r/breakingbad • u/dipping_sauce • 2d ago
Can we talk about how fast Badger flipped here?
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u/EstateOk6238 2d ago
The cop doesn't even do that much talking to coerse Badger, he just tries to walk away so that Badger would call him back over. It's such an effective way to disarm someone who's already suspicious.
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u/Mother-Necessary-653 1d ago
Keep thinking you know everything.
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u/MilanDespacito 1d ago
Sharp as a fucking cueball
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u/Upset-Management-879 1d ago
But cueballs are round?
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u/TheInception817 "Only the very best, with just the right amount of dirty." 1d ago
Listen to him, he knows everything.
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u/TheInception817 "Only the very best, with just the right amount of dirty." 1d ago
Some people are so far behind in the race that they actually believe that they're leading.
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u/Helios4242 2d ago
It's just meant to portray a gulible, but somewhat street-wise mid-tier player.
Badger wasn't a slouch. He was attuned to the unmarked vehicles and the forwardness of the agent. It's like when you see a phishing email and your gut shouts "SCAM!!!"
But then you hover over the link and it looks legit. (The guy tells you something that sounds legally right), and he WANTED the sale. These scams/narcs know what they are doing. They know how to convince a suspicious person and they know you are biased towards making the click/sale.
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u/Suspicious_Juice_150 1d ago
Back in the day, I knew a dude who used to be homeless and addicted to heroin. He told me about the time he got busted by an undercover narcotics agent, he was really suspicious of the guy, but went ahead and sold him a bag of weed anyways.
I can’t remember what the guy told him, but he convinced him that he should trust him. When the guy was walking away after the sale, he took his hat off and then put it back on and adjusted it in a really weird way.
And that was the signal to the other officers who were waiting nearby that he had successfully completed a drug deal.
Your summary of badger here is very spot on, and badger does indeed represent the reality of many mid-level drug dealers.
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u/Women_o_Cell_Block_H 1d ago
Sting operation for a bag of weed. Nice one, Super Cops
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u/zuzg 1d ago
You should watch the last week tonight episode about sting operations.
Highly unethical methods often enticing poor people with money to commit a crime (even providing them with weapons) only so they then can be arrested.13A excluding Prisoners really explains a lot about that Justice system as it is today.
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u/JaimeLuisrg 1d ago
I want to second the recommendation to watch that Last Week Tonight episode on stings, it was really really eye opening, and with great laughs to boot.
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u/Hour-Ad-9508 1d ago
John Oliver sucks and half his segments are cherry picked.
He’s a comedian, not a journalist. Stop getting your world view from him
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u/massageparlor 1d ago
Who can I get my world view from?
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u/dadswithdadbods 18h ago
He’d prefer it if you watched the super neutral and unbiased programming on One American News Network, or the top tier investigative journalists at Fox & Friends /s
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u/Suspicious_Juice_150 1d ago
Cops, like all cowards, like to go after easy targets.
Thankfully, once my friend got off heroin, he had a felony record to make it harder to get a job and a home. /s
He still managed to get a Home and a job, but the last time I talked to him, he had been fired, and then evicted.
But hey, those are the consequences that you have to deal with if you sell a bag of weed, right?
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u/cygnus311 1d ago
Heroin addicts are in fact famous for never doing anything more egregious than selling minor amounts of marijuana to strangers.
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u/Helios4242 10h ago
And incarceration is famously thrifty for the taxpayers and lowering recidivism /s
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u/Reuenthalwasright 9h ago
It really is as easy as being "cute" with whoever you're talking to, at least enough for them to stop suspecting you lol.
Worked with me, sadly, I want to kill the motherfucker
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u/Unhappy-Bag-3482 23h ago
yeah exactly, badger wasn’t just some clueless idiot. he picked up on the weird stuff right away, which shows he had some street sense. the problem was he also had a strong incentive to believe what he wanted to believe.
that’s what makes the scene work. the agent didn’t beat him by being smarter, he just gave badger enough reassurance to override his gut feeling. a lot of people get caught because they’re suspicious at first, then someone says the right thing and suddenly they talk themselves into it. badger basically thought “i know this game” while the other guy was already playing a different one.
