I like what they did was Tom/Ann because everyone knew that was a ridiculous plot line from the start. The glitter stuff was pretty cute.

This storyline really irks me. I get that Andy is now supposed to be the new Michael but seriously, using a teenage wilderness trip as the catalyst? Kinda LOL, but mostly lazy/tired. Being this openly verbally and physically abusive as a boss is just not realistic (although I get Michael was abusive too, but at least it mostly stemmed from his insecurities/loneliness, not because of an anger management problem).

Jesus, why am I analyzing this show so much?

Even though this episode was very sad and anxiety ridden, there were still a few standout funny moments.

1. The looks Mike were giving the Declan’s Mikes were SO great and very, very Mike. All like, “can you believe this guy?” and “tTank God I am getting out of this shit”

2. The “I wish” Skylar said after “vamanos” was so perfect and so was Jesse’s reaction because he clearly didn’t get it and Jesse looks so cute when he’s confused.

3. The whole opening scene was unintentionally hilarious because Walt’s speech was as cheesy as some fucking brie on a hot summer day. But someone made a point that Walt is a cheeseball in general and that his ego is making him extra gooey.

And now I’m hungry for some cheese dammit

I am surprised how much I want Walt to fail and how angry/sad I am when he doesn’t. The only reason I do want him to succeed is just for Jesse’s sake because you know once Walt goes down, he’s bringing Jesse down even harder.

I don’t think it was out of character for Mike, but I can agree that it was a bit rushed. Maybe one more episode of buildup or some small writing choices would have helped quiet some of the criticisms, but overall I think it made sense.

Why not have someone else do it? For me, this was laid out pretty clearly. Mike makes a point to say they were closing in on all sides, which could either mean he suspected they had actual tails on all people connected to him OR that they are at the very least looking into everyone he’s associated with. So these are his options:
a. Saul: too much of a risk because the DEA knows Saul is on Mike’s payroll, so they are probably already looking into him (one point you could argue here is if they had a tail at Saul’s office, then they should have known about Walt/Jesse too, but since Walt got to Mike without any problems, you can just assume they did not have anyone watching yet). Also, you know Saul is deathly afraid of Mike and probably just didn’t want to do it anyway.
b. Next option is Jesse. Mike knows that there is some risk that the DEA could find him before he gets the bag, and Mike would rather not put Jesse in that danger. I think the relationship they’ve established between Mike and Jesse explains this. I also think Mike truly just wants to stay out of it as much as possible.
c. Another one of Mike’s “guys”: First off, the ones we all know about are all in jail. Second off, the only other “guys” we know about are the pest company employees, and in that case Todd is the only one who knows enough to act quickly and not ask a bunch of questions. But Mike threatened Todd last episode. And if you really think about it, would you trust a bunch of thieves with a bag of money? One more argument you could make here is Saul could have had Bill Burr do it, and for that I do not have an explanation because it wasn’t even presented as an option.
d. That leaves Walt. Mike clearly doesn’t WANT Walt to do it, but I guess if there is some risk attached to this (which it seems there very much is), then he’d rather throw Walt under the bus than Jesse (which, duh). Mike was also armed when Walt came, meaning that he might have already been taking some precautions about the possibility of violence ensuring when Walt arrived. The one problem I truly thought was out of character was that Mike didn’t look in the bag right when he took it from Walt. However, you could even argue that would have been too risky in case his worst fears were realized and he wouldn’t have enough time to react while holding the bag. But I think the fact that Mike was already armed shows that he at least thought about the possibilty.

If Mike had died in the car and not escaped, I don’t think Walt would have had any sliver of regret for what he did. But you could see on his face that as soon as Mike sped off, Walt was in panic mode, and sort of back to his old “holy shit I’m in over my head” Mr. White. Just for a moment there. Which is why I think he brought up the Lydia thing.

OR I’m totally wrong and he just did it to get back at Mike for ripping him a new one. Probably more likely the latter.

Good point about Hank. I have never been in the camp that believes he knows about Walt. His resilience in the Fring case should be evidence enough of how passionate he is about his job / how blind he is to the real identity of Heisenberg. I was thinking last night, “what will Hank do when he figures it out?” and drawing a lot of blanks, but I agree suicide may be his choice. Poor Hank. He is just trying to get the bad guys!

I think Walt knew he was going to kill Mike as soon as he volunteered to pick up the bag. And then he REALLY knew when he saw the gun in the bag. And then it was game over after the “shut your mouth and know your role” (WHAT UP THE ROCK?) moment.

PIZZA ANYONE?

“It’s in my stomach!” – Birdie

Go by Ryan or Akin?

Agreed. I think assuming the writers were “just being lazy” is a hugely inconsistent argument given how detailed and complex the writing has been throughout the entire series. If the fans are able to figure out ways that make sense rather than blame lazy writing, chances are the writers already had the same thoughts but chose to trust the audience enough to let them figure it out rather than hand it to us on a silver platter. I just don’t think you can make the lazy writing argument with this show.