9 pacific. AMC. Best show on television as of it's last season.
Posted by Xavier (Member # 405) on :
One of my favorite shows, for sure.
I thought last season was a little off their normal standards, but still highly entertaining.
[ July 17, 2011, 10:28 PM: Message edited by: Xavier ]
Posted by Stone_Wolf_ (Member # 8299) on :
I have all 33 eps on my dvr...been watching them with my wife (her first time, my second or third) can't wait for tonight!
Posted by Shawshank (Member # 8453) on :
I'm so excited. I watched the first three seasons last summer; I've never watched it as it airs so the wait between episodes is going to kill me.
Posted by umberhulk (Member # 11788) on :
quote:Originally posted by Xavier: One of my favorite shows, for sure.
I thought last season was a little of their normal standards, but still highly entertaining.
I get a little anxious/bored during season 1, mainly because its the first season and Walt's still easing into things. And I think season 2 overuses coincidental storytelling.
Season 3 is my favorite, and I liked that they changed gears for Jesse and Skyler.
Posted by Stone_Wolf_ (Member # 8299) on :
**Spoilers**
* * * * * * * * * * * I wonder why Gus killed his second in command, Victor. Yes he was showing Walt and Jessie that he is a man to be feared, and considering that Gail could get 97% pure, and Gus still took the (large) risk of bringing in Walt and Jessie, it does make sense that Gus really does want high quality product, and that there was no guarantee of getting that with Victor cooking...but why sacrifice such a multi-talented person...I guess it was because he was seen at Gale's death scene. I imagine it will be made a bit more clear as things progress.
Posted by umberhulk (Member # 11788) on :
SPOILERS
Yeah, I think its because he was seen.
Prediction: Walt tries to convince Mike to betray Gus.
Posted by umberhulk (Member # 11788) on :
So, anyway, great episode. The pace was awesome.
Greatest week ever?
Posted by Stone_Wolf_ (Member # 8299) on :
I don't know about your prediction...I think Walt is learning that the best way to get killing done is using your own two hands.
It was a great episode, but I'm not sure it was the best...there are so many bright and shining moments in this show, it's hard to pick.
Posted by umberhulk (Member # 11788) on :
I'm not sure he can this time without someone else's help.
Posted by Stone_Wolf_ (Member # 8299) on :
Prediction: Walt kills Mike and Gus, although not at the same time.
Posted by Jeff C. (Member # 12496) on :
This show rocks. I dvr'd the first episode from the new season, but I haven't watched it yet. I think I'll save them up and watch them all at once at the end of the season.
Posted by Samprimary (Member # 8561) on :
dramas on tv better than breaking bad:
Posted by Stone_Wolf_ (Member # 8299) on :
*waits with bated breath*
Posted by Stone_Wolf_ (Member # 8299) on :
*passes out from holding his breath*
I had assumed the colon would be followed by examples...so I could disagree with them...
What happened Samp?
Posted by Jeff C. (Member # 12496) on :
I assume Samp purposefully left a blank space. You know, since nothing is better than BB.
Posted by umberhulk (Member # 11788) on :
This show involves the creator if X Files. That's how badass it is.
Posted by Shawshank (Member # 8453) on :
***SPOILERS***
Cranston's acting here was top-notch. The scene where Gus is just walking around for several minutes getting ready to kill Victor, and the only thing was Walt trying to reason with Gus was breathtakingly good. Gus's presence is phenomenal and Cranston's ability to keep me at rapt attention for that long blew me away.
***/SPOILERS***
Posted by umberhulk (Member # 11788) on :
Lots of great direction in this episode. Laughed at the shot where Walt puts on his hat.
Basically a characterization episode.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
Seeing all the characters so broken is pretty depressing at the moment. Even Mike is down.
Also, anyone catch what was on that little fast moving ticker at the bottom of Saul's commercial?
