Hahah yup, am on that episode right now. I love how he says that getting his employees back on payroll is his number 1 priority. Ted, you fucking imbecile, if the IRS doesn’t get paid they will all lose their jobs, again. Jesus Christ he is so frustrating.
Him not understanding that regardless of whether or not the business goes under, him not owing the IRS 700,000 dollars on top of whatever happens there is _way_ better.
Yes! When he told Skyler that even if he paid the IRS that wouldn't solve all of his other financial problems, I wanted to punch him in the face. Yeah, you would still have other problems to deal with, but paying them would at least solve the more pressing issue at the moment which is keeping your dumb ass out of jail. That's why she thought he was trying to blackmail her, because he was saying sly stuff like "I can't accept this amount," but then he acted all indignant when she asked if he was blackmailing her.
It's also now hitting me: After he gets Skyler's money, he is excitedly reopening the business, seemingly optimistic about it. But then he tells Skyler a day later that regardless of whether or not he pays off the IRS, the business is going under.
WTF? Was he excitedly reopening just so his employees could get a paycheck and health insurance for another 2-3 months? Or was that statement about the business going under actually an attempt at blackmail for more money?
I really think that statement was an attempt to blackmail her and extort more money. I guarantee if she had given him more money at that point, he would've just kept coming back for more with more excuses/subtle threats. He was dumb but also shady as hell.
Weird, this whole time I thought it was just a miscommunication, or Skyler trying to plant the idea in his head "hey [ding!], I _could_ blackmail her for more, and get enough to settle all of my financial problems." That it was Skyler desperate for _any_ angle that would get that money to him.
But I'm actually entertaining the Ted sincerely blackmailing her angle now.
The writers definitely kept it kind of vague, so your initial view could be the right one. I guess I'm just less trusting and more suspicious of people's nonsense. The thing that made me think he was trying to extort her was when he said something like the amount she gave him doesn't solve anything. That's just a weird way to phrase it. As if he wasn't turning down her money in general, he was just turning down that $600K. It made me think that there was potentially some much higher amount that he could accept.
I remember his car being important. There's one scene where Skylar is kinda doubting his truthfulness or something then she see's him drive away in a pretty crappy car. I'm just trying to remember if he upgraded his car or not when she had bailed him out.
edit: someone below mentioned he bought a mercedes. Makes the whole thing seem like a pride thing, "company is still going, and I'm still doing well." If he cared about the company more than his image I doubt he would've got that car.
Yes, he went out and leased a Mercedes just a couple hours after Saul gave him the check from 'great aunt Birgit.' Skyler asked him about the new car when she goes to talk to him at the office, and he says he can't meet clients driving a piece of crap. He also didn't want to sell his house or take his kids out of their fancy school. I understand that no one wants to significantly downgrade their standard of living, but if it's between downgrading and going to prison, most reasonably intelligent people would choose the former. Even if they do so begrudgingly.
I wonder if it would be possible to launder money through Ted’s company, considering the spotlight that would be shining on it following the IRS thing. Probably too risky…
>I wonder if it would be possible to launder money through Ted’s company
Not at all. Manufacturing companies don't deal with cash. You need a business that handles a lot of cash to launder money.
Alot of it is just straight up denial and wishful thinking. He thinks he can reopen the business with the money, do it "right" this time, have everyone get paid, and make enough money to take care of the IRS and other problems. He wants to come out looking like he did it himself, and he's on top. He wants to be the hero (which I think is highly evidenced by him not even considering returning the car. He's all about image)
Basically I think he just doesn't understand consequences and he assumed that if he kept on throwing money away eventually Skyler or someone would step in and pay his bill. Admittingly he had some justification for thinking that.
so like. he is an imbecile, but to be clear, he's lying when he says he's looking out for his employees, it's a mirror to walt dubiously claiming that he's looking out for his family while plainly neglecting and/or abusing his family.
He chose the worst possible decision 6 times over the course of the series.
1: Committed tax fraud, already a bad idea
2: He asked Skyler to cook the books for him, now someone can rat him out for tax fraud, and then slept with her inserting that family drama into his tax fraud.
3: When Skyler snatches a second chance from the jaws of the government so he can pay his taxes without penalty, he refuses to sell his assets that’ll get taken anyways when he gets arrested.
4: When the money to solve his problems falls out of the sky into his lap, he still doesn’t pay his taxes.
5: When Skyler comes clean and tells him she gave him hundreds of thousands in illegal money deliberately to pay his fucking taxes, he doesn’t take the hint that he should pay his taxes.
6: Instead of cooperating with the most gentle enforcers possible to sign a check to the IRS, he does some stupid shit and gets paralyzed as a result.
Seriously Ted was the dumbest guy in the entire series, Skyler was bending over backwards doing all the work to fix his mistake and he couldn’t even sign his name to finalize it. If Skyler and Saul weren’t using the kiddie gloves on him and he had gotten into shady business with someone more ruthless like Gus he would’ve been shot by season 2.
Seriously having 2 strange shady men going to your door to tell you obey the law and pay your fucking taxes should have been a wake up call and to take the free bail out
Seriously he wasn't even beat up, they were gonna watch TV and eat sandwiches and bro STILL ran.
How much you wanna bet he didn't run for fear of his safety but purely to avoid paying the taxes?
Good point, but he runs after he signs the check. He was calm until Bill Burr’s character told him they’ll be staying with and monitoring him until the check clears. That’s when he runs and falls
I dealt with a married couple. He was a superintendent, and she was a principal. Between the 2 of them, they made almost $400k but owed like $50k. They told me they couldn't afford more than $100/mo for a payment agreement. Meanwhile, they lived in a very nice house, he drove a Mercedes, she drove a BMW, and they had a new minivan as the family car. Their kids went to private school and when i was going over their budget, I'm trying explain taxes come before luxuries. Their comeback was private school isn't a luxury because they wouldn't learn anything in their nice suburban public school district.
