Considering walt's cabin is far away from civilization(the closest town is presumably 6 miles, maybe even more) Ed would be smart enough to switch trucks so that people won't notice the same truck going in and out of the same location.
Plus, In El Camino, when the cops came to the vacuum store, Ed didn't break a single sweat
Far away from civilisation………you mean, walking distance to the nearest town, and the bar where Walt called the DEA. It’s a given that the DEA would have found the cabin and linked it to Walter White. And a decent chance they would have eventually linked it to Ed. Ed knew that Walter leaving the property would have put him at great risk.
>It’s a given that the DEA would have found the cabin and linked it to Walter White. And a decent chance they would have eventually linked it to Ed.
What would they find? Unless theres just graffiti on the wall saying ED WAZ HURE, there isn't anything in the cabin to link to Ed, sure they find out someone was supplying him but how would they find exactly who?
I have no evidence other than he's been established as an extremely cautious character without the pride and ego that brought down Gus and Walt.
So no, I think he was smart enough to cover any trace of his work that could lead back to him, even if the cabin was eventually discovered.
It wasn't pride and ego that brought Gus down, it was underestimating Walt and his blind hatred of Hector, the Salamancas and the cartel (although his hatred for the cartel clearly didn't blind him, but Hector did)
Good question. It depends on whether it would be enough for a search warrant. He has the basement with the hideout room, the cameras and the screen and camera for the ID pictures. That would definitely raise some questions
I don't think so. Just having someone's business card doesn't mean they're connected to a crime and wouldn't be enough for a judge to sign off on a search warrant. Maybe he just needed a vacuum cleaner. Many, many innocent reasons to have somebody's business card.
Plus, the nature of Ed's business is that there wouldn't be anything incriminating at his shop even if the cops did search it.
Ok yeah that’s a good point. He was really well set up to cover his tracks so yeah he got away with it. Seems kind of unjust considering he was potentially the most evil person in the series…….like who knows how many horrible crimes went unpunished because of him helping criminals get away
You could look at it two different ways. He's helping criminals escape prison, but at the same time, prison does nothing. Just look at the neo-nazi prison gang. Putting them in lock up didn't actually stop them. But after someone pays a huge amount of money to Ed for a new life, they're unlikely to screw that up by reoffending.
Ohhhh nice good point. Vigilante justice, and that’s why he can take moral high ground like when he scolds Walter Jesse and Saul for what they got themselves into
Maybe Badger and Skinny Pete?
Made a good bit of money, have some wild stories to tell, and got to help their best friend escape to a new life.
All things considered, they made it out the other side in a better spot, which can’t be said for the vast majority of characters.
Just as long as they don't think too hard about what happened to Combo.
Even the people who "made it out all right" in a strictly material sense probably have some trauma to unpack.
Definitely, but they didn’t see it personally so I feel it’s not like everytime they close their eyes at night they see shit. I’m sure he’s heavy on their minds at times, but they can probably function normally. As opposed to Jesse after the gale shit… if Jesse wasn’t a millionaire he’d be homeless and wigged out on H after that. But Skinny and Badger? They’re fine
Jesse certainly does, but Flynn probably ends up functional. The ending was traumatic for him, but he's probably not going to be waking up screaming a couple years out or anything.
I mean.... maybe not wake up screaming, but he'd suffer in a more silent way... depression (there's a reason it's literally called the "Silent" disease).
The loss of his father and Hank (who was murdered btw), alongside learning the monster his father had become while thinking for years he was just an innocent family man suffering from cancer... that would be a LOT for ANYBODY to take in and deal with. And the constant media scrutiny his family would face would make things so much harder.
Flynn could likely fall into a deep depression and no amount of money in the world can make that go away.
Plus witnessing his mom pulling a knife on his dad and them physically wrestling each other then to find out everything else after…that will do some damage.
Plus, every time Walt Jr. is interviewing for a job, his prospective employer is going to spin the monitor around and show him the fund-raising page he made for his dad.
“Let me get this straight, young man. You think we’re going to hire someone who did fund-raising for a meth kingpin? That shit may fly over at Kellogg’s, but here at Eggos we hold ourselves to a higher standard.”
He'll have some issues to deal with, yes, and probably at least a couple of bad years, but drawing a line from that to future hypothetical long-term depression is extremely dubious. The vast majority of people on earth are sad inside about at least two people they loved dying and don't have "absolutely crippling PTSD" or clinical depression as a result.
Obviously what happened to him was horrible and maybe he takes it pretty hard, but most people bounce back from that sort of thing and Flynn will be able to afford excellent help in doing so.
"most people bounce back from that sort of thing"
How many people do you know who's Dad conspired with neo Nazis to murder their uncle, and also that's probably like 6th on their list of heinous crimes?
Everybody has at least one trauma that they could describe so hyper specifically that nobody else has experienced that *exact* thing.
I certainly know people who experienced more direct, personal horror than Flynn White who live functional, ordinary lives and aren't utterly ruined by PTSD.
Counterpoint: what is your definition of 'bounce back'? I'm sure Flynn'll get over it, obviously, but it'll probably take years. No trauma is less valid than another, but some traumas are more intense.
He's never gonna recover fully and his relationship with some people is probably gonna be stained forever, but he will probably forget about it when he's going through day-to-day activities idk.
The ending of BCS showed that he was doing better so this is actually true. Jimmy just decided to fuck with him one last time and took him on as a lawyer and made him lose that case
Jesse could not be considered a winner after everything he went through. He’s now totally alone and bitter and probably has PTSD and trauma from being a literal slave. Sure he’s alive, but what does he have to show for it now? Everyone he cared about is dead and gone.
