt and get Jesse, they now have a blue meth cook with no competition or headaches. Lydia gets what she wants, they get to build a money stack of their own.
I'd have a hard time believing Jesse would ever cook again if Walt were dead. He seems to be almost 100% against the whole concept of the drug trade at this point. I'd have to think he'd take death over cooking for Ayrans and teaching the eccentric toe head that has no qualms murdering children. Maybe, maybe, if they didn't kill Walt but captured Jesse and played up shattering Walts ego by cooking the Blue without him. Or like you suggest they blackmail him with threats against Brock and his mother....
The knife scene and phone call were the tensest TV Ive seen in a whole long time. Bryan Cranston will win an emmy for this season. Now I have to wonder what he's going to do with the m60. One last shot at redemption by saving Jesse? Blaze of glory with police? Fucking guessing seems useless with this show.
Didn't Walt just put a hit out on Jesse? He even confirmed shooting Jesse in the desert before they decided to have him cook. Why would he then save him?
I know I know. That's why it's guess. Or maybe he's going to ice jesse himself for helping the Ayrans cook.
I knew there was no way Hank was getting out of that alive. God damn, I was actually shaking during the knife fight scene. I thought for sure Walt Jr. was somehow going to get accidentally stabbed. Can't imagine what's coming next week. They certainly are not holding back anything. It's all hanging out there flappin in the breeze now.
I also thought for Sure Jr was getting knifed in that scene, breakneck pacing for this show is awesome. Cranston wins best actor without question.
That was the best transitional episode ever! My guess was that the Nazis were going to take Hank hostage and use him as leverage to get Walt to cook, and Jesse would escape. Hank dying there seemed too obvious, but maybe that's what the writers wanted. I was guessing that Skyler was the one who would be stabbed. That seemed very stupid of Walt to call the house when he knew that Junior had already called the police. It looks like Skyler could be set up to take the fall for all of Walt's illegal activities since the cops heard what Walt was saying, but it seems highly unlikely that Walt will just leave and start a new life. There still has to be something more that happens with him and and Jesse and him and his family. One thing that bothers me: did Hank and Marie ever actually know that Walt started cooking because he wanted to leave his family well off financially after he died? It doesn't seem like Walt or Skyler ever tried to explain that, except for maybe when Walt made that tape to blame the whole thing on Hank. I know that that wouldn't make a difference in the eyes of the law--and I could still see Hank trying to take Walt down in a by the books investigation--but that whole rogue operation that ended up getting him killed seems like it was more than he would do in that scenario.