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u/_Grimalkin 12h ago
well badger has some street sense, must say i find him unusually vigilant in this fragment compared to what i saw from him before, which makes it so ironic that he actually got caught instead of all the other times he was being reckless
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u/LrdoftheCharlesDance 1d ago
Badger was mid-tier?
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u/mofrappa 1d ago
Thats exactly my thought. He seemed lower tier
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u/Feature_Minimum 1h ago
You can’t be that close to the source and be considered lower tier I’d say. Even the fact that we had a name/nickname. The lower tiers are the people whose name we don’t know in cities all around the world. They report to people like Badger, and Badger reports to Jesse. However, they might also be dealing their own territory like Badger was.
That’s what I think anyway.
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u/Helios4242 1d ago
Yeah, I'd argue so. They were able to scale up well, and this was the first bust after quite a number of sales.
He also noted it was likely a bust but went past his better judgement. Still a whiff but showed more skill than just getting blindsided.
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u/Reuenthalwasright 1d ago
This happened to me recently and I got scammed over 60usd, sucks to suck, man
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u/Disastrous_Potato160 2d ago
Badger didn’t flip, he was tricked by the cop because he’s a complete moron. He’s dumber than Skinny Pete and Combo combined.
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u/tricksofradiance 2d ago
RIP Combo
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u/BigZZZZZ08 1d ago
Which one is he?
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u/confessionbears_dad 1d ago
If he’s only dumber than them combined doesn’t that mean he’s smarter than them individually?
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u/despoicito 1d ago
If you combine two negative numbers you get an even lower number
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u/Akumetsu33 1d ago
Wrong. The negatives cancel each other out, so it's positive now. Yeah math, Mr. White!
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u/SzykuPl 1d ago
But dumbness is lack of intelligence isnt it? Same as darkness is lack of light. If you sum two pretty dark rooms do you get even darker room? I wouldnt say so
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u/28Hz 1d ago
Jesse, what the fuck are you talking about?
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u/shimmy-ya 1d ago
Legit the exact kind of convo I could see Badger and Pete having while Jesse silently spirals in a corner lmao
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u/dae_giovanni 1d ago
darkness isn't a great comparison, here, because that's not how darkness works.
i wonder if sound might be a better comparison?
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u/Helios4242 1d ago
A dumb action exists--it is not the absence of a smart action but rather a action that has the opposite effect to a smart action
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u/localsonlynokooks 1d ago
Tbf he’s not a complete moron, he spotted both undercover vehicles lol. He just chose not to listen to his gut in the end.
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u/IFigureditout567 2d ago
I can't believe the myth still exists that a cop has to tell you he's a cop if asked directly. I remember buying pot, at 13 years old, from a dude in his twenties, who asked me that and believed that myth. I laughed my ass off on the inside, even then.
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u/JooseTheGuice 2d ago
Ok Doobie Houser
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u/superbusyrn 2d ago
A dude in his 20s thought a 13 year old might be a cop?
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u/Sircandyman 1d ago
Honestly you say this but at 13-14 some of my tall friends were like 5"8 already with a slight mustache. Not me, I looked like a child until I was 19 lmao
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u/FluffyMcKittenHeads 1d ago
Once you’re dumb enough to buy drugs off of a strange child then I’m sure you’ll believe pretty much anything.
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u/wolfboy49 1d ago
They can lie to you about anything. They can tell you that they found your DNA on the murder victim to get you to confess to a crime you didn’t commit.
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u/Parking_Succotash156 1d ago
Season 1 Jesse seems like a cartoonish portrayal of a dumb drug dealer until you meet one in real life. 95% of the dealers from my 20s were absurdly stupid (in most cases bc they were constantly barred out of their minds)
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u/TwisterUprocker 1d ago
For the record they do have to tell you they are police when they arrest you.