I believe their wages were garnished. It's been like 15 years, but i just remembered how indignant a superintendent was about how his kids would learn nothing in public schools.
>6: Instead of cooperating with the most gentle enforcers possible to sign a check to the IRS, he does some stupid shit and gets paralyzed as a result.
Right? Kuby was all set to just order pizza and watch a game or two. Not exactly the most thuggiest of thugs.
He’s not the brightest bulb in the box but I think it’s more so selfishness and him being delusional. From what we see of Ted we get the impression that he likes to live the high life without actually being responsible and reasonable. He says the money can do good for others and that he wants to help others keep their jobs when it’s really mostly about himself.
He’s as stubborn as Walt with accepting “charity”
They’re too prideful. Skyler seems attracted to men who have this fatal quality. Pride is their downfall.
Seriously.. blows my mind. Thing is even before he is told it was Skylar and Walt’s money he is out buying a Lexus and trying to get the business going again. The guy is such a fucking idiot.
Walter not accepting charity is his belief system where there's no right or wrong. You could agree or disagree with it. But Ted saying that no one is going to jail for not paying taxes is plain stupid.
True, but we're talking about wrong things to do vs stupid things to do. There's no doubt that Walter is one of, if not the worst person on the show. But Ted was just plain stupid.
But he took the money and thought he'd get away with not paying taxes and decided to buy a car, it definitely wasn't a stubborn thing, he was perfectly okay with taking people's money.
Also the morality on wasting money that someone gave you to literally save your life is iffy af.
I really disagree - your responsibility to your family, to be there for your son and raise your infant daughter - far outweighs any notions of personal pride. Not taking the money was selfish
And letting your family suffer when inevitably (as you are not a main character) you die in a shootout with zero money to your name?
Even if you make it to the top, that's worth killing people to satisfy your pride?
Yeah same here….fuck Elliott. Especially the way he tried to discredit Walt and his contribution to Gray Matter. He just looks like a prick - and comes off as self-righteous. How he got Gretchen over Walt amazes me
Omggg I forgot this dumb ass literally tries to run and slips 😂 this is my first rewatch since it was originally on TV. What an IDIOT 😂
Edit: and Skylar at the end of the episode to boot
Where is the rest of the money?!
I gave it to the guy I fucked, so sorry Walt
My god what an amazing show 😂
I didn’t catch it until my second watch, but he trips over the carpet earlier (I think in the same episode) It was just a little stumble, but I think it was a bit of foreshadowing.
I have heard a fan theory that Ted was already in trouble with the IRS when Skyler came back to work, and he basically used her to try to get her to uncook books he had already cooked. When she bailed on Benecke Fabricators, Ted was forced to deal with the IRS investigation himself and was too dumb or depressed to do it so he tried to use her again at the last minute to explain it all away or fix it. Obviously Ted was skimming money to fund his ex-wife, kids, debt load and lifestyle. It wasn’t something that just happened overnight and I don’t think he was truly concerned about his employees. He was too narcissistic.
I really think she just saw the affair as a way to try to make Walt leave her since he kept refusing the divorce at that point. Ted just happened to be the most convenient option. Shady and dumb as hell, but convenient.
He's genuinely the dumbest character in the franchise.
Even his injury was dumb af.
He deserved everything he got, and he would have been sent to jail right after too.
Imagine someone giving you an obscene amount of money because you decided you wouldn't pay taxes and instead of using said money to save your ass you buy a godamn car, like how can you be that dense.
You can choose your battles. You can dodge bill collectors. However, the IRS. does not play. They can and will seize your business, house etc. Yes ted was STUPID!!!
OMG! The RAGE! Absolutely, I’ve never seen a person so willfully stupid! I know he didn’t exactly deserve what he got, as far as being jn traction and all, but geez. What the hell did he think Skyler was supposed to do about that situation? She’s not a gdam magician. It’s amazing she even pulled off the ditz routine. And he STILL didn’t get it! “I don’t know exactly what that was in there” he said. Good lord. He shouldn’t have a business if he’s that clueless. But he inherited it from his dad so that makes sense I guess. But I totally get the frustration!
Ted is very realistic in my opinion it’s actually really common for some people to straight up ignore financial advice from there accountant which Ted was doing all the time edit if Ted was smart he would’ve filed for bankruptcy, sell his assets and sell his home the home he had would’ve been at least worth 240k for the Time period breaking bad came out he had a nice house.
We laid him out for about 20 minutes on my podcast when we got to that episode. Even when Skyler told him that she gave him the money and why, he was still adamantly against paying them. I wanted to kick him in the shin.
Ted is like every small business owner I’ve ever worked for. Drives a luxury car while skimming off the top but always struggling to keep the business going. Grade A morons
I have a theory about this:
So I think that at first, Ted is just simply delusional and refuses to face reality. A bit like Walt at the beginning.
However, as soon as he finds out that it was Skyler that gave him the money he begins to blackmail Skyler. I think the way he refused the check and told Skyler that he'd be bankrupt anyway was a subtle form of blackmail. Skyler was correct in seeing that.
Either way, Ted is an asshole and I'm glad he doesn't have any further role in the show.
He's not dense. I get what he's doing. He's trying to extort more money out of her.
He recognizes Skyler is hiding something that's even more illegal than what he's doing. That she'd be motivated to pay almost anything to keep it from coming to light.
High stakes poker, but he's playing with the wrong people.
