Breaking Bad: Hank Is Not The Hero

[@MarvinT0606]

It's sick how Hank was producing meth all this time and using Walter as his hostage/ in-house chemist. Good thing Walter managed to confess everything.

[@coreyhall1150]

Walter felt scared..... He wanted out MANY TIMES but he was just too weak to walk away. He feared for his children.........

[@MarvinT0606]

@@coreyhall1150 Hank even threatened to kill Walter's family and even gave him a black eye.

[@coreyhall1150]

@@MarvinT0606 mm tragic... (Smh) Tragic.

[@vyass966]

best ever

[@bendarling5573]

I wonder how many scenes would have to be removed for it to make sense that that really was happening the whole time. Presumably, most of the scenes that would conflict with that are the ones when Walt and Hank are alone together; the rest of the time, Hank (and Walt) could just be lying to people.

[@hunter99225]

My read on Hank is that he sees people as very black and white. As good people and bad people. This is why he never considers Walt as a suspect, because he already put him in the good person category. This is why he loses his crap when he finds out it Walt. It’s also why he dosent car about Jesse, beats him and is okay with letting him die. Because he judge Jesse as a bad guy from the minute he had the fake phone call about Marie.

[@Galvatronover]

@@NunoFilipe99no he’s just too focused on surface level traits of a person

[@Raulxz]

Bro doesn’t car

[@alim.9801]

​@@NunoFilipe99 he's casually racist but i think he doesn't realize how bad the stuff he says is bc Gomez gives him a pass and nobody says anything, yknow?

[@Chickenpesto2468]

Which they phone call was ironically not even him so he beat up Jessie for no reason

[@nont18411]

Similar to Chuck McGill, if you think about it.

[@mrsd11034]

Hank never seems to care about making the streets safer, it always seems to only care about winning over the other guy.

[@afrosamourai400]

The streets will never be safer..and the only way to make it safer would be to win over criminals.

[@Jay-Jones]

You come up with that all by yourself? Did you also know water is wet?

[@kimjong504]

@@Jay-Jonesdon’t be obnoxious

[@BrownSillyCat]

​@@kimjong504how tf is he obnoxious

[@Echo-vs5ic]

@@BrownSillyCat i mean he literally just decided to randomly hate on this comment, how tf is he not obnoxious

[@NateIsLame]

“Casual racism is how you show that you care about each other” made me laugh out

[@seanstinchfield-mp2xm]

Jeff Bridges in Hell or High Water

[@SteelSquishy]

"he's not racist, just casual racism cops aren't racist, my daddy is a cop"

[@niceslow5287]

@@SteelSquishy😂

[@niceslow5287]

@@SteelSquishyI kinda get his point but he really described it poorly

[@notsocrates9529]

Yes. I was in the cavalry, "rAcIsM" is what bonded us together. A platoon of rednecks, wasps, cholos, Asians and of course the token Black dudes ripping on each other is how we built camaraderie.

[@sushi_xoxo]

It made sense that Hank would have a huge blind spot to Walter after 20ish years of knowing him.

[@EmitOcean20]

Correct. People loves lies. Even lying to our selves. That's what makes the world go around so nicely. 😅

[@jamesmacdougall2694]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/gaDalJtudraXrrMsi=77cU9HC9WDovTzpq

[@justalonesoul5825]

It makes even more sense from a simple story-telling point of view tbh 😅 I mean, parodies of the show where Hank finds out immediately are hilarious ("Walt... you sussy baka!"), but it doesnt make for several seasons of long episodes full of twists 😄

[@jamessmith4172]

Yeah exactly. I have a brother in law who teaches and honestly I would probably think it was a weird dream if I saw him cooking meth with my own two eyes. I don’t fault Hank for that.

[@mazarine_44]

@@EmitOcean20 Yep, the government uses our taxes to build public parks, we’ll all retire at 65, and a minimum wage job can support basic necessities 😂😂 And I’m the Pope!!!

[@AimlessTrek]

Of course Hank was upset, he loved Walt like a brother in law

[@JGD714]

Just to be shot by that piece of shit Todd's Uncle, I can't even say his name.

[@ubelmensch]

Agent Gomie, whatever happened there

[@JGD714]

@@ubelmensch whatever happened there?!?! WHATEVER HAPPENED THERE?!?!? I'll tell you what happened! This piece of shit's uncle and his gang shot Gomie with no provocation whatsoever!

[@jcnom6606]

@@ubelmensch WHATEVER HAPPENED THERE MARIE?!?

[@jeffevans3280]

How much betrayal can Hank take? He probably felt like he was stabbed in the heart.

[@DutchVanDerLinde-sx1ox]

The whole breaking bad series is about how ego gets everyone killed. Even the main character

[@leandrou100]

and the dumbest/purest guy (Jesse) stays alive.

[@jerryrikki9466]

Well the cancer was killing him very soon regardless, he went on a suicide mission and died at peace

[@xoMrsWentzxo]

ego and greed!

[@xoMrsWentzxo]

⁠ I wouldnt say he was at peace, he died alone and hated.

[@jerryrikki9466]

@@xoMrsWentzxo dying at peace goes beyond being with people and beyond what they think of you. He did right by him so to speak, and so was at peace with himself at the time of death

[@GreyThinkMedia]

"Pride cometh before the fall" is a core lesson of the series

[@Martin_Hermann]

Or is it "Know when to stop"?

[@kalebseiler8577]

@@Martin_HermannIt could be both

[@loganerb3952]

One theme that makes Breaking bad so amazing is that the characters aren’t good or bad… just different shades of grey

[@michaelcorcoran8768]

I mean I think the wire is really good at that. I don't think that's really true for breaking bad. Walter is unambiguously bad by the end. Tuko is almost cartoonishly bad. There are some shades of gray but there are definitely archetype villains on this series. Maybe not archetype heroes of course but archetype villains.

[@William-the-Guy]

This.

[@wyntmoon]

That's actually the worst part. I wish Breaking Bad had strictly morally good and evil characters like some sort of Catholic Sunday School lesson

[@Kaledrone]

​@@wyntmoonthen go to a Catholic Sunday school lesson instead

[@nont18411]

I mean… The ending of Breaking Bad universe literally told us that “Every single bad thing that happened is all Jimmy’s fault” though. They made it clear that Jimmy McGill is the ultimate bad guy of the story.

[@Sean12248]

Lyle was really the only good guy in the BB universe. He just had to clean that fryer and make it spotless!!!

[@gibgibbo5738]

He was a good lad to be fair

[@DaveSCameron]

@@gibgibbo5738 kinda like No Country for Old Men message I would offer..., 👍

[@smellsuperb1]

And he lived to tell the tale of dealing with not only Hector but also Lalo 👊🏾💯🤣

[@binarystar300]

@@smellsuperb1 IDK he did have to show Hector his BAWLS ⚽⚽

[@smellsuperb1]

@@binarystar300 🤣🤣

[@nathanrudd2327]

Hank sending Jesse to his possible death so he can catch Walt and justifying it by saying Jesse's death would just be more evidence to incriminate Walt is all you need. He's no hero. Edit: Almost everyone missed the point. It's not about who is right or who is wrong. The point is that hank isn't a hero, his actions towards the end proved that he isn't the hero. I'm not going to sit and argue with anyone about it, it's a fact.

[@michaelcorcoran8768]

Well yeah not just sending him to it but being completely indifferent about it emotionally. Just couldn't give a f*** if he lived or died and actually saw benefits to him dying. I mean even Walter wrestled with killing Jesse more than that. He had to mull the ethics of it all. Obviously he chose to try and kill him because that's why the show is called breaking bad.... But that was an example of Hank's moral failings. He's also casually racist, which it seems to be forgiven by most because he's so close with his buddy but just something to point out.