Posted by Stone_Wolf_ (Member # 8299) on :
Last week was the resolution of season 3...this week is the starting point of season 4.
I really enjoyed the conversation between the gun runner and Walt.
Yea Lyrhawn, everyone is down, but it cool to see Skyler know what she was talking about with the car wash owner.
I'm looking forward to Marie going back to being a bitch and yelling her head off at Hank which causes them to start enjoying each other again.
(Sorry, missed the ticker.)
Posted by Jeff C. (Member # 12496) on :
This week was pretty good (I caved and watched both episodes).
SPOILER
The part at the end where Jesse starts crying was pretty awesome and made complete sense. I also liked the part where Walt got punched in the bar. I really hope it goes where I think it's going...
Posted by Stone_Wolf_ (Member # 8299) on :
SPOILERS
I'm curious Jeff...what did you like about Walt getting punched? I think it showed a real difference between a science teacher turned bad and grasping the ideas behind being bad/badass and Mike who has been steeped in violence as a career for years and years.
Posted by Jeff C. (Member # 12496) on :
SPOILERS
The Walt getting punch thing was cool because it showed that Walt is just an old guy and he's fragile/human. He's not some badass like he's been trying to be, at least not entirely. Deep down he's really just afraid. Mike punched him in the face, and he had good reason to do it. Walt has been trying to control everything and he thinks he can do all this stuff with basically no consequences. We've seen glimpses of Walt arrogance before, especially when he's talking down to people like Jessie or whomever, but this is one of the only times someone actually came back and showed him that he's not that big of a deal. It shocked him, so I'm interested to see what happens next.
At least that's what I got from it.
Posted by scifibum (Member # 7625) on :
By the conclusion of this series I don't expect Walt to have any shred of my empathy. Which I think is a great concept for a series as long as they keep it interesting enough that the lack of any hero whatsoever doesn't matter.
He definitely has gotten away with a lot of arrogance to this point.
Posted by Stone_Wolf_ (Member # 8299) on :
Good point Jeff.
I bet you are right scifibum...but I also bet the ying to Walt's yang is Jessie...he starts off an empathy-less criminal and ends up the hero.
Posted by Jeff C. (Member # 12496) on :
Man, I really hope that's what happens, SW. Jessie deserves to become a good person.
Posted by Stone_Wolf_ (Member # 8299) on :
SPOILERS
For me the worst arrogance that Walt displayed was when his rich friends offered him money/job...and he shot them down from pride. I mean, come on! Walt had helped generate all that money IIRC...before he quit to become a science teacher.
Posted by Jeff C. (Member # 12496) on :
SPOILERS
Yeah, that's true, too. I wonder if they'll ever bring up the fact that he's so arrogant. It seems like an intentional character trait that has ultimately come to drive the character and thus, the show itself.
Posted by Tammy (Member # 4119) on :
Walt's t-shirt size sticker on his Kenny Rogers shirt was great.
Posted by umberhulk (Member # 11788) on :
Walts boss and I would share a drink with him, and I don't drink.
Posted by Stone_Wolf_ (Member # 8299) on :
I know they are doing the slow climb and soon we are gong to plunge over the edge, but this season so far as been a little slow.
Posted by Shawshank (Member # 8453) on :
I really liked last night's episode. I liked the focus on Marie, Hank, and Skyler.
Posted by umberhulk (Member # 11788) on :
Can't wait till next week.
I miss that dork (not Jesse)
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
SPOILERS
My guess for where Mike is taking Jesse, is Mike is going to force Jesse to bury the guy they had to kill. I think deep down, Mike does actually care, at least a bit. He could just take Jesse out back and shoot him without a second thought, we've seen him be that ruthless, and for that matter, he was all ready to shoot Walt without any serious remorse.
