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Breaking Bad - Season 5, Part 1 - Sundays on AMC

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No, he's awful.
Not just the intro, we need three cuts of someone unzipping a bag? Numerous other things throughout the episode. Awful director.

Oh I see. It's the "Fly" bandwagon out to defend everything he does.
 
Her acting is honestly reminiscent of the hammy, overacting that Sirkian Melodramas were famous for in the 50s.
This.

The scene was very well written and executed. Gunn's acting was the weakest point in it and fucking creepy/crazy Walt was overbearing, acting wise Cranston was fucking perfect. Despite hating Skylar the character (also hating Walt), I got some sympathy for her this episode but I guess she'll be back to her usual ways soon.

#TeamHateSkylar
 
I'm looking up and down the wiki page for "anti-hero" and I see nothing that conflicts.

A guy who did bad things to provide for his family. Anti-hero.
All good I mean when I hear of a hero I think saving babies from a burning building.

Providing for your family is like basic stuff, but I can see where you are coming from.

Oooo a #teamhateskyler I should apply for membership.
 
I've grown to hate Walt, to the point where he's become annoying.
There came a point where I found everyone in the show irritating; maybe towards the end of season 3? Anyways, I just watch now to see if Walt eventually pulls this thing out. I don't care if he's a jerk. I would rather see him come out on top than see this show end like Scarface. The show has been doing the whole "you make your own destruction" thing for a long time now and it would disappoint me to see it end with something as predictable as a miserably dead Walt or something lame like that.

That said. Fabulous episode this week. Season 5 is making up for season 4 big time.
 
I'm looking up and down the wiki page for "anti-hero" and I see nothing that conflicts.

A guy who did bad things to provide for his family. Anti-hero.
And how exactly is him opting to produce meth rather than taking a lucrative, legal, and secure job heroic (or logical, as you so absurdly opined earlier)? For a bright man like Walt, seems kind of (read: extremely) silly to argue that the best way to "provide for his family" would be to put them in overt danger by engaging in an illicit, international drug cartel.

But continue to fight this losing battle, Don Quixote.
 
It's baffling how myopic some people are. Any tv show that is released, everyone will root for the protagonist; it's just some of you aren't open minded enough to realize the creators' intention and blindly try to rely on the protagonist to be the "good guy." Totally not the point of the show, but some of you persist anyway. You will always try to squeeze something good out of Walt and twist scenes so like Walt's innocent and Skyler's the bitch. It's like he brainwashed you guys, like Jesse.

Yeah, or maybe we just don't give a shit about the creator's intention, or the loudmouthed moral majority in the fanbase (it's a fucking television show, guys) and we like to root for Walt because he's a badass and awesome villain. It's just some of you aren't open minded enough to realize that some people might enjoy rooting for different types of characters rather than blindly rooting for whichever characters performed the most altruistic acts in a work of fucking fiction.
 
I'm looking up and down the wiki page for "anti-hero" and I see nothing that conflicts.

A guy who did bad things to provide for his family. Anti-hero.

That was true until a certain point.

Now he thrusts his family into the danger and uses them as a twisted morality shield for his actions.

He's just pure chaos at this point.
 
And how exactly is him opting to produce meth rather than taking a lucrative, legal, and secure job heroic (or logical, as you so absurdly opined earlier)? For a bright man like Walt, seems kind of (read: extremely) silly to argue that the best way to "provide for his family" would be to put them in overt danger by engaging in an illicit, international drug cartel.

So YOU condemn him.

But the show itself hasn't (with certain exception), and not all of the audience has either.

Is no one in this thread familiar with gangster rap, spaghetti westerns, scarface, etc? It's not like being asked to root for a bad guy is a new thing.


That was true until a certain point.

Now he thrusts his family into the danger and uses them as a twisted morality shield for his actions.

He's just pure chaos at this point.

I agree that it's now shifting.

And he probably will fail through his own hubris and greed, a la Scarface. "Live by the sword, die by the sword" etc.
 
Yeah, or maybe we just don't give a shit about the creator's intention, or the loudmouthed moral majority in the fanbase (it's a fucking television show, guys) and we like to root for Walt because he's a badass and awesome villain. It's just some of you aren't open minded enough to realize that some people might enjoy rooting for different types of characters rather than blindly rooting for whichever characters performed the most altruistic acts in a work of fucking fiction.

For the record, if you want to root for him *as* a bad guy I don't think anyone really has a problem with that. But a lot of people are of the opinion that Walt is a good guy and that that's the thesis of the show.
 
Fuuuuuck @ this episode. One of the best in the series imo. I have to say I'm on Team Walt. I want him to win so bad, I know he won't but it's so lovely when he out maneuvers people. If this were real life it would be a different story but since it's entertainment I can't get enough of Walt. His ego is so absolutely out of control and it's amazing to watch his downward spiral but at the same time you can't help but have some admiration and marvel at it, like a large detailed statue slowly eroding or being torn down.