[@_zigger_]

who gives a fuck about that junkie

[@theeast7005]

​​​​@@michaelcorcoran8768He wasn't indifferent. Rewatch the scene where him and Gomez discuss this, he says something like "the druggy who's dribbling piss on my bathroom floor? If Walt does all the better". Maybe I just interpreted it differently but that doesn't sound indifferent, he even had like a kinda happy tone when saying it. I mean it kinda makes sense for me too, Jesse was an accomplice to Walt who he viewed as an absolute monster and was a major obsession for him.

[@notjimpickens7928]

@@theeast7005 that is a good point, he was very much obsessed at that point with getting walt, even if it could end his career with the dea to continue or cause problems later on, and I imagine that definitely includes Jesse dying or not. Hank is low-key kinda scary, since he doesn't care about life of people involved, like gomie and himself, by not immediately calling for backup from every branch of law enforcement they can, instead of just a "clean up crew" or whatever he called the dea for when he caught walt.

[@theeast7005]

@@notjimpickens7928 Oh yea that's another good point. Honestly feel bad for gomez, mfer didn't get no big speech like Hank did, just killed off screen lol.

[@Tayvin4042]

"It's so much easier to see the world in black and white. Gray... I don't know what do with gray." - Garrus Vakarian.

[@williammclaughlin8205]

Great reference absolutely stunning

[@cobra1xtz]

One of my favorite scenes with Hank is when he brags about the Cuban Cigar to Walt, right after making fun of people who were arrested for Marijuana, it shows you right there, Hank is willing to break laws to bring himself satisfaction, even if it contradicts everything he says and stands for. Seems like a small moment when it happens, but it really does give you a lot of insight into Hank as a person.

[@pnkdrmz]

typical cop shit tbh

[@Gabriel-el3hn]

Don’t forget wanting to hire a prostitute for Walt Jr. That stuff happens a lot throughout the show

[@RustieFawn]

One is a good law the other isn’t. Being a cop doesn’t mean they agree or disagree with all laws.

[@clocked0]

​@@RustieFawnAccording to who?

[@fukhyu3330]

To be fair Cuban cigars aren’t illegal because they are illicit drugs, they are illegal because the US banned all imports from Cuba. So in the mind of a DEA agent it’s not the same as marijuana

[@gscruz47]

A lot of people fail to realize Hank’s own obsession with Heisenberg has led to his demise He passed up the promotion in Texas to pursue a lead on Blue Sky, he was directed by his own superior to drop the Fring case yet he chose to follow up on it Just as Walt had his own ego issues, Hank equally had his own obsession issues

[@pedrowalter633]

Sounds like you didn't watched the series. Hank dropped the promotion in Texas because of the incident with the tortoise blowing up

[@doozsromhacks]

he passed up on the promotion because he was traumatized lol the heisenberg case is a part of it tho for sure but that isn't really the main reason

[@kretgwiazdonos7397]

But those are different scenarios. One is paid to do a cop job. Hank perceives being a cop as more than sitting behind a desk. He was not doing anything wrong, only chasing a drug kingpin. Was he obsessed? I dunno, i don't think so. He was just being a great cop, as he had been for his entire life. Walt is on the other hand a drug kingpin, not a tireless cop. While Hank was only doing his job as best as he could, Walt was going out of his way to feed his ego

[@giovannidejoie8618]

When he refuses to go back to El Paso in S3 it’s because of his trauma…the blue sky is just a convenient excuse which is shown to us in the shower scene when marie tells him he doesn’t have to hide his feelings around her & he acts defensively but when he becomes ASAC & only focuses on the heisenberg case then it’s cause of his ego cause by S5 after Gail. & Gus died while hank was this close to closing the case he’s become obsessed to not let Heisenberg slip through his fingertips

[@jerryrikki9466]

​​@@doozsromhacksthe Heisenberg case was his excuse. That's partly why he became so motivated to get him. It was his own way of reconciling the fact to himself that he was to scared/traumatized to take the promotion in texas and saving face with his peers. That's why it meant so much to him, he needed to prove to himself he wasn't broken. That's why he obsessed over it. "I'm not scared of Texas, I'm just close to getting this bastard Heisenberg". That's what makes it perfect. When he finally solved it (what should have been his proof he still had it and justification for not going to Texas)it broke him even more, shattered his world because it was Walt, his friend and brother in law. It made him second guess himself and his world on every level, even more then el Passo did

[@JayCity10]

Hank also took pictures of Tuco's dead friends. It was disgusting behavior from the perceived good guy.

[@fatalpoo9270]

Not really

[@Kaledrone]

Pretty sure a DEA agent wouldn't even be allowed to do that in real life

[@fatalpoo9270]

yeah for "evidence" and a lot of gore footage gets "leaked" or released to the public bc it isn't illegal@@Kaledrone

[@afrosamourai400]

Fuck tuco..who cares about this monster?

[@wowza5758]

nah he just had a sense of humor

[@grimtea1715]

"Tortuga, That's Bean Speak for Turtle" -Hank

[@carlosrivas1629]

its dumb name, not as cool as Machete.

[@RecoveryAndLife]

@@carlosrivas1629nahh Tortuga was the Mexican version of Paulie from Goodfellas. “He moves slow, but that’s because he didn’t have to move for anybody”

[@MasterFatness]

Hank was a great character. In the end, just like Walt, he was willing to circumvent rules both written and unwritten, just to get exacly what HE wanted. He showed that when he tried to lure Skyler into incriminating herself, to get some dirt on Walt that he could present to his superiors. After that, he was willing to let Jesse get killed in order to get to Walt. After all, Jesse was just a "junkie murderer" in his eyes. Hank ended up having no morality beyond what was best for himself... once again, just like Walt.

[@annenelson5656]

Nicely put! Thanks!

[@giacomolandi9277]

feels a little unjust... True, on some very basic level they are alike, but I doubt Hank would go as far as ordering the killing of a dozen people just to get what he want.

[@christianc.christian5025]

@@giacomolandi9277What feels unjust is trying to draw an equivalence between the measures taken by someone who was facing prison versus the guy trying to put people there. I don’t think Hank was “as bad as Walt,” but I’m also aware that Hank is the only one of the two who chose to work for a government agency which arbitrarily decided to imprison or kill people over their choice in recreational habits. I’m sure that being burned to death is pretty awful. But if you’ve ever been to jail/prison, you probably also get how morally fucked it is to want to put people there for doing something - drugs - that is no one else’s business.

[@silviogrijalva8801]

Skyler was complicit with Walters criminal empire. It’s only natural that he would try to get her to confess to her involvement in this and testify against him. Getting lawyers involved would naturally create barriers to bringing Walter to justice.

[@isopropyltoxicity]

All the characters break bad in their own way, they all have their own deadly sins they commit all the time

[@ringkunmori]

I found out about this ironic parallel between BB and BCS In Breaking Bad, the biggest foe Walt faced was a former employer, Gus Fring, while the death that led to his downfall was his brother-in-law, Hank. In Better Call Saul, the biggest foe Saul ever faced was his brother, Chuck Mcgill, and the death that led to his moral downfall was his former employer, Howard Hamlin.

[@binarystar300]

Saul never worked for Howard at any point in the series. Or are you talking about Chuck's moral downfall 🤨

[@ringkunmori]

Jimmy worked at HHm

[@potatoman7594]

that's a really cool detail!