Clearly Jesse has gone off the deep end. I just don't know if anything can scare him straight at this point. And really, Walt is being a pretty serious douche about it. Yes, Walt has killed to save Jesse, but he and Jesse aren't the same person. It took a lot more out of Jesse to do that. And Walt doesn't appreciate it at all, especially because Walt killed two drug dealers who had just killed a kid. Jesse had to shoot down a pretty nice guy, right to his face, in cold blood. Now that's loyalty, and he's not getting any credit or sympathy.
I hope this changes soon to be a little less depressing. The only character with her crap together, having a good time, is Skyler.
Watching Walt's flip-out at Saul's office was very amusing.
Posted by umberhulk (Member # 11788) on :
SPOILERS
They may just threaten Jesse's family, and considering his brother, it might work.
Posted by Stone_Wolf_ (Member # 8299) on :
SPOILERS
I bet you are right Lyr...about having Jessie bury Victor, or some other measure to get him to snap out of it and cry it out.
Walt is becoming a less and less sympathetic character.
I really enjoyed the Jessie/Mike interaction on the stairway.
Posted by umberhulk (Member # 11788) on :
SPOILERS
There are a lot of theories going around like that, where Jesse buries or kills that guy, but it doesn't sound like something Gus would sign off on. Playing this sort of mindgame could eventually make Jesse even more unstable, perhaps causing him to hurt someone out of a panic attack or something. It could go really right or really wrong, and I think Gus would do something simpler.
Posted by Stone_Wolf_ (Member # 8299) on :
SPOILERS
I bet Gus said something like "Fix the problem, one way or the other." to Mike, and Mike is going to try and snap him out of his apathy, or if that doesn't work...kill him. Either way, problem solved. I have faith that Jessie will live.
Posted by umberhulk (Member # 11788) on :
SPOILZ
But that's the thing. If apathy is shaken, Jesse might just become destructive later, and it could backfire in Gus' face.
Posted by Stone_Wolf_ (Member # 8299) on :
SPOILS OF WAR
Sure, but it's not an ideal situation for Gus as Walt is as much if not more of a loose cannon as Jessie, but he needs them both.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
Jesse is totally expendable to Gus.
One of the real questions is going to be whether or not Walt still feels the loyalty to him that he has in the past. He doesn't acknowledge any of the major hardships that Jesse has had to endure in the last couple seasons, both of which I think are more severe than what Walt has dealt with.
But especially after what Jesse just did for Walt, I have to believe that Walt's sense of loyalty will kick in at least a little bit, even if he's totally oblivious to the pain Jesse is in.
Posted by Stone_Wolf_ (Member # 8299) on :
quote:Jesse is totally expendable to Gus.
I strongly disagree...because Walt has made it clear in no uncertain terms that Jessie is part of the deal, so because Gus needs Walt, he equally needs Jess.
And while I agree that Walt has been crazy insensitive to Jess personally, I think he has been very loyal to him in regards to them being a team.
[ August 09, 2011, 07:09 PM: Message edited by: Stone_Wolf_ ]
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
Disagree. Gus was willing, more than once, to toss Jesse overboard regardless of Walt's feelings. If Mike really does just take Jesse out into the wild and kills him, what will Walt do? He'll keep on cooking, and Gus knows it.
Walt is the brains. Jesse is the extremely problematic and troublesome sidekick that brings nothing to the table but goodwill with Walt.
That's from Gus' point of view, of course. Personally, Jesse is my favorite character, and seeing him torn up is just agonizing.
Posted by umberhulk (Member # 11788) on :
There's also the cancer though. Gus would need someone to take over should it ever claim Walt. He could just force Walt to teach whoever, but that still might not work out. And Gus knows Jesse could cook it without Walt's help, because he bought a bag of it from Jesse in S3 (to manipulate Walt) And before he had Gale up his sleeve, a chemist was almost as good as Walt. I love you Gail. I hope your somewhere happy in the stars.
I wonder if they'll bring back that guy that Mike rescued from the Cartel.
I dunno. Can't wait for sunday.
