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LTTP - Breaking Bad

Grenseal

Grenseal

Member
Breaking Bad is less than the sum of its parts. Characters get undeserved love and hate. Why do I think this?

1. Walt sucks from the start and has no character progression.
This was the hook of the show. A terminally ill teacher trying to make money quick to leave for his family only to find himself devolving into a terrible person. This is false. Walt was always a terrible person and his cancer diagnosis was just his excuse to live out his fantasy. Sure he was in over his head, but he always resented his family and his past mistakes that left him in a position he believed was 'beneath' him. His reaction to learning that his cancer was in remission was telling of this. He couldn't use it as an excuse anymore. Hell, the only reason he goes back in the end rather than waiting for the authorities is because the Elliot and Gretchen tried to distance themselves from Walt and Gray Matters.

2. Skyler was not the worst
Baby on the way. Husband diagnosed with cancer. Husband constantly leaves for hours and days. Constantly lies. Who the hell wouldn't snap? I agree that her suggesting some permanent ways to tie up loose ends at the end of the series was much, but she was looking at losing what little she had left of her family. Skyler was one of the biggest victims (not counting the dead ones).

3. Gus was an idiot
Didn't adhere to his own rules when partnering up with Walt, put himself in the line of fire for no reason except to gloat. How the hell did he survive this long anyways?

4. Mike was an idiot too
Take the L and just fuck off. How many people did he kill? And he had a problem with his guys being expendable in lockup? Really? Should have just walked away with the bag.

5. Saul was only good because he was played by Bob Odenkirk
Replace him with anyone else and it wouldn't have worked.

6. Jesse should have been the focus after the second season
I feel like he was the real audience surrogate. Became one of my favorites. But come on, how many times are you going to BSOD whenever the obviously evil dudes do obviously evil shit?

6. Hank
Best character in the entire show.
 
I met Giancarlo Esposito and he's short, he's easily about 1.64 cm or 1.65 cm

He signed my copy of Cyberpunk 2077 for PS4

Frankie Muniz is shorter than him
 
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One of the best TV shows ever.
Zero fat. Everything onscreen has a purpose & reason.

Here are the boys hanging on my hallway wall 😊
IdE6JxSKtFHvTQad.jpg
 
It's just dumb fun, nothing more, but it's a LOT of dumb fun.

People actually LIKING Walt was wild though. Dude was a total loser. And totally agreed that both Gus and Mike are morons, hyped up like they are some sort of geniuses. Pretty silly stuff but it's like a comic book TV show basically.

And yeah people who thought Skylar was unreasonable were lunatics. Her personality kind of sucks though lol
 
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IntentionalPun said:
It's just dumb fun, nothing more, but it's a LOT of dumb fun.

People actually LIKING Walt was wild though. Dude was a total loser. And totally agreed that both Gus and Mike are morons, hyped up like they are some sort of geniuses. Pretty silly stuff but it's like a comic book TV show basically.

And yeah people who thought Skylar was unreasonable were lunatics. Her personality kind of sucks though lol
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I think Mike character is a lot better in BCS, Gus maybe as well.

I also loved Nacho, both BB and BCS trades blows when it comes to gangsta stuff. Overall both shows are brilliant (BB is a bit better).
 
Not only do characters progress, the show progresses. It starts off as pretty humorous at times in the first season and gradually gets darker and darker.
 
Yes Walter was bitter and resentful from the start. The show is about the evil and deception against himself and others unraveling in front of our eyes.

It is natural for the audience to like Walter first time they view the show to some point as the story is told in a way that requires multiple viewings to put together as a whole.

Personally I view the show as a deep study of evil. It is kin to Crime & Punishment but inverse in some aspects.
 
Yeah Walter was always a terrible person - that's kinda the point.
He was a man with the potential to do great (and/or terrible) things who had settled for a normal life after being frustrated in his ambitions but that resentment and ambition remained bubbling under the surface.
Breaking Bad is about what happens when the brakes come off.

My only really major issue with the show is the whole plane crash part which is seemingly forgotten so quickly.
 
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Bojji said:
I think Mike character is a lot better in BCS, Gus maybe as well.

I also loved Nacho, both BB and BCS trades blows when it comes to gangsta stuff. Overall both shows are brilliant (BB is a bit better).
Click to expand...
I tried re-watching BCS and liked it quite a bit less (especially the 1st season or 2) the 2nd time vs. BB which has really held up for me.
 
