Any "Breaking Bad" Fans Here?

[AdamA]

I'm surprised that we are this far into the season (and post-Gus) and they're still not cooking again.

Aren't they cooking in the tented houses with the crooked pesticide guys?

[Lone Wolf]

The new season sounds so damn good.

You folks are making life very hard for all of us cable cutters that haven't watched any of season 5 yet.  After hearing all of this, I may have to head over to Amazon and pick these up!  Waiting another year for Netflix to get the license for these?  Inconceivable!  I can't do it!

With this decision, I just got myself booted off of the Early Retirement Extreme thread. 

[MediumTex]

The new season sounds so damn good.

You folks are making life very hard for all of us cable cutters that haven't watched any of season 5 yet.  After hearing all of this, I may have to head over to Amazon and pick these up!  Waiting another year for Netflix to get the license for these?  Inconceivable!  I can't do it!

With this decision, I just got myself booted off of the Early Retirement Extreme thread. 

You gotta go buy the episodes on Amazon.

$3 a piece in HD.  Buy one.  If you like it buy another one.  I think it's a good value.

There is NO WAY I could wait for Netflix to watch this.

[MediumTex]

I'm surprised that we are this far into the season (and post-Gus) and they're still not cooking again.

Aren't they cooking in the tented houses with the crooked pesticide guys?

Maybe so, but right now the story seems focused on them getting ready to cook, as opposed to what happens when they are done cooking.

There are so many great characters in this show I know you can't expect to see them all, but I thought that Jesse's lowlife friends from a season or two back were hilarious.

[AdamA]

There are so many great characters in this show I know you can't expect to see them all, but I thought that Jesse's lowlife friends from a season or two back were hilarious.

I really hope the resolution does not seem rushed.  Would be a huge disappointment. 

[Tortoise]

What do you guys think about the flash-forward scene on Walt's 52nd birthday where he's sitting alone in the Denny's, looking disheveled, and buys the heavy artillery and explosives in the trunk of that car?

Given the foreshadowing scene where Walt and his son are watching the violent ending of Scarface, and also a scene where Hank asks Walt Jr. if he wants to watch the movie Heat with him, it looks like the series finale may involve Walt in an epic shoot-out.

Or maybe that's just what Vince Gilligan wants us to think. Maybe the big surprise at the end of the series will be that Walt doesn't die like we expect him to. I have a feeling there will be a nearly unpredictable twist at the end.

[MediumTex]

What do you guys think about the flash-forward scene on Walt's 52nd birthday where he's sitting alone in the Denny's, looking disheveled, and buys the heavy artillery and explosives in the trunk of that car?

Given the foreshadowing scene where Walt and his son are watching the violent ending of Scarface, and also a scene where Hank asks Walt Jr. if he wants to watch the movie Heat with him, it looks like the series finale may involve Walt in an epic shoot-out.

Or maybe that's just what Vince Gilligan wants us to think. Maybe the big surprise at the end of the series will be that Walt doesn't die like we expect him to. I have a feeling there will be a nearly unpredictable twist at the end.

Hmm, that's interesting.  In that scene Walt has grown his hair out (he didn't appear to be wearing a wig) and seemed alone and on the run.  Based on how long it takes to grow hair, I am assuming that scene will be at least 6-12 months from where we are now in Walt-time. 

Right now we are about one year in Walt-time from when he was diagnosed with cancer.  If you look at the survival rates for the type of cancer he had, two years from diagnosis is pretty typical, so the heavy gun foreshadowing would be about where you would expect him to be as he neared death.  My Dad was diagnosed with slightly more advanced lung cancer than Walt's and responded just like Walt did to his cancer treatment and he survived about 16 months from his date of diagnosis.  It often comes back in the form of renewed tumor growth in the lung or brain lesions.

With advanced lung cancer you rarely live more than two years.  It would surprise me if Gilligan lets Walt out of that trap, given that he presumably chose lung cancer in the first place because it is normally fatal if not diagnosed very early.