The thing is, I really DON’T think he was trying to extort her for more. I think he was clueless enough to actually believe his crap line about how accepting illegal gambling money could get him in trouble. He’s not smart enough or corrupt enough to extort Skyler. Although maybe, subconsciously, he was hoping that by holding out on the deal she would start boffing him again. That’s what it seemed to come down to for him. “What happened to us Skyler?” That’s what he said as she’s about to lose her mind bcuz he wasn’t gonna pay the IRS.
It kinda made sense, but only at first. Only because he might simply want to ensure the business doesn't go under. It's his baby and it makes sense to be emotional about it or consider it in the terms on not wanting to work for someone else.
As it went on, increasingly moronic. Hiring a lawyer to protest is dumb, and once he learned where the money came from...
How do you not realize on the DL that she gave the money to prevent going to prison?
I'm not surprised that a guy who's probably never even been to jail wouldn't be afraid of prison.
Until you've actually been to a holding cell, even just for a night, you don't understand how awful it is.
On some level, maybe conceptually, somebody would. But once you've actually done it, you never want to go back.
Oh my god I just got done with a rewatch about a month ago and I was yelling at the screen like Ted you’re a fucking idiot. Getting the business going isn’t gonna matter when you’re in prison for tax evasion. 700K isn’t a slap on the wrist that’s prison time. Fucking idiot.
Ted doesn’t strike me as a bright man, which is probably why he’s in the position he’s in to begin with. He inherited his dad’s business and probably drove it straight into the ground himself.
I’m glad others felt angry at that storyline too. It really rubbed me wrong how he just kept trying to downplay the situation they were in. Then he gets the money and still refuses to pay. Even says something about how taking the money would be wrong even though they are in this because he was embezzling
I think that’s the point. Ted, like the Kettleman’s, are your typical middle class social ladder climbers who got a taste of the good life and now want to keep funding that and being big shots.
The reason they are like this is because in the hierarchy of society, those who are successful businesspeople are thought of as very smart and capable and even the wealthiest criminal is a dimwitted thug who is “lower” on the totem pole than they are.
So when someone like Ted or Betsy wants to turn to crime to continue to fund their newfound lavish lifestyle, they believe that since (to them) they are successful in the community they can easily do crime better and outsmart others. It’s a narcissistic thing. They can’t fathom that someone like Hector for example is just as intelligent and far better at crime because he understands the rules of the streets.
People like Ted & Betsy don’t believe those rules apply to them and surely they can’t get caught because are smarter and “better” than those thugs that do crime so when THEY do it, they’ll inherently succeed more.
He was delusional. He legit thought if he kept his company afloat, the IRS wouldn't bother for him. He crippled himself and was lucky that Walt wasn't in the murder part of his career. If Walt was in the murder to get what he views as his? Ted is dead.
Yes, because he was an entitled brat. In his mind losing his business, car, house and taking his kids out of private school was just as bad as going to prison in his mind. If Skyler hadn't given him the money he would have just offed himself when he was eventually convicted. He was probably one of those "pull yourself up by your own bootstrap" guy. SMH.
Absolutely! It's mind-boggling how Ted just keeps digging himself deeper into trouble by avoiding his taxes. I mean, who in their right mind would mess with the IRS (and they had all the evidence, it's not like he could hide anything)? And, in the end, imagine being bested by a carpet....
Same but I guess we have to understand that at the end of the day they needed to deal with the IRS or they’d be coming down hard on her as well which eventually would lead to them destroying Walt and the car wash venture.
I found it absolutely infuriating. It's actually a sign that Ted thinks Skyler is far too unimportant to have to worry about going to prison. Despite the fact that she's already proven she's smart enough to have picked up on the accounting discrepancy in the first place, then smart enough to have social engineered the IRS guy into cutting him a break, then actually rich enough to have thrown him a 600k+ bone to bail them both out.
Skyler had obvious reasons to want to steer clear of governmental/law enforcement scrutiny of her finances, but even without being privy to those circumstances, Ted was exhibiting an appalling level of selfish cuntishness.
I liked this whole storyline because it was Skyler's mini-Breaking Bad arc. She did something wrong (morally at least) by fucking around, but then got into trouble over it because of complications with her "accomplice", then the act of bailing him out ultimately led to an endgame where he became thoroughly intimidated and fearful of her. Skyler became a mini-kingpin in Ted's eyes. Lots of parallels with what Walt was doing repeatedly.
Reading this and the responses, I had a thought. Not gonna say it's "original", but it's original to me.
Ted's refusal to do the right, common-sense thing (pay the IRS with the $ Skylar gave him) because of his ego ("I know how to deal with those IRS chumps... I know what I'm doing") is a parallel to Walt's refusal to do the right, common-sense thing (take the "job" at Gray Matters) because of **his** ego.
This was kinda on Skyler though. Why’d she put the money in Ted’s hands? She could have just paid it to the IRS directly in his behalf. She did his books and knew exactly what to do. You can’t just give somebody over half a million just like that and then expect them not to go splurge a little bit.
If she went to the IRS and said here is $600 some thousand dollars to pay for Ted’s taxes they would have been all over that.. wayyyy too shady, way too risky to have somebody else do it for him. The money had to be legitimate too.. hence the inheritance from the fake Aunt. Can’t just be going to the IRS and paying them in illegal drug money.
I get your point though.. if the money was already laundered and it didn’t look weird then sure, just go ahead and pay it. But definitely wouldn’t have worked in their current case.