Posted by Stone_Wolf_ (Member # 8299) on :
SPOILERS
The sheer vanity of Walt at diner with Hank is staggering. The one guy who is actively seeking him has given up, but Walt doesn't like his credit (for evil) being taken up by Gail...wow, such an assbag.
Meanwhile he is agreeing with Skyler's suggestion of "complete honesty" while continuing to lie lie lie. At least we see at the diner table Skyler gets to see the sheer arrogance Walt.
And while he did have Jessie's back which is admirable, I think he just really wants to kill Gus for cutting Victor's throat in front of him and making him afraid.
What a great and creative way to bring Jessie back into the fold, and even possibly split his loyalty away from Walt in the future. I wonder if they are going to start training him to fill the gaps that Victor left. Jessie is smart enough, just needs guidance.
Posted by umberhulk (Member # 11788) on :
SPOILERS IS COMING
I just really wanted to say that. Carry on.
Posted by Stone_Wolf_ (Member # 8299) on :
Dang you hulk! I got excited that people are discussing my fave show, and then it's all false advertising!
Posted by umberhulk (Member # 11788) on :
A RAVEN CAME WITH SPOILERS
It's kind of funny that while we kind of laugh at Hank, he just busted shit wide open.
[ August 18, 2011, 03:02 PM: Message edited by: umberhulk ]
Posted by Stone_Wolf_ (Member # 8299) on :
I've always thought Hank was a very interesting character. He is very much a paradox of what he projects and who he really is, that is, a loud mouth good ol' boy vs a caring, hard working, sensitive individual.
I think he hides in his persona, to keep his more vulnerable nature safe from a harsh world.
Where I think Walt is really not a good person inside, a glory seeking egotist who maintains propriety as a way of showing superiority and not because of any real moral character underneath.
Posted by 0Megabyte (Member # 8624) on :
Well yeah, that would be Walt.
While, in the first episode, I did feel for him, and understood why he did what he did... as episodes progressed and I learned more about this guy, I realized that the main reason he was in that current position was pride, not injustice.
Early in season two, when they finally got done with the whole Tuco thing, and the elaborate lies to escape suspicion... when Jesse asked him over the phone, in surprise, why he actually wanted to continue this, Walt answered "what's changed?" in a cold voice that let me know that, even if his cancer disappeared, even if something better came along, he was going to do this. He was not going to stop.
Oh, lookie, season four and his main concern is finding an excuse to kill another guy...
Posted by umberhulk (Member # 11788) on :
Sure, I just think we kind of laugh at him because Walt is right underneath his nose. Walt tells him about the money in his duffel bag and Hank laughs.
Posted by scifibum (Member # 7625) on :
My new prediction for the climactic death:
Hank. Walt is going to kill him, to prove his loyalty to Gus (because he's too afraid of Gus to do anything to him directly, without Jesse's help, and because Hank will discover something crucial).
And of course Walt will hate Gus more than ever and continue to scheme against him (into season 5).
Posted by Stone_Wolf_ (Member # 8299) on :
Good call! Perfect for the direction they are going with Walt.
Posted by scifibum (Member # 7625) on :
Spoiler from last week: . . down below, don't look . . . . . . . . . If George R.R. Martin was writing this series, either Hank or Jesse would have been killed by the other one in that fight.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
Walt wouldn't kill Hank.
This season has to end, somehow, with someone killing Gus. Walt has been plotting his death all season, and Jesse is an incredibly unlikely to do it, though, they do need a way to keep Jesse in America.
I don't know. Part of me thinks Hank is in trouble, but his case doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Besides, like Walt said, if Hank were to suddenly turn up dead in the middle of investigating a drug lord? Way too suspicious. I don't think anything is off limits in this show, but logically, he should be safe for awhile.
Posted by Stone_Wolf_ (Member # 8299) on :
An accident in the pool of his brother in law after all his health problems? No one is going to bat an eyelash.