OTOH, I sort of think that the Denny's foreshadowing was related to the end of the current season, which means we may be back around to that scene in the next three episodes.

Lots of stuff to work through, and now there is another murder to deal with.

I also don't see how Walt can possibly salvage his marriage.

So in a sense, Walt has three nooses around his neck: the cancer is trying to kill him, his choices have ruined his marriage and his family, and it's hard to imagine that Hank isn't going to catch up with him eventually and put him in prison.

[rhymenocerous]

...it's hard to imagine that Hank isn't going to catch up with him eventually and put him in prison.

I know!  Hank has been chasing Walt for 5 seasons now.  There has to be some kind of resolution where Hank at least discovers Walt's secret.

[moda0306]

Any one else feel that movies now feel severely inadequate due to their inability to flesh out plots and characters the same way shows like Breaking Bad does?  I feel like shows have finally found a way to properly leverage their length of drawn out presentation... movies simply can't get me emotionally invested like good shows can.

[AdamA]

Any one else feel that movies now feel severely inadequate due to their inability to flesh out plots and characters the same way shows like Breaking Bad does?  I feel like shows have finally found a way to properly leverage their length of drawn out presentation... movies simply can't get me emotionally invested like good shows can.

I definitely get what you're saying.

Watching 4 seasons straight of a show like Breaking Bad on DVD is like smoking crack (including the god awful come down that leaves you dying for more when it's over...no I don't actually smoke crack). 

[Tortoise]

Any one else feel that movies now feel severely inadequate due to their inability to flesh out plots and characters the same way shows like Breaking Bad does?  I feel like shows have finally found a way to properly leverage their length of drawn out presentation... movies simply can't get me emotionally invested like good shows can.

Yup, the difference between a movie and a well-made show like Breaking Bad is like the difference between a short story and a novel. Short stories can be very good, but novels... those are the ones that can suck you into another universe.

By the way, what do you guys think are some of the best scenes from Breaking Bad so far? There are so many great ones that I'm starting to forget some of them. Here are a few of my favorites:

Funniest: Still a newbie, Jesse decides to dissolve a dead body in hydrofluoric acid in his upstairs bathtub instead of in a plastic container like Walt told him to. Hilarity ensues.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LM7Vsg_7WkU

Most Badass: After Tuco screws Jesse over, Walt decides to pay him a visit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3avhU0N5lJI

Most Tragic: Walt comes to Jesse's house looking for him and finds Jesse and his new girlfriend Jane in bed, both unconscious after shooting up heroin. Walt finds a way in and sees Jane take her last breath as she dies of an overdose. Walt cries--not for Jane, but for Jesse.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjGSEYQIWak

Most Intense: Walt races to the crawl space in search of his drug money to pay for his and his family's safety, only to discover that Skyler has given almost all of it to Ted Beneke. Walt has a psychotic breakdown. Some might say this breakdown is the moment where Walt reaches the point of no return in his transformation into Heisenberg.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWfK5JyD2bA

Most Shocking: Gus tries unsuccessfully to save face. (Come on, there was no way I was going to leave this scene out.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvvBXc55ddE

[MediumTex]

By the way, what do you guys think are some of the best scenes from Breaking Bad so far? There are so many great ones that I'm starting to forget some of them.

I loved the opening sequence with the Mexican assassins singing the Tejano Heisenberg song.  I also liked the opening sequence where the prostitute was walking around to the upbeat tempo of "Wendy".

The scene with Jesse and his parents at the lawyer's office where he was able to get his house back was great.

The scene where Saul went from begging for his life near his grave to handing out business cards to Jesse and Walt was hilarious.

The shootout between Hank and the Mexican assassins was intense.

The scene in the opening episode of this season where it shows Ted in the hospital, gaunt, bald and in that neck hardware halo device looking at Skyler with an expression of pure fear was priceless.

Over the course of the show Ted went from this:



To this:

[Lone Wolf]

Yes, those are all great ones!  Good choices.