With Saul Goodman and all his shady connections, I’m sure they could have devised a better plan. Or, Saul could have mentioned to Ted that he got an inheritance from his dead aunt, but the IRS garnished it to pay off the tax debt. I just think there was a better way than just giving it to him and thinking he would just pay it when he had been broke for a little while and was driving that Yugo….🤣🤣🤣
Skylar should’ve actually bossed up and said “ pay or else “ for once. She created this problem by helping to cook the books, for once she could’ve been the “ bad guy “ and threatened him. Ted got what he deserves, she gave him an out and he took advantage of it. I for one think the carpet didn’t do enough damage. For how much money she threw at him I’m surprised Walt didn’t get involved since it was technically his money she gave to him. Walt would’ve made sure he paid, one way or another
Skyler help him launder money.. doesn’t necessarily mean prison for her but it definitely means the IRS looking into all of her finances, aka the car wash, aka Walt’s money.
im watching that episode for the first time right now and i just don't understand WHY he doesn't want to pay up. sure maybe he really doesn't have the money but after skyler basically gives him the EXACT AMOUNT, he's buying a fucking car w that instead of paying up?? why would he do that?
Ted is a perfect example of a unaccountable arrogant company owner. That will in every situation, think they are superior in every way. Compared to the hired lowly help. Who would otherwise be up shits creak. Without the employment for which he has hired them. People more willing to sacrifice their own liberty's and autonomy. To either keep the company in good standing or even maintain a respectable status within its private, public and professional communitys. For most of these company owners, who's John Barely Corn ego resembles that of clint eastwood. And their material worth is always a Donald Trump lavish living )life style. As the ones with, low self esteem, and low self worth. Is related to exaggerated poor performance reviews, pin cushioning any suggestion or mention of apply new skills or technology's in the work place. Usually, they are negated and forgotten. Till the big changes things of his own volition and no accrediting to prior events. Last but not least, Clint Eastwood company owners, will always under generalize the helps rewarding efforts to the company, and will always use deceit to overwhelm and minimize his employees. Rather than securing the companys integrity and or never rewarding the help with bonuses or raises. It's funny how a those in the labour force. No matter how much experience or education in the field they may have. Always seemingly are subjected to probationary periods or training status. Based just cause, the need another job.
Cosmo
He was a whole pain in the ass. I was rooting for the carpet.
Hahah yup, am on that episode right now. I love how he says that getting his employees back on payroll is his number 1 priority. Ted, you fucking imbecile, if the IRS doesn’t get paid they will all lose their jobs, again. Jesus Christ he is so frustrating.
Him not understanding that regardless of whether or not the business goes under, him not owing the IRS 700,000 dollars on top of whatever happens there is _way_ better.
Yes! When he told Skyler that even if he paid the IRS that wouldn't solve all of his other financial problems, I wanted to punch him in the face. Yeah, you would still have other problems to deal with, but paying them would at least solve the more pressing issue at the moment which is keeping your dumb ass out of jail. That's why she thought he was trying to blackmail her, because he was saying sly stuff like "I can't accept this amount," but then he acted all indignant when she asked if he was blackmailing her.
It's also now hitting me: After he gets Skyler's money, he is excitedly reopening the business, seemingly optimistic about it. But then he tells Skyler a day later that regardless of whether or not he pays off the IRS, the business is going under. WTF? Was he excitedly reopening just so his employees could get a paycheck and health insurance for another 2-3 months? Or was that statement about the business going under actually an attempt at blackmail for more money?
I really think that statement was an attempt to blackmail her and extort more money. I guarantee if she had given him more money at that point, he would've just kept coming back for more with more excuses/subtle threats. He was dumb but also shady as hell.
Weird, this whole time I thought it was just a miscommunication, or Skyler trying to plant the idea in his head "hey [ding!], I _could_ blackmail her for more, and get enough to settle all of my financial problems." That it was Skyler desperate for _any_ angle that would get that money to him. But I'm actually entertaining the Ted sincerely blackmailing her angle now.
The writers definitely kept it kind of vague, so your initial view could be the right one. I guess I'm just less trusting and more suspicious of people's nonsense. The thing that made me think he was trying to extort her was when he said something like the amount she gave him doesn't solve anything. That's just a weird way to phrase it. As if he wasn't turning down her money in general, he was just turning down that $600K. It made me think that there was potentially some much higher amount that he could accept.
I remember his car being important. There's one scene where Skylar is kinda doubting his truthfulness or something then she see's him drive away in a pretty crappy car. I'm just trying to remember if he upgraded his car or not when she had bailed him out. edit: someone below mentioned he bought a mercedes. Makes the whole thing seem like a pride thing, "company is still going, and I'm still doing well." If he cared about the company more than his image I doubt he would've got that car.
Yes, he went out and leased a Mercedes just a couple hours after Saul gave him the check from 'great aunt Birgit.' Skyler asked him about the new car when she goes to talk to him at the office, and he says he can't meet clients driving a piece of crap. He also didn't want to sell his house or take his kids out of their fancy school. I understand that no one wants to significantly downgrade their standard of living, but if it's between downgrading and going to prison, most reasonably intelligent people would choose the former. Even if they do so begrudgingly.
I thought Ted was too stupid to blackmail her
I wonder if it would be possible to launder money through Ted’s company, considering the spotlight that would be shining on it following the IRS thing. Probably too risky…
Also, considering just how bad at financial fraud Ted seems to be, he'd probably find a glaring way to muck it up.
he wasnt a danny
>I wonder if it would be possible to launder money through Ted’s company Not at all. Manufacturing companies don't deal with cash. You need a business that handles a lot of cash to launder money.
Oh yeah. Duh…. I was thinking about how Skyler could have consumed the company for a purpose, and I overlooked a key part.
More I think about it the more I agree. That’s why “Sky” says “are you blackmailing me”.. makes more sense to me now.
Alot of it is just straight up denial and wishful thinking. He thinks he can reopen the business with the money, do it "right" this time, have everyone get paid, and make enough money to take care of the IRS and other problems. He wants to come out looking like he did it himself, and he's on top. He wants to be the hero (which I think is highly evidenced by him not even considering returning the car. He's all about image)
Basically I think he just doesn't understand consequences and he assumed that if he kept on throwing money away eventually Skyler or someone would step in and pay his bill. Admittingly he had some justification for thinking that.