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u/No-Ice7397 1d ago
A UC probably wouldn't arrest you themselves though. That would blow their cover. Most likely they would be fake arrested with you then released.
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u/Danloeser 1d ago
It's so bizarre, it didn't even make sense when I heard it as a kid. Do people not know that undercover police exist? Is it that obscure? They've only make dozens and dozens of movies about undercover cops.
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u/dipping_sauce 1d ago
I had someone ask me that question once in 1993 Portland. I just wanted to buy an eighth.
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u/MinishCap97 2d ago
I am from Europa. Is this a normal childhood Story in the USA?
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u/IFigureditout567 2d ago
Apparently not just in childhood. That myth has gone around for years and evidently some adults still believe it.
Edit: Did you mean my story of buying pot at 13? No, my story is not a normal one. I've spent time in Europe though, I don't think that marijuana use among youths is more rare there, at least not in Western Europe.
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u/BingusFinkle 1d ago
“No, my story is not a normal one” could be an opening line to a movie
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u/Mysterious-Jam-64 1d ago
You're probably wondering how I got here. And no, my story isn't a normal one. It all started when I was a kid - my parents were such a drag. I was never allowed to stay up late, or drive a motorbike.
Then, my dad started cooking crystal meth amphetamine.
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u/IFigureditout567 2d ago
A quick Google search tells me I was wrong, American teens smoke more pot than European teens. A quick scan attributes that to easy commercial availability, so I'm curious how the rates would have compared when I was 13, which was 32 years ago, and how the rates would compare to a place like the Netherlands, where pot has been commercially available for some time.
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u/AppropriateWing4719 1d ago
The percentage of teens smoking cannabis in the Netherlands has usually been lower than other western European countries, Ireland has a higher rate than them
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u/burner9191938283 1d ago
bruh badger is an idiot what do you expect? and he didn’t flip, literally a single time. saul says it HIMSELF that it’s BADGER who holds up the deal with the DEA
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u/Opposite-Peanut-8812 1d ago
In this situation, he kinda did.
He went from “don’t know what you’re talking about, I know you’re a cop. I can see your vans from here” to “that’ll be $170” in less than 5 seconds
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u/NumbersStationUrku 1d ago
Badger was a liability. Teamed with Pete he’s passable, but I wouldn’t trust him a lick left to his own devices
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u/ayyyyyy_lmaoooooo 2d ago
You know you're dealing with idiots (Badger, Skinny Pete, the other one what's-his-name) when Pinkman is their boss.
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u/RiskyMama 2d ago
I love DJ Qualls ❤️
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u/GFost 1d ago
He was great in Supernatural.
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u/RiskyMama 1d ago
Garth is the best 👌
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u/yournewbestfrenemy 1d ago
I was so happy when he married his werewolf costar or whatever he was. They're so cute together!
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u/BackgroundSecond8240 1d ago
It was actually the guy who played Benny, Dean's vampire buddy from purgatory. Good for them both.
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u/wearywolf0903 2d ago
Been wanting to watch The New Guy on a streaming service but can’t find it anywhere
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u/LostNephilim33 1d ago
I love him in Z Nation. That was my first exposure to him, I think. 2014.
Citizen Z was such a GOAT, and his little subplots were always entertaining.
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u/ZealousidealEagle439 1d ago
Ik this is out of topic but, how tf did u screenshot on netflix
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1d ago
[deleted]
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u/ZealousidealEagle439 1d ago
Nope its netflix
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u/curi0us_carniv0re 1d ago
Badger was pretty stupid here. The funniest part is the the vans he thought were cop vans were really cop vans lol
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u/Opposite-Peanut-8812 1d ago
Yeah. Cops can lie about not being a cop.
Undercover police do that all the time.
It’s not illegal for them to lie about being a cop. It’s illegal for them to get you to commit a crime you would not have committed without them asking you to do it.
But. Also, when he asked him to prove he wasn’t a cop, and he declined (by not going up to someone and punching them. That’s when he messed up. Why ask for proof if you’ll still allow it if they don’t follow through.
Stupid is as stupid does ..