Posted by Stone_Wolf_ (Member # 8299) on :
SPOILERS
I really liked last's episode. Jessie pulls off the cook, and saves Mike and Gus. Walt shows emotion and admits he effed things up with Jessie and is real with his son. Skyler got to pull the rug out from Menekie, and Bob Odenkirk is a gem!
I'm glad we are not falling flat on the face of "Walt is a power hungry a-hole who alienates everyone around him and or tries to kill them."
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
That was a game changing episode in a number of ways. It seems like most of this season has been build, but this was a payoff.
I'm just hoping it doesn't lead to Jesse being alone in the deserts of Mexico.
How badass was the camera work and editing in the last few minutes when it all went down at the hacienda?
The "let's get real" moment with Walt was maybe the only time I've actually been interested in his character all season. I know the show centers around him, but he's become totally uninteresting. Maybe he's finally starting to get over his self-denial and narcissism. Hard to tell though if this is genuine remorse, or a hiccup.
How ironic would it be if after all that Walt has done wrong, Skyler, little Ms. Planner, actually undid everything with Ted? I wouldn't put it past him to extort money out of her.
Posted by AchillesHeel (Member # 11736) on :
I'm doing my best to ignore all these spoilery posts, I only just watched the first three seasons streaming on netflix.
I just wanted to say that as a person with a deformed foot I thoroughly enjoyed the scene where Walt was teaching Walter Jr. how to drive. I was left to teach myself how to drive, but I did have that same conversation with family members about how I need to drive with both feet. The only thing that would endear that scene to me more is if I learned that RJ Mitte had something to do with its inception.
Posted by umberhulk (Member # 11788) on :
He hasn't been that likable (and he's been slanting this way since season 3), but he's been totally interesting.
"I am the danger." *car explodes.
But yeah, the way they kind of ensemblized this season has been really good.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
Frankly I haven't found him interesting either, not this season. I'm just kind of over it. They need to change the dynamic somehow.
Posted by Stone_Wolf_ (Member # 8299) on :
I wouldn't say Walt has been uninteresting, but I really have been waiting on the switch up, and I'm hoping we've come to it.
Posted by Geraine (Member # 9913) on :
I had heard this show was good, but whenever I hear a lot of people saying how good a show is I always skeptical and tend to make a point NOT to watch the show. I don't know why I do that, maybe because I am afraid the show will get cancelled before they are able to tie it all up.
This was one of the reasons I didn't start watching Lost until Season 6. I did a 1 month Lost marathon to get caught up before Season 6 started airing.
Last night I was extremely bored and wanted a new show to watch, and I noticed that Netflix now has the first 3 seasons of Breaking Bad. I remembered reading here that a lot of people like it, so I thought I would give it a shot.
Now I know what I have been missing. This show is absolutely amazing. It looks like I am going to have another marathon coming soon.
One thing though. I noticed that this airs on AMC, but in the show I watched there were a couple of F-words. Not a big deal, just didn't know networks were able to air it. I thought it peculiar because there was one short shot of a women's breasts but it was blurred out.
I just thought it was kind of strange that they would edit out the breasts but not the F-Words.
Posted by Stone_Wolf_ (Member # 8299) on :
They do edit out the f-bombs for TV, it must be the "dvd" (streaming) versions which induce the rude humping word.
Posted by Geraine (Member # 9913) on :
How did they work the nudity? There was a guy (I forgot his name, he is Walt's partner) that was coming out of a woman's house and she was nekkid. I assume they just blurred it out or edited the scene, but I found it peculiar all the same, especially since it was blurred for the netflix version while adding back in the profanity.
Posted by Stone_Wolf_ (Member # 8299) on :
I don't remember specifically, but I'd bet that the blur was there for broadcast as well. I don't remember any nudity ever actually being shown. If yo tell me the episode, I'll look for it though, as I have every single ep on my dvr.