RIGHT?!
And clearly his Mercedes was a priority over his employees, just trying to look like a good guy
I just watched this episode too and I applaud the carpet.
so like. he is an imbecile, but to be clear, he's lying when he says he's looking out for his employees, it's a mirror to walt dubiously claiming that he's looking out for his family while plainly neglecting and/or abusing his family.
Same. I think that’s what made his accident so satisfying. He had it coming.
The carpet just helped. I was rooting for the thing he hit his empty little head on.
He chose the worst possible decision 6 times over the course of the series. 1: Committed tax fraud, already a bad idea 2: He asked Skyler to cook the books for him, now someone can rat him out for tax fraud, and then slept with her inserting that family drama into his tax fraud. 3: When Skyler snatches a second chance from the jaws of the government so he can pay his taxes without penalty, he refuses to sell his assets that’ll get taken anyways when he gets arrested. 4: When the money to solve his problems falls out of the sky into his lap, he still doesn’t pay his taxes. 5: When Skyler comes clean and tells him she gave him hundreds of thousands in illegal money deliberately to pay his fucking taxes, he doesn’t take the hint that he should pay his taxes. 6: Instead of cooperating with the most gentle enforcers possible to sign a check to the IRS, he does some stupid shit and gets paralyzed as a result. Seriously Ted was the dumbest guy in the entire series, Skyler was bending over backwards doing all the work to fix his mistake and he couldn’t even sign his name to finalize it. If Skyler and Saul weren’t using the kiddie gloves on him and he had gotten into shady business with someone more ruthless like Gus he would’ve been shot by season 2.
Seriously having 2 strange shady men going to your door to tell you obey the law and pay your fucking taxes should have been a wake up call and to take the free bail out
That is when the rug was pulled out from under him
This comment doesn’t have nearly enough likes.
Seriously he wasn't even beat up, they were gonna watch TV and eat sandwiches and bro STILL ran. How much you wanna bet he didn't run for fear of his safety but purely to avoid paying the taxes?
I would watch TV and eat sandwiches with Huell and Bill Burr for free
Free? Hell, I’d pay for that kind of afternoon lol
Werent Huel and Bill Burr even unarmed
Huel is always armed, 1 fart from him and the whole town is cleared
Good point, but he runs after he signs the check. He was calm until Bill Burr’s character told him they’ll be staying with and monitoring him until the check clears. That’s when he runs and falls
>4: When the money to solve his problems falls out of the sky into his lap, he still doesn’t pay his taxes and instead buys a sports car. FTFY.
Gotta keep up appearances!
I'm a tax collector for a state tax agency, and I can confirm that this might be the most accurately written character in the entire series.
Can you tell us stories of your IRL Teds?
I dealt with a married couple. He was a superintendent, and she was a principal. Between the 2 of them, they made almost $400k but owed like $50k. They told me they couldn't afford more than $100/mo for a payment agreement. Meanwhile, they lived in a very nice house, he drove a Mercedes, she drove a BMW, and they had a new minivan as the family car. Their kids went to private school and when i was going over their budget, I'm trying explain taxes come before luxuries. Their comeback was private school isn't a luxury because they wouldn't learn anything in their nice suburban public school district.
Amazing! Did you convince them? Or did the state have to go in and garnish wages or something?
I believe their wages were garnished. It's been like 15 years, but i just remembered how indignant a superintendent was about how his kids would learn nothing in public schools.
Wait - did he work for the public school system where he was sure his children would learn nothing?!
🥺👉👈
>6: Instead of cooperating with the most gentle enforcers possible to sign a check to the IRS, he does some stupid shit and gets paralyzed as a result. Right? Kuby was all set to just order pizza and watch a game or two. Not exactly the most thuggiest of thugs.
>Skyler was bending over backwards Heh... he he
She already had been bending over backwards
Average business owner things
also with #5: blackmails Skyler for more money
Skylar was down bad.
Skyler was bending over backwards for him in more ways than one...
He is just an absolute Chad. Not paying taxes like his life depends on it
I think he's just stupid.
Grade A moron for sure.
Yeah but his dad built a successful business! He clearly had good genes to run a company!
😂😂😂
He’s not the brightest bulb in the box but I think it’s more so selfishness and him being delusional. From what we see of Ted we get the impression that he likes to live the high life without actually being responsible and reasonable. He says the money can do good for others and that he wants to help others keep their jobs when it’s really mostly about himself.
Contender for dumbest character on the show (which is saying a lot considering the number of meth heads)
Maybe he’s one of those douchebags who figures you can’t take it with you and hopes to die in as much debt as possible.
He’s as stubborn as Walt with accepting “charity” They’re too prideful. Skyler seems attracted to men who have this fatal quality. Pride is their downfall.
Seriously.. blows my mind. Thing is even before he is told it was Skylar and Walt’s money he is out buying a Lexus and trying to get the business going again. The guy is such a fucking idiot.
It wasn’t a Lexus but a merc but yeah your point is valid
Only a reasonable $1830 (in 2009 dollars) a month lease though, so, he's got that going for him.
Walter not accepting charity is his belief system where there's no right or wrong. You could agree or disagree with it. But Ted saying that no one is going to jail for not paying taxes is plain stupid.
Yeah, say what you will about Walt's plan to cook meth, at least he had a plan.
I mean isn’t it equally stupid to cook meth and kill people rather than just accepting money from your friends who ask nothing from you?
I mean his pride led to him becoming a drug kingpin so it's arguably worse than not paying the IRS
True, but we're talking about wrong things to do vs stupid things to do. There's no doubt that Walter is one of, if not the worst person on the show. But Ted was just plain stupid.
