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

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Oh I think you give the writers too little credit. They are deliberately constructing a story in which you are encouraged to root for a person who's rotten to the core. I don't think it's reflective of anyone's moral compass at all, but a reflection of how carefully they've manipulated the audience. To the point that they've openly stated as much and people still don't believe it. What they've constructed is amazing.

Exactly. Breaking Bad is a paragon of audience manipulation. It's quite a sight to behold.

It's show that has had the main character committing unarguably heinous acts yet leaves a presumably large section of the audience still on his side and wanting to see him pull through. It's rare enough to see such a stark protagonist-->antagonist shift, but the subterfuge the show has managed with Walt over its run is quite adept.

It goes beyond the simple attraction of "rooting for the villain" since many people don't particularly view Walt as truly villainous, but rather just as someone who was dealt a bad hand and responded accordingly. They then view it as Walt attempting to get out of the hole he's dug for himself, when really he is - in a brilliantly self-aware fashion and with no qualms at all - just digging deeper.

Walt originally broke bad because he was at the end of his rope; it was a move of pure desperation. Afterwards and now, he's breaking bad because he's Heisenberg, drug kingpin, and fuck everybody else.
 
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Also, Francesco Francavilla is continuing to do minimalist posters for each episode of the show. You can find them here on his blog.
 
I'm beginning to think this is a show about how the presence of women just fucks everything over in this crime situation.

Walt, ahem Hberg should have continued to keep her in the dark, there was no real reason to tell her the truth in any scenario.

never mix business and women it can only get ugly.

he can be a kingpin like GUS but only if skysky disappears somehow.

anyways the hat gives walt super HBerg Powers...
 
Exactly. Breaking Bad is a paragon of audience manipulation. It's quite a sight to behold.

It's show that has had the main character committing unarguably heinous acts yet leaves a presumably large section of the audience still on his side and wanting to see him pull through. It's rare enough to see such a stark protagonist-->antagonist shift, but the subterfuge the show has managed with Walt over its run is quite adept.

It goes beyond the simple attraction of "rooting for the villain" since many people don't particularly view Walt as truly villainous, but rather just as someone who was dealt a bad hand and responded accordingly. They then view it as Walt attempting to get out of the hole he's dug for himself, when really he is - in a brilliantly self-aware fashion and with no qualms at all - just digging deeper.

Walt originally broke bad because he was at the end of his rope; it was a move of pure desperation. Afterwards and now, he's breaking bad because he's Heisenberg, drug kingpin, and fuck everybody else.

You should watch The Shield if you think that BB is good at making you pull for an antagonist.
 
This. I don't remember the show being quite as heavy handed as it has been so far this season (other than the extreme close up on the plant last season), though I could be wrong.

This episode in particular. Also, a lot more referencing of past events in this episode. It had a reference to practically every other episode
 
So Mike will have to eventually stop meeting with Jesse and Walt right? Considering Hank and his guys will probably have surveillance on him soon. Wonder how the writers are going to deal with that issue.
 
It goes beyond the simple attraction of "rooting for the villain" since many people don't particularly view Walt as truly villainous, but rather just as someone who was dealt a bad hand and responded accordingly. They then view it as Walt attempting to get out of the hole he's dug for himself, when really he is - in a brilliantly self-aware fashion and with no qualms at all - just digging deeper.

Walt was still a partially sympathetic character up until the ending of season 4. Even with Gale you knew that it was an unfortunate, him or us, situation that was morally gray, but after the lily of the valley you have to realize he's no longer the guy to root for.
 
The birthday breakfast scene this episode when he made Skyler show Holly the bacon tradition. convinces that yes, Skyler will dies and that Heisenberg will probably kill her. Look back at the opening scene of the premiere, notice the the look in Walt's eyes as he stares at the 52 made of bacon on his plate.
 
This episode in particular. Also, a lot more referencing of past events in this episode. It had a reference to practically every other episode

And it seems like there's self-referential stuff that hasn't ever been there before. In last night's ep, Marie says something like "wow, it seems like it's been a lot longer than that" and it seemed like the only thing missing was them all stopping and looking at the camera to drive the point home. Maybe I'm reading this stuff wrong, but I've caught a few moments like that. I still love the show, but the writing doesn't seem as good over these last few episodes as it has been in the past.

You should really just watch The Shield, period.

Truth.
 
I still dont see how some people can root for Walt. Hes so unlikable in my mind and theres not a single thing he can do to redeem himself.

I love Walt from a "whats he gunna do next" perspective but thats it. The guy deserves to have a bullet in head.
 