A personal favorite of mine was when Walt and Gus meet face to face in the desert in season 3's finale "Full Measure".  When Walt implies that Gus had a hand in Tomas' death, Gus says, "Are you asking me if I ordered the murder of a child?"

Walt's icy, double-edged reply: "I would never ask you that."

[dualstow]

MediumTex, even though some years have passed since his death, I am very, very sorry to hear about the loss of your father. No one should have to go through that.

- - - - - - -
I get nervous every time Walter puts the black hat on.

Because I hate spoilers, I've mostly shied away from this thread. My wife and I were renting it disc by disc on Netflix, and we've seen the first four seasons in the space of maybe two and a half months. I bought the Season Pass for part 5 on iTunes, so we're all caught up and I can peek in here. This is the only fictional TV show we watch. There is no other.
For those who are just starting the show, here be spoilers.

A few comments: this is a black comedy, so of course it's not supposed to be entirely realistic. Once one accepts that and doesn't worry about details, you see what a brilliant work of art this show is. It's not just Mr Wizard goes sour -- although that is a lot of the fun. An expert in science, a novice in "the street" -- it's largely about the characters for me.

I've never loved a show so much that I didn't even mind the insidious product placement. In fact, I want to go out and buy Splenda, an Aztek (or Challenger), items from CVS and various other goods just to show my support!  ;)

I love the nonverbal scenes: Walt looking at Gale's fabulous coffeemaker and obviously fondly reminiscing about his old partner, when suddenly the memory of Gale's end invades the pleasant recollection. I love Hector and his bell.

I love how Mike can be such a great grandpa, and how he incorporates his granddaughter's toys & gifts into his nighttime activities. "You're never too old for balloons." There's something fascinating about watching Marlon Brando as the godfather playing with a little kid in the garden. Before that, my uncle used to tell me stories (with a wink) about Hitler living secretly in South America. "And the kids love'im."

Saul Goodman is hilarious, and watching him has convinced me to buy the entire Garry Shandling show just to see the episodes that Bob Odenkirk is in. (On the pay phone with Skyler: "Whoa, I didn't get that last part. You're a real Chatty Kathy today").

The woman who plays Skyler does so very convincingly. I feel so sorry for her (and I laugh out loud) when her disabled son stammers out the B-word in anger.

I started out thinking Hank was kind of a clueless bonehead and eventually came to appreciate that he's incredibly intelligent, and just happens to have a hilarious, simple and direct way of talking and joking. (@MT: I also couldn't stop laughing at the "support the shit out of her" line). What is his deal with the elevator, by the way?

I didn't like Jesse much in the beginning, either, and his habit of pausing for two full seconds before uttering the last word in a sentence (usually "bitch") but his character has really developed like no other, save Walt.

I love Bodgan and Skinny Pete.

Ah, there's too much to write about.

[MediumTex]

MediumTex, even though some years have passed since his death, I am very, very sorry to hear about the loss of your father. No one should have to go through that.

I succeeded in dodging any serious experiences with death until I was 35.  Going through it with my dad was terrible, but it was an experience that made me a more mature person.

Losing people we care about is an experience we will all go through at some point (unless we happen to be the first to die), so being able to get over it is an important part of life.

I always thought that losing my dad would be the worst possible thing that could happen to me, and then when it happened it was the worst thing that had ever happened to me.  As time passes, though, you come to terms with it and I can now talk about it and think about it without too much pain. 

Everyone deals with these things in their own way, but for me I really do feel fortunate to have had the time I had with him and the relationship I had with him.  I also feel like I can talk to people about love ones they have lost, whereas before I really didn't know what something like that felt like.

I really feel for people who experience war and combat and large numbers of deaths (or the experience of killing another person).  I don't think we're really made to be exposed to that kind of thing for extended periods.  You can see that on Jesse's face and the absence of it on Walt's face is an easy way of seeing how hollowed out he has become.

[Lone Wolf]

My wife and I were renting it disc by disc on Netflix, and we've seen the first four seasons in the space of maybe two and a half months.

Anyone else having trouble keeping their wives hanging in there with you on this show?  My wife bailed on Breaking Bad early in season 3.  She just found Walt too despicable to continue watching.

