Talk is a public forum where you can ask questions and share your commentary with fellow Breaking Bad fans.
What are your favorite quotes from the show? I love these three lines and they aren't from any of the main actors...
1) It's FIDC insured yo! - Spooge
2) This way to savings, save your dollar bills yo! - Badger
3) I'm gonna keep a happy thought and assume this is just a negotiation tactic! - Saul
As a punishment from the gods for his trickery, Sisyphus was compelled to roll a huge rock up a steep hill, but before he could reach the top of the hill, the rock would always roll back down again, forcing him to begin again.[2] The maddening nature of the punishment was reserved for Sisyphus due to his hubristic belief that his cleverness surpassed that of Zeus.
A while back, Tweeders had a thread entitled, "Which Characters are You Most Like?"...we had a lot of fun, comparing ourselves to our favorite actors/actresses on the show!
Just happened to come across, this little personality quiz, and thought it'd be interesting for all of us, to see who we really are most like!
Hmmmm...I was'nt EVEN close on mine!
I was most like Walt! ;)
Touching ... when will those come back to haunt him
Alright at 00:01hrs it will be September 1st. Hank has been AWOL from his blogging duties long enough. Hank summer vacation is over, time to get back to your wise cracking ways. So put down that Beer and get with the program buddy.
There was a scene in last night's encore showing of the episode, "Bit By a Dead Bee," that I didn't remember from the first time around. It's near the end, after Walt has gotten out of the hospital and he and Skyler are getting ready for bed. Walt puts on the
"Heisenberg hat," takes off his robe. amd jokingly asks Skyler if she needs anything from the convenience store ("A Big Gulp? Slim Jim?") It's a
cute scene, and Walt is obviously trying to defuse the tension that had been caused by his disappearnace.
But if confused me a little, because I had always associated that hat with Heisenberg; thought he wore the hat to get into the bad guy character, and that the hat had no place in Walt's life other than that. So, I'm wondering why the hat in that scene? And how much control does Walt even have over his Heisenberg alter ego?
At the end of Season 2, three characters, Donald Margolis, Jesse Pinkman, and Walt White, lost their "girls", and their ensuing behavior and actions resulted in some pretty horrific consequences, personally and publicly.
Donald caused a plane crash; Jesse self-destructed into a heroin free fall, and Walt did......?
How do you think Walt feels about the loss of Skyler and Holly? I really can't imagine how Walt will react to this loss or what actions he will take next season to get them back. This is Walt's first real personal loss since the series started, so would love to read what you think he'll do.
I am excited about tonight's episode. We get to meet Tio. He is an old crook, but he is one of the most honorable crooks we have met.
If Skylar leaves Walter for good, do you think her head would be put on the back of a turtle or would it even fit?
Hank has shown he is nothing like the person he pretends to be. He is a man plagued by self doubt and self loathing. He is a gas bag and a phoney. He became physically ill when his co workers gave him Tuco's grill, (very inappropriate gift in my opinion). He has panic attacks and he can't even speak Spanish. How can you live in New Mexico and not speak Spanish. I was born in Amarillo and hell I speak Spanish. Hank is a bumbling, stumbling fat sack of doughnut batter. So, how can he bring our hero down? It just would not be right if this nobody of a bum, disgrace to his badge, was allowed to capture Walt. I don't see Hank as a real player in Season three.
When Walter installs an on demand hot water heater in his house, he is very excited and describes it to Walt Jr. as having an "unlimited supply." This deceleration struck me as being very revealing. He is excited because he can provide for his family like never before, but there must also be a double meaning. Does he mean there is an unlimited supply of money for projects like this, or does he mean there is an unlimited supply of daring and bravado coming from him or is there to be an unlimited supply of meth. Or, is this a case where hot water is really just hot water?