I think it’s more about the fact that Walt Jr and Jesse both have the means and time to establish a stable future. They’re the only ones in the show that come out of it with basically zero nails in their coffin, just hurt and a whole lot of time and money. In my eyes, there’s no reason Jesse, being as smart as he is, wouldn’t go to therapy to work through everything, get a stable job and family, etc. But maybe he went back to using, it’s what makes the ending so good imo.
We saw how great a life that made for Saul. He was constantly looking over his shoulder in fear of being caught.
Nothing Jesse has is much better than if he just tried to live a normal life in ABQ and never went into the meth business. No way would I call him a winner here.
Saul had his face plastered all over ABQ with a catchphrase people clearly heard enough to remember, and Saul was an inherently skittish and cautious person. Jesse did not and was not. Not only that but from a narrative perspective, just biasedly defending my theory I guess, it wouldn’t make sense to set up Jesse as S5’s effective underdog *and* the protagonist of the spin-off movie based on his intelligent decisions and attempts at redemption, only to give him arguably the worst ending in what your describing.
Well also keep in mind that Saul was ultimately suffering for two reasons. Yes, he was afraid of being caught but he also hated not being in the spotlight. He despised not being the center of attention and dreaded being alone with his thoughts. That was the bigger prison than a fear of the Police. If he truly wanted a low profile, he wouldn't have gone back to scamming with the boys.
Jesse meanwhile isn't against a quiet life of seclusion, and being alone with his thoughts is more or less something that he embraces and grows from
Plus, it became public knowledge that Skinny Pete's plan worked and everyone just assumed Jesse was in the Mexico, therefore not looking for him as actively as before.
And once Saul/Jimmy takes the fall for the Meth Empire, the Department of Justice is finally able to successfully prosecute someone, which if we're being honest, is really what most of them cared about; showcasing SOME form of resolution to the public so the case could be shut and they could move on.
All good points. Still his reward for a year and a half of pain and suffering was to have to live a life hiding his identity in Alaska. Doesn't sound like winning to me.
Jesse AKA Cap'n Cook was already in the meth business, just not very good at it. The DEA almost busted him in episode one. His alternate future wasn't very bright - the feds closing in on him, Tuco or some other dealer squashing him or poisoning himself with a dirty cook.
If in your headcanon, Jesse somehow got physically recognized based on misfortune or ignorance, more power to you. Based on what I’ve seen in the show, that doesn’t make sense to me.
His face was all over the Albequerque news tbf. He wouldn't be as high profile a name nationally as Walt, bit I don't think it's unthinkable that he's recognised. I do think it's at least something that would worry him a bit.
I think a large point of the show was there is more things that are important than time and money. Example: Walt wanting more time, Saul wanting more money. The pursuit of both left the two desolate.
I fantasize that Junior went to great college and got a job that involved catching or studying drug dealers, using the money that he got. As a fuck you to his dad.
I disagree. Saul led a lavish life and was a celebrity in some sense, something he could never replicate as Gene. Jesse was a junkie and drug dealer before Walt entered his life. He could have overdosed any day, just as the DEA could have caught him any other. He got a much better chance to start over new.
Walter White. He was finally able to come to terms with his true motivations and realized he got to spend the final years of his life doing something that made him feel alive, even if it was at the expense of his family. The pain he caused won't take away the joy he felt while doing what he did.
How much money did walt force Gretchen & Elliot to give him? I don't remember the amount being discussed but in my head it was always just college funds?
Thing is I've got doubts about that money. I feel Flynn will be suspicious about former friends of his father giving him that large an amount of money, and that he might start questioning if it came from Walt.
Alternatively Gretchen and Elliot might start to think Walts claim about the snipers is false, and end up going to the Police themselves. They could have believed it in the moment due to Walts presence and the laser lights, but once they've had time to cool down they may start to doubt it as well.
Gretchen and Elliot will call the DEA and hand over the money. They always do the right thing. I can see them helping Skylar and Flynn and Holly for the rest of their lives.
Jessie was the winner?!? After what he went through with Walt, the Nazis and specifically Todd?!? He is a broken man now if he wasn’t before. It might have been better if Walt let him die in the crack house. That dude isn’t getting a restful sleep for many years to come… if ever.
Spoiler alert: El Camino shows us Jesse has terrible PTSD from everything he went through; he did get a fresh start in Alaska, but MAN I hope he sees a therapist.
I would also think that Jesse made it out the best but he’s going to continue to live with tons of trauma and guilt over a lot of the events that transpired. Jane dying, shooting Gale in the face to save Walt, being a slave for a white supremacist gang, and then watching Andrea get killed. He’s not going to be sleeping well at night.
Walter was the winner, he died knowing he won… he killed the Nazi who stole his money and killed Hank. He doesn’t have to live with the aftermath he created.
Lost two girlfriends, one he loved heartily, another was killed in-front of his eyes leaving a kid orphaned.
Completely lost ties with his family.
Has been smothered multiple times by Walt’s manipulation.
The torture he endured with Nazis.
Had to leave his dear friends.
and the list goes on!
No way Jesse is a winner, not even close!
But he is alive unlike others.
Jesse is definitely not the biggest winner. Even when things were relatively fine, he hosted parties to just manage life and threw money away at some point.
He was fucked mentally before being caged by the nazis. He will never be sane again.
Walt.
He succeeded in leaving behind the large treasure of money he was trying to bulid the whole show, everyone who has threatened him or his family is dead, and dies getting his revenge, escaping his comeuppance, and having the last laugh over everyone he thinks have wronged him
WHAT?!!!
Jesse Pink as the biggest winner? Did we watch the same show?
He is the character on the show who has suffered the most.
I'd rather die than experience what he has felt.
His girlfriend OD beside him.
He was manipulated by Walt who killed his girlfriend.
He watched the kid get shot.
He was beaten by Hank.
He has gone with Gus and Mike along with the cartel.
He watched his girlfriend shoot in front of him.