[@potatoman7594]

​@@binarystar300bro jimmy worked in the mail room for like 5 years

[@sircybin8371]

Vrovo Bince

[@CruzzzControl1984]

By the end Hank was defending his pride, because he couldn't stomach the fact that Walt did all of this under his nose. An amateur that he ultimately was the reason he even considered selling meth. Walt heard the amount of money an average bust was, and he was all in

[@spaceace4387]

Hank couldn’t stand it that Walt was a tougher guy than he was. He was so sad and bitter that he was willing to victimize his own niece and nephew. It’s a good thing Uncle Jack made him his bitch and killed him in the most humiliating way imaginable.

[@paddypibblet846]

​@@spaceace4387agree. Pseudo-masculine "tough" guys like Hank are very feminine and petty. He went from "bullying" White to trying to bring him down a notch.

[@Boredasfuck29]

​@@paddypibblet846I wouldn't say he's "pseudo" masculine... he's one of the biggest badasses on the show.

[@paddypibblet846]

@@Boredasfuck29 With a badge (near impunity from the law), gun, other officers, and 100lbs on everyone else... it's easy to be a "tough" guy. Being a physically weak, frail, and dying school teacher who climbs to the top in one of the most brutal business out there requires real courage.

[@alexander1902]

I think that started when he coward after his first taste of DEA work. He realized he was out of his depth and ran back into the safety of his obscure office, busting dime bag dealers and feeling like he was making a difference when he knew he wasn’t.

[@londojellyfish]

"my own father is in law enforcement and causal racism is just how you show affection to each other" is a WILD sentence dude

[@derpeth2101]

lmao

[@GlutenDSena]

Yeah like, just because it's normalized there, which I'm sure it is, that does not mean it's a good thing

[@marduk6836]

As a competitive rаcist, I find this hijacking of our culture very offensive.

[@rhamby3470]

Its not bad in context either​@@GlutenDSena

[@BenHussGaming]

That's when I paused to read the comments and consider stopping the video here

[@benjaminsaffir7871]

Hank never seemed to care much about the lives of Albequerque's residents or the harms caused by the drug trade. He just liked being a winner and 'busting' the crooks. I always got the impression that if his early life shaked out differently, he would have easily fought on the other side of the drug wars.

[@redrustyhill2]

Yep.

[@jamesmacdougall2694]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/gaDalJtudraXrrMsi=77cU9HC9WDovTzpq

[@gtothereal]

The best cops think like criminals.

[@92brunod]

@@gtothereal So do the worst.

[@tylerdavis3]

I’d say that goes for almost everyone that’s in involved in the drug trade and “war on drugs”.

[@HF-dv5vv]

For mine Hank is Walt’s true nemesis. Right from the start Hank is the centre of attention at Walt’s 50th, he’s everything Walt isn’t because he’s satisfied with his career, content with himself as a man and is happily married to a woman who doesn’t run his life. Walt entertains this idea of Hank as his rival when he confronts him by the pool but isn’t really honest with himself about this. When the two face off outside Hanks garage it’s then that Walt realises his mask has slipped and Hank sees him for who he truly is. All this time though Walt didn’t want Hanks downfall, he just wanted to feel like he was better than Hank and when the latter dies, it sinks in with Walt that his criminal life is irreversible. He deluded himself all this time by thinking he could make meth and never deal with any bloodshed, now that he’s suffering consequences it’s sunk in that his choices have affected his family that cannot be undone.

[@andyandbee]

This is my favorite assessment so far. Also in se5 Walt is not even a little bit scared of what Skyler or anyone, the only time he seems even slightly on edge is around Hank. Plus I think he starts believing his own delusions. If you rewatch him killing Mike it's as though he's all of a sudden a bystander after he shoots him. It's hard to explain what I mean, I just wonder if anyone else thought the murdering Mike scene bizarre. Everything about se5 seems like it's suggesting the cancer spread to his brain

[@gabeitch9142]

​​@@andyandbee it was bizzare because it was pure emotion. Walt felt like he no control left in that moment, and, as is not uncommon in people, especially emotionally repressed men, he turns to rage and violence. I've felt that loss of control beforen it's hard to describe. It feels like youre floating, all your weight is in your stomach. Kind of like when you cant move in a dream. And you almost feel empty before being flooded with emotion. Thats what I belive he was feeling. But after he shit mike, he was brought back to his senses. He had regained control, but now he had to face his actions in a cooler state of mind.

[@marshallcheung2731]

Vince Gilligan had originally planned to kill both Jesse and Hank by the end of Season 1. Season 1 was originally approved for 9 episodes, but was cut down to 7 due to the WGA strike. Hank was meant to meet his end in Episode 9. Jesse was also meant to die in Season 1 as a way of showing that even the main characters in the series were not safe, but once Gilligan saw Jesse's performance, he knew that killing off his character would be a mistake. Good thing for that strike.

[@coasterblu9892]

Source?

[@Leon_SKennnedy]

​@@coasterblu9892I am the source

[@Shlogger]

@@coasterblu9892 Hank

[@arkumbra6241]

“My father is in law enforcement. Casual racism is how they get thru the day” 💀💀💀💀💀

[@cassiusblaxk]

Yeah wtf??? Casual racist banter is suppose to be normal? The fuck is wrong with people like this???

[@KatarnandKanos]

Yeah, no kidding.

[@NybergCarl]

People who seek jobs within a structurally racist system and then casually use racist terminology... these people might actually be racist.

[@True_Christian]

@@NybergCarl There is only *one* structural racism that exists anywhere in reality, and that is of the anti-White variety, and it's omnipresent in our modern times.

[@xvrqt]

i know 💀 how do you write that out and not have a moment of self reflection 💀 💀

[@raptorshotgun4107]

I think Hank's disrespectful attitude toward Walt was a major factor that pushed Walt toward crime. He didn't only want money, but also the respect of those around him.

[@afrosamourai400]

Oh poor walt..he sold poison because hank was teasing him..please!!

[@raptorshotgun4107]

I'm not saying that Walt is a victim or that his actions are justified, the desire to be respected, however, was a motivating factor. @@afrosamourai400

[@shiptj01]

Probably right.

[@alexander1902]

Seems like Walt was just mad that he fumbled the bag and took a buyout that amounted to “a couple months rent” before the company took off. He blamed the Schwartz’s when literally all of his shortcomings were of his own doing. Getting rich off drugs was his way of not feeling like a failure.

[@pyro380]

What a retarded take.

[@BobLoblowLawFirm]

We see Hank’s pride and destruction but we never see how depraved he truly is. I think he choose that career as a way to keep his demon locked away.

[@nundulan]

His demon was his love for minerals

[@laurelannmoss5859]

That's a take for sure. 🤔 What exactly is his demon?

[@darklordvader66]

​@@laurelannmoss5859in his pants also known as "marie crusher"

[@jasonlittle6542]

You may have a good point in that. My only counterpoint is that we all have our demons, as we're only human with an animal nature we keep in check. We all find ways to keep our underlying base levels in check, to the point that some of those demons can be virtually dead.

[@nolanlemmon8180]

@@laurelannmoss5859 Hank may be doing something noble as a law enforcement officer, but he's doing it for ignoble reasons. Hank clearly gains a certain level of enjoyment from aggressively ordering people below him around, but his sense of ego means that he has to find a way to do this while appearing to others as morally upstanding, and what better field to do that in than law enforcement? I'm not trying to argue that all police officers or federal officers are doing it purely for the power or pride, but some do, and Hank is a prime example of that.