My last thread is starting to get a little overheated, so I'm going to try again with a new one. Walter White is Starting Season 3 in an unbalanced state. He has watched his Woman leave him, took Holly and bailed. His accident prone partner Jesse is recovering and out of action. Walt is left with a pile of Money and his head spinning poolside and now a mid air Plane accident occurs right over his House. Things are not working out very well for him are they? - So I have selected 3 Songs that I think are fitting to reflect Walt's current station in life at this point in our Favorite Show. My first selection is from ACDC - "Ride on", its a quiet little number, very introspective and Bon Scott delivers it beautifully. My next selection is also from ACDC - "Highway to Hell". We now turn up the Amperage a little bit. Walt might just travel down this Highway someday. Again Bon Scott belts out a fine performance! My third and final selection is a Classic Jimi Hendrix song - "Hey Joe". This little gem gets modified though. We use Walt's name in place of Joe and also add Ted's name. Here it is - "Hey Walt where you going with that gun in your hand?" ---- "I'm going down to shoot my Ol' Lady, you know I caught her messin round with a man named Ted". Ok, there you go, that's my play list. So tell me now, whats on yours?
Walt has got to crash up against a strong female character to advance the story. My first choice is Skyler. I think Anna Gunn could hit a home run in Season 3, but if it isn't to be, then bring on Carmen. She's got an ass like an onion... makes me want to cry! (- Hank) There's lots of potential in Carmen prompting Skyler if Walt becomes involved. Now that another woman wants Walt and depending on Skyler's developments with Ted, she may change her mind and fight for her husband out raw jealousy and feminine pride. Ooooooh, cat-fight! Scratch her eyes out! Kick her in the ... well, you know where. Walt's got the big bucks now. He could be a "player".
If all the characters in Breaking Bad lost their jobs, or positions in life, what would they do for a new
job/position or career?
Example : Jessie...Jessie is clean and now has a job as a cartoonist, using his high school drawings.
(..."comic book line, Super Girl"....taken from a posting by "repugnant" on AMC Talk
Forum).
Too many people are judging Walt as evil just because he didn't do something heroic (and stupid) like saving Junkie Jane. Did none of you notice the tears running down his face when it finally dawned on him that she was dead? Don't you know that he understood that this very awful fate could happen to his own daughter, Holly, 17 years in the future? Try this. You go to the doctor and he tells you the clock is ticking and you're going to die a slow and painful death in a limited amount of time. You've got skill(s). Maybe you know how to rob a bank, or there are people who've done you wrong and if they were dead it would make the world a brighter and happier place, or you know how to make copious amounts of illegal drugs. Or you join the Sheriff's Auxiliary to find out who the drug dealers in your community are and decide to off them to clean things up for the common good. What is worth your life? Go ahead and stand in Walt's shoes with your insides rotting out and tell me what would you trade your life for. (People who have seen the Japanese movie "Ikiru" by Kirosawa can't steal that plot). Look! If you don't have a cause, that's okay. Most people just wait for the end anyway. Give me a cash buy-out. How many dollars is your carcass worth? Let me write you a check and then the lights go out. Maybe Walt doesn't seem so "evil" now...
Uh. has anyone else thought that the Ladie's AKA Women in this show have been gettin some pretty bad raps? Everyone LOVE's Walt who's killed a few people,But hate's Skylar. Many love Hank, but tweeks on Marie. And for poor, poor little Jesse, many think that Jane deserved her death cause she was leading him on a herion path in combo with the meth path? Has anyone considered that Jane would have continued on her sobriety path if it warn't for Jesse? The only girl who's considered an innocent and not loathed is Holly.
Clayton Neuman has previously posted a few weeks ago a term whom he calls Walt's "survival mode" to justify his heinous actions of Season 1 and Season 2. 'We fully understand and sympathize Walt's survival mode for his past actions of struggling for remission of cancer and saving his family from financial ruin. We have seen Walt endure the impossible odds and beat those odds in his own terms and damning his soul in the process. So far, in the series, Walt still has a good percentage of the viewers still sympathizing his actions.
In Seasons #1 and # 2 , other characterizations besides Walt, also have their own personal reasons for their "survival mode", but are their reasons as valid and justifiable for breaking the rules as Walt? Is the "Survival Mode" valid for all crimes or not? Where do we draw the line and say we won't accept and tolerate the "survival mode" as an valid reason.
Me personally, its between two. Marie and Saul. Both characters talk a very good line of BS, but both have hearts in their own rites. I'll stop at this. Everyone can put their own details be they male or female to all characters.