Posted by MattP (Member # 10495) on :
I think there was just one episode (the first?) that had some nudity and it was blurred out on TV. I haven't seen the DVD version.
Posted by AchillesHeel (Member # 11736) on :
The strip club flash back scene, but all those women had pasties on.
Posted by umberhulk (Member # 11788) on :
Dude, I can't wait for next week's episode. I'm depressed I can't watch it now.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
The camera work in this episode, and some of the imagery, was the strongest I might have ever seen on television.
SPOILER
How about the scene in the desert with Walt and Gus where the clouds constantly bathe the two of them in shifting patterns of darkness and light?
How about the very last scene where Walt is depicted as almost literally laying in his own grave, and the fact that he was pulled there by a desire for money! Many, that's powerful symbolism, especially the way the camera sort of broke the fourth wall to pan up and away from him. Very interesting.
That episode was season finale quality. I can't imagine what they do in the next two that still produces any sort of cliffhanger. Near as I can tell though, Walt just crossed the Rubicon. He had Saul call the DEA, and there's no going back from that. Saul might get out of it, but they'll know that Walt was the tip off. Gus already leveled his threat, so it remains to be seen what will happen, but something has to give.
Also, did anyone notice how happy Jesse was in this episode? And did anyone notice that in order for Jesse to be genuinely happy, literally every other character in the show had to be suffering. I found it fascinating since he's suffered for so long, and the writers chose to literally place every character in the show in turmoil except him. The contrast was startling.
For a season that has had a lot of let downs for me, this was an amazing episode.
Posted by umberhulk (Member # 11788) on :
SPOILER(everything)
What if Jesse contaminated Gus' water when they were walking through the border/
My only complaint is that I hated the end of the Ted thing. It was just loopy and it's the same act of god shit they did in Season 2. Otherwise, this season has been amazing. Love the part where Walt uses that dude's dollar to buy a soda. It was so awesome. It's gonna be a bummer when this show is over. But we'll still have Mad Men and Game of Thrones.
Also, more on the last shot. The show begins with a shot of Walt's head framed through a video camera. This episode ends with his face framed through that opening in the floor. Also Cranston is amazing.
It's weird. I was rooting for Gus and episode ago, and now I want to kill him again despite how awesome he still is.
[ September 26, 2011, 08:42 PM: Message edited by: umberhulk ]
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
If his water was contaminated, he'd already be dead.
Posted by umberhulk (Member # 11788) on :
It's been 4 1/2 days. He would die that night. It was also a lower ammount that what they tried to use on Tuco.
Posted by Stone_Wolf_ (Member # 8299) on :
I have to disagree about Jessie...it isn't in anyway required for others to suffer for him to be happy. He is happy because he has a place where he is needed, got to be the hero, support his partner, get the girl, save her son, make money, not be hooked on drugs, got over killing Gale...he has stability, prosperity, respect, righteousness and purpose, who wouldn't be happy?
I don't think for a second he poisoned Gus, by the by.
I have to agree about the camera work...top notch. This show as really accepted the challenge of great story telling that elevates the medium and makes me feel better in a day and age of "Jersey Shore" and "Dancing with the Stars".
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
I think you're missing the point. I'm not saying he's happy BECAUSE the others are suffering. I'm saying it was an artistic choice by the writers, to juxtapose his happiness against the suffering of every other character.
Posted by Stone_Wolf_ (Member # 8299) on :
Ahhh...gotcha.
Posted by umberhulk (Member # 11788) on :
I don't think so either.
BUT WHAT IF HE DID?
Posted by scifibum (Member # 7625) on :
Well, my last prediction seems to be dead wrong at this point.
I'm not sure I understand why they didn't have more money by now. Back when he first dealt with Gus, Walt got a million dollars for a couple of trash bags full of drugs; he's made a hundred times that much by now. Is he getting paid so much less? I suppose he isn't paying for materials or equipment at this point, so it makes sense. I can't remember the agreement he had with Gus.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
He's being paid fairly well, but losing $800K to buy the car wash and $600K to pay off Ted pretty much zapped what they had saved up.