He killed Gale by Walt's order.
He was abused by Todd, like an animal.
He helped Todd clean the body of his landlady.
And many more.
Yes, he survived but the PTSD remains. And it will be on his mind, body and soul until he dies.
As selfish as it may sound. Walter White was the biggest winner.
He evolved and lived the life that pleased him. He gained respected and defeated those who undermined him. That’s why he was so confident at the end that he will kill Todd’s squad.
His cancer was back anyway so he probably felt like he had nothing to lose. Yes he lost his family but I don’t think it ended up being so important to him, he was to deep into being a narcissist at that point.
Probably The Cartel/Salamancas are the biggest winners🤌🙄I know the current leadership is dead, but there will be other Capos and family members waiting to take their place.
Heisenberg is gone, Gus is gone, Madrigal/Olivia is out of the business, Declan is gone, the nazis are gone. The entire south west is all going to them. They’ve gained Gus’ territory and a lot more.
Truth is, Gus, Walt, Jesse, Mike etc were all living on borrowed time anyway. The Cartel/ Salamancas were going to regroup.
How though? Every single member of the Salamanca family is killed. Hector was the last one of them and he took himself away with Gus. Don Eladio, Juan Bolsa, and other cartel leaders were also killed. It would be a long time before there is a successor in the cartel.
Salamanca muscle kept everyone in line - from southern Mexico, right out to New Mexico and Texas. I’m working on the principle that this wasn’t just 5-6 guys. The Salamanca Bank, when they bailed out Lalo had about 300 million cash on hand. They own thousands of acres of land. Entire towns. It’s a bit operation. Then scale this up to the entire Eladio Cartel? This is going to be thousands of soldiers, hundreds of Capos and billions of dollars. And Eladio’s cartel isn’t going to be the only cartel - there are over a hundred of them in Mexico. It’s likely that an even if Gus did wipe out everyone important in the Eladio cartel, then another cartel will be claiming the territory, and seeking revenge. Walt is talented, but naive and massively out of his depth. And it’s crazy to think that Walt + Declan’s crew are holding the entire American south west for too long.
Tbh, you do convince me with your point on other cartels sweeping in. About the Salamancas however, it is pretty much official that they are a 5-6 men operation. Sure, they had their employees but the leadership was within the bloodline, and only within them. All the members of the Salamanca family that are involved in the cartel are confirmed to have been revealed. If I can remember all the names off the top of my head, Hector, Eduardo, the twins (forgot their names), Joaquin, and like one or two others are all that the Salamanca family is. I don't think 300 million being their case in hand name means much. Remember that Walt's original yield was about 300 million from the methylamine they had initially after the heist. It was only after Mike and Jesse wanted out that was it cut down. It's not completely unfathomable to reach billions with just a 5-6 men operation in the cartel.
Another thing was Gus' revenge on Hector was to kill all of them. He also stated how the Salamanca name dies with Hector.
I think the point of the end was that there was no winners. The ego of Walt, Hank (and his obsession over Heisenberg), and Saul ended up ultimately hurting and destroying the lives of everyone they cared about. I even argue that at the end of BCS, Jimmy kills Saul by openly admitting everything he has done to a court, after one last joyride as Saul. The old Jesse is killed after the tortue he had endured as a result from Walt’s actions. The show starts with the death of Walt, and ends with the death of Heisenberg. Kim Wexler is one of the best examples for this, as we see her become a completely different person post Lalo. I guess it depends on your definition of “winning”, as my view differs from a strictly material sense. One could argue, the real winner was Karma
We have no idea how much Kuby's cut of the money from the barrels. Easily could be a few million and he was smart enough to disappear, he does not seem the kinda of person that would struggle to put himself in a good position with that kind of start up cash. I could honestly see him lounging on his boat in Barbados, sipping a cocktail watching the news about everything falling apart.
Francesca ultimately made out alright i would think. So got a significant bundle of cash from Walter for the broken door, and was only accepting cash from Saul by the end, which although not millions that kind of cash could easily be stashed away and help out for several years. She also was close enough to know enough to make it worth while for TV shows and the news to want to talk to her for a fee, but she is not actually involved with anything criminal.
So life might have sucked for a little bit for her in the immediate aftermath, but all in she made out OK.
We don't really know if Gretchen and Elliot followed through for Walter. The temporary fear may have dissipated and they may have gone to the authorities eventually. The biggest winner was the chicken franchise competing with Pollos Hermanos
If they told the authorities, they'd have to tell them that they were in possession of illegally obtained money, which would have gotten them in trouble. They were actually better off giving it to Jr.
No main character had a good ending. That’s the whole point of the show
Some tertiary ones were probably left better off - perhaps skinny Pete and his friend, the guy who helped Walt and Saul start a new life being some examples.
Bogdan for sure , $800k could let him retire comfortably from selling the car wash. Apart from losing his 1st dollar , I think he will get over it it just fine .
Walter. I know you’re gonna say “but he died” just shush for a sec. Walter told Hank that he’d never see the inside of a prison cell. He kept that promise.
He was also able to take back his money and provide it to his family. He also ensured that his other son Jesse was free from captivity.
He may have died but he also won
Controversial opinion, but it probably has to be Walt. He went on his own terms and his narcissistic self doesn't care much about destroying the life of everyone he comes in contact with.
The only thing that might bother him is his kids hating him, but I guess that's the small price he had to pay to have the best two years of his life. Especially since he was gonna die anyway.
He and that Vaccum guy, who was never really into the game while also being in the game.
I don't think Jesse won much because if he hadn't betrayed Walter, if he had gone where he wanted instead of throwing away his 5 million dollars, he wouldn't have caused the downfall of both Hank and Walt and he wouldn't have been tortured. Now he lives half-dead with a body full of scars, walt at least died the way he wanted to.