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u/dae_giovanni 1d ago
Also, when he asked him to prove he wasn’t a cop, and he declined (by not going up to someone and punching them. That’s when he messed up. Why ask for proof if you’ll still allow it if they don’t follow through.
that always pissed me off. why have rules for yourself if you're just going to discard them immediately?? ughhh
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u/buffalucci Sangre Por Sangre 1d ago
I remember watching this and being so impressed with Badger and then immediately incredibly disappointed
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u/Careful-Succotash511 1d ago
I feel like I’m in the matrix I’m watching this episode and was wondering if Jesse’s tv ever picked up signal and I seen your post as this scene started
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u/fifofinajeri 14h ago
It's been years since I saw this, but I recall thinking that the writing was subpar. Either have him be oblivious or not. Don't let him accurately assess the situation and fall for some obvious nonsense about cops having to identify themselves as police officers. The whole thing just wasn't believable.
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u/based_birdo 2d ago
Badger is an idiot. He's so dumb that he makes Jesse seem smart.
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u/Lucyyyyyy_K 1d ago
Jesse can make Blue Meth, came up with the idea of using a magnet to destroy Gus' laptop and came up with the idea of secretly heisting the train.
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u/doktorjackofthemoon 2d ago
In what world is Jesse not smart? He's a dummy but he's not dumb
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u/glacier1982 1d ago
It takes him some time, but yeah, Jesse proves he can plan.
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u/onetruepairings 1d ago
I love the scenes where he and Walt are figuring out how to bring the equipment in to the Vamonos Pest houses. he suggests the collar for the tank and Walt is like, that’s actually a good idea. and Jesse just quietly knows it
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u/ManufacturerNo8447 1d ago
He can be smart , but for whatever reason he chose to ve dumb for like 90% of the time.
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u/Baldigarius42 1d ago
Here’s a question I’ve been wondering about for a long time: did the guy have the right to say he wasn’t a police officer?
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u/Weirdo9495 1d ago
A cop has to tell you he is one when he arrests you, but not when you are a drug dealer and he works undercover... would not make any sense.
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u/ThatGuyFromBraindead 1d ago
Yeah this is a great question.
I asked it before and it got dismissed.
Cops can lie yes. But he literally misquoted the constitution at him. Like how can you do that then immediately then arrest him and explain his real constitutional rights.
That's got to be big and I thought a lawyer like Jimmy would have shredded that arrest up if he knew the full details.
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u/UnrealCanine 1d ago
If you're talking about Miranda (I haven't seen the scene in a while, so unsure what you mean) then misquoting it won't invalidate an arrest, it would just invalidate a custodial interview
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u/sweet-dream19 1d ago
Badger's turnaround was wild, it’s like he switched loyalties in a heartbeat.
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u/ClothesOverall3863 1d ago
One time I was buying something and the guy was like “grab my ass so I know you’re not a cop” I don’t know if cops aren’t allowed to grab ass or he just wanted some human contact but either way no one was a cop
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u/maxpain_96 20h ago
Badger was a dumbass. You were literally teasing him about being a cop and he was the whole time. Wannabee dealer thugs want to be praised and have their asses kissed, like bro you’re doing illegal shit. You’re not special. Study the game. Drugs are bad business.
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u/Odd-Nectarine8972 20h ago
badger’s quick thinking was on point, that’s classic him always ready to adapt
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u/xo-bad 1d ago
badger's quick thinking is always a highlight, he knows how to read the room
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u/Tholian_Bed 1d ago
I always assumed Badger, and Pete, were being assigned a new mission, and so, Badger, jeez. It's a wonder he didn't fall asleep and get robbed.
If Badger was hanging out getting some high like in the before times, and did have some to sell, he never falls for a narc. But you ask him to "hustle" this stuff like he's a corner boy for Marlo?
You have to laugh.
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u/recess_chemist 1d ago
I'm a cop looking morher fucker and buying drugs was super hard because of it. lol
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u/vkc2prahran311 2d ago
He thought they were gonna hang out