[@lordpyromon]

3:04 I feel like this speaks volumes about the culture of law enforcement in America more than anything.

[@marvinthemartian9584]

Hank and Steve going alone to arrest Walt is something that they do in all movies/tv. The heroes always go alone to take out the bad guys. However, I didn't get to hear Steve Gomez do the Wilhelm scream. I feel jipped.

[@ndhickson3599]

😂

[@Loch1210]

But also remember,Walt basically blackmailed Hank with that video and money trail

[@kck-kck879]

*gyped

[@PexiTheBuilder]

OR if they go with swat, main characters go first, with maybe kevlar vest and pistol, when swat coming behing with full gear and smgs.

[@JeffBedrick]

It seemed immediately obvious to me from the pilot episode that Hank's arrogant belittling of Walt as a man who was incapable of taking care of his own family is what triggered everything that transpired in the rest of the series.

[@JimmyMon666]

Everything? A bit of an overstatement. Everything implies Walt is not responsible for his actions.

[@JeffBedrick]

@@JimmyMon666 You must know that's not what I meant. I meant everything that Walt, the protagonist, did throughout the remainder of his story arc. Of course, misinterpretations and petty, pedantic nitpicking are the lifeblood of social media comment sections. Good times.

[@biggsleezy]

Walt's last conversation with Gretchen before he went all in on the Meth game, were it turns out that he dumped Gretchen and the soon-to-be billion-dollar company Gray-Matter, due to the inherited wealth of her family, shows that he was always a man of pride. It sometime toned down prior to his initial life from the first episode, but that pride was redeveloping after his cancer diagnosis and he used being a drug kingpin to make up for it.

[@Oera-B]

​@@JeffBedrick Of course they are, that's why you decided to engage in one. He wasn't accussing you of anything, just questioning your word choices, you doofus.

[@judywright4241]

@@biggsleezy-- totally agree, while we don’t meet Walt’s mother, he was certainly denigrating of her. The insight we get after Walt gets beat up by Mike and Walt Jr finds him broken and vulnerable which shamed Walt, even as he describes his last memory of his own father, weak, dependent and his abhorrence of that state. Yet Walt Jr professes THAT being preferable to how fake his father has been all year. You could see the message didn’t sink in. We get that kind of vulnerability with Hank after he starts getting panic attacks after Tuco’s death. It brought he and Marie closer…at least until he gets shot, he then is dismissive and mean.

[@Maxisamo1]

To put simply Hank is the Anti-Hero to Walt's Anti-Villain

[@praatofeito]

@@Maxisamo1 anti-villain as a storytelling concept does not make sense.

[@Fiskanic]

And Walt isn’t a anti-villain, he’s straight up a villain. He said he liked to be that guy, the bad guy

[@rickjames9566]

Heroes and villains is such a childish way of looking at things, Walt started out wanting to provide for his family, Hank likes to put dealers behind bars. Both will feel like their moral compass is sound and who could really disagree? Using heroes and villains for anything other than silly marvel movies is just inaccurate as a whole.

[@Fiskanic]

@@rickjames9566 you are an inaccurate as a whole

[@futurestoryteller]

This is wrong. Hank is trying (and failing) to do the right thing for the wrong reasons. Walt is trying to do the wrong thing for the wrong reasons.

[@finnmakila6816]

"My daddy is a cop and he's not racist. Making racist jokes is what they do. Therefore, hank can't be racist" laughable

[@blahblahblahbloohblah]

Also all those clues were spread across like 2 years and seen by the audience as obvious because we were in on it. We see the whole thing, and we see it as obvious in hindsight too. He was aware of the Salamancas and the cartels, discovered Gus Fring's thing entirely on his own, and eventually did figure out the wild card that had been playing him the entire time, Walter White. He's a very good detective.

[@Peter-vf3dl]

Entirely agree. It is, for a serial format, very convincingly depicted how police work realisticially functions. I never had the impression of inkompetence, since when the dots had been presented, they connected them properly. And I honestly do not think Hank lacks empathy. Certainly not for his family, since he explicitely brought his nephew in contact with the meth-addicted ppl in order to show him the consequences of its consumption. Maybe he is not an expert since drug addictions are heavily induced by psychological issues the user had beforehand, however his intentions and care with the kid had been honest. His humour is also most likely his way of shielding himself in order to keep focusing on his job. That's no excuse for his behaviour towards the woman, however maybe an explanation. Emotional distance, so he doesnot want to get overwhelmed by the dread and horrible fates of addicted ppl. Although, he doesnot want to get involved with the mess produced by drug addictions, the fact, that he is (willingly) involved in the (neverending) war on drugs shows his unwavering conviction and sense of justice. To me, his apparant lack of empathy and jokes at sb. else' expense have always seemed to be some kind of facade to keep everyone and everything at a certain distance. It cracked when he realized that his brother-in-law had been the drug kingpin all along.

[@conscripthornet4430]

The only thing that would make him a "bad" detective is the highschool chemistry equipment scene. That metal door was locked tight and iirc there was only 2 keys to get in; Walter's and the Principal's. Doesn't take a genius to figure out the underpaid overqualified high school chemistry teacher stole that equipment to sell meth.

[@JohnDoeWasntTaken]

@@Peter-vf3dl Agreed, I liked Hank as a character the entire time because I recognized he emotionally distanced himself from certain things to cope with the horrible things he has to deal with. I practice emotional distancing a lot so I recognized it instantly, I never got the vibe he was a wannabe tough guy, you could always tell it was his way of softening the blow from traumas so that he can keep functioning normally in his line of work. Especially after the bomb attack you can see that he is very much vulnerable to trauma like anyone else, and without his familiar friends to support him he couldn't emotionally distance himself from it. As for how he treated Jesse, you can say every character in the show is a product of their circumstances and occupations. After dealing with potentially thousands of drug addicts it's not surprising in the least he had no empathy for those sorts of people. It doesn't excuse what he did but it's an understandable reaction from him considering Hank has probably seen a lot of suffering that results from the drug trade, causing him to have no empathy for anyone involved in it.

[@shapeshifter7676]

If he didn't know Walter personally, he would've been the prime suspect at the school

[@gwilson314]

Great comment. Hank always had good instincts, as you said him nailing Fring was something he sensed on his own (even in contrast to skeptical voices in the department). The whole point of Walt being under Hank's nose was that Walt initially wasn't a drug kingpin or anything like that (which is why Hank wouldn't suspect him).

[@joelglanton6531]

I agree with this and I always hated how he never grew from his early interactions with Jesse and still viewed him as expendable

[@afrosamourai400]

Yeah a drug dealer like jesse is definitively the type of guy you become close with right? Lol

[@joelglanton6531]

@@afrosamourai400 Who said anything about "becoming close" with him?

[@afrosamourai400]

@@joelglanton6531 "still viewed him as expendable" jessie was a drug dealing murderer..why should a cop not see him as expendable?

[@Wveth]

@@afrosamourai400 I don't think you have the right attitude to understand the things this show is trying to say. Maybe move on, this isn't a conversation you're going to understand.

[@ArkansasGamer]

​@@afrosamourai400no cop should view anyone as "expendable". You dummy.

[@Luke_SkywaIker]

In the end, hank’s gloating over arresting Walt got him and gomie killed. If he hadn’t taken so long to get Walt in the car mocking Walter or calling Marie he would’ve gotten out before jack’s gang arrived

[@xoMrsWentzxo]

Yes!