Posted by umberhulk (Member # 11788) on :
Yeah, I was always thinking, man they're spending their shit fast. There's also the two cars. Hank's and Walt's medical stuff. Saul's cut. And fact that he splits his salary with Jesse (though there was also Gale's former salary). And some other bullshit Walt bought. Like buying extra for his model house.
The agreement was three million every three months. But Gale gets fired, so Walt and Jesse would pool the overall salary and split it.
Posted by scifibum (Member # 7625) on :
I'm not sure if there's anyone left to root for. Gus isn't just a hardcore businessman who missed his Ethics class, he's apparently pure evil. Walt alternates between extreme hubris and trembling. It's nice to see Jesse find a backbone, but he finds it in gaining the respect of Gus and Mike, who are not very nice.
Skyler's turning out to be just as impulsive and arrogant as Walt once she has a sufficiently ugly dilemma in front of her (maybe there's something there that will help fill out the remaining seasons), Hank has always been too smug to be sympathetic, and pretty much everyone else is either pathetic, ridiculous, or a stony henchman.
Weird that I still like the show.
I don't think the writers like people very much.
Posted by Stone_Wolf_ (Member # 8299) on :
I remember Walt telling Skyler that he makes 7 mil a year.
I think the point of having all the characters have negative traits isn't that the writers don't like people, but recognize the truth about people, that is, that we are flawed but still loveable despite our flaws. I think in this way, the writers have succeeded spectacularly.
I watched the Expendables on netflix while folding laundry the other day and found myself longing for Breaking Bad. All the characters in the movie were stereotypes, written without depth or any kind of thought to making them well rounded. The dialog also made me pine for Breaking Bad, as it was entirely situational and catch phrasy, not honest and character illuminating as is with Break O' the Bad.
Yes, they have pushed Walt to the edge of likeability, but I feel (hope) that his journey isn't a two dimensionally linear one and he will grow into the kind of complicated human we can be entertained by and enjoy as well as relate to and admire.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
Hank, while flawed, is by far the most virtuous character left on the show, if that's the sort of thing that matters.
In terms of who you WANT to be happiest though? Has to be Jesse.
Posted by umberhulk (Member # 11788) on :
Skyler is more likeable now than she was before. She used to feel like a plot device. Hank is a baller. The only real way hes flawed is the one time he beats the shit out of Jesse. He's breaking the law right now, but whatever. Either way, I think people are too binary with characters. It's more complicated than well ya like them or you don't.
Expendables was alright. Gonna watch Killer Elite.
Posted by Shawshank (Member # 8453) on :
So that was quite a finale. What did you guys think of it?
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
That was probably the most badass season finale I've ever seen.
Though I have to say, the last 30 seconds had me shaking my head in frustration. Walt is irredeemable.
How great was the face acting from Salamanca?
The Skeletor moment was pretty sweet.
Posted by Shawshank (Member # 8453) on :
I went into this episode thinking that Walt had poisoned the kid. Also, that last image of Gus I think might have been burned forever into my brain. I think this episode had one of the two most frightening lines in the whole show- one being "I am the one who knocks" and the other being "I won".
My prediction for next season- I think Jessie will find out about Walt poisoning the kid (and possibly Jane too). And then it will end up being Jessie vs Walt, and Mike will come back to ABQ and possibly help out Jessie. Hank will find out that the laundry fire and the assassination of Gus happened on the same day- leading him even closer to Heisenberg.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
I'm sure Hank won't miss that Gus is dead and the laundry burned. He'll be all over it. But where does it lead to from there?
The only way Jesse finds out about Jane and the kid is if Walt tells him. I mean, maybe he'll see the flowers at Walt's house, but if Walt was smart he'd just get rid of them. Only Walt knows about Jane though, why would he say anything when they are finally back on the same page?