Grenseal said:
Breaking Bad is less than the sum of its parts. Characters get undeserved love and hate. Why do I think this?

1. Walt sucks from the start and has no character progression.
This was the hook of the show. A terminally ill teacher trying to make money quick to leave for his family only to find himself devolving into a terrible person. This is false. Walt was always a terrible person and his cancer diagnosis was just his excuse to live out his fantasy. Sure he was in over his head, but he always resented his family and his past mistakes that left him in a position he believed was 'beneath' him. His reaction to learning that his cancer was in remission was telling of this. He couldn't use it as an excuse anymore. Hell, the only reason he goes back in the end rather than waiting for the authorities is because the Elliot and Gretchen tried to distance themselves from Walt and Gray Matters.

2. Skyler was not the worst
Baby on the way. Husband diagnosed with cancer. Husband constantly leaves for hours and days. Constantly lies. Who the hell wouldn't snap? I agree that her suggesting some permanent ways to tie up loose ends at the end of the series was much, but she was looking at losing what little she had left of her family. Skyler was one of the biggest victims (not counting the dead ones).

3. Gus was an idiot
Didn't adhere to his own rules when partnering up with Walt, put himself in the line of fire for no reason except to gloat. How the hell did he survive this long anyways?

4. Mike was an idiot too
Take the L and just fuck off. How many people did he kill? And he had a problem with his guys being expendable in lockup? Really? Should have just walked away with the bag.

5. Saul was only good because he was played by Bob Odenkirk
Replace him with anyone else and it wouldn't have worked.

6. Jesse should have been the focus after the second season
I feel like he was the real audience surrogate. Became one of my favorites. But come on, how many times are you going to BSOD whenever the obviously evil dudes do obviously evil shit?

6. Hank
Best character in the entire show.
Click to expand...
I agree with every point and I finished watching it for the first time a few weeks ago. Personally I think it's only a 7/10 show. Like you said, the progression never feels satisfying because he feels like he's the same person from beginning to end. Perhaps that was their goal, but it makes for a less interesting character study. I would have wanted to see something like with Michael Corleoni or Phoenix's Joker where they descend ever deeper due to some things being out of their control and they finally accept what they are/have become. Walter is all over the place in comparison and you never get a good grasp over where he is mentally and morally.

Hank is the most interesting and well-written character on the show. I think he's the biggest reason why I kept watching it.
 
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I don't think Walter White's arc was ever really meant to be "good person turns into bad person," it was "passive wimp turns into brutal predator."

Skylar was generally always in the right, but Anna Gunn probably did too good of a job portraying her as a shrill hen-pecking C-U-next-Tuesday.
 
Muffdraul said:
I don't think Walter White's arc was ever really meant to be "good person turns into bad person," it was "passive wimp turns into brutal predator."
Click to expand...

The funnier one is people trying to say that Jimmy/Saul "broke bad" at some point during BCS. Ignoring that he's a skeevy con-man who ripped off his own parents way before the events of the show.

Walt decides to start selling meth despite being a school teacher right in the very first episode so yeah you can also say he was probably not a great guy probably ever lol

I think Vince Gilligan likes playing around with people's perceptions of characters, particularly with BCS. People ignoring so much about Jimmy because he was personable when the info is right there in front of them that he's human garbage lol
 
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In regards to characters being dumb, this show mainly boils down ego, greed and buying into your own hype. The majority of the big characters started to feel like they were untouchable not long before their fall, Walt even says as much in his "I am the one who knocks" speech.
 
Some other notes since I'm not trying to just hate on everything.

I liked Walt Jr./Flynn. I felt bad for him dealing with all the garbage life just kept piling on him.

Combo's death was probably the biggest surprise and gut punch for me. Not because of the character but because of the setup and who pulled the trigger.

I was relieved more than anything when Todd exited stage left. Great actor though.

The little boy in the crack house was heartbreaking. I tried to tell myself it is just a show, but I know situations like that and worse are all too common in real life.

Saul was probably the best addition to the show to keep it from becoming too dark to care. I haven't seen BCS or El Camino yet, but I'm considering it. Maybe after a quick Seinfeld marathon.
 
Skyler was undeservedly shit on by the fandom.

She's gaslit every step of the way until she discovers the truth, and then still protects Walter's image by making herself look like the asshole.
 
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