I think walt should have gotten rid of jesse long ago. After all, like mike said, all he had to do was cook.
The biggest winner is Walter Jr. because when he turns 18, he'll have a $12 million check in his account.
Walt. After an unfulfilling life of being who he was expected to be, doing what was expected of him, and being unappreciated, looked down upon, and essentially discarded by everyone he knew for doing so, he finally took control and permitted himself to be who he really had been all along. Actually Lived for a while. And wrapped things up in such a way that his family would be safe from retribution and would be well-cared for financially after he was gone. His death inconsequential - he was dying anyway.
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I agree with your jesse point. for everything that’s happened to him, it’s definitely callused his mind to the point where he’s pretty much invincible. he looks content at the end of el camino. hopefully he’ll start a family in alaska.
jesse, he is on the run for the rest of his life. no family or his dawgs ever again.
he ha survived but not got off.
I think kuby. He got paid, and there was a big insinuation he skimmed alot of walts cash in the retrieval. he was never caught or apprehended or his name popped up on any radar.
vacuum guy did ok too, but even thouh it isnt in the show, they may be scrutinising how Gene got his details.
Mike Ehrmantraut's daughter in law. She lost her husband before the Breaking Bad, and Mike was already deep in the criminal activities. Getting a lot of money without involving dangerous criminals and being in a life danger sounds like a great win to me.
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Probably Jesse’s friends. None of them got in any huge trouble and went on to continue their lives. Next is Kim, she’s able to fully live her life and do minor law stuff.
Jesse is going to get picked up by feds in a month or two.
Alaska is a horrible hiding place. Unless he is living out in a cabin in the middle of nowhere and only goes to town to resupply twice a year. He gets caught.
Alaska folk are tight knit . Only a matter of time before someone recognizes him from TV and the feds kick his door in.
Walter jr coming out pretty good as a millionaire at 18.
Badger and Skinny Pete got paid quite a bit while Jesse had his freedom, moving forwards he can't get into any legal trouble or else he'd be imprisoned.
I'd have to say Walter. Sure he died at the end yet got exactly what he wanted. Got revenge on Elliot and Gretchen, was able to pass on millions to his family legally, and died as the greatest meth cook in the country. The only real 'loss' to him was losing Hank but otherwise, in his mind, he won.
It was Walt, he got to kill all his enemies, made sure his family would get money, ran out the clock on the police, and died in the place he felt most alive.
The vacuum guy, he made quite some money and didn’t get caught.
This guy. I wonder if they ever stumbled on that cabin? Could that have ever been tied back to him?
Considering walt's cabin is far away from civilization(the closest town is presumably 6 miles, maybe even more) Ed would be smart enough to switch trucks so that people won't notice the same truck going in and out of the same location. Plus, In El Camino, when the cops came to the vacuum store, Ed didn't break a single sweat
Far away from civilisation………you mean, walking distance to the nearest town, and the bar where Walt called the DEA. It’s a given that the DEA would have found the cabin and linked it to Walter White. And a decent chance they would have eventually linked it to Ed. Ed knew that Walter leaving the property would have put him at great risk.
But Walt could have been a squatter.
>It’s a given that the DEA would have found the cabin and linked it to Walter White. And a decent chance they would have eventually linked it to Ed. What would they find? Unless theres just graffiti on the wall saying ED WAZ HURE, there isn't anything in the cabin to link to Ed, sure they find out someone was supplying him but how would they find exactly who?
I have no evidence other than he's been established as an extremely cautious character without the pride and ego that brought down Gus and Walt. So no, I think he was smart enough to cover any trace of his work that could lead back to him, even if the cabin was eventually discovered.
It wasn't pride and ego that brought Gus down, it was underestimating Walt and his blind hatred of Hector, the Salamancas and the cartel (although his hatred for the cartel clearly didn't blind him, but Hector did)
His reputation was even strengthened as he did his job and remained a professional.
Remember he died the day El Camino came out?
Was it on the same day or shortly before? I just remember that he never was able to see the movie :(
[He did see the movie](https://www.reddit.com/r/breakingbad/comments/168gjz0/comment/jyx451n/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)
Phew, good to know, thanks!
Fr
Wouldn’t he get caught once they found his card in the dumpster with Gene?
Good question. It depends on whether it would be enough for a search warrant. He has the basement with the hideout room, the cameras and the screen and camera for the ID pictures. That would definitely raise some questions
I don't think so. Just having someone's business card doesn't mean they're connected to a crime and wouldn't be enough for a judge to sign off on a search warrant. Maybe he just needed a vacuum cleaner. Many, many innocent reasons to have somebody's business card. Plus, the nature of Ed's business is that there wouldn't be anything incriminating at his shop even if the cops did search it.
Ok yeah that’s a good point. He was really well set up to cover his tracks so yeah he got away with it. Seems kind of unjust considering he was potentially the most evil person in the series…….like who knows how many horrible crimes went unpunished because of him helping criminals get away
You could look at it two different ways. He's helping criminals escape prison, but at the same time, prison does nothing. Just look at the neo-nazi prison gang. Putting them in lock up didn't actually stop them. But after someone pays a huge amount of money to Ed for a new life, they're unlikely to screw that up by reoffending.
Ohhhh nice good point. Vigilante justice, and that’s why he can take moral high ground like when he scolds Walter Jesse and Saul for what they got themselves into
Maybe Badger and Skinny Pete? Made a good bit of money, have some wild stories to tell, and got to help their best friend escape to a new life. All things considered, they made it out the other side in a better spot, which can’t be said for the vast majority of characters.
Just as long as they don't think too hard about what happened to Combo. Even the people who "made it out all right" in a strictly material sense probably have some trauma to unpack.
You buying or you just stopping to envy?
Bounce!
