Spoilers below if you haven't yet seen the latest Breaking Bad episode just yet... Things got intense this weekend in one of the best episodes of Breaking Bad yet. 'Ozymandias' kept viewers on the edge of their seats as the situation became worse and worse for all the characters. I've seen a lot of people commenting on the death of Hank, how Walt could let Jack take Jessie and whether or not Walt meant everything he said in his phone call to Skyler. There are some comments though I've seen a lot of people say which completely baffle me and those comments are people expressing what total b*tches Skyler and Marie are. It is perplexing to see people still hate these two characters even after everything Walt and others have done. Yes, neither of them are perfect, Skyler especially, but I found their actions in 'Ozymandias' to be quite reasonable. One scene which has had people speaking against Marie is when she confronts Skyler at the car wash, informing her of Walt's arrest. I don't see how she's unreasonable or terrible in this scene, especially after what Walt and Skyler did to her and Hank by making the false confession video. Marie had every right to be angry at her sister, but she still offers Skyler a chance for help, telling her Hank will do whatever he can to help her as well. Perhaps what has damned her most in many fans' eyes though is her ultimatum that Skyler tell Walt Jr. the truth then and there. Comments have ranged from "How dare she!" to "She's a self-righteous hypocrite!" but the sad truth is Marie was absolutely right. Skyler pleaded with Marie that Walt Jr. never know about any of this, but she was living in a dream world if she thought that was even remotely a possibility. After everything Walt Jr. had been put through he deserved to know the truth from his family before DEA agents broke down the door to their home and work and his father appeared on the evening news. To find out that way would probably scar him more than finding out from his family. Is this decision by Marie really so bad?
Faced with the reality of the situation, Skyler seems finally willing to accept the responsibility of her role and encouragement in Walt's dealings. This season has already shown how naive she's been; she was quite confident they would actually be safe now that Walt was out of the business until finding out Jesse was gunning for Walt, realizing how close their house was to being burnt down. After this illusion was shattered, she's again confronted with the reality that there is no way Walt Jr. is not going to find out about the family business despite all her protests about his safety and being kept in the dark. None of this compares, however, to the way she eats her words when she finds out Hank has been killed, presumably by Walt himself because it was only two episodes ago she suggested killing Jesse, telling him "We've come this far. What's one more?" only to discover that one life belonged to her brother-in-law. If Skyler had any doubts about how far Walt had sunk, those are erased with the revelation of Hank's death. Walt may have not pulled the trigger himself, but his actions, ego and trust in the wrong people put Hank in the position to be killed and Skyler sees herself complicit in that action. After all, he would probably still be alive had she been brave enough to come forward. Is it any wonder she pulled a knife to protect herself and her son from this monster before them? One who put her through hell last season and his entire family in danger the season before that? Skyler has gotten a lot of flak, some of it undeserved, and made a lot of mistakes in the past, but I don't think finally turning against Walt is one of them. Both Skyler and Marie acted sensibly in this tumultuous episode and I can't wait to see what the final two episodes will throw at them next.