I still dont see how some people can root for Walt. Hes so unlikable in my mind and theres not a single thing he can do to redeem himself.

I love Walt from a "whats he gunna do next" perspective but thats it. The guy deserves to have a bullet in head.

Up until the end of Season 4, I didn't think he was so far gone that he was beyond repair, but now I cringe at every scene he's in. It's like watching Curb Your Enthusiasm -- you always want him to do the right thing but you know he never will.
 
And it seems like there's self-referential stuff that hasn't ever been there before. In last night's ep, Marie says something like "wow, it seems like it's been a lot longer than that" and it seemed like the only thing missing was them all stopping and looking at the camera to drive the point home. Maybe I'm reading this stuff wrong, but I've caught a few moments like that. I still love the show, but the writing doesn't seem as good over these last few episodes as it has been in the past.
"At least the windshield didn't need to be fixed again!"

Even the Walter Jr. getting his breakfast taken scene was a little too meta.

I disagree about the writing though - this has been my favorite season since the second one thusfar.
 
He´s cooking meth ffs

Yeah, but he was always the lesser evil, doing it for a good reason, for his family.

Now that Gus is gone, Walt himself is the greatest evil. He's trying to become Gus, it's obvious. To still be rooting for him is ridiculous. He's a power hungry manipulative hypocrite.
 
"At least the windshield didn't need to be fixed again!"

Even the Walter Jr. getting his breakfast taken scene was a little too meta.

I disagree about the writing though - this has been my favorite season since the second one thusfar.

I'm counting the self-referential and heavy handed stuff against the writing. BB has never made me roll my eyes before, and it has a few times this season. When the writing is solid, I really enjoy this season so far, the pacing alone is probably the best of the series.
 
I'm counting the self-referential and heavy handed stuff against the writing. BB has never made me roll my eyes before, and it has a few times this season. When the writing is solid, I really enjoy this season so far, the pacing alone is probably the best of the series.

The pacing is such a huge shift, but it's really working. We used to get whole episodes about an afternoon with Jesse and the meth heads, now he drives 14 hours off camera.
 
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I'm betting Lydia. She was acting fishy. Especially the way she got Jesse to say Mikes full name and who he is working for. I have a feeling she was recording him.

Yeah, unless the feds tagged every single barrel there, which would be impractical than the one barrel they wanted to use was tagged. As Mike said it would also be sloppy as hell to put it on the bottom because of how easily it would be seen. I'm guessing Mike's theory is half right and she wanted to scare them off with fake pressure. However I have a very bad feeling that there is a twist here and she is planning something else that will end Mike.
 
Walt originally broke bad because he was at the end of his rope; it was a move of pure desperation. Afterwards and now, he's breaking bad because he's Heisenberg, drug kingpin, and fuck everybody else.
Sounds just like Skylar until she had her epiphany when Ted screwed her (figuratively) over. I laughed when I read some reactions to Skylar's cancer line. I saw it as an act of pure desperation. Throughout the whole scene she's laying it all out how she has nothing. We know she's a controlling figure and now she's completely powerless just struggling to at least do what she believes is necessary to keep her kids safe. Hell the cancer line may have been a wish for herself after all the smoking she was doing.
 
What in the fuck did I just read? One of the most ridiculous things I've read in here and that's saying something.

Poor old psychopath Walt. Sure he's making meth. Sure he's killing people. Sure he's threatening people but man his wife is such a meanie. Give me a break. Skyler isn't perfect (she fucked Ted) but to say that she's worse than Walt is completely moronic.

Since it's just a TV show you can support whoever but some people seem to honestly believe their reasoning and I wouldn't be surprised to see them apply it to real life situations.


You truly are the devil's advocate.
A guy has cancer isn't that deep in the business yet while Skylar revels in debauchery.
Did you only watch the last couple of seasons? Skylar was & remains a bitch since episode one.
Walt was still that science professor at heart at the point of Skylar's treacherous actions.
Skylar is clearly the broken lynch pin in the family dynamic. She has been the major catalyst (ranked ahead of illness) that caused Walt to truly live up to the title "Breaking Bad".

I can identify with a man trying to leave something behind for his families future, I cannot identify with a pregnant whore fucking around on her terminally ill husband. (nice touch downplaying that)
Perhaps if you Skylar Squires ever have a major medical tragedy occur & your wife fucks the next man & gives him hundreds of thousands of your dollars you would change your minds.
It's easy to call me a sociopath or moronic. I just hope you endure similar circumstances so I can see the hilarious future thread of how much of a villain your wife has become.....