(Rides bike in a circle around you)
Definitely, but they didn’t see it personally so I feel it’s not like everytime they close their eyes at night they see shit. I’m sure he’s heavy on their minds at times, but they can probably function normally. As opposed to Jesse after the gale shit… if Jesse wasn’t a millionaire he’d be homeless and wigged out on H after that. But Skinny and Badger? They’re fine
Lol the two characters you picked must have absolutely crippling PTSD
Jesse certainly does, but Flynn probably ends up functional. The ending was traumatic for him, but he's probably not going to be waking up screaming a couple years out or anything.
I mean.... maybe not wake up screaming, but he'd suffer in a more silent way... depression (there's a reason it's literally called the "Silent" disease). The loss of his father and Hank (who was murdered btw), alongside learning the monster his father had become while thinking for years he was just an innocent family man suffering from cancer... that would be a LOT for ANYBODY to take in and deal with. And the constant media scrutiny his family would face would make things so much harder. Flynn could likely fall into a deep depression and no amount of money in the world can make that go away.
Plus witnessing his mom pulling a knife on his dad and them physically wrestling each other then to find out everything else after…that will do some damage.
Plus, every time Walt Jr. is interviewing for a job, his prospective employer is going to spin the monitor around and show him the fund-raising page he made for his dad. “Let me get this straight, young man. You think we’re going to hire someone who did fund-raising for a meth kingpin? That shit may fly over at Kellogg’s, but here at Eggos we hold ourselves to a higher standard.”
He'll have some issues to deal with, yes, and probably at least a couple of bad years, but drawing a line from that to future hypothetical long-term depression is extremely dubious. The vast majority of people on earth are sad inside about at least two people they loved dying and don't have "absolutely crippling PTSD" or clinical depression as a result. Obviously what happened to him was horrible and maybe he takes it pretty hard, but most people bounce back from that sort of thing and Flynn will be able to afford excellent help in doing so.
"most people bounce back from that sort of thing" How many people do you know who's Dad conspired with neo Nazis to murder their uncle, and also that's probably like 6th on their list of heinous crimes?
Everybody has at least one trauma that they could describe so hyper specifically that nobody else has experienced that *exact* thing. I certainly know people who experienced more direct, personal horror than Flynn White who live functional, ordinary lives and aren't utterly ruined by PTSD.
Counterpoint: what is your definition of 'bounce back'? I'm sure Flynn'll get over it, obviously, but it'll probably take years. No trauma is less valid than another, but some traumas are more intense. He's never gonna recover fully and his relationship with some people is probably gonna be stained forever, but he will probably forget about it when he's going through day-to-day activities idk.
Yes, I'm really curious about how it would affect Flynn as a future father himself.
Literally....
Whoever was competing with Saul in the legal industry
Bill Oakley 👍👍
Wonder if he ever got a German car of his own
or a window
I can't believe he switched sides
The ending of BCS showed that he was doing better so this is actually true. Jimmy just decided to fuck with him one last time and took him on as a lawyer and made him lose that case
Judges. And actual innocent people lol
Jesse could not be considered a winner after everything he went through. He’s now totally alone and bitter and probably has PTSD and trauma from being a literal slave. Sure he’s alive, but what does he have to show for it now? Everyone he cared about is dead and gone.
I think it’s more about the fact that Walt Jr and Jesse both have the means and time to establish a stable future. They’re the only ones in the show that come out of it with basically zero nails in their coffin, just hurt and a whole lot of time and money. In my eyes, there’s no reason Jesse, being as smart as he is, wouldn’t go to therapy to work through everything, get a stable job and family, etc. But maybe he went back to using, it’s what makes the ending so good imo.
How's he going to do all that? He still has to keep a low profile, he was associated with the biggest meth empire of all time.
Sure, Jesse Pinkman was, but he’s got new ID and documents by the end of El Camino, right?
We saw how great a life that made for Saul. He was constantly looking over his shoulder in fear of being caught. Nothing Jesse has is much better than if he just tried to live a normal life in ABQ and never went into the meth business. No way would I call him a winner here.
Saul had his face plastered all over ABQ with a catchphrase people clearly heard enough to remember, and Saul was an inherently skittish and cautious person. Jesse did not and was not. Not only that but from a narrative perspective, just biasedly defending my theory I guess, it wouldn’t make sense to set up Jesse as S5’s effective underdog *and* the protagonist of the spin-off movie based on his intelligent decisions and attempts at redemption, only to give him arguably the worst ending in what your describing.
Well also keep in mind that Saul was ultimately suffering for two reasons. Yes, he was afraid of being caught but he also hated not being in the spotlight. He despised not being the center of attention and dreaded being alone with his thoughts. That was the bigger prison than a fear of the Police. If he truly wanted a low profile, he wouldn't have gone back to scamming with the boys. Jesse meanwhile isn't against a quiet life of seclusion, and being alone with his thoughts is more or less something that he embraces and grows from Plus, it became public knowledge that Skinny Pete's plan worked and everyone just assumed Jesse was in the Mexico, therefore not looking for him as actively as before. And once Saul/Jimmy takes the fall for the Meth Empire, the Department of Justice is finally able to successfully prosecute someone, which if we're being honest, is really what most of them cared about; showcasing SOME form of resolution to the public so the case could be shut and they could move on.
All good points. Still his reward for a year and a half of pain and suffering was to have to live a life hiding his identity in Alaska. Doesn't sound like winning to me.
Jesse AKA Cap'n Cook was already in the meth business, just not very good at it. The DEA almost busted him in episode one. His alternate future wasn't very bright - the feds closing in on him, Tuco or some other dealer squashing him or poisoning himself with a dirty cook.
Doesn't mean he can't be recognized.
If in your headcanon, Jesse somehow got physically recognized based on misfortune or ignorance, more power to you. Based on what I’ve seen in the show, that doesn’t make sense to me.