I have disliked Skylar for most of the series but she definitely got my respect in this episode. I would still like to see her killed or silenced somehow but I don't hate her like I did Season 1/2 where she was going into tantrums over thinking her son was smoking marijuana.
 
I just want Walt to kill everybody and everything. I want Hank to bust Walt to see the look on his awesome face. I want Mike to keep killin and saying badass things. I want Jesse to keep being Jesse.

I AM THE ROOTER OF ALL. Not skyler though. I hope Skyler finally just embraces the evil and maybe gets Junior to run some meth FOR THE FAMILY.
 
For the record, if you want to root for him *as* a bad guy I don't think anyone really has a problem with that. But a lot of people are of the opinion that Walt is a good guy and that that's the thesis of the show.

That's a good point.

I agree that it's a stretch to say that he's not actually "bad." (in that he's clearly an over-reaching egoistic criminal)

But in another sense, I think some of the people saying "Walt is good" were kind of implying that, through being bad, he was justified, he was doing good for his family, someone to root for, etc.
 
So YOU condemn him.

But the show itself hasn't (with certain exception), and not all of the audience has either.

Is no one in this thread familiar with gangster rap, spaghetti westerns, scarface, etc? It's not like being asked to root for a bad guy is a new thing.
You're diverting the argument. You contend that Walt had instances of heroism. What the canon of Breaking Bad and every piece of commentary over the course of the show from its creator indicates that even from the very beginning, there wasn't even a degree of heroism in Walt's actions. Confusing Walt's highfalutin rhetoric and mental olympics to justify his actions with underlying motivation, intent, and actions is an error of interpretation on YOUR part. You can choose to root for him, that's your prerogative. But please, let's not belittle the vision of the show's creators with this "anti-hero" tripe.
 
You're diverting the argument. You contend that Walt had instances of heroism. What the canon of Breaking Bad and every piece of commentary over the course of the show from its creator indicates that even from the very beginning, there wasn't even a degree of heroism in Walt's actions. Confusing Walt's highfalutin rhetoric and mental olympics to justify his actions with underlying motivation, intent, and actions is an error of interpretation on YOUR part. You can choose to root for him, that's your prerogative. But please, let's not denigrate the vision of the show's creators with this "anti-hero" tripe.

I'm scratching my head here because I'm pretty sure that he got into this game to take care of his family after he was dead. If that isn't "heroism" I don't know what it is.

Not that "heroism" (in terms of doing good for people) is even required for someone to be an anti-hero! Famous anti-hero The Man With No Name in Clint Eastwood westerns was just out to get paid, and the only thing heroic about him was kicking the ass of even worse villains (not unlike Walt stopping the likes of Tuco and Gus).

We should probably agree to disagree at this point.
 
I just want Walt to kill everybody and everything. I want Hank to bust Walt to see the look on his awesome face. I want Mike to keep killin and saying badass things. I want Jesse to keep being Jesse.

I AM THE ROOTER OF ALL. Not skyler though. I hope Skyler finally just embraces the evil and maybe gets Junior to run some meth FOR THE FAMILY.
I fucking want to be your friend.
 
Fuuuuuck @ this episode. One of the best in the series imo. I have to say I'm on Team Walt. I want him to win so bad, I know he won't but it's so lovely when he out maneuvers people.
Yeah, it looks almost as if most of Breaking GAF was split between those who hate Skyler and thing she's the greatest bitch ever and those who weep for her every night and say prayers to save her from Evil Monster White.

Personally, I would put myself in a middle ground. I think she has any good reason to be upset and I also think she's more on the right side than Walt, *but* I'm still cheering for Walt because FUCK IT, it's Tv fiction, he's a way more interesting character and a lot more entertaining to follow.
 
For the record, if you want to root for him *as* a bad guy I don't think anyone really has a problem with that. But a lot of people are of the opinion that Walt is a good guy and that that's the thesis of the show.

Yes, it seems that he did at least start out as a good guy, in the very first scenes of the first episode. His gradual evolution over the following seasons is what makes him such an extraordinarily interesting and entertaining character, as well as my personal favorite. Way too many people in this thread try to tell me that this makes me a bad person, and the reason is always "because the almighty Vince Gilligan told us so!" and so I just needed to get that off my chest. Team Walt, bitches!
 
Great episode. I don't see how anyone can defend Walt after that scene.

Even Walt's car lease defense won't stand up to a tad of scrutiny btw. I think Hank is going to piece it together eventually.
 
I'm scratching my head here because I'm pretty sure that he got into this game to take care of his family after he was dead. If that isn't "heroism" I don't know what it is.

Not that "heroism" (in terms of doing good for people) is even required for someone to be an anti-hero! Famous anti-hero The Man With No Name in Clint Eastwood westerns was just out to get paid, and the only thing heroic about him was kicking the ass of even worse villains.

We should probably agree to disagree at this point.
He had a job waiting for him that would secure the well being of him and his family. I think you may have missed an episode or just perhaps gleefully glossing over the most crucial aspect of this argument.