Get real at the point of Skylar's major transgressions Walt was just a happy go lucky science geek cooking for money small time. His character is that of one that when pressure is on he will overcome with every atom of his being.
All the negative energy spewed into his lap has turned him more negative.


( you act as if Skylar didn't damn near beg Walt to be apart of his business when he left as told & separated it from family, Skylar wanted in on the act. She put herself in so deep that Saul is her lawyer as well.
She brought this upon herself, her character is that of a money hungry coward, who uses those around her for what they can offer. I have seen nothing genuine about her. She is just the dark cloud that pisses on everybody's parade & then says woe is me afterwards wallowing in her own self pity.)
 
You truly are the devil's advocate.
A guy has cancer isn't that deep in the business yet while Skylar revels in debauchery.
Did you only watch the last couple of seasons? Skylar was & remains a bitch since episode one.
Walt was still that science professor at heart at the point of Skylar's treacherous actions.
Skylar is clearly the broken lynch pin in the family dynamic. She has been the major catalyst (ranked ahead of illness) that caused Walt to truly live up to the title "Breaking Bad".

I can identify with a man trying to leave something behind for his families future, I cannot identify with a pregnant whore fucking around on her terminally ill husband. (nice touch downplaying that)
Perhaps if you Skylar Squires ever have a major medical tragedy occur & your wife fucks the next man & gives him hundreds of thousands of your dollars you would change your minds.
It's easy to call me a sociopath or moronic. I just hope you endure similar circumstances so I can see the hilarious future thread of how much of a villain your wife has become.....

Get real at the point of Skylar's major transgressions Walt was just a happy go lucky science geek cooking for money small time. His character is that of one that when pressure is on he will overcome with every atom of his being.
All the negative energy spewed into his lap has turned him more negative.


( you act as if Skylar didn't damn near beg Walt to be apart of his business when he left as told & separated it from family, Skylar wanted in on the act. She put herself in so deep that Saul is her lawyer as well.
She brought this upon herself, her character is that of a money hungry coward, who uses those around her for what they can offer. I have seen nothing genuine about her. She is just the dark cloud that pisses on everybody's parade & then says woe is me afterwards wallowing in her own self pity.)

Whoa...
 
You should really just watch The Shield, period.

Yeah. Let's talk about The Shield instead of how evil Walt is or isn't.

Recently finished The Shield myself and guys, if you're sad about Breaking Bad nearing its end because you don't have anything as awesome to watch, then The Shield is totally what you want.

Purely as far as thrills and ohmygodwhat'sgonnahappen tension goes, I basically watched a season per day of The Shield. Not because I wanted to finish quickly or anything, but because I just wanted to see the story move on because it was awesome. Breaking Bad hasn't come close to The Shield's fifth season yet.

Other than the thrills, it's also full of excellent character stories. I'm still depressed about the arc of a character in the first couple seasons. The show is great in that department as well.

If you're in this thread (which means you like Breaking Bad) and haven't seen The Shield, that is a mistake.
 
You truly are the devil's advocate.
A guy has cancer isn't that deep in the business yet while Skylar revels in debauchery.
Did you only watch the last couple of seasons? Skylar was & remains a bitch since episode one.
Walt was still that science professor at heart at the point of Skylar's treacherous actions.
Skylar is clearly the broken lynch pin in the family dynamic. She has been the major catalyst (ranked ahead of illness) that caused Walt to truly live up to the title "Breaking Bad".

I can identify with a man trying to leave something behind for his families future, I cannot identify with a pregnant whore fucking around on her terminally ill husband. (nice touch downplaying that)
Perhaps if you Skylar Squires ever have a major medical tragedy occur & your wife fucks the next man & gives him hundreds of thousands of your dollars you would change your minds.
It's easy to call me a sociopath or moronic. I just hope you endure similar circumstances so I can see the hilarious future thread of how much of a villain your wife has become.....

Get real at the point of Skylar's major transgressions Walt was just a happy go lucky science geek cooking for money small time. His character is that of one that when pressure is on he will overcome with every atom of his being.
All the negative energy spewed into his lap has turned him more negative.


( you act as if Skylar didn't damn near beg Walt to be apart of his business when he left as told & separated it from family, Skylar wanted in on the act. She put herself in so deep that Saul is her lawyer as well.
She brought this upon herself, her character is that of a money hungry coward, who uses those around her for what they can offer. I have seen nothing genuine about her. She is just the dark cloud that pisses on everybody's parade & then says woe is me afterwards wallowing in her own self pity.)
lol
 
Poor old psychopath Walt. Sure he's making meth. Sure he's killing people. Sure he's threatening people but man his wife is such a meanie. Give me a break. Skyler isn't perfect (she fucked Ted) but to say that she's worse than Walt is completely moronic.