[@maicoxmauler2825]

Unlikely tbh. They were in the middle of bumfuck nowhere with one road leading back to town. Jack was already on the way.

[@illseedez]

that scene was literally to give a reason to why he dies

[@Crusty783]

3:00 "I'm not racist, I have Mexican friends" ahh argument

[@larkc7677]

It’s telling that Hank’s first action when he catches Walt is to call his wife to gloat, rather than reacting professionally and following proper procedures. Hank’s ego not only cost him his life, but that of Gomez as well. For that reason alone, Hank is no hero.

[@marty890]

Apart from everything everyone else said, Hank brought along Walt, a civilian, while on a Dea operation, he took photos of himself making fun of the corpse of a criminal and had the trashiest paperweight ever. worse than everything else, he shared reserved information with his family, just for the fun of it (Gale's video and lab notes). He brought Junior, a disabled teenager, to see meth addicts and bullied a prostitute in front of him because he wanted to be the cool uncle. This doesn't make him a monster, but it makes him deeply flawed in my book. It's true the thing that mattered the most to him was his ego.

[@brettbrooks5511]

Tbf on one of your points, I'm assuming the paperweight you're referring to is Tuco's grill. That was a gift from the other agents and Hank got rid of it pretty quickly. Everything else is fair

[@linchet]

Most reasonable take; Hank is one of the LEAST flawed characters in the show, but nonetheless still flawed

[@exa2993]

@linchet lmao u have to be joking... the pranker got pranked for once and as a cop broke into Jesse's house and beat the crap out of him... also his brother in law was Heisenberg under his nose most of the series and didn't know..

[@epicfan1598]

The paperweight was tuco's grill? He got rid of that in an episode

[@epicfan1598]

@@linchet He's flawed sure. But I don't think he's an overall bad person. He gets better throughout the series.

[@Noah-lo9vb]

Thoughtful essay, mostly. I want to empathize that it’s hard to default to the opinion of an internet stranger above your own father. But…. I would consider that maybe it’s not that every single law enforcement member is constantly saying racist things but they’re not actually racist, and consider if the institute of law enforcement may encourage racism. And maybe it leaks out of casual banter and is reflective of a system designed to keep some people on top. This extends to Hank too. I do think your experiences maybe blind you to how Hank’s racism is a huge part of his character and an indicator of the same dangerous tendencies that brought down Walt. I think you got so close to fully understanding his character, and expanded my perception of him, but couldn’t see that detail.

[@homonym7638]

The line 'I don't know who you are' leaving his empty mouth without his lips even moving or eyes really seeing is honestly some of the best acting I've ever seen in my life.

[@Riccardo-wp5fv]

Finally someone talked about it. Hank had indeed good traits on him, but being on the right side of the law kinda covered who he really was. He's pictured as an aggressive man, who never showed empathy or even respect toward people he considered "lower" than him. He didn't really cared about the consequences his hunt to Walt could lead to Skyler, Walter JR, Marie and especially himself as we see in the end.

[@craigslater8227]

American narrators saying casual racism is just how you show you care about each other 😂

[@Michael_the_Drunkard]

Where's the lie?

[@Killakwabo]

I love the fact the Hank was kind of what Walt shouldve been. He had all the macho alpha man bravado only to deal with PTSD when I saw action while WW being meek and mild manner ended up becoming a savage.

[@shapeshifter7676]

He was like that before PTSD too, he was like that his whole life

[@BrainDamageComedy]

great point

[@notanonymous3976]

correct me if i am wrong, but "being macho" is something anyone can do, whilst PTSD is involuntary and people get it worse than others

[@alexander1902]

@@notanonymous3976he tucked tail and rain, he was a coward. Nothing wrong with that but it's definitely cringe if you still try to act hard after.

[@notanonymous3976]

@@alexander1902 bit blurry that line betwren "acting" and "being". think Hank became genuinely brave after Walt's speech to him about not fearing death. he also couldve just been blinded by rage, but in the end he was not very scared

[@nikkbronx]

The only good people in the entire BB universe were Nacho's Dad, Lyle & Walt's kids.

[@vanceamania]

I love how both him and Walt start in completely different places and end in same different places all the while remaining so close to the other

[@ReinEngel]

Hank is a typical bully. He treats you like shit and jokes about you while hiding it behind "Oh, I'm just kidding, lighten up!" and gaslighting you.

[@jamesmacdougall2694]

You’re mentally weak

[@juliagoetia]

Exactly! He's the peak example of toxic masculinity lmao.

[@jamesmacdougall2694]

@@juliagoetia you’re dumb.

[@smtandearthboundsuck8400]

Just breaking balls

[@larky368]

I get so sick of people using the term 'gaslighting' when all they mean is lying. Watch the movie "Gaslight' so you understand the meaning.

[@parvy88]

It’s so interesting that Hank and Walt’s downfall trajectories seemed to be parallel and similar. They had so many opportunities to back out and avoid their demise, but made deliberate choices, out of pure pride and ego, that led them to their tragic ends.

[@exa2993]

Walts end wasn't tragic, he went from dying cancer patient to meth kingpin and accomplished what he set out to do.. Hank on the other hand was a bully who unnecessarily got himself killed

[@Paula-uq9rv]

as if casual racism isn't racism. it's just normalised racism, which doesn't make it normal/not racist

[@iceddingle8400]

Making racist remarks to your friends doesn’t mean you are racist

[@Paula-uq9rv]

@iceddingle8400 it quite literally does, it's just a normalised version of racism. Being a racist doesn't just refer to white people saying the n word, or not hiring people of a certain background

[@iceddingle8400]

@ nah I don’t even think saying the n word is racist if your not saying it in a racist way. If I’m white and my black friend lets me say the n word I am not racist for saying it. What makes someone racist is legitimately believing that one race is superior to another

[@Paula-uq9rv]

@iceddingle8400 it sincerely hope you interact with your fully developed prefrontal cortex. goodbye

[@hidef1793]

Hank was an awesome character, He was actually my favorite character and I felt it when he and Steve where ended. He was a tough SOB.

[@ValensBellator]

He was far from perfect, but when you’re surrounded by the rest of those main characters you tend to look like a full-blown saint 😂 I agree that “pride goeth before destruction” was definitely a theme for many characters though, and hank was one of them.

[@inafridge8573]

Idk, Skylar seems like a much less destructive person. She does get in on Walt's business though. But that's complicated. And you can't get mad at her for cheating because Walt was no husband. Similarly Marie has her selfishness but she is much less destructive than a Hank or a Walt

[@NunoFilipe99]

Says the fascist

[@KingFloch88]

​@@inafridge8573Skyler was still married and should have taken him to court but the situation she was in makes it a bit understandable but just comes across as petty and unlikeable especially at that point in the series. I love her character though.

[@Hsjfbxgakehucishu]

3:05 "casual racism is how you show you care about each other" lol

[@clublazy9468]

If you’re in the army this is actually true

[@medullaaaa]

Grow some backbone dude. Friends do that with no ill intentions

[@Powerick]

He may have been egotistical but he wasn't evil like Walt. I felt bad for him because he trusted and cared about Walt.

[@andyandbee]

@Powerick I did too but Walt actually deeply cared when Hank was murdered. He was going to give that scum Jack and his neo nazi gang all of his money if he spared Hank. I love that Walt kills Jack in the same way, without letting him finish his sentence. I'm in no way defending Walts actions up until that point, but he redeemed himself as much as he could in the finale.

[@MARCSEIDis]

a big character flaw within Walt is his pride and his ego, as so eloquently put by Mike. But that's also very much true of Hank, too. Pride cometh before the fall, after all.