Originally Walter partnered up with Jesse because of the need for someone who knew how to get the drugs distributed. Well, Jesse has proven to not be able to perform his part of the bargain very well at all. In fact Jesse has shown himself to be nothing but a liability. Jesse has been marked as a person of interest by the DEA. Jesse has told Walt's secrets to others, which lead to blackmail. And now that Walt has partnered up with Saul and Gus what services does Jesse provide? From an objective point of view Jesse takes half of the profits and is nothing but a liability ... Why wouldn't Walter terminate him?
If Jesse isn't killed how is Vince G. going to justify Walt's involvement with Jesse ?
Don't get me wrong ... I have a hard time imagining the series without J.P. , I really enjoy his contribution to the chemistry of the show. BUT ... how would anyone justify keeping such a partner in crime ?
In the AMC website video "Inside Breaking Bad: A Look Ahead" , Vince states " The further we go down this road of him being a criminal the more we naturally worry , is he going to remain sympathetic to us ?"
My question is should the writers be worried about keeping Walt "sympathetic to us" or could that worry only impact the path that the character should take ? Could Vince's concern end up softening the shows direction ? After all Walt is an interesting character involved in an interesting train wreck ... would we be able to turn away even if we became un-sympathetic ?
My hopes are that Vince continues to take the big chances and continues with the disfiguration of Walt's character !
***( compensation----a psychological mechanism by which feelings of inferiority, frustration, or failure in one field are counterbalanced by achievement in another)
Walt is addicted to making Blue Sky because he missed his "golden opportunity." He didn't pursue his ideas and theories, but Gretchen and her husband DID carry out those ideas and look at the lifestyle they acquired! Walt, years later compensates his failure by making the purest Meth called BlueSky and reveals WALT was the genius after all and in Walt's mind, it's payback to those who betrayed him. Morally correct or not, he has cured the question who was the real genius.
My answer is True.
A Shrike:
"....A medium-sized bird similar to a bird of prey with a predatory nature that impales their victim on thorns in order to tear the flesh into smaller, more convenient fragments and later will return to devour the uneaten portions at a later time"....Wikipedia
Look it up and what are YOUR thoughts?
Raymond Cruz's performance as Tuco was INCREDIBLE! Vince Gillian MUST bring Tuco back! Raymond Cruz's talents are wasted on "The Closer." With his "tio," Cruz's performance was emmy material. BRING HIM BACK!!!
Isn't it about time for Walt to wise up to the hypocrasy of the "war on drugs" and join Law Enforcement Against Prohibtion (http://www.leap.cc/cms/index.php)?
I felt Walts pain when he had to make a decision to watch Jane die or save him and Jesse from being blackmailed or turned in. To just have a baby girl and then to know you are watching someone elses girl die must be the most horrible thing that could happen to anyone with the exception of your own child. Bryan Cranston, you are one hell of a great actor. I am 63 and a devoted fan to the show and simply can't wait for season 3. Kudos to all of you.The finale was a mind blower.
I am now conflicted about Walt's character...
Up to now, I've been "rooting" for him (in a perverse way) in spite of everything he's done (the drug dealing, killing hard-core drug dealers...). But when he stood there and watched Jesse's junkie girlfriend choke on her vomit, he crossed a line. And now the plane crash... I still want to believe that Walt is a decent human being. If he is, dealing with what he has done and inadvertently caused will be overwhelming and maybe a bit more than I am willing to participate in every Sunday night. Likewise, if he's just gone so far over to the dark side there's no return, the show won't have any appeal for me.
Skyler has been able to overlook Ted's $1.2 million tax fraud to "save jobs and the company" and continue working for him.
Skyler thinks Walt has gotten his $100,000 by some means (robbery, stealing?) which is completely unacceptable, and rockets out the door as she kicks Walt into the ditch.
Where's the justice?
I was really pi**ed when Jesse shot up. I would have rather seen him go to a NA meeting. I really liked the character Jane, but now I don't. She's going to ruin EVERYTHING!!!!!!
even though he's only in two episodes I really find him interesting in a very mysterious way, I hope to see him in the 3rd season.
I just seen a preview pic of Jane preparing to "Bang" Jesse with a friggin' needle.........miss sober is gonna get our boy shooting up........What do you all think.......did y'all see this coming? I kinda did.....
Has anyone else noticed a color scheme going on in at least the characters names. There's Mr. WHITE, Jesse PINKman, and wasn't the lawyer Mr. GOLD sumthin or other. Then there's the frequent topic of the blue meth and those new sheets on Jesse's bed were awfully yellow. Perhaps these are all the colors of the meth rainbow.