Skylar was on board with it at first. Walt killed the one threat his family had, and now she's acting up. I'd trust Walt's word more than anyone else's right now, If I was her.

'I thought you were the danger?' ... Why is she worried then? :P
 
Sounds just like Skylar until she had her epiphany when Ted screwed her (figuratively) over. I laughed when I read some reactions to Skylar's cancer line. I saw it as an act of pure desperation. Throughout the whole scene she's laying it all out how she has nothing. We know she's a controlling figure and now she's completely powerless just struggling to at least do what she believes is necessary to keep her kids safe. Hell the cancer line may have been a wish for herself after all the smoking she was doing.

Nope. I remember her confessing to the lawyer that she was waiting for Walt to die. Nothing pre-planned or manipulative about it.

Skylar was on board with it at first. Walt killed the one threat his family had, and now she's acting up. I'd trust Walt's word more than anyone else's right now, If I was her.

Yeah I agree, Walt has proven that he's a pretty trustworthy guy when it comes to his businOH COME ON MAN.
 
You truly are the devil's advocate.
A guy has cancer isn't that deep in the business yet while Skylar revels in debauchery.
Did you only watch the last couple of seasons? Skylar was & remains a bitch since episode one.
Walt was still that science professor at heart at the point of Skylar's treacherous actions.
Skylar is clearly the broken lynch pin in the family dynamic. She has been the major catalyst (ranked ahead of illness) that caused Walt to truly live up to the title "Breaking Bad".

I can identify with a man trying to leave something behind for his families future, I cannot identify with a pregnant whore fucking around on her terminally ill husband. (nice touch downplaying that)
Perhaps if you Skylar Squires ever have a major medical tragedy occur & your wife fucks the next man & gives him hundreds of thousands of your dollars you would change your minds.
It's easy to call me a sociopath or moronic. I just hope you endure similar circumstances so I can see the hilarious future thread of how much of a villain your wife has become.....

Get real at the point of Skylar's major transgressions Walt was just a happy go lucky science geek cooking for money small time. His character is that of one that when pressure is on he will overcome with every atom of his being.
All the negative energy spewed into his lap has turned him more negative.


( you act as if Skylar didn't damn near beg Walt to be apart of his business when he left as told & separated it from family, Skylar wanted in on the act. She put herself in so deep that Saul is her lawyer as well.
She brought this upon herself, her character is that of a money hungry coward, who uses those around her for what they can offer. I have seen nothing genuine about her. She is just the dark cloud that pisses on everybody's parade & then says woe is me afterwards wallowing in her own self pity.)
LMAO

This is why good shows should not go mainstream, fellas.
 
You truly are the devil's advocate.
A guy has cancer isn't that deep in the business yet while Skylar revels in debauchery.
Did you only watch the last couple of seasons? Skylar was & remains a bitch since episode one.
Walt was still that science professor at heart at the point of Skylar's treacherous actions.
Skylar is clearly the broken lynch pin in the family dynamic. She has been the major catalyst (ranked ahead of illness) that caused Walt to truly live up to the title "Breaking Bad".

I can identify with a man trying to leave something behind for his families future, I cannot identify with a pregnant whore fucking around on her terminally ill husband. (nice touch downplaying that)
Perhaps if you Skylar Squires ever have a major medical tragedy occur & your wife fucks the next man & gives him hundreds of thousands of your dollars you would change your minds.
It's easy to call me a sociopath or moronic. I just hope you endure similar circumstances so I can see the hilarious future thread of how much of a villain your wife has become.....

Get real at the point of Skylar's major transgressions Walt was just a happy go lucky science geek cooking for money small time. His character is that of one that when pressure is on he will overcome with every atom of his being.
All the negative energy spewed into his lap has turned him more negative.


( you act as if Skylar didn't damn near beg Walt to be apart of his business when he left as told & separated it from family, Skylar wanted in on the act. She put herself in so deep that Saul is her lawyer as well.
She brought this upon herself, her character is that of a money hungry coward, who uses those around her for what they can offer. I have seen nothing genuine about her. She is just the dark cloud that pisses on everybody's parade & then says woe is me afterwards wallowing in her own self pity.)

Damn, there's some serious misogyny abound where it comes to Skylar.
 
