Breaking Bad - Season 5, Part 1 - Sundays on AMC
- Thread starter Cornballer
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I really lolled seeing Gomie's smile.
Yeah, I can't root for Walt either anymore. I always understood to a lesser extent what he did but this was the last straw.
Earlier I said I didn't think Hank would find out this early, but that's the only big midseason cliffhanger I can think of. Plus, having Hank as the main antagonist for a full year would be awesome to see (antagonists don't have to be bad guys). The other option that comes to mind would be a death in the White family, but I don't think people here would be too jaded by that, haha.
Ventilaator
Banned
Man, this episode was going so great until the end. Shooting Mike makes absolutely no sense to me. Sure, Walt wanted the names, but a dead Mike isn't gonna give them to him any more.
Oh come on, Hank should've figured it out ages ago. Plot armor.
It was a fit of rage. If he really wanted the names he could've held him at gunpoint. The stuff he said afterword about not needing to do it - that was his poor rationalization.
Nameless
Member
Not long ago Mike was seconds away from putting a bullet in the back of Walt's head on orders from Fring. How many times, in fact, has Mike aimed a gun at him with bad intentions? How many times has Walt been screwed and/or lied to by Mike? And Walt's the asshole? Mike turning down Heisenberg's generous offer of 1/3 ownership of an empire only to come groveling back to the table once the DEA was on his trail, was, by far, more assholic than anything Walt ever did to him.
Walt managed to make him a millionaire in weeks, keep him from getting arrested, bring him everything he needed to leave the country and still, Mike had the audacity to meet him with nothing but more disrespect, hostility, and a revisionist history twisted to paint Walt as the heel. Fuck that guy. And Team Walt, for the record, implores anyone thinking of jumping off the victory train because some six year old girl drew a picture, please, take that dive head first. Fuck that picture.
People often criticize Walt's motives, well this final conflict with Mike came down to respect--a cause more ancient than drugs or money or freedom. A "bad guy" would have planned to kill Mike outright to solve obvious problems. A man, especially in this business, snatches respect when it's owed to him.
Mike was cool, but you ask me if he got what he deserved????
Walt managed to make him a millionaire in weeks, keep him from getting arrested, bring him everything he needed to leave the country and still, Mike had the audacity to meet him with nothing but more disrespect, hostility, and a revisionist history twisted to paint Walt as the heel. Fuck that guy. And Team Walt, for the record, implores anyone thinking of jumping off the victory train because some six year old girl drew a picture, please, take that dive head first. Fuck that picture.
People often criticize Walt's motives, well this final conflict with Mike came down to respect--a cause more ancient than drugs or money or freedom. A "bad guy" would have planned to kill Mike outright to solve obvious problems. A man, especially in this business, snatches respect when it's owed to him.
Mike was cool, but you ask me if he got what he deserved????
TrumanBurbank
Member
I have a strong feeling Jesse and Skyler are going to hook up at some point in this show. That look they shared in the carwash said so much. How they are both trapped by Walt.
Dominican Power
Member
People need to stop acting like Mike was some good guy because he wasn't. I liked Mike because he was cold, shrewd, and proficient. He was a professional in every sense of the word. He was level headed and knew his place. He disliked Walt because of his ego, stubbornness, inexperience, and insubordination. Walt was someone who ruined a real good thing for him and his people.
Karma Kramer
Banned
Mike/Gus was also going to kill Walt if not for Jesse killing Gale.
I'm starting to think the big mid-season cliffhanger will involve Jesse finding out about Brock (and maybe Jane too). Now that he's quit the meth business, something major has to happen with Jesse in order to work his character back into the storyline.
FantasticMrFoxdie
Mumber
TrumanBurbank
Member
I think he'll never find out about Brock and Jane. Him finding out about Mike will set up Jesse Vs. Walt + Todd next season.
Uhh, Puddles is/was on team Skylar. His posts on being on team Walt are troll posts.
TrumanBurbank
Member
Souless_PJ
Banned
The thing that cuts me up about the Mike thing is not only does he disappear from his grand daughter (Lydia half measure coming back to haunt him) but all his cash from the Fring operation and the latest cash will been seized and she gets nothing and no one. For everything he has been through to get to this point it's rough.
Still he should have known not to poke the bear too much. Although I'm surprised he didn't try to get a shot off on Walt at the lake since Walt takes a gun out of his hand.
Still he should have known not to poke the bear too much. Although I'm surprised he didn't try to get a shot off on Walt at the lake since Walt takes a gun out of his hand.
Garrett 2U
Member
Yeah it's great. Reminded me of this amazing and influential scene.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnNrH9N2gJY
Zeus Molecules
illegal immigrants are stealing our air
Exactly Walt went to war with Fringe because he had too. People forget Mike would of killed Walt or Jesse and their families without even blinking last season if Gus told him too.
I think walt tells Jesse about Jane and/or brock because he is falling apart due to his Ego. They should have all just taken the 5 million and kept a low profile.