Does Jane have the potential to be a true noir femme fatale? Notice she always wears black, but has what I consider the deceptively sweet, innocent features of a young girl. Will she be turn out to be the "helpful" female who betrays the hero (Jesse) in the end? I'm thinking of such femme fatales from the likes of "Maltese Falcon", "Out of the Past" and "Body Heat". Does Jane have an agenda? So far, no new character on the scene has been incidental to the story......
I really loved the scene with Jessie head to toe with blue crap and he is in Mr. White's kitchen. And after several days of making breakfeast for his own family ,who didn't really seem to appreciate it,he asks Jessie if he wants breakfast. Jessie who was probably starving, being without a house,slept in the RV, and covered in blue crap, he nods his head. It made me feel good because Mr. White had been real harsh with Jessie that whole episode and Jessie was having a real hard time and couldn't get a break and Mr. White wouldn't listen to him.When he offered him breakfast you knew that Mr. White was cool, he really does like Jessie.
As their story unfolds so is their relationship. Even though they seem to be at odds with each other they also are starting to be a team and maybe even friends.And although Jessie has a street wise manner he shows us in "Peekaboo" that he is compassionate and good-natured. He knows first hand from his Aunt what Mr. White's fate is and how little he has. But their relationship is just starting to be one, I that I think , they are starting to enjoy. What's Jessie gonna do when Mr. White dies? It makes me sad to think about it.
It seems like this guy would be known to the DEA, if he'd been recycled that many times. Hank was definitely feeling some apprehension after the arrest. Do you think he's familiar with Jimmy In-N-Out? Or did something else raise his hackles?
Hank is quickly becoming one of the coolest cats on the show, in my opinion.......I hated the guy during season 1 lmfao......he always made me laugh though! :P
If you haven't watched the COP TALK videos yet, I recommend them....."big time"!
Here's a couple off the top of my head........
"If i were to guess......I'd say it's spanish for Asshole!"
-to Tortuga(?) last Sun.
oh and this was great tension builder...
"Jesse Pinkman....you're a hard man to find!"
-before he realized it was Tuco!
I could quote the whole last episode.....loved the way he stood his ground to all those pricks he works with.......
If the characters were real who would you want to hang out with? Walt would be pissed off all the time, Jesse would be trippin, Hank can be a jerk... maybe the hot landlady! ... nah, it would have to be Badger for me. That dude cracks me up. Have you seen the original minisode "The Break In" with Heisenberg and Badger? It's priceless. Watch it.
On a scale of 1-to-10, how would you rate Walt and Jesse's partnership/business smarts so far? Right now, I'm giving them half a point.
Alexis' comparison (in Ep. 7 - Open Thread) of Walt's blowfish speech to Jesse as being on par with an Amway/pyramid motivational sale pitch was dead-on, I think. Is Walt so naive, really? Is Jesse so dumb? Sometimes I can't believe the words coming out of Walt's mouth. I keep wanting to holler at the TV, "You're talking about a drug business, Walt, not Amazon.com!". And as far as their recruits - the 3 Stooges (Skinny Pete, Badger, Combo), does anyone think they have the brains, muscle or nerve to help expand the business? Yikes.
I'd love to know where the storyline is from a timeline perspective. Maybe if it's only the first month or two in this whole enterprise, Walt and Jesse's learning curve isn't too bad, but boy, it's not great, either. Your take?
I am a 63 yr. old woman and love the show. I want to adopt Jesse. When he saw that beetle and couldn't kill it, I knew he was not cut out to kill anyone. He is an amazing actor like the rest of the crew. I would like to know how Aaron trained to play the part. I have seen meth addicts on my street corner and he is so like them. Love the show!!!Keep it coming.
I love this dude, but he's such a suck-up! What are your favorite Skinny Pete moments?
The real love of Walt's life or the ultimate betrayer? It's very hard to gauge their true history. In Season 1, Gretchen was crying when she found out Walt had lung cancer. And yet, Walt remains very polite, remote and even superficial in any interactions with Gretchen (well, until "Peekaboo"). Was Gretchen condescending in her demands to know the truth and her threats to expose Walt's lies? Is the story of the origin of Gray Matter really about scientific-corporate theft , romantic retribution, and class warfare?
here are a couple of gems from the last episode....