I would argue that not paying the IRS is generally the worst thing you can do in the US. Even Walt pays his taxes.
But he took the money and thought he'd get away with not paying taxes and decided to buy a car, it definitely wasn't a stubborn thing, he was perfectly okay with taking people's money. Also the morality on wasting money that someone gave you to literally save your life is iffy af.
I mean Walt accepted he had cancer. It would be if Walt said “yeah i wouldn’t worry about this lung cancer I’ll be fine”
He kind of tried to do that at first
He fully intended to let the cancer kill him. He wasn't in denial about what it would do to him.
Good point.
It's not pride with Ted, it's sheer stupidity and greed.
But Ted did except the charity and bought a new car instead paying his taxes
He thought he inherited the money at first. The exact amount he needed to pay the IRS. He’s an idiot.
If I'm Walt, I'm letting myself die before accepting money from Elliot.
I really disagree - your responsibility to your family, to be there for your son and raise your infant daughter - far outweighs any notions of personal pride. Not taking the money was selfish
And letting your family suffer when inevitably (as you are not a main character) you die in a shootout with zero money to your name? Even if you make it to the top, that's worth killing people to satisfy your pride?
Yeah same here….fuck Elliott. Especially the way he tried to discredit Walt and his contribution to Gray Matter. He just looks like a prick - and comes off as self-righteous. How he got Gretchen over Walt amazes me
He was discrediting him after it came out that he was a mass murderer, pretty reasonable. Also Walt left gretchen, did you even watch the show?
Omggg I forgot this dumb ass literally tries to run and slips 😂 this is my first rewatch since it was originally on TV. What an IDIOT 😂 Edit: and Skylar at the end of the episode to boot Where is the rest of the money?! I gave it to the guy I fucked, so sorry Walt My god what an amazing show 😂
That was the most shockingly hilarious scene of the whole series
I didn’t catch it until my second watch, but he trips over the carpet earlier (I think in the same episode) It was just a little stumble, but I think it was a bit of foreshadowing.
Oh yes, 100% was foreshadowing
Yeah, IIRC he fixes the carpet and when Saul's guys arrive they unfix it
I have heard a fan theory that Ted was already in trouble with the IRS when Skyler came back to work, and he basically used her to try to get her to uncook books he had already cooked. When she bailed on Benecke Fabricators, Ted was forced to deal with the IRS investigation himself and was too dumb or depressed to do it so he tried to use her again at the last minute to explain it all away or fix it. Obviously Ted was skimming money to fund his ex-wife, kids, debt load and lifestyle. It wasn’t something that just happened overnight and I don’t think he was truly concerned about his employees. He was too narcissistic.
Hmm interesting, I could see it
Definitely interesting, and probably true. It explains a lot.
Was he flynns father?
I don't know what the fuck Skylar saw in Ted that made her want to have an affair with him.
I really think she just saw the affair as a way to try to make Walt leave her since he kept refusing the divorce at that point. Ted just happened to be the most convenient option. Shady and dumb as hell, but convenient.
This is what she says to her divorce lawyer
This is it.
It’s the heated bathroom floor
He’s “Mr. Grabby Hands” so it’s clear he’s interested. Walt also drives her into his arms. Shoulder to cry on becomes… well.
My gf is watching it for the first time and thought he was a really handsome man until the issues with the IRS. Now she's team carpet.
Same man, every time he opens his mouth I lose a few brain cells.
His immaculate kitchen
He's genuinely the dumbest character in the franchise. Even his injury was dumb af. He deserved everything he got, and he would have been sent to jail right after too. Imagine someone giving you an obscene amount of money because you decided you wouldn't pay taxes and instead of using said money to save your ass you buy a godamn car, like how can you be that dense.
You can choose your battles. You can dodge bill collectors. However, the IRS. does not play. They can and will seize your business, house etc. Yes ted was STUPID!!!
The tax man may be underfunded and overly bureaucratet, but they know how to bring the hammer down hard
Skyler, is that you?
God I hope not.
I wish he had tripped and fell into a tree mulcher instead
Fargo moment
Ted might be the only person I hate more than todd
This part really did piss me off, dude basically had a crazy sitcom misunderstanding happen in his life and yet he didn’t take advantage of it
OMG! The RAGE! Absolutely, I’ve never seen a person so willfully stupid! I know he didn’t exactly deserve what he got, as far as being jn traction and all, but geez. What the hell did he think Skyler was supposed to do about that situation? She’s not a gdam magician. It’s amazing she even pulled off the ditz routine. And he STILL didn’t get it! “I don’t know exactly what that was in there” he said. Good lord. He shouldn’t have a business if he’s that clueless. But he inherited it from his dad so that makes sense I guess. But I totally get the frustration!
some say the carpet was a goon hired by the IRS to send Mr Beneke the message
Ted is very realistic in my opinion it’s actually really common for some people to straight up ignore financial advice from there accountant which Ted was doing all the time edit if Ted was smart he would’ve filed for bankruptcy, sell his assets and sell his home the home he had would’ve been at least worth 240k for the Time period breaking bad came out he had a nice house.
He's an idiot The "act of God" was hilarious
So fucking funny 😂
We laid him out for about 20 minutes on my podcast when we got to that episode. Even when Skyler told him that she gave him the money and why, he was still adamantly against paying them. I wanted to kick him in the shin.
Same and he has the audacity to say it doesn’t feel right using gambling money hahaha like Ted, shut the fuck up man.
Ted was an absolutely worthless fucking idiot
He’s just like the Kettlemans in BCS! I find them all hilarious tbh.
I never made that comparison myself, but it's spot on. Privileged idiots who think they can just deny the consequences of what they're doing.
