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This happened towards the end of Series 5 of Breaking Bad.

Hank had just been killed; Walt was on the run and the police were trying to track him down; Skyler was under investigation by the police for suspected involvement with Walt's schemes.

But one night masked men (who we know to be Jack's men) managed to break into Skyler's home and threaten her.

The police witnessed an angry tirade over the phone from Walt to Skyler and were aware how dangerous he was. I believe we even see that Marie's house was protected by armed-guards at the time. So why did the police not protect Skyler's home? And, if they did, how did the break-in occur?

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    It doesn't show how they got in, but I assumed it was from the window in the baby's room since that's how they left. If it wasn't safe to get in that way (due to the cops outside) then they wouldn't have left that way so I'd say it was clearly the baby's room window.
    – DustinDavis
    Commented Mar 25, 2014 at 16:30
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    Are we certain that her house was actually being guarded by the police?
    – Urbycoz
    Commented Mar 25, 2014 at 16:59
  • yes, we ARE because right before the scene with the men, we see the cops sitting outside. That was the whole purpose.
    – DustinDavis
    Commented Mar 25, 2014 at 17:27
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    Useless cops then.
    – Urbycoz
    Commented Mar 26, 2014 at 9:08

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We aren't really meant to know how Jack's men managed to get into their home, specifically into the baby's room, and the scene is supposed to show how skilled Jack's men are at getting to people, even if they're under police surveillance. We're supposed to feel the same dread and confusion Skyler feels by not fully understanding how they were able to get in, simply knowing that they can and will.

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  • Lame. This is the right answer, but it's lame. It's a plot hole, shame in a really good show
    – Ne Mo
    Commented Feb 6, 2018 at 14:20
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    @NeMo It's not a plot hole, it's effective directing to ensure we feel the same sense of dread and concern and have the same questions as Skyler feels upon entering the room. We don't know how they managed to get in anymore than she does, so we share in what she's feeling. We don't need to actually see Jack's men break in, we simply need to know that they can and will.
    – MattD
    Commented Feb 6, 2018 at 14:30
  • It's a plot hole because there's no plausible way for them to get in!
    – Ne Mo
    Commented Feb 6, 2018 at 15:23
  • @NeMo And yet they managed to find one. The fact that we didn't see how they did it and learn that they did at the same time Skyler does is what adds to the emotional impact of the scene. How they did it doesn't matter, all that does is that they can and will. Analyzing the scene from the perspective of logically figuring out how they did it is wrong and pointless, because that's not the point of the scene.
    – MattD
    Commented Feb 6, 2018 at 19:23
  • It's a question of perspective I suppose, but I'd strongly disagree that we should just look at it that way because the writers want us to. It's one of my favourite shows; this is still a plot hole despite that.
    – Ne Mo
    Commented Feb 6, 2018 at 23:32

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