To guarantee their compliance, Walt employs a bluff. He pays his former associates, Badger and Skinny Pete, to aim red laser pointers at Gretchen and Elliott from outside the house. Walt tells the couple that he has hired two top-tier assassins who will monitor them constantly. If they fail to deliver the money to Flynn on his 18th birthday, Walt claims the assassins will execute them. Terrified and believing the threat is real, Gretchen and Elliott agree to the terms. ## Why Walt Chose Gretchen and Elliott Walt's decision to use the Schwartzes is both practical and deeply personal. Legally, Gretchen and Elliott are billionaires. If they publicly announce a trust fund or a charitable donation to the family of their former partner, the transaction will not raise red flags with the IRS or the DEA. It will appear to the public as an act of philanthropy from two wealthy benefactors who feel pity for a struggling family. Furthermore, Walt knows that Flynn and Skyler would refuse to accept any money if they knew it came from Walt's illegal operations. Flynn, in particular, had grown to despise his father for his criminal actions and his role in the death of Uncle Hank Schrader. By routing the money through Gray Matter, Walt ensures his family will accept the financial support, believing it to be clean money from a legitimate source.

## Walt Jr.'s Fate and Life After the Finale At the end of the series, Flynn's life has been completely upended by his father's actions. He and his mother, Skyler, along with his baby sister, Holly, have moved out of their family home and into a small, rented apartment. The family is financially strapped, and Skyler is working a modest job while dealing with the legal aftermath of Walt's criminal empire. Flynn has legally and socially distanced himself from his father, choosing to go by the name "Flynn" exclusively. In his final telephone conversation with Walt, Flynn rejects his father completely, screaming at him to leave the family alone. Because Flynn was 17 years old during the events of the final season, his 18th birthday is only a few months away when the series concludes. This means he will receive the $9.27 million trust fund shortly after the events of the finale. While he will likely believe the money is a gesture of goodwill from Gretchen and Elliott, the trust fund secures his college education and his family's long-term financial security.

## The Success of the Plan Though the series ends before viewers see Flynn receive the money, the narrative implies that Walt's plan succeeds. Gretchen and Elliott are law-abiding citizens who are genuinely terrified of the fictional hitmen Walt claimed to have hired. They have no reason to risk their lives by keeping the money or reporting it to the police. Ultimately, Walt Jr.'s fate is a mixture of tragedy and security. He must live with the emotional trauma of his father's double life and the destruction of his family, but he is guaranteed a life free from financial ruin due to the trust fund his father secured for him.