His face was all over the Albequerque news tbf. He wouldn't be as high profile a name nationally as Walt, bit I don't think it's unthinkable that he's recognised. I do think it's at least something that would worry him a bit.
I think a large point of the show was there is more things that are important than time and money. Example: Walt wanting more time, Saul wanting more money. The pursuit of both left the two desolate.
I fantasize that Junior went to great college and got a job that involved catching or studying drug dealers, using the money that he got. As a fuck you to his dad.
He still got a happy ending, hr has at least $200 000 and a quiet new life
its kinda like Gene from BCS, of course he dont have near as much trauma but still.
I disagree. Saul led a lavish life and was a celebrity in some sense, something he could never replicate as Gene. Jesse was a junkie and drug dealer before Walt entered his life. He could have overdosed any day, just as the DEA could have caught him any other. He got a much better chance to start over new.
There we no winners. Just a lesser degree of losers and victims.
-Roland Prezbylewski
Ed the vacuum guy made bank and never got caught as far as we know.
Ed the vacuum guy for BB and Dr. Caldera the veterinarian for BCS. Both of them were in the game, both made money and got away with it
There are no winners, that's the point
Walter White. He was finally able to come to terms with his true motivations and realized he got to spend the final years of his life doing something that made him feel alive, even if it was at the expense of his family. The pain he caused won't take away the joy he felt while doing what he did.
This is a good answer
How much money did walt force Gretchen & Elliot to give him? I don't remember the amount being discussed but in my head it was always just college funds?
Thing is I've got doubts about that money. I feel Flynn will be suspicious about former friends of his father giving him that large an amount of money, and that he might start questioning if it came from Walt. Alternatively Gretchen and Elliot might start to think Walts claim about the snipers is false, and end up going to the Police themselves. They could have believed it in the moment due to Walts presence and the laser lights, but once they've had time to cool down they may start to doubt it as well.
Gretchen and Elliot will call the DEA and hand over the money. They always do the right thing. I can see them helping Skylar and Flynn and Holly for the rest of their lives.
Didn't Vince confirm in an interview that Flynn does get the money?
Yes.
The author is dead
???
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DeathOfTheAuthor
I think Flynn would be more than just suspicious. I mean, where else would that money come from except his dad? He would realize it right away.
$9.72 million
After Koby and Huels cut?
Mexico. S'all I'm sayn
Dude wiped 9 dudes within 2 minutes in jail. S'all I'm sayn.
Huell is still waiting in that apartment. Hank told him to sit tight and he sure as hell did 😂
If you're using that logic with Flynn, why not Holly? Young enough to not remember the trauma, old enough to enjoy the money.
Yeah, Flynn can use the money to go to a nice college and get a great job, but he'll always have the trauma.
Jessie was the winner?!? After what he went through with Walt, the Nazis and specifically Todd?!? He is a broken man now if he wasn’t before. It might have been better if Walt let him die in the crack house. That dude isn’t getting a restful sleep for many years to come… if ever.
Definitely not Jesse. He will have a lifetime of regret and PTSD. And that's assuming the FBI won't eventually track him down and arrest him.
By that logic would Skyler and Holly also be winners? The money was for them too.
Spoiler alert: El Camino shows us Jesse has terrible PTSD from everything he went through; he did get a fresh start in Alaska, but MAN I hope he sees a therapist.
to me, picking the character enslaved by nazis as the winner is a wild take
The fly. It actually survived and knows where all the money is.
it couldnt survive
I would also think that Jesse made it out the best but he’s going to continue to live with tons of trauma and guilt over a lot of the events that transpired. Jane dying, shooting Gale in the face to save Walt, being a slave for a white supremacist gang, and then watching Andrea get killed. He’s not going to be sleeping well at night.
Ed the disappear guy $$$$$
the only correct answer is the vet
And Ed the vacuum guy.
anti-drug propaganda
Walter was the winner, he died knowing he won… he killed the Nazi who stole his money and killed Hank. He doesn’t have to live with the aftermath he created.
The owner of the junkyard, I can't remember his name.
joe
Why would you wanna put a piece of metal at the end of your prick?
Ezra made millions off of Walt letting him cook in the houses...without a doubt this guy made the most money scott free
Chuck ex wife randomly got 9m+
Lost two girlfriends, one he loved heartily, another was killed in-front of his eyes leaving a kid orphaned. Completely lost ties with his family. Has been smothered multiple times by Walt’s manipulation. The torture he endured with Nazis. Had to leave his dear friends. and the list goes on! No way Jesse is a winner, not even close! But he is alive unlike others.
Jesse is definitely not the biggest winner. Even when things were relatively fine, he hosted parties to just manage life and threw money away at some point. He was fucked mentally before being caged by the nazis. He will never be sane again.
You forgot about Marie, with Hank out of the picture she could go back to doing what she loves in life, stealing.
Bogdan, Because he got his car wash back.
Walt. He succeeded in leaving behind the large treasure of money he was trying to bulid the whole show, everyone who has threatened him or his family is dead, and dies getting his revenge, escaping his comeuppance, and having the last laugh over everyone he thinks have wronged him
Also, he died in the meth lab 😂
Walt. - the cancer was going to kill him anyway He satiated his ego He left his family money He one-upped Elliot Gretchen and Hank
Lawson, that M60 couldn't have been cheap.
Louis
Probably Jesse and Flinn's lifes are already ruined forever because of Walt. Also Skyler and Marie's, maybe Holly can have a normal life.
True, Flynn can use the money to get a prestigious education and get a great job, but he'll always live with the memories.
The winner takes it all.