"I'm a fan of the hard wood" to his landlord.....lmfao
"Your fence is too easy to climb" to Clovis.....
CRANK IT UP was a nice touch too......the name of the tow co.
I know the dude is dead and I don't believe in reincarnation but I thought he was a believeable character and funny too-maybe an older version of Tuco can come back on the scene as an uncle for some family revenge and mess with the DEA office for a change instead of vice a versa.
Well, looks like Hank is movin' on up, with landing that big promotion! BUT, is he done with Jesse Pinkman? That had to have pissed off Hank in a big way to be involved in that gunfight with Tuco and nearly getting killed (which he's still feeling aftershocks from), and Jesse simply walks out of the DEA Station unscathed. I think while Hank is doing double-duty, he's gonna have his DEA co-workers watching Jesse, and possibly pulling one of Jesse's "distribution" buddies aside and telling them "You're now a confidential informant for us, or you're back in jail" What do you all think?
I was completely wrapped up in the FX show The Shield...then it ended....I'm Czarina. Anyone else here chuckling about the physical similarity of Hank Shrader to Vic Mackey?
.....or Jesse's new squeeze. C'mon, give Jesse a little loving! She seemed reminiscent of Elvira - the Younger Years, but bringing her into the picture could pose some interesting developments and problems, and keep some of Jesse's humanity intact. It wouldn't hurt to have a different female POV besides Skyler and Marie. Hey, Walt and Hank have their women, why shouldn't Jesse have his own woman (not Windy Wendy)? Let's vote!
Anybody know the etymology of that expression? It refers to the sexual prowess of the actor Errol Flynn (whom Walt referred to) and some allegations that he seduced young girls.
Some folks made predictions that Walt Jr. might lose his virginity this season. Is the new nickname a hint to that possibility?
I also want to take this opportunity to refute the current rumor that Walt Jr. is gay. It's my opinion and you don't have to agree with me, but I have a teenage boy! At the baby shower for Skyler, he was filming the breasts of all the women...so that is my proof against the rumor.
What are your ideas?
jamm54, hope you don't mind...but I've moved our conversation about "Colors" to it's own spot...
Everyone feel free to include your own theories!!! =)
By diksee on March 30, 2009 7:46 PM
Quote By jamm54 on March 24, 2009 12:51 AM:
Has anyone else thought it's funny that it's Mr. Pinkman and Mr. White in business together.....that there's got to be something to that? It reminds me of Reservoir Dogs and all the robbers (Mr. White, Mr. Orange, Mr. Pink, Mr. Blonde, Mr. Blue, Mr. Brown).Walt is surely turning into Mr. Black.
.....well, the one Skyler thinks he's having because of the phone calls in Ep. 4 "Down". She's pretty obsessed over that cell phone, but does everyone think that Skyler believes Walt's having an affair? It almost seemed like they hospital psychiatrist had revealed Walt's confession about faking the fugue episode she had. Skyler was pissed, but would she retaliate over a suspected affair by harming her unborn baby by smoking? Would a woman do that to get back at her husband? What's everybody else think?
No car, no house and no money. What's a boy to do? And has it been worth it?
We all know it's a matter of time before Skyler finds out what Walter is up to (making crystal). The real questions with this topic is how will she react? Half of me believes that she will walk away from him and my other half believes she won't. Walter seems to have a natural ability to get out of these rediculous situations and I don't see why he can't get out of this one. What do you think?
Oh, boy, my husband just corrected me - his car is called a low rider - shows how much I know about cars! Has it ever been mentioned what happened to Jessie's dad?
I was just wondering if anyone knew what kind of sweatshirt jesse pinkman is wearing in this episode. It white with a bunch of colors, mostly black letters but also colors. Please answer this question, its bugging me!!!
So Tuco said that his cousins are coming up from Mexico to come get them and keep them safe. Well, "Tio" in spanish means "uncle" so the cousins are "Tio's" sons. Tio spent hours with Jesse and Walt, he can identify them and he knows that they tried to poison Tuco. So, as Hank calls them, "Those boys down in Juares" , Tuco cousins are on the way and Jesse and Walt will be seeing them soon. And rumor has it they are more evil than Tuco ever was!!