[@flyingsky1559]

Hanks deadly sin is wrath

[@linchet]

@@flyingsky1559 now you got me trying to correlate the main cast of the show with the seven deadly sins

[@Bexebeche]

No let's see what Nacho's father can tell about Mike.

[@scarem84604]

Great analysis! I have always felt the same way about Hank. Honestly, the only redeeming characters in the series are Walt Jr and Holly...IMO. When actors, writers and directors can blur all lines between redeeming qualities and abhorrent behaviors you know you have something special.

[@thebelen2359]

And Lyle... Dude just wanted the fryer to be clean.

[@BrainDamageComedy]

jr betrays his dad and chooses his uncle over him. does not stick by walt at all once the shit hits the fan.

[@Ganjor420]

This might sound strange if you haven’t spend some time learning about the effects of prohibition, but it’s actually worse to be on the „war on drugs“ side than selling drugs.

[@juliagoetia]

Truth

[@luciusisdead]

the notion that hank isn’t actually racist because he’s “friends with a latino man” and “racist banter is normal in law enforcement” despite the fact that he constantly perpetuates racial stereotypes/jokes is really awful justification/reasoning for his actions. “yeah he says slurs and racist things constantly but that’s just what cops do!!” the lack of self awareness is astounding.

[@notoriouslybratty]

Thank you for making this video! I have felt crazy like I was the only one seeing how Hank was willing to do whatever to catch Walter at the end. So many people were rooting for him at the end but I just got irritated how Hank was cutting corners to get his conviction. While he was right about Mike, he really abused his powers of law enforcement to harass the guy with no evidence. Hank’s gut was not wrong but you can see how that started making him dangerous.

[@bobjohnson1633]

A member of the most evil and powerful gang accusing his power to do evil.

[@JimmyMon666]

I was rooting for Walt LOL. No really, I never thought he (Hank) was a hero. He obviously had his pride issues too. It's what made the series such a great series. That said, the character of Hank did get marginally better throughout the series. He was horrible the pilot episode. I would have been happy to see him shot in the face after the pilot episode.

[@IronFreakV]

I wish Marie would've died instead of Hank

[@epicfan1598]

@@JimmyMon666 Hank was kind of a douche in the pilot yeah but no he didn't deserve to be shot in the face there either

[@robvangessel3766]

I think one of the most important things abt the whole series is that NO ONE is a hero per se. Everyone has self-destructive flaws, so that to the extent some play the role of the "good guy", they're far from being a hero - as is the case with most of us in real life. A person can perform a heroic act without otherwise being a heroic person. Just as sometimes bad people do something decent.

[@Athetos861]

Yeah everyone breaks bad. Hence breaking bad.

[@linchet]

Heroes can still be flawed characters tho. I think what you're saying is more like, "no one can be a certain kind of person, they can only commit certain kinds of acts" which I agree with in a way

[@saltytbone]

11 minutes of Clif Notes recap of series. 1 minute of original thought.

[@mossbergr]

hate to say this, but i absolutely agree

[@williamshakemilk2192]

unfortunately most video essays. Title says analysis, turns out to be the summary.

[@iamcase1245]

I love how he used the fact his father is a casually racist cop to defend Hanks constant racial attacks in Mexicans. "He had a Mexican friend so his jokes aren't racist"

[@ElusiveEllie]

What do you expect from the kind of person who excuses racism in the police force because "It's how you show you care"?

[@exa2993]

@iamcase1245 a better argument was that Mexican cops are racist to hank as well

[@maniachaelchallenges]

“Hank’s not a racist cop because I don’t wanna think of my dad that way” lol

[@abeltesfaye_]

Right???? Honestly I stopped listening at that part, pathetic

[@arian41148]

when everybody is racist, no one is.

[@arian41148]

​@@abeltesfaye_you're too sensitive

[@Acro_YT]

⁠@@arian41148Or maybe he’s just saying facts. Cops have been shown time and time again to be racially biased (and beat their wives a lot more).

[@Acro_YT]

@@arian41148That is narrow minded thinking.

[@mrchocolatetoast1355]

I think the literal point that Breaking Bad is making is that nobody is all good or all bad we all have the potential to be both in us and how the events and decisions surrounding our lives can push us 1 way or the other and even people who have never put a foot wrong like Walt under the right circumstances can be pushed all the way to being evil

[@notanonymous3976]

which is why exercising willpower is so important in order to remain steadfast

[@gwilson314]

Well, Walt Jr. is unambiguously the good guy in all of this, and he very strongly sided with his uncle and wanted nothing to do with his father by the end of the show. I think Hank's character, though flawed, was always that of an earnest cop whose main goal was to catch bad guys. He had goals were beyond his own ego, unlike Walt.

[@supersaiyanzero386]

Hank is like.. if Tony Soprano was a DEA Agent. Kinda. Hank is kinda similar in many ways emotionally especially toward the end. Yelling, ego, Fatness. I'm gonna keep an eye on that next watch of Breaking Bad and see if it holds up.

[@x__thesickest6388]

Hank never did anything half as heinous as the shit Tony Soprano did in Season 1 alone. Might as well compare Molly to Tekashi 69 😭

[@AlexMax2742]

THANK YOU! Despite being on the "right" side of the law, Hank was an obsessed glory-seeker just like Walt. His short-sightedness led in a very direct way to leaving his family without a father, Jessie's period of unjust imprisonment and eventual escape, and Walt having the opportunity to die on his own terms.

[@DaveSCameron]

Decent shout yes. 👍

[@KaelWrit]

and the law isnt really on the right side in the drug war anyway. Everything Walt did was enabled by that drug war

[@DaveSCameron]

@@KaelWrit of course yes, excellent point

[@AlexMax2742]

​@@KaelWrit You're correct, but even in the shaky moral framework of the drug war Hank fell short by going rogue. And you can apply that to many other people in this universe - Walt's moral failings ran deeper than merely being a meth cook, and Saul's problem wasn't _just_ that he was legal counsel for a drug kingpin.

[@binarystar300]

If there's one criticism I have of Vince Gilligan, is that he sometimes OVER-GLORIFIES law enforcement. I mean, it's a common TV trope with all these shows like CSI Cops etc. but it takes away from the otherwise perfect writing. Being a cop doesn't automatically make you a good person!!

[@ashvio]

"casual racism is how you show you care about each other" lmao this is such an indictment on cops, and it's still racism even if it's for "being bros"

[@macflod]

Anyone here see all the dark comedy throughout breaking bad? The characters dynamics, walt with hank and jesse are genius at this! It get very dark toward the end though.

[@gabrielfoster7177]

I’m so lucky I grew up in abq and live here I’m 24 and happy I’m reminded of this show every time I drive around town

[@supersaiyanzero386]

I haven't thought about hank's acting showing regret for himself laying bloody in the sand but now that I think about his expressions the scene is even more heartbreaking Great video as always! Vince does say that every character breaks bad at some point so I guess I need to rewatch. After I watch the Sopranos again! Maybe watch both 1 episode each and compare

[@mannhouse8014]

3:03 Kino? FUCK YOU DOIN? Sharp as a fuckin cueball…

[@m4rt_]

It's easy to point out all the clues Hank didn't pick up on until the end, but you've got to remember, you already know the solution, and he didn't. When you know the solution it's easy to point to something and say that it's obvious, but when you don't know the solution it's not that easy.