You truly are the devil's advocate.
A guy has cancer isn't that deep in the business yet while Skylar revels in debauchery.
Did you only watch the last couple of seasons? Skylar was & remains a bitch since episode one.
Walt was still that science professor at heart at the point of Skylar's treacherous actions.
Skylar is clearly the broken lynch pin in the family dynamic. She has been the major catalyst (ranked ahead of illness) that caused Walt to truly live up to the title "Breaking Bad".

I can identify with a man trying to leave something behind for his families future, I cannot identify with a pregnant whore fucking around on her terminally ill husband. (nice touch downplaying that)
Perhaps if you Skylar Squires ever have a major medical tragedy occur & your wife fucks the next man & gives him hundreds of thousands of your dollars you would change your minds.
It's easy to call me a sociopath or moronic. I just hope you endure similar circumstances so I can see the hilarious future thread of how much of a villain your wife has become.....

Get real at the point of Skylar's major transgressions Walt was just a happy go lucky science geek cooking for money small time. His character is that of one that when pressure is on he will overcome with every atom of his being.
All the negative energy spewed into his lap has turned him more negative.


( you act as if Skylar didn't damn near beg Walt to be apart of his business when he left as told & separated it from family, Skylar wanted in on the act. She put herself in so deep that Saul is her lawyer as well.
She brought this upon herself, her character is that of a money hungry coward, who uses those around her for what they can offer. I have seen nothing genuine about her. She is just the dark cloud that pisses on everybody's parade & then says woe is me afterwards wallowing in her own self pity.)

Wow. Do people actually think like this?
 
To be fair though, in terms diegetic morality, Skylar isn't the cleanest dish in the china. She's pretty much a hypocrite on every moral stance she's paraded within the show, and while Walt is the catalyst for this moral corruption (just as Cancer was the catalyst to Walt's moral corruption), I'm not quite sure how people manage to flog Walt on moral grounds while propping up Skylar simultaneously as some sympathetic victim.
 
You truly are the devil's advocate.
A guy has cancer isn't that deep in the business yet while Skylar revels in debauchery.
Did you only watch the last couple of seasons? Skylar was & remains a bitch since episode one.
Walt was still that science professor at heart at the point of Skylar's treacherous actions.
Skylar is clearly the broken lynch pin in the family dynamic. She has been the major catalyst (ranked ahead of illness) that caused Walt to truly live up to the title "Breaking Bad".

I can identify with a man trying to leave something behind for his families future, I cannot identify with a pregnant whore fucking around on her terminally ill husband. (nice touch downplaying that)
Perhaps if you Skylar Squires ever have a major medical tragedy occur & your wife fucks the next man & gives him hundreds of thousands of your dollars you would change your minds.
It's easy to call me a sociopath or moronic. I just hope you endure similar circumstances so I can see the hilarious future thread of how much of a villain your wife has become.....

Get real at the point of Skylar's major transgressions Walt was just a happy go lucky science geek cooking for money small time. His character is that of one that when pressure is on he will overcome with every atom of his being.
All the negative energy spewed into his lap has turned him more negative.


( you act as if Skylar didn't damn near beg Walt to be apart of his business when he left as told & separated it from family, Skylar wanted in on the act. She put herself in so deep that Saul is her lawyer as well.
She brought this upon herself, her character is that of a money hungry coward, who uses those around her for what they can offer. I have seen nothing genuine about her. She is just the dark cloud that pisses on everybody's parade & then says woe is me afterwards wallowing in her own self pity.)

Jeez...
 
"Skylar Squires" does sound kinda badass, though.

To be fair though, in terms diegetic morality, Skylar isn't the cleanest dish in the china. She's pretty much a hypocrite on every moral stance she's paraded within the show, and while Walt is the catalyst for this moral corruption (just as Cancer was the catalyst to Walt's moral corruption), I'm not quite sure how people manage to flog Walt on moral grounds while propping up Skylar simultaneously as some sympathetic victim.
Oh Skyler's hands aren't clean at all, but it's just hard to be mad at her when comparing her transgressions to Walt going around murdering people and poisoning children. I can get why people don't like her, cause while I am a "Skyler Squire", I find her pretty annoying too. lol
 
To be fair though, in terms diegetic morality, Skylar isn't the cleanest dish in the china. She's pretty much a hypocrite on every moral stance she's paraded within the show, and while Walt is the catalyst for this moral corruption (just as Cancer was the catalyst to Walt's moral corruption), I'm not quite sure how people manage to flog Walt on moral grounds while propping up Skylar simultaneously as some sympathetic victim.

I'm really curious what major crimes Skyler has committed. Being a hypocrite and an adulteress, laundering money and annoying GAF for the first few seasons is pretty light fare compared with just about everyone else on the show except Walt Jr.
 
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