I love that Hank's street name is Heisenberg. I haven't seen a lot of discussion of the ironic and prophet choice of a name.
Heisenbergs Uncertainty Principle is a landmark of quantum physics. In a sense it states that the position or location of a particle can never be absolutely determined no matter how carefully or accurately it is calculated.
For Hank, no matter how rigorous and careful he is, he can never be absolutely sure of the outcome.
While running back through Season 1, I came across a question that I need answered. During the opening scenes of 103 while Walt and Jesse are cleaning up the mess, Walt has a flashback. It took me awhile to figure out it was a flashback and indeed it was Walt with Gretchen. Why is Walt attempting to inventory the chemical makeup of the human body with Gretchen? I understand they were in Grad school together when they formed Gray Matter Tech.
Thanks for the help,
Infern0
Anyone else wonder if they'll be bringing back any of the characters they barely introduced in season one? I hope so. I'd love for them to bring back Skinny Pete. I thought he was great and I think there's real potential for his character in this show.
In the interview with the Music Supervisor for Breaking Bad (see here: http://blogs.amctv.com/breaking-bad/2008/03/interview-with-thom), he speaks of his mindset with regard to choosing the music for the show and offers some hints of things to come.
If you were to choose a song or music genre for a character on the show, what would it be? Please list the character by name and then a song or style of music that you think best represents him or her.
indulging one of my usual fan quirks-- getting to know and love the characters is a complicated process for me -- I find myself very curious on the ages of some of these characters.
We know Skylar's younger as its unlikely she'd be pregnant at 50 but how much younger?
How long do you figure Jessie's been out of High School? A couple years or is he in mid twenties already?
Which sister is older?
How much younger than Walt does that possibly make Hank?
I need any and all speculation so don't hesitate to throw in your .02 cents
I'm sure I'm not the only person out there intrigued by the crucial question:
Why is Walt where he is now? Why he is hustling for meth money when he should be sitting in an upholstered office in downtown ABQ watching his stock returns pile up? In other words: WHY DID HE LEAVE GRAY MATTER?
And I'm equally sure I'm not the only person who has fixed on the lovely Gretchen as a likely answer.
But if she IS the reason Walt and Elliot parted ways, what are the details? Two broad possiblities strike me as likely:
Walt and Gretchen were involved pre-Elliot, and Elliot stole/attracted her away from him (i.e., he actively seduced her, or she spontaneously fell in love with him and left Walt).
OR. Elliot/Gretchen was the original relationship and Walt had a thing with her on the side, and Elliot may or may not have found out. If the second case, Walt may have deliberately distanced himself from Elliot out of guilt.
I lean toward scenario 2b, imagining that in any of the other above plot lines, the open bitterness between the two men would have been too deep to be bridged by an occasion like a corny gift at a birthday party. But I could be wrong. In fact it might have nothing to do with Gretchen at all. We have virtually no information on the matter.
The point is, I want to know what you all think. :D
By the way, it's great to join the discussion. I've been a fan since before the first episode, actually, just from watching the previews, but I only discovered this talk forum recently. Breaking Bad is easily one of the best television shows ever made, and I'm on tenterhooks awaiting Season 2.
Which character (not a main one) would you like to have more information about? Or, is there a character that you think should be introduced to more fully develop the story? Who is this person, and how will they contribute to what we already know?
This is what Walt says, in part, in the videotaped message he plans to leave for his wife and son in the pilot episode. Anybody else think that's kind of weird thing to say to a child in his mid-teens?
Is this kid for real or is he an extremely gifted actor? My wife and I love the sideline of the sticky-handed sister. I personally loved the episode where the Brother in Law takes the son to the Meth Motel, dead nuts on and hilarious. The tell-tale rotting teeth says it all.
First, I want to give a brief explanation of my post title. When I was in college, there were several elective courses labeled as subjects for non-majors. To my knowledge, they were mostly science courses. It wasn't intended to be a lighter version of a subject, but rather a survey for those who were interested from an avocational point of view. Also, I saw it as taking the pressure off the professor, allowing him or her to present the topic in a more casual manner.
I won the RV about the 5th week of the season, but I've still been interested in some of the questions. It's not fair for me to be in with those who haven't won yet, so I'm setting up this topic for others like me. Also, we can continue to discuss it after the week is up.