I think that she liked and sympathized with season 1's Walter White and simply hasn't enjoyed this process of watching him change.  But, as a wise man once said, "Chemistry is the study of matter, but I prefer to see it as the study of change." 

So in a sense, Walt has three nooses around his neck: the cancer is trying to kill him, his choices have ruined his marriage and his family, and it's hard to imagine that Hank isn't going to catch up with him eventually and put him in prison.

Yes, danger is everywhere for ol' Walt.  Although it seems that nothing is more dangerous than knowing or doing business with him.

One more "noose" is Walt's treasure trove of horrible secrets that he has to keep hidden from Jesse.  If Jesse knew even one of those things about Walt (that he watched Jane die, the lily of the valley, etc.), he would forget that he ever considered him a friend.  I could see him personally killing Walt over any one of those things.

[MediumTex]

My wife and I were renting it disc by disc on Netflix, and we've seen the first four seasons in the space of maybe two and a half months.

Anyone else having trouble keeping their wives hanging in there with you on this show?  My wife bailed on Breaking Bad early in season 3.  She just found Walt too despicable to continue watching.

My wife never really got into it in the first place, but I'm sure that lots of people would not be interested in a show with such a dark premise.

There was a period last year when I was trying to get caught up on the series that I was watching several episodes a day.  That was awesome.

***

To your point about the Walt body count, it is very true that with the exception of a handful of people, coming into contact with Walt is not good for one's longevity.  It is, however, a good way to meet an interesting end, whether it be through your severed head on the back of a turtle, your body dissolved in a bathtub of acid, or half your face blown off in a rest home explosion.

[dualstow]

To (Lone Wolf's) point about the Walt body count, it is very true that with the exception of a handful of people, coming into contact with Walt is not good for one's longevity.  It is, however, a good way to meet an interesting end, whether it be through your severed head on the back of a turtle, your body dissolved in a bathtub of acid, or half your face blown off in a rest home explosion.

(Spoilers)
It's interesting to note that while Mike is a swift, accurate and efficient killer, he only seems to take out those who have wronged him + cartel bad guys. (To Lydia: "I don't know what movies you've been watching, but in the real world we don't kill eleven people as a prophylactic measure.") Being a crime newbie, Walt is much sloppier, but has progressed from "no violence!" and a self-defense/necessary killing to the passive murder of a blackmailer, running over and shooting an enemy, assassination by proxy, "I am the one who knocks", direct assassination, harming children...

Although my wife loves the show, she did shake her head in a Marge Simpsonesque 'well I don't approve of that' way after the most recent episode.  :)

EDIT: As for the rest home explosion, that was the one thing about the show that disappointed me. It was obvious that the make-up artist from 'Walking Dead' had some free time. I thought GF deserved a more dignified death.

[AdamA]

Best scene:  "I am the one who knocks."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMEq1mGpP5A  1:52

[Lone Wolf]

Although my wife loves the show, she did shake her head in a Marge Simpsonesque 'well I don't approve of that' way after the most recent episode.  :)

Spoilers ahead!

Man, I hear that.  This show might be approaching the outer limits of what I can handle.  I found the opening of Episode 6 (the dismantling of the dirtbike) emotionally wrenching and difficult to watch.

And it looks like Walt's giving up his best chance (and possibly his last chance) to get off this runaway train before it derails.  He's too prideful and trapped by the regrets of his past to understand that he's inviting calamity on himself and everything in the world that he cares about.  He's so obsessed with paying off the "mistakes" of his ancient past that he can't see he's giving up the one way he might still have to make a clean exit and rebuild what's left of his life.

[MediumTex]

He's so obsessed with paying off the "mistakes" of his ancient past that he can't see he's giving up the one way he might still have to make a clean exit and rebuild what's left of his life.

I don't know if there is anything left of his life.  I think that he is realizing that and it is making him more reckless than he already was.

He has that "I don't fear death and you do/I have nothing to live for and you do" look on his face any time he gets upset about something lately.