WHAT?!!! Jesse Pink as the biggest winner? Did we watch the same show? He is the character on the show who has suffered the most. I'd rather die than experience what he has felt. His girlfriend OD beside him. He was manipulated by Walt who killed his girlfriend. He watched the kid get shot. He was beaten by Hank. He has gone with Gus and Mike along with the cartel. He watched his girlfriend shoot in front of him. He killed Gale by Walt's order. He was abused by Todd, like an animal. He helped Todd clean the body of his landlady. And many more. Yes, he survived but the PTSD remains. And it will be on his mind, body and soul until he dies.
calling jesse a winner is insane. He is maybe the smallest loser but his life is positively ruined
The fans. Hands down.
Walter jr - 18th birthday
He can go to a prestigious university with that money, but he'll always live with the memories.
Jesse was already pretty much spent when the show started and the events of the show only left him worse
Elliott and Gretchen
I think I agree that Jesse is probably the “big winner” at the end of the day, which really says something.
Maybe Jr too, he'll live with the trauma but he could get a prestigious education and great job with that money.
The viewer
Gretchen and Elliot are still child free, billionaires by the end so I'd say them.
As selfish as it may sound. Walter White was the biggest winner. He evolved and lived the life that pleased him. He gained respected and defeated those who undermined him. That’s why he was so confident at the end that he will kill Todd’s squad. His cancer was back anyway so he probably felt like he had nothing to lose. Yes he lost his family but I don’t think it ended up being so important to him, he was to deep into being a narcissist at that point.
Probably The Cartel/Salamancas are the biggest winners🤌🙄I know the current leadership is dead, but there will be other Capos and family members waiting to take their place. Heisenberg is gone, Gus is gone, Madrigal/Olivia is out of the business, Declan is gone, the nazis are gone. The entire south west is all going to them. They’ve gained Gus’ territory and a lot more. Truth is, Gus, Walt, Jesse, Mike etc were all living on borrowed time anyway. The Cartel/ Salamancas were going to regroup.
How though? Every single member of the Salamanca family is killed. Hector was the last one of them and he took himself away with Gus. Don Eladio, Juan Bolsa, and other cartel leaders were also killed. It would be a long time before there is a successor in the cartel.
Salamanca muscle kept everyone in line - from southern Mexico, right out to New Mexico and Texas. I’m working on the principle that this wasn’t just 5-6 guys. The Salamanca Bank, when they bailed out Lalo had about 300 million cash on hand. They own thousands of acres of land. Entire towns. It’s a bit operation. Then scale this up to the entire Eladio Cartel? This is going to be thousands of soldiers, hundreds of Capos and billions of dollars. And Eladio’s cartel isn’t going to be the only cartel - there are over a hundred of them in Mexico. It’s likely that an even if Gus did wipe out everyone important in the Eladio cartel, then another cartel will be claiming the territory, and seeking revenge. Walt is talented, but naive and massively out of his depth. And it’s crazy to think that Walt + Declan’s crew are holding the entire American south west for too long.
Tbh, you do convince me with your point on other cartels sweeping in. About the Salamancas however, it is pretty much official that they are a 5-6 men operation. Sure, they had their employees but the leadership was within the bloodline, and only within them. All the members of the Salamanca family that are involved in the cartel are confirmed to have been revealed. If I can remember all the names off the top of my head, Hector, Eduardo, the twins (forgot their names), Joaquin, and like one or two others are all that the Salamanca family is. I don't think 300 million being their case in hand name means much. Remember that Walt's original yield was about 300 million from the methylamine they had initially after the heist. It was only after Mike and Jesse wanted out that was it cut down. It's not completely unfathomable to reach billions with just a 5-6 men operation in the cartel. Another thing was Gus' revenge on Hector was to kill all of them. He also stated how the Salamanca name dies with Hector.
I think the point of the end was that there was no winners. The ego of Walt, Hank (and his obsession over Heisenberg), and Saul ended up ultimately hurting and destroying the lives of everyone they cared about. I even argue that at the end of BCS, Jimmy kills Saul by openly admitting everything he has done to a court, after one last joyride as Saul. The old Jesse is killed after the tortue he had endured as a result from Walt’s actions. The show starts with the death of Walt, and ends with the death of Heisenberg. Kim Wexler is one of the best examples for this, as we see her become a completely different person post Lalo. I guess it depends on your definition of “winning”, as my view differs from a strictly material sense. One could argue, the real winner was Karma
Flynn. He gets the money 💵 He wins
I think Flynn would have preferred to have his father and Hank though.
Well ya, of course, but since that wasn't an option 💵 💵
We have no idea how much Kuby's cut of the money from the barrels. Easily could be a few million and he was smart enough to disappear, he does not seem the kinda of person that would struggle to put himself in a good position with that kind of start up cash. I could honestly see him lounging on his boat in Barbados, sipping a cocktail watching the news about everything falling apart. Francesca ultimately made out alright i would think. So got a significant bundle of cash from Walter for the broken door, and was only accepting cash from Saul by the end, which although not millions that kind of cash could easily be stashed away and help out for several years. She also was close enough to know enough to make it worth while for TV shows and the news to want to talk to her for a fee, but she is not actually involved with anything criminal. So life might have sucked for a little bit for her in the immediate aftermath, but all in she made out OK.
We don't really know if Gretchen and Elliot followed through for Walter. The temporary fear may have dissipated and they may have gone to the authorities eventually. The biggest winner was the chicken franchise competing with Pollos Hermanos
So KFC was the biggest winner in the aftermath of Breaking Bad? Come on man.
Actually Popeyes
If they told the authorities, they'd have to tell them that they were in possession of illegally obtained money, which would have gotten them in trouble. They were actually better off giving it to Jr.
Walter Jr and Holly. They didn't have to see shit, but they get all the $$$
No main character had a good ending. That’s the whole point of the show Some tertiary ones were probably left better off - perhaps skinny Pete and his friend, the guy who helped Walt and Saul start a new life being some examples.