For me, the easy answer is that Skyler can't find out about Walt's moonlighting. That's too simple, though. Another thing to think about is WHEN she finds out. If another principal figure (Hank, Marie or Walt Jr.), figures it out first, that will likely soften the blow, because that person will be able to offer their opinion to Skyler.
If Skyler finds out first, it's going to be a big blow to their relationship. Like any big secret revealed, it will be a shock and she will have to figure out what to do with the information. Unless Walt is also caught by the police or turned in, he's not off the hook. He has obligations to his family. If he can't take care of those, they'll have to develop a different strategy to survive. Any way it happens, it will be unpleasant.
When I was watching the pilot for the second time tonight, with the knowledge of all that's to come fresh in my mind, I couldn't help but reflect on how much Walt and Jesse's relationship evolved over the course of these very few episodes. In the premiere Walt approaches Jesse not with hints at perhaps paternal affection, like we see in the finale, and not even with tolerance, but almost with downright disgust and condescension.
The scene where he approaches Jesse at night was remarkable to me in that Walt doesn't even give Jesse a choice: he simply informs him the way things are going to be. I can't believe how far the two came in their relationship over the course of the next six episodes.
The other thing that occurred to me while I was watching is that the show never really returns to Skyler's two hobbies: her e-bay selling and her short story writing. I suppose that's a credit to the character's selflessness in the face of the events that are about to unfold in her life, but I hope that Vince Gilligan returns to these facets of here character -- they're interesting, and I think they could make for some great plot points.
What if Walt began "selling" on eBay? What if Skyler took some creative ideas from Walt's activities for her short stories?
Anyways, those were my impressions. What did you all think about the second time around?
There is a reason why Hank is a DEA agent and his main focus is on meth. This is not just a coincidence. The question is, what will Hank do once he realizes how involved Walt is in the meth scene? I think Hank will discover that Walt was responsible for the missing chemistry lab supplies, then it snowballs from there and he finds out how involved Walt really is.
Does Hank look the other way? After all, Walt's dying and won't be around long. (not likely) Will Hank arrest him on the spot? It is his job to protect and serve. Or will he become involved? Once he sees how well Walt and Jesse are doing, he may want a piece of the pie.
We all know Hank isn't a saint, considering he accepted illegal cuban cigars for doing a favor for somebody else, and he even laughed it off when he found out Walt is smoking pot. So it seems he doesn't care about the little things if nobody is getting hurt. So, how will he respond to the fact Walt is becoming a meth kingpin? It will happen and I would imagine it will happen early or mid-way through next season. So do you agree? I'd love to hear everyone's take on this.
Tuco is too evil to live. The end of the Finale was Tuco huffing some of Walt's super-potent Blue meth and then winding up into psychotic brutality whereby he assaults one of his henchman within an inch of his life, all because Walt asked him to mellow out.
Remember that Walt's primary consideration upon entering into the meth business a second time was "No Bloodshed". Whoops. The problem with Tuco is that he is going to kill Walt or kill somebody else in such a way that it gets Walt implicated and arrested. Walt knows this and he also knows that he hates Tuco. And he knows that Tuco is very careless about how he samples the product when he buys it.
So here's how I think it goes down: Walt is going to produce a batch of something that when Tuco sticks his face into the bag it will so severely incapacitate him Tuco will either die or be reduced to a harmless zombie. At that point either of two things will happen: Jesse will take over the selling part of the operation or the henchman who Tuco messed up in the Finale will take over, now beholden to Walt for his destruction of Tuco. You won't see this coming and it won't be easy, it will just create a bunch of new problems and the chemical mixture of this show will remain as volatile as ever. This despite the very satisfied feeling we will all have when we see Tuco get the ultimate morality play.
I think this has been the most engaging, horrifyingly hypnotic show to come along in many seasons. Having caught up fully, I decided to browse some discussion boards to gauge others thoughts on Breaking Bad.
I found some great insights, and angles I hadn't really considered, but the one comment that I saw again and again that really troubles me is the idea that Walt is a fantastic failure for choosing a career as a high school chemistry teacher.
Granted, given the fragments we know of his background in science (assistance in research that led to a Nobel prize, a mind for problem solving that is still vividly remembered at a pool party more than two decades later), it does seem clear that Walt could have remained in the collegiate world, or swallowed his heartbreak and found corporate riches as a partner in Gray Matter.