[@aA-hq4km]

Hank is like the perfect example for why most people don't like cops

[@marilynmanord1790]

I began watching this series in 2008. I loved Walt from the very beginning WW is still my favorite character. Cranston did a phenomenal job with the role of a lifetime. This series would not be as fantastic as it is without the character of Walter White. Absolutely pure perfection! My favorite series.

[@Vera-r6y]

The fact that "casual racism" is so normalized is a problem. I would also consider Hank a "mild" racist because he also uses slurs and derogatory terms to others e.g. the people he is trying to capture

[@WesleyWilkins-qf2ky]

Yeah just sounds like an excuse for white guts to say racist things and say they aren’t racist

[@ARetardedRetard]

Womp

[@glengaines4286]

Hank is depicted as a real man in a real world with lots a grey areas. No hes not a comic book Superman who’s a Boy Scout, but a good hearted guy doing what he can in an imperfect world with an imperfect system. Yeah I’d say overall he’s a hero.

[@slimshead8100]

Breaking Bad is one of the greatest, if not THE greatest, drama series of all time. These interesting, complex and nuanced characters are no small part of that. I’ve watched the series so many times and I always get more out of it. Not going to argue with those who disagree, but that’s my opinion. I don’t think they could have chosen a more perfect cast. Such a phenomenal series.

[@matzeknodel11]

Go watch the sopranos

[@lovefromwonderland]

Hank and Walt are actually totally similar. They’re driven to achieve their goals and don’t care who they have to throw under the bus in order to get what they want. Hank is just the perceived “good guy.” Walt is the one cooking meth and poisoning children. So we perceive him as the “bad guy.”

[@kabosustan2484]

2:45 I'd argue that hank is racist he just doesnt believe that all mexicans count. We see when he attempts to use jessie as bait that he doesnt care if Jessie dies. I think this is because in his eyes criminals are sub-human, their lives have very little value. However, Marie, his wife is a criminal, she steals contently, but because he knows her and can see her humanity he knows that she is valuable. Gomie is the same. He sees mexicans as criminals, but Gomi isnt a criminal, hes his partner in the DEA and his best friend. So its diffrent with him. That doesnt male him less racist, it makes him a racist hypocrite.

[@Crimsrn]

marie only stole properly in the first season, she stopped after with the exception of the puerto rico spoon when she was having a marriage crisis

[@andrewrivera190]

I think it just simply means every human being to a certain level has prejudice and is hypocritical. I myself I consider myself pretty tolerant yet, I can think of a few key points in my life where my prejudice caused me to act like a jerk and I had to suck it up and apologize for acting hostile towards someone. The cases I can think of in my life aren’t even just out of the blue, it’s because my past experiences with someone of a similar background shaped how I acted towards others of the same background. Our minds will jump leaps and bounds to preserve our own pride and well being. It means that if we recognize a similar pattern to one we have experienced that triggers negative emotions, it may still trigger those emotions even if there is no threat. This is why time and time again it is important to remind yourself of the value your fellow humans, if you don’t, you risk going down a dark path that is very very difficult to turn back from the longer you walk it. I don’t think it’s right to say everyone has a bit of racism in them but everyone is inherently bias. It doesn’t have to be race.

[@Purlypurlington]

You know such a good point with hank not seeing Walt was the bad guy. It’s like in the departed when Martin sheen heard Matt Damon say “my friends are still coming” but not wanting to think Matt Damon was the rat

[@Kendorable]

"Hank isn't racist he just constantly says deeply racist things as a joke, my dad's a cop I would know"

[@nicolaszenho]

I just know your friend group is entirely white

[@dp-r9856]

LMAO fr.

[@MrWahooStudios]

He says those racist jokes to a Mexican friend who also makes racist jokes against Americans Its not really that deep

[@xenomorf4836]

Look we got the fun police over here

[@RaqueliaRamlogan]

@@MrWahooStudios So he's not racist because he says racist things to a person who also makes racist jokes? Makes perfect sense.

[@Benny-Fazio]

A true hero , goes home , & gets his fuckin Shinebox - Tywin Lannister

[@Chicago_jake]

Hank couldn’t have been a hero, because his greatest weakness was ultimately his downfall. He underestimated and pitied him. This ultimately cost him everything.

[@michaelRG1000]

“Casual racism is how you show you care about one another” is the craziest shit I’ve ever heard lol just say he’s joking if you want to justify it

[@concept5631]

The cognitive dissonance is crazy because he had to have sat on that line while making the script.

[@friskjidjidoglu7415]

4:27 I mean, Walt demonstrates that it was Walt Whitman that Gail was referring to in that message Seconds later

[@Democratic_Republic_of_Iacon]

3:06 I’m sorry but this is genuinely one of the dumbest sentences I’ve ever heard, and I agree that Hank isn’t racist.

[@FiddleDuck1]

Were you in the police force ?????

[@Democratic_Republic_of_Iacon]

My issue is that the statement “…casual racism is literally how you show you care about each other,” isn’t objectively true yet he acts like it is. I honestly think bringing race all the time is incredibly boring, and also you can show affection in many ways that aren’t causal racism. It’s just a dumb baseless argument in my opinion.

[@syniqk]

Yeah he literally calls Spanish bean speak

[@dizbrony3906]

"Hank's not racist." *immediately shows Hank actively engaging in and perpetuating institutional racism* Basically the defense here is the old, "I'm not racist, I've got a black friend," bullsh*t.

[@meowmachine9147]

Bro people are literally commenting that, that they have friends who aren't white and they casually say racist shit so it's not really racism. Fucking what? Just because they're used to it doesn't make it not racism or make it okay.

[@Ishbikes]

Just watched that poker scene yesterday. I liked the directors didn’t use “chess,” even though that’s the easiest move nowadays. They used Poker because it involves some luck, yet you can still underestimate someone. Nice touch

[@notanonymous3976]

i would have preferred if Walt got called on the flop going all in with 7-2. The the turn and river give him a set. This would make Hank over-confident that he can tell when Walt is lying, but Walt still "wins" through sheer luck and gets away with it. If i was Hank and got successfully bluffed (and shown the bluff) I would be aware that Walt could lie to me and would not underestimate him as much.

[@Ishbikes]

@@notanonymous3976Walt would’ve definitely showed bluff. Ego

[@tjered1]

Kino confirming casual racism is common in the police force 😅

[@Pseedholm]

In todays episode: OP justifies fathers casual racism.

[@Lenniiii]

Right?!

[@gonsailing1788]

These comments are better than the video lmao

[@wadecrudgel6006]

Great video and really sound analysis here! However, I think that it’s important to understand that just because Hank doesn’t attend Klan rallies doesn’t make his behavior not racist. I think it supports your conclusion to understand his casual racism as an extension of his machismo and arrogance. As you say, casual racism is often accepted within law enforcement communities, and I think that contributes to Hank’s characterization as someone who seeks to gain social status without really considering the harm he might be doing to others. Rather than dismissing his behavior as “just part of being a cop”, I think you could strengthen your analysis by understanding it as a different kind of racism.