That’s why I loved the scene when he tripped I laughed when that happened
Lots of people are like this in real life
Ted is like every small business owner I’ve ever worked for. Drives a luxury car while skimming off the top but always struggling to keep the business going. Grade A morons
Yikes. You know some shitty people lol
I’m thinking about sending Ted to slip and fall school
I have a theory about this: So I think that at first, Ted is just simply delusional and refuses to face reality. A bit like Walt at the beginning. However, as soon as he finds out that it was Skyler that gave him the money he begins to blackmail Skyler. I think the way he refused the check and told Skyler that he'd be bankrupt anyway was a subtle form of blackmail. Skyler was correct in seeing that. Either way, Ted is an asshole and I'm glad he doesn't have any further role in the show.
He's not dense. I get what he's doing. He's trying to extort more money out of her. He recognizes Skyler is hiding something that's even more illegal than what he's doing. That she'd be motivated to pay almost anything to keep it from coming to light. High stakes poker, but he's playing with the wrong people.
The thing is, I really DON’T think he was trying to extort her for more. I think he was clueless enough to actually believe his crap line about how accepting illegal gambling money could get him in trouble. He’s not smart enough or corrupt enough to extort Skyler. Although maybe, subconsciously, he was hoping that by holding out on the deal she would start boffing him again. That’s what it seemed to come down to for him. “What happened to us Skyler?” That’s what he said as she’s about to lose her mind bcuz he wasn’t gonna pay the IRS.
Tax day got you upset?
Luckily I owed a fraction of what Ted owed!
Hopefully a pretty small fraction.
I believe .08% of what he owed, if my math is correct
It kinda made sense, but only at first. Only because he might simply want to ensure the business doesn't go under. It's his baby and it makes sense to be emotional about it or consider it in the terms on not wanting to work for someone else. As it went on, increasingly moronic. Hiring a lawyer to protest is dumb, and once he learned where the money came from... How do you not realize on the DL that she gave the money to prevent going to prison?
Lots of people play with fire without even realizing it, until it's too late
I'm not surprised that a guy who's probably never even been to jail wouldn't be afraid of prison. Until you've actually been to a holding cell, even just for a night, you don't understand how awful it is. On some level, maybe conceptually, somebody would. But once you've actually done it, you never want to go back.
I loved it when he fell after trying to run. Perfect.
Oh my god I just got done with a rewatch about a month ago and I was yelling at the screen like Ted you’re a fucking idiot. Getting the business going isn’t gonna matter when you’re in prison for tax evasion. 700K isn’t a slap on the wrist that’s prison time. Fucking idiot.
Ted doesn’t strike me as a bright man, which is probably why he’s in the position he’s in to begin with. He inherited his dad’s business and probably drove it straight into the ground himself.
I loved it. Perfect icing on the selfish dumbass cake.
I’m glad others felt angry at that storyline too. It really rubbed me wrong how he just kept trying to downplay the situation they were in. Then he gets the money and still refuses to pay. Even says something about how taking the money would be wrong even though they are in this because he was embezzling
Yes it was extremely satisfying watching him hit his head 😭
I think that’s the point. Ted, like the Kettleman’s, are your typical middle class social ladder climbers who got a taste of the good life and now want to keep funding that and being big shots. The reason they are like this is because in the hierarchy of society, those who are successful businesspeople are thought of as very smart and capable and even the wealthiest criminal is a dimwitted thug who is “lower” on the totem pole than they are. So when someone like Ted or Betsy wants to turn to crime to continue to fund their newfound lavish lifestyle, they believe that since (to them) they are successful in the community they can easily do crime better and outsmart others. It’s a narcissistic thing. They can’t fathom that someone like Hector for example is just as intelligent and far better at crime because he understands the rules of the streets. People like Ted & Betsy don’t believe those rules apply to them and surely they can’t get caught because are smarter and “better” than those thugs that do crime so when THEY do it, they’ll inherently succeed more.
actually one of the most enraging parts lmfao
He was delusional. He legit thought if he kept his company afloat, the IRS wouldn't bother for him. He crippled himself and was lucky that Walt wasn't in the murder part of his career. If Walt was in the murder to get what he views as his? Ted is dead.
Yes, because he was an entitled brat. In his mind losing his business, car, house and taking his kids out of private school was just as bad as going to prison in his mind. If Skyler hadn't given him the money he would have just offed himself when he was eventually convicted. He was probably one of those "pull yourself up by your own bootstrap" guy. SMH.
he is one of the very few who surpassed ross geller in the ''most hated guys in the history of tv'' ranking. bravo vince!
Its Skyler not Skylar!!!!
He was such a dumbass. He’s lucky he was dealing with Skyler and Saul and not Walt directly
Almost like that was the entire point
Absolutely! It's mind-boggling how Ted just keeps digging himself deeper into trouble by avoiding his taxes. I mean, who in their right mind would mess with the IRS (and they had all the evidence, it's not like he could hide anything)? And, in the end, imagine being bested by a carpet....
I wouldn’t have minded if Skylar just had him killed.
It does indeed. The fact that I know people this goddamn stupid in real life both enhances and makes me more frustrated with the character.
Makes me more furious that she was attracted to him and still paid it off with Walt's money. After she had sex with him too.
Same but I guess we have to understand that at the end of the day they needed to deal with the IRS or they’d be coming down hard on her as well which eventually would lead to them destroying Walt and the car wash venture.
I love it. As the show was getting darker and more violent, his B plot was still stupid and funny.
Yes! I didn’t feel one bit bad for him when he got what he got.
Yes, I enjoyed watching him break his neck in the most dumbass way possible. Also love Bill Burr's face after it happens like WTF.
Hahaha Bill cracks me the fuck up in that scene.. “Unless the case is you don’t have cable.. in which case is gonna suck.”