The only thing that gives him a sense of purpose is the thing that will probably destroy him before the cancer, the cops or anything else.

It's tragic.  The fact that Mike is basically saying "This is too much for me" is instructive.  I think that Jesse has always been a reluctant participant in all of this, so it doesn't surprise me that he wants off as well, especially if there is such a simple way of cashing out.

The way Walt has destroyed everything in his life that was good is especially sad.  A wife who loved him, great kids he was close to, respect in the community, self-respect, a basis for hope in the future...all of it gone so that he could spend the last few months of his life building a "meth empire."

[Lone Wolf]

He's so obsessed with paying off the "mistakes" of his ancient past that he can't see he's giving up the one way he might still have to make a clean exit and rebuild what's left of his life.

I don't know if there is anything left of his life.  I think that he is realizing that and it is making him more reckless than he already was.

He has that "I don't fear death and you do/I have nothing to live for and you do" look on his face any time he gets upset about something lately.

Yeah, I think that's how he's looking at things now.  To be sure, there's not much left, but I think there is still enough.

To me, he has (or had) one good option left: take the $5 million, wash his hands of the whole business, and go hat in hand back to Skyler, on his knees if necessary.  While the two of them long ago wrecked their relationship with each other, he could at least have a shot at bringing his kids back into his life.  He's got a chance at living out the end of his life near his children and winding up with a $5 million Permanent Portfolio.  I'm afraid that's as good as it's going to get for our antihero.

Of course, all of us get wrapped up in our own narratives.  Unfortunately for Walt, that narrative goes back to the events at Gray Matter.  He just can't let them go.  It's set him on a really awful path.  Makes for outstanding television, though! 

[Tortoise]

Of course, all of us get wrapped up in our own narratives.  Unfortunately for Walt, that narrative goes back to the events at Gray Matter.  He just can't let them go.  It's set him on a really awful path.  Makes for outstanding television, though! 

I'm intrigued by how Walt never mentions exactly what happened between him and his partners at Gray Matter. Ostensibly it was related to romance and jealousy, but he has never said exactly what it was. In the most recent episode when he was explaining Gray Matter to Jesse, he stopped himself and said he wouldn't go into details.

I wonder if the full story behind the drama at Gray Matter will come out before the series ends?

[Lone Wolf]

Of course, all of us get wrapped up in our own narratives.  Unfortunately for Walt, that narrative goes back to the events at Gray Matter.  He just can't let them go.  It's set him on a really awful path.  Makes for outstanding television, though! 

I'm intrigued by how Walt never mentions exactly what happened between him and his partners at Gray Matter. Ostensibly it was related to romance and jealousy, but he has never said exactly what it was. In the most recent episode when he was explaining Gray Matter to Jesse, he stopped himself and said he wouldn't go into details.

I wonder if the full story behind the drama at Gray Matter will come out before the series ends?

I'd love to hear this story as well.  It could be that they'll just leave this ambiguous and rely on the version of events each viewer has constructed for themselves.

Still, this is a show with a great writing crew.  Considering what a great job they did teasing nice backstory material out of the shadows for Mike Ehrmantraut, Gus Fring and the Salamanca family, I bet they'd handle it really well.

[dualstow]

Gray Matter: seems like the woman dumped him for the third partner in the company and therefore Walt didn't want to be there. Not knowing, of course, that the company would do so well in the future. He hadn't yet learned to seize the bull by the horns, because he hadn't yet been gored by lung cancer.

This show had better end tragically or I'm going to be rather disappointed.  :) Anyway, I have faith in Vince Gilligan that he's not going to do what the guys from 'Lost' did. I heard a sound bite promoting an interview in which he said, "The worst thing I can imagine (people saying about 'Breaking Bad') is, 'Oh, I used to love that show. Is that still on?' " So, not only is he going to quit while he's ahead, I think he's going to do it right.

When it's over, I'm going to re-watch the PBS Frontline documentary on meth. It's really well done.

As for the decisions Walt still has before him, that flash forward did not look healthy.