But, (and here to me is the crux of the brilliant social commentary of the show), the idea that being a highly educated and clearly dedicated (he remembers things about even a very poor student like Jesse that many teachers would not have) high school teacher is an automatic mark of failure is appalling.
What's more appalling is the vividly rendered situation that Walt is in even before he is diagnosed with lung cancer -- that of a tenured, educated high school teacher who is forced to take a bad part-time job to afford a very modest middle-class existence.
This is not Walt's fault (though it is clearly his building frustration); this is the fault of a country where the burgeoning divide between the haves and have-nots is expanding at a reckless pace, and in which a man who has inarguably one of the most important professions in this country cannot possibly make ends meet if there is a bump in his road.
Pity Walt for his poor choices, puzzle over his indulgence of pride in refusing charity, abhor him for reuniting with Jesse even after the horrific events of their first endeavor, but don't lose sight of the poignant and powerful social commentary at work here -- a man of Walter White's profession, living frugally and responsibly, and with the need for a medical procedure that appears neither radical nor "experimental" should never have been in this position in the first place.
This last episode is another example of the excellence that is Breaking Bad. This is honestly one of the most poignant shows I have ever watched. And I am a little hesitant to say I love it for fear it will be canceled (that seems to happen to good shows... Anyways, a few things that are excellent:
1) The camera work is truly unique. I loved the single shot of Walt in his bathroom, about to shave his hair off- truly unique and forward-thinking, but also nostalgic in a way.
2) Walter, jr. deserves an Emmy already. My younger brother has similar disabilities and it is amazing to see a realistic, punk-kid trying to buy beer, who also has a disability. But I didn't appreciate the playing of reggae music when Walt was getting together the glassware supplies. People who smoke weed associate with reggae and think meth is scary. I'm sure that isn't true for everyone- but I personally didn't appreciate it.
On that note- I think that Walt's character should be doing much more pot-smoking. Seriously, there are the obvious benefits- but also think about chemo and all of the relief it might offer. Those are my thoughts. I'll be looking forward to next Sunday!
Jesse, what are you thinking? You can't leave Badger out there roaming the desert with his crossbow! The guy's a moron and an ass to boot, but you've got to either go back and make friends or run him over.
I think Walt got the easy way out when he discovered that Krazy 8 had a weapon and was planning on killing him first chance he got, thus making the murder much more palatable in his mind.
It would have made things much more interesting if Walt noticed the missing piece of the broken plate, killed Krazy 8 thinking it was self-defense and then discovered the missing piece had skidded away or was hidden under the furnace or something. Then he would've been stuck with the knowledge that he had killed a man who might , in fact, have meant him no harm.
I just think that would've been a much more interesting way to go.
Just like Deadwood, (speaking of which Anna Gunn played Seth Bullock's wife, and now Walters wife) and The Sopranos, this is classic television drama.
The storyline particularly resonates with me because I have just turned 50, quit smoking, and have an obligation to care for someone that is handicapped. (pulling up the young boys pants in Episode 1 and seeing Walt largely ignored on his 50th Birthday, you get a sense of the end of something that is never coming back.)
So I immediately saw Walt in myself, and feel the desperation he feels, trying to hold it together financially working two jobs in America circa 2008 where there is no respect for what you do.
Watching Walt become passionate for a minute in his lecture, only to be rudely interrupted by the kid flirting, the owner of the car wash having Walt scrub tires for minimum wage, the inevitability of an untimely death due to Cancer pull us in to a world that could happen in real life.The drama is heavy.
Stellar acting and great writing and production!
Wonder Woman 1969, the premeire episode was uncut and uncensored I am not sure why the second airing censored the language, some scenes were cut for commercials for the encore airing which you saw.
Hey guys, this is a new thread I started for now where we can talk about the show since the other one is getting too long. I hope we can keep talking on this forum as long as we can!...
Where does it go from here? So now that Skyler knows SOMETHING is up, the question I find most interesting right now is whether Walt tries yet another lie. If he tells the truth, as he promised, he doesn't know...
I am now conflicted about Walt's character... Up to now, I've been "rooting" for him (in a perverse way) in spite of everything he's done (the drug dealing, killing hard-core drug dealers...). But when he stood there and watched Jesse's...