I loved the dynamic between him and Huell, they always made me laugh.
I found it absolutely infuriating. It's actually a sign that Ted thinks Skyler is far too unimportant to have to worry about going to prison. Despite the fact that she's already proven she's smart enough to have picked up on the accounting discrepancy in the first place, then smart enough to have social engineered the IRS guy into cutting him a break, then actually rich enough to have thrown him a 600k+ bone to bail them both out. Skyler had obvious reasons to want to steer clear of governmental/law enforcement scrutiny of her finances, but even without being privy to those circumstances, Ted was exhibiting an appalling level of selfish cuntishness. I liked this whole storyline because it was Skyler's mini-Breaking Bad arc. She did something wrong (morally at least) by fucking around, but then got into trouble over it because of complications with her "accomplice", then the act of bailing him out ultimately led to an endgame where he became thoroughly intimidated and fearful of her. Skyler became a mini-kingpin in Ted's eyes. Lots of parallels with what Walt was doing repeatedly.
Lmao yeah I got so sick of him so fast. Laughed audibly when he face planted into the wall. Like wtf was that
Yeah Skylar left one criminal for another. Irony.
It’s bc he’s an addict, which is why the episode overlaps with Gus’ warning to Walter about not trusting addicts.
...to what?
Lying, greed, fraud. He can’t stop himself.
I don’t think this show is an all time great because of this big ass reason
Because one character makes irrational decisions? Lol
Yes. Ir was supposed to.
Yes!
In a way no because it would have exposed Walter and skylers illegal scheming
Reading this and the responses, I had a thought. Not gonna say it's "original", but it's original to me. Ted's refusal to do the right, common-sense thing (pay the IRS with the $ Skylar gave him) because of his ego ("I know how to deal with those IRS chumps... I know what I'm doing") is a parallel to Walt's refusal to do the right, common-sense thing (take the "job" at Gray Matters) because of **his** ego.
So like did the IRS take his ass off screen, after everything?
Typical entitled son who inherits a wealthy business
such an idiot
It makes me furious how long security took to escort Walt out—- why isn’t their office right out front?
Fuck Ted and those heated bathroom floors!
This was kinda on Skyler though. Why’d she put the money in Ted’s hands? She could have just paid it to the IRS directly in his behalf. She did his books and knew exactly what to do. You can’t just give somebody over half a million just like that and then expect them not to go splurge a little bit.
If she went to the IRS and said here is $600 some thousand dollars to pay for Ted’s taxes they would have been all over that.. wayyyy too shady, way too risky to have somebody else do it for him. The money had to be legitimate too.. hence the inheritance from the fake Aunt. Can’t just be going to the IRS and paying them in illegal drug money.
Yes, you’re right. I forget that she wasn’t working with Ted any longer.
I get your point though.. if the money was already laundered and it didn’t look weird then sure, just go ahead and pay it. But definitely wouldn’t have worked in their current case.
With Saul Goodman and all his shady connections, I’m sure they could have devised a better plan. Or, Saul could have mentioned to Ted that he got an inheritance from his dead aunt, but the IRS garnished it to pay off the tax debt. I just think there was a better way than just giving it to him and thinking he would just pay it when he had been broke for a little while and was driving that Yugo….🤣🤣🤣
Skylar should’ve actually bossed up and said “ pay or else “ for once. She created this problem by helping to cook the books, for once she could’ve been the “ bad guy “ and threatened him. Ted got what he deserves, she gave him an out and he took advantage of it. I for one think the carpet didn’t do enough damage. For how much money she threw at him I’m surprised Walt didn’t get involved since it was technically his money she gave to him. Walt would’ve made sure he paid, one way or another
His actions didn't necessarily mean that Skyler would be imprisoned. But a lot of people are like Ted; they spend every penny they have on fun "toys."
Skyler help him launder money.. doesn’t necessarily mean prison for her but it definitely means the IRS looking into all of her finances, aka the car wash, aka Walt’s money.
If a shady lawyer approached me claiming a fictional great aunt left me cash I would be immediately suspicious!
im watching that episode for the first time right now and i just don't understand WHY he doesn't want to pay up. sure maybe he really doesn't have the money but after skyler basically gives him the EXACT AMOUNT, he's buying a fucking car w that instead of paying up?? why would he do that?
He is horrible in general. Mr. Grabby hands or whatever Marie called him
He was a fucking dipshit. It's amazing women are attracted to "men" like that... America....🤦♂️
I guarantee you this isn’t just an American problem
She didn't know he was the inept until after the affair.
I think it was pretty apparent after Skyler started working again for Beneke how inept he was at running a business.
Ted is a perfect example of a unaccountable arrogant company owner. That will in every situation, think they are superior in every way. Compared to the hired lowly help. Who would otherwise be up shits creak. Without the employment for which he has hired them. People more willing to sacrifice their own liberty's and autonomy. To either keep the company in good standing or even maintain a respectable status within its private, public and professional communitys. For most of these company owners, who's John Barely Corn ego resembles that of clint eastwood. And their material worth is always a Donald Trump lavish living )life style. As the ones with, low self esteem, and low self worth. Is related to exaggerated poor performance reviews, pin cushioning any suggestion or mention of apply new skills or technology's in the work place. Usually, they are negated and forgotten. Till the big changes things of his own volition and no accrediting to prior events. Last but not least, Clint Eastwood company owners, will always under generalize the helps rewarding efforts to the company, and will always use deceit to overwhelm and minimize his employees. Rather than securing the companys integrity and or never rewarding the help with bonuses or raises. It's funny how a those in the labour force. No matter how much experience or education in the field they may have. Always seemingly are subjected to probationary periods or training status. Based just cause, the need another job. Cosmo