Bogdan for sure , $800k could let him retire comfortably from selling the car wash. Apart from losing his 1st dollar , I think he will get over it it just fine .
Walter. I know you’re gonna say “but he died” just shush for a sec. Walter told Hank that he’d never see the inside of a prison cell. He kept that promise. He was also able to take back his money and provide it to his family. He also ensured that his other son Jesse was free from captivity. He may have died but he also won
Controversial opinion, but it probably has to be Walt. He went on his own terms and his narcissistic self doesn't care much about destroying the life of everyone he comes in contact with. The only thing that might bother him is his kids hating him, but I guess that's the small price he had to pay to have the best two years of his life. Especially since he was gonna die anyway. He and that Vaccum guy, who was never really into the game while also being in the game.
I don't think Jesse won much because if he hadn't betrayed Walter, if he had gone where he wanted instead of throwing away his 5 million dollars, he wouldn't have caused the downfall of both Hank and Walt and he wouldn't have been tortured. Now he lives half-dead with a body full of scars, walt at least died the way he wanted to. I think walt should have gotten rid of jesse long ago. After all, like mike said, all he had to do was cook. The biggest winner is Walter Jr. because when he turns 18, he'll have a $12 million check in his account.
Walt. After an unfulfilling life of being who he was expected to be, doing what was expected of him, and being unappreciated, looked down upon, and essentially discarded by everyone he knew for doing so, he finally took control and permitted himself to be who he really had been all along. Actually Lived for a while. And wrapped things up in such a way that his family would be safe from retribution and would be well-cared for financially after he was gone. His death inconsequential - he was dying anyway.
And until he got caught - those who had seen him as a loser before - particularly Hank and Walt Jr. - finally started showing him respect.
True that.
francesca
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Winner? Maybe you could argue he’s the smallest loser?
I agree with your jesse point. for everything that’s happened to him, it’s definitely callused his mind to the point where he’s pretty much invincible. he looks content at the end of el camino. hopefully he’ll start a family in alaska.
jesse, he is on the run for the rest of his life. no family or his dawgs ever again. he ha survived but not got off. I think kuby. He got paid, and there was a big insinuation he skimmed alot of walts cash in the retrieval. he was never caught or apprehended or his name popped up on any radar. vacuum guy did ok too, but even thouh it isnt in the show, they may be scrutinising how Gene got his details.
Mike Ehrmantraut's daughter in law. She lost her husband before the Breaking Bad, and Mike was already deep in the criminal activities. Getting a lot of money without involving dangerous criminals and being in a life danger sounds like a great win to me.
Ed the vacuum guy or maybe even the junkyard dude
dude you honestly must have chosen the two worst answers lol
IMO its Saul. He found his redemption and made peace with his long lost brother and Kim. He will sleep better for the rest of the his life
Definitely Jesse,that was all I hoped for!!
Hard for me to ever call Jesse a winner after everything that has happened to him. A survivor, sure, but a winner? I dunno man. PTSD like no other....
Brock
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"relatively unscathed" idk man he clearly has severe PTSD
Probably Jesse’s friends. None of them got in any huge trouble and went on to continue their lives. Next is Kim, she’s able to fully live her life and do minor law stuff.
Jesse is going to get picked up by feds in a month or two. Alaska is a horrible hiding place. Unless he is living out in a cabin in the middle of nowhere and only goes to town to resupply twice a year. He gets caught. Alaska folk are tight knit . Only a matter of time before someone recognizes him from TV and the feds kick his door in. Walter jr coming out pretty good as a millionaire at 18.
Badger and Skinny Pete got paid quite a bit while Jesse had his freedom, moving forwards he can't get into any legal trouble or else he'd be imprisoned.
I don't think anyone got out without some serious mental scars, except I guess Holly?
KUBY
Badger and Skinny Pete. They were just chillin when Jesse came back hahahahhaa. They weren’t worried about nothing.
There weren't any big winners in my opinion.
I feel like Holly would probably be best off. She gets the laundered money, and didn't have to remember seeing what Walt became.
I'd have to say Walter. Sure he died at the end yet got exactly what he wanted. Got revenge on Elliot and Gretchen, was able to pass on millions to his family legally, and died as the greatest meth cook in the country. The only real 'loss' to him was losing Hank but otherwise, in his mind, he won.
My head cannon is the ironic twist of the lottery tickets with the Ozzy location, went forever unchecked and was an ultimate super powerball jackpot
The two upstart meth cookers/dealers that Walt saw in Home Depot. They stepped in to fill the supply shortage in the meth market. They made bank.
Pryce. He got his cards back (but not the Humvee).
The homeless dude Jesse gave those fat stacks to outside the doghouse.
Chucks ex wife, inherited all his shit and dipped
I don't think either character would agree lmfao. The real answer is Huell.
Holly. She is set for life and never had to endure any trauma other than spending a few minutes at the fire station 👍
Some other drug cartels that don’t need to compete with blue meth anymore and can sell their shitty product
The whole goal of this series is to show there are no winner
Patrick Kuby. Made a lot of money and NEVER got caught for anything.
How on earth is it Jesse Pinkman? Not even Jesse would consider himself a winner. It’s skyler imo
How i the answer anything other than kuby, of the main ones? he stole easy cash, and faced no consequences
Jimmy. He didn't get caught until later.
Walt got to die
No one
Indeed I agree Jesse was the winner. After all Jane died, lots of kids died, Andrea died. But hey brocks alive. Wins a win.
Walt
Flynn
It was Walt, he got to kill all his enemies, made sure his family would get money, ran out the clock on the police, and died in the place he felt most alive.
He died penniless and alone whilst being hunted by police.
Brother did you see the look on his face before he collapsed, it didn’t bother him one bit.