Posted by Shawshank (Member # 8453) on :
He nearly told him in Fly if you recall. I'm not sure why that would come up, but I mention it could happen.
Posted by Stone_Wolf_ (Member # 8299) on :
It was one heck of a season closer, but I totally disagree about the Skeletor moment, it sucked so hard that it nearly ruined the whole thing for me. It was cheesy and unrealistic, looked stupid and was plain dumb as a "gotcha" moment where we are lead to believe that Gus lives and then we find out the "truth". Half my head is missing (therefor half my brain) I'm gunna walk into the hall way and straighten my tie. Bull hockey! They tried to be famous and fell flat on their face.
quote:Walt is irredeemable.
+1
Posted by MattP (Member # 10495) on :
quote:Half my head is missing (therefor half my brain)
Actually, it looked to me like it was just the flesh from that side that was gone and his skull was still intact. Pretty far-fetched, yes, but I still thought it was awesome.
EDIT: Found a screen shot. Upper scull intact, minus right eyeball, lower right-hand jaw gone. It's plausible that he could stand up, take a few steps, and straighten his tie.
Screen shot and Gus' death scene here (warning- not for squeemish): http://starcasm.net/archives/123597 Posted by Stone_Wolf_ (Member # 8299) on :
Okay, no brain missing, but still stretching and failing in my book. On a show so grounded and plausible we have a move straight out of a B action flick.
Posted by Shawshank (Member # 8453) on :
I liked it. You're right when you say it was an unrealistic move, but I think it was the right move aesthetically.
The other move that would have worked really well is to see Gus's reaction to Hector's bomb. Then cut to Walt in the car listening to the radio.
Posted by scifibum (Member # 7625) on :
I think the plausibility has taken periodic vacations anyway. What makes the show strong, for me, is not consistent realism. I don't really buy some of the central premises anyway. It's the character development. And Gus's character was fussy, precise, and inhumanly disciplined. I loved the idea that those things were so ingrained that when he's in shock and dying he's still expressing those traits.
Posted by Stone_Wolf_ (Member # 8299) on :
I could agree bum, if the damage had been more realistic and less Terminator Two.
Posted by Shawshank (Member # 8453) on :
What central premises do you not buy?
Posted by scifibum (Member # 7625) on :
I guess "central premises" was a hasty and inaccurate phrase.
One thing I don't buy is Walt's ability to make nearly pure meth in a home lab, especially because it's portrayed as a unique method that he perfected more or less instantly. To me that's like the hacker who's in the DoD mainframe in a matter of minutes.
Other ongoing plausibility busters: miracle cure from cancer, dozens of narrow escapes, serial murders with no apparent investigative pressure afterward.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not sitting there going "THAT IS NOT REALISTIC AND I CANNOT ENJOY THIS". It's probably the best show around right now. I enjoy Dexter about equally, and it commits the same reality violation sins, only much worse.
Posted by umberhulk (Member # 11788) on :
Great Season.
I hope enough time passes in season 5 that Walt's daughter is a little grown up. That could be interesting.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
I don't think we're going to get that far. Only like a year or something has even passed since the show even started. It blew me away when I was reminded that.
This show moves through time very slowly.
Posted by umberhulk (Member # 11788) on :
I know, I think it would be pretty cool though. And it would make sense if next season had more time passing in it, as it may involve Walt becoming a kingpin.
Posted by Stone_Wolf_ (Member # 8299) on :
Prediction for season 5: Who took the riacin cigarette from Jessie for Walt, and how do they tip off Jessie and have Walt try and kill them?
Posted by umberhulk (Member # 11788) on :
I think they should involve a yakuza in season 5.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
I think the only cigarette stealing candidate has to be Huel.
It's the only hint they provided. And that means Saul was in on it. Alas.
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