I would want to take care of my family if I was on the precipice of dying as well. Faced with the set of choices between a legal, well-paying job that would require the most minuscule degree of humility or cooking meth, something that would greatly endanger the lives of those closest to me, I would make the choice that any purported "hero" would make. To argue otherwise is not a matter of "agreeing to disagree." It's more akin to arguing that the sky is yellow.
 
He had a job waiting for him that would secure the well being of him and his family. I think you may have missed an episode or just perhaps gleefully glossing over the most crucial aspect of this argument.

I would want to take care of my family if I was on the precipice of dying as well. Faced with the set of choices between a legal, well-paying job that would require the most minuscule degree of humility or cooking meth, something that would greatly endanger the lives of those closest to me, I would make the choice that any purported "hero" would make. To argue otherwise is not a matter of "agreeing to disagree." It's more akin to arguing that the sky is yellow.

So someone can only be a form of a hero or anti-hero if they adhere to your moral compass. Got it.
 
Look at us. This show is so amazing that it's causing people to ask real moral questions about what's right and wrong, and henceforth apply these ideas to the characters and their interactions and developments.
 
I liked when Walt brought up that he had been diagnosed with cancer only one year ago, and Marie was like, "It feels like it's been so much longer." That had to be a little inside joke about how long this year has felt for the viewers.

Anyway, another great episode. The early scene with Walt and Jr. in their new cars as the camera kept panning back and forth between them felt a little bit out of place, though.
 
Look at us. This show is so amazing that it's causing people to ask real moral questions about what's right and wrong, and henceforth apply these ideas to the characters and their interactions and developments.

Very true.

And that was kind of my thesis... it doesn't spell out the morality within the structure of the show itself (with some exception), so what we are actually discussing is our own moral values more than that of the show itself.
 
Good episode.

It was a surprise to see Skyler finally trying to stand up to Walt. Who knows if she'll keep on with it.
I wouldn't count on it. What little she did here was basically an admission of weakness. She doesn't have any moves left unless there's something I'm not thinking of. I hope they do something more interesting with her character though.
 
Sad to see people still hating on skylar after even all this.

Out of anyone on the show, she's had it the hardest. She is constantly faced with the fear of something terrible happening to her children because of the actions of their father, and the actions she involved herself in. Her only desire was to protect her family, from the people walt works with, from person walt is becoming, and the future they would have if they were ever caught, imagine being the son and daughter of "Heisenberg" something that would destroy the image of their father AND mother as well as their lives in the future.
 
I can understand some of the Skylar hate, since her character is that of an incredibly flawed person. It's a testament to the writers' abilities that she's able to issue such (polarizing) emotions in others. I don't think everyone should necessarily have to be on her side at this point because of those things.

But holy hell do I not understand how anyone could possibly be on Walt's side anymore. He has gone so far beyond so many lines that it scares me a bit that others are actually rooting for him at this point.
 
I can understand some of the Skylar hate, since her character is that of an incredibly flawed person. It's a testament to the writers' abilities that she's able to issue such (polarizing) emotions in others. I don't think everyone should necessarily have to be on her side at this point because of those things.

But holy hell do I not understand how anyone could possibly be on Walt's side anymore. He has gone so far beyond so many lines that it scares me a bit that others are actually rooting for him at this point.

It's just internet troll masters that say they root for Walt now. If you meet someone in real life who roots for Walt now there is a good chance that person is a sociopath.
 
I'm asking you to defend your posture on Walt's heroism, and you cannot. Please, give me a compelling argument, pulling from the source material if at all possible.
I only ever said he was an anti-hero.

You didn't seem to like that... So why continue?
 
If you meet someone in real life who roots for Walt now there is a good chance that person is a sociopath.

There have been numerous TV shows/movies where I root for the clearly bad guy because him winning would make for a way better story. Good to know that's not allowed and every story ever needs to have every bad guy locked up or dead.

There are several good reasons to root for Walt. The biggest one of them being the fact that the show would probably suffer a bit if he was dead or in jail right now.
 
There have been numerous TV shows/movies where I root for the clearly bad guy because him winning would make for a way better story. Good to know that's not allowed and every story ever needs to have every bad guy locked up or dead.

There are several good reasons to root for Walt. The biggest one of them being the fact that the show would probably suffer a bit if he was dead or in jail right now.

I think there's a difference between rooting for the bad guy out of dread curiosity, and rooting for the bad guy because you sympathize with them and think they're the good guy.
 
I want there to come a point where Skylar truly understands what Walt is capable of. So far she's only assumed bits and pieces she hasn't actually seen him in action yet. I really hope she does at some point so she can truly understand fear etc. and Walt does that i won shit eating grin at her.
 
People here get yelled at for both.

I think people who root for walt understanding that he's a bad person just think they're getting yelled at, mostly.

There are a lot fewer of the true believers at this point, though. The show is telegraphing Walt's badness pretty heavily at this point.
 
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