Five days ago, Aaron Paul announced he would hold a scavenger hunt in L.A. on the day of the Emmys, as a tribute to Breaking Bad fans.
And today, the game went down. Aaron actually started the hunt at about 10 a.m., an hour earlier than he originally said. The first prize was to be found at the West Hollywood IHOP.
Surprisingly, there were few people there. I was not the first, so I didn't win the prize, but I got a pic with RJ Mitte aka Walt Jr. aka Flynn.
These are the people who won. It would appear the prize was a box of Raisin Bran.
A historic moment at the IHOP.
I stand around in the IHOP parking lot for a bit, then decide to go back inside because it is hot. RJ Mitte is being interviewed by camera crews as this happens:
Aaron says he'll have a clue soon.
So I wait.
Ohhh how I wait.
This is taking forever. Meanwhile, Aaron Paul is enjoying delicious champagne.
And calling out some stalkers who showed up outside his house:
Finally! The next clue comes and I drive over to the taco place...
Luis Moncada is indeed there! But by now Breaking Bad fans are blocking up the streets and parking illegally to see him.
Just a little over 10 minutes later, Aaron posts ANOTHER clue. Oh sheesh. I'm running back to the car now. EVERYONE IS RUNNING.
I zip over to Guitar Center but the masses have beat me. Here, Matt Jones, aka Badger, signs autographs in a sea of fans. THIS IS GETTING CRAZY.
I tried to get close enough to ask for a pic, but this was as good as I can manage.
Hey! Wait! So I didn't get to Badger fast enough to get the prize, but I found the guy who did. Here is his magnificent Breaking Bad script, signed by the cast:
Ahh holy shit! Another clue. It takes me a while to figure out that "rock n roll Ralph's" is not a sushi place (which I weirdly assumed), but is just RALPH's, the grocery store down the street. GO GO GO GO!
Once again, I cannot get in for my own pic. So here is someone else with Krazy 8:
The next clue comes when I'm driving around the area — a tactic I tried to employ, figuring that instead of staying still, I might get a head start when the clue is announced.
That is a bad tactic. By the time I get to the car wash, people are walking away, their heads held low in disappointment.
The final clue comes just as I'm passing the car wash. OH SNAP. Aaron Paul is going to be in a park just around the corner. Pedal to the metal! Vroom vroom!
OMG I CANNOT FIND PARKING. PEOPLE ARE STOPPING IN THE STREET AND RUNNING OUT OF THEIR CARS. I tweet at Aaron Paul telling him I cannot find parking, but he doesn't help out AT ALL.
Sadly I would not get to see Aaron Paul in the flesh. "He was only there for like a second," a group of sad looking girls tell me as I got out of my car.
And it is over. I mean, I don't know that I would go so far to say that Aaron Paul is my "family" but that's nice.