[@mediumsizedmagician]

W comment

[@hutchphilpot6870]

This is an excellent insightful response to the critiques of the narrator, as well as to a huge percentage of this comment section. I admire someone with the ability to respond to things critically, but fairly. Someone that doesn’t just write someone off completely because they may not agree with what or how something was said, and instead responds likes this. People could learn from you and comments like these. Taking what could be perceived as a tone deaf comment (3:03) on the motivation of the casual racism behind Hank’s character and writing off the man’s video/work/insight completely is more 2024, than 2024 itself. I think this speaks to a societal lack of emotional maturity in this current timeline. In that the first time we’re watching something and hear an opinion we even mildly disagree with we STOP listening, turn the video off, run to the comment section and tell everyone that the storyteller is WRONG and not to watch. Or worse yet they’re called unintelligent, told they lack wisdom or objective clarity, or worse yet the storyteller is a RACIST. This is so pervasive today, and something I’ve been guilty of myself many, MANY times. In fact, I’m still guilty of this, just less often. I’m more self aware and conscious of it, and actively try to diminish this trait through introspection and LISTENING to the entirety of the message. By opening myself up to listening to opinions of those I might not like or agree with, or those I TRULY despise in the pursuit of existential intelligence, empathy, and understanding. To continuously learn. To learn is to LIVE, and that’s almost exclusively, a human experience. We’ve reached a place where people are not incapable of learning and striving to reach a higher level of intelligence, but UNWILLING. That is truly an indictment on where we are societally in 2024.

[@RemyistStudio]

Man he racially profiled Hugo, dude is racist, and noting the casual racism in law enforcement (institutions that have a known problem with racism) doesn’t make him not racist ?!

[@chuni5942]

His dad is a cop it's cool. Cops are definitely not known for racism.

[@williammoore1980]

Is the wittwe snowflake upset by the bad words in a make-believe show?

[@Pssybart]

Hank is in the end a complex human being. You could say he's a bit of an anti-hero. He's a very flawed person. His motivations aren't always pure, and his actions sometimes even hurt him and the people he cares about. His redeeming qualities ultimately do make him a good guy in the context of the story, mostly the fact that he genuinely cares for his family and never consciously acts against their best interest. That's the difference between him and Walt. Walt claims he's only acting to serve and protect his family, but he actively chooses to ultimately hurt them.

[@SamsarasArt]

You said it quite well. I agree

[@sprshb1852]

Kind of agree/disagree, they both do genuinely care for their family, and make great sacrifices for them and in addition also both get blinded by their own obsessions and end up harming themselves and their families. Walt flew too close to the sun but still in the end tried to end it and ride off the meth money before Hank figured out he was Heisenburg. Hank also had an unhealthy obsession as well, he never got backup or told anyone before going to Walt after his confession where he admitted to killing Krazy 8 because he wanted to be the person to cuff him. If he had then he would’ve caught him and lived to tell the tale and maybe he and gomie would have been able to see their wives again. If Walt ended it sooner, or Hank got reinforcements than neither would have to die with dysfunctional families left in their passing. Walt and Hank I would say are like Yin and Yang lol. Walt is bad (making a meth empire, killing people for said empire) with some good (willing to give it all up for his family if the situation called for it such as with him pleading for Hank’s life), Hank does Good (catching drug dealers and making the world better) but with some bad (his toxic obsession with heisenburg, his hypocritical stance on law with the cuban cigar scene, him giving preferential treatment to his wife who steals valuable items, etc).

[@Randomthoughts54-r3n]

You’re defending a racist , you’re a pos

[@Mohamed-rw8vi]

When did walt hurt them he never did hes brother in law he tried everything in hes power to make him not get killed

[@DeniseTaylor-k6g]

I know Hanks wife is a thief Skyler is crazy for not beating her ass when she slapped her

[@newthrash1221]

“Cops that use racist banter are not racist because my dad’s a cop”. Normally i’d agree with that sentiment in any other career, but american law enforcement isn’t exactly known for their progressive and colorblind tactics. So i think your process that brought you to the conclusion that Hank is not a racist id flawed. Hank can very well be racist (i don’t think he is), there really isn’t enough context in the show to decide for the viewer to make a conclusion on that notion.

[@enclaveherewhyisntyourvide3089]

L take plus mask pfp.

[@braydenc5208]

Insensitive, maybe. But racist? Come on.

[@galientl4723]

@@enclaveherewhyisntyourvide3089 it isn’t

[@newthrash1221]

@@enclaveherewhyisntyourvide3089 lol you got a robot as yours, stop regurgitating the same shit your dad says. Your pops a bum too.

[@winstonmarlowe5254]

@@enclaveherewhyisntyourvide3089 "nuh uh!" good argument sport

[@piefighter36]

Pure kino. That's the youtube. Now, this name has layers. Kino can mean peak, adding pure makes it pure peak. But kino is also German for "cinema", making it also read pure cinema.

[@zerodood]

Seriously, the mental gymnastics people go through to defend Hank are astounding. It was pretty clear he was on a power trip throughout the show. And no, I don't care if he was doing it to mask his trauma from the job, that didn't give him a right to be a bully.

[@alexander1902]

Yeah, he was a punk. But I think that was the whole point, he fit in doing busy work in a small office but was a joke to actual DEA agents who took their job seriously. When shit got real, he tucked tail and rain at the first chance.

[@dylanwesley3964]

​@alexander1902 I disagree with him tucking his tail. When that bomb went off, hank sucked up his anxiety and went to put a Tourniquet on his fellow agent.

[@IzDube]

@@alexander1902nigga those agents got blown the fuck up and hank had to try and save as many of them as possible. what are u on about, and I think seeing a dozen of ur peers get blown up gives most people a desire to get out

[@IzDube]

I don't understand the idea that he was a bully, he was just a normal person lol. I dislike how he acted towards criminals but he treated Walter normally for a brother in law. The worst thing he did was how he acted towards Marie but unless u live in some fantasy land sometimes u have to endure people treating u unfairly when there going through shit and help them through it. I dislike a little how he acted towards Jesse but if I didn't watch Jesse for 5 seasons I would think very poorly of him too, from an outsider perspective he's just a junkie drug dealing murderer, doesn't excuse him but I don't think it's realistically that bad to not value the life of someone like that

[@jimmynuetronrblx8628]

exactly@@IzDube

[@saysalla]

"Hank is not a racist but he is but it's ok because my dad is racist too" How about trying to be better instead of defending bigotry?

[@JimMilton-ej6zi]

You can't be racist against a culture. I can call all mexicans drug mule taco makers all day and it still wouldn't be racist because it's a culture, not a race.

[@natancoutinho]

Absolutely great video. It's been a while since I finished Breaking Bad, and sometimes it's hard to remember how nuanced the whole thing is. Specially because the majority of Breaking Bad video essays on youtube tend to lean on the morality of Walt's actions and often forget about the other characters, although they are just as complicated.

[@imark2569]

11:48 disagree. He doesn’t want to get Walt to defend his reputation. He wants to get Walt, without tarnishing his own reputation

[@geraltrivia9565]

Bro Hank is racist full stop considering he was racist when Gomez wasn’t even there at times

[@badsourceofcalcium]

Wow my guy just justified racism your dad gaslit you 😂

[@supersaiyanzero386]

I relate to hank. Ptsd and panic attacks are horrifying and I always try to be there for people suffering from any mental illness. It's hard.

[@Curry_Communist]

Do you have ptsd?

[@redrustyhill2]

Hank didn't have "ptsd". He was struggling with the truth, knowing he was not a hero and didn't deserve the praise he so desired.

[@KingFloch88]

I've had a couple panic attacks and they truly suck so I definitely empathize.

[@TheRazzband]

It's so interesting to see an antagonist that has the negative traits hank has and yes I mean antagonist hank is an antagonist because by definition the protagonist is the leading character of a story which would be Walter and an antagonist is any character that opposes the protagonist and their actions a villain can be a protagonist a hero can be an antagonist because those terms have nothing to do with the morality of the character

[@BrentonO4fromOd]

I said this about Hank once I fully processed the show after watching the finale. Hank was a good man, but his pride, much like Walt's, was his downfall.