I don't know how many more amazing twists and turns I can take, my heart was racing during that confrontation. Every single conversation is tense now, Jesse feels the Heisenberg presence in Walt completely overcoming him, he's seen him for what he is now. It only needs him finding out about Mike or the poisoning of the kid now before it's all out war. There is nothing remotely redeemable about Walt at this stage, even the friendship and respect he shared with Jesse is gone. Mike and Jesse knew their limitations and knew their place, Walt doesn't, and that's what makes him so scary, destructive and unpredictable.
I thought the finale would be a Walt vs Mike confrontation but it looks like we might be left with something bigger. The way it went down was phenomenal, Mike's words at the end were so typical of him, the ending shot was just beautiful.
I thought the finale would be a Walt vs Mike confrontation but it looks like we might be left with something bigger. The way it went down was phenomenal, Mike's words at the end were so typical of him, the ending shot was just beautiful.
Mister0079
Member
RIP Mike best character on the show. Fuck Walt.
HP_Wuvcraft
Banned
This. Even though I liked the character's code of conduct, he was still just a hired gun that did what whoever was paying him told him to. It's the only reason why he is following Walt, because of the Fring Money.
He had no loyalty to Gus other than money and the fact that Fring's system was solid.
Mike, for all his "my guys won't talk" musings, even says with his actions that his guys are not talking simply because they keep getting paid.
Doing your job well is not loyalty. That's professionalism.
Surprisingly, the only true loyalty Mike shows is to Jesse: the screw-up addict. And that's because Jesse proved that he would kill to protect people, not the meth.
Alex
Member
I don't think a lot of people wouldn't agree that Mike had it coming, but the way it went down with the tantrum from Walter is what is going to turn people on him. Prior, even though he's become an awful person, Walter usually had an air of cool and control to things, or at least some form of humility and understanding. Now he's just completely falling apart, a total brat with an ego that shoots an unarmed man with his back turned over an argument.
Also, when did Mike kill anyone innocent? I don't recall any such scenes and he usually threw in massive protest in the few instances where it was on the table, the conversation over the train hijacking last, where Walter wanted to do it regardless and Mike didn't want to kill the engineers.
Mike was a bad man, but he was all business, calm and collected, and had his bits of morality. Like how people used to respect Walter, but for good reason I just see this being the episode where the audience finally turns on him, and you can look around and see that happening
Also, when did Mike kill anyone innocent? I don't recall any such scenes and he usually threw in massive protest in the few instances where it was on the table, the conversation over the train hijacking last, where Walter wanted to do it regardless and Mike didn't want to kill the engineers.
Mike was a bad man, but he was all business, calm and collected, and had his bits of morality. Like how people used to respect Walter, but for good reason I just see this being the episode where the audience finally turns on him, and you can look around and see that happening
HP_Wuvcraft
Banned
Not in the context of the series, no. We can debate forever as to if Mike "deserved to die" or not because of what type of person he is. But in the context of Breaking Bad, he was not absolute enough to warrant that kind of vitrol.
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
Pretty much.
In this thread I have recently attempted to defend Walt's actions... but that was a mistake. Pre-Season 5 thinking was still rattling around in my head. I thought his actions were understandable for most of the series.... but the kid-poisoning was the real dividing line. It's only gotten worse and worse this season.
He is the bad guy now.... alternating between being driven by power-seeking.... and being driven by weakness.
He needs to go down... time to munch the popcorn.gif.
It's a brilliant show for playing us like this.
Air Zombie Meat
Member
Miiiike! Completely senseless murder. Thought it was a nice touch that Mike didn't attempt to shoot Walt when he caught up to him even though he had the means. Really showed the difference in their mindsets.
Alex
Member
Yeah, but he was only trying to get out because he was about to get caught. Even if he was a professional one, with his own codes and morals, he was still a murderer and a thief. I was just replying to the general thoughts of Mike vs Walter though, and speaking in generals, not saying he deserved anything from Walter, let alone his little tantrum. Mike was one of my favorites on the show too, so this puts me more away from "eh, Walt's a piece of shit but he's fun to watch" to "oh, he's going to get his".
I'm glad Mike's speech went off without interruption though, everything he said was completely the truth. Once Walt got a taste of success though, it was never enough, that's how he went from cooking small time after work to pay for college tuition to turning down five million dollars and destroying his life in order futility attempt to rekindle his lost empire. For such a smart man, I'm amazed at how he thinks he's going to get away with his makeshift nonsense on the long term, that he, himself, won't leave some trace or clue or general fuck up.
Hope the mid-season finale is great stuff next week. Waiting a fucking year is going to suck.
HP_Wuvcraft
Banned
Seriously.
Not only was this a "full circle" step for Walt (killing someone as a first resort), but it also showcased him making a giant, absolute decision out of frustration.
corporate cheerleader
Member
I think the finale will be Walt vs. Hank, both could die.
He worked for a man who kills children.
Personally I think this is not Walt's worst doing. Poisoning the kid and killing Gale were worse.
Alex
Member
I'm thinking that'll be more like the series finale, I kind of assume the mid-season finale is the cartel coming after Walter, myself. Have to imagine something is going to go south with that deal they made and all.
Did Gus ever actually kill any kids? Or have them killed? I don't recall that, just that his flunkies used a kid then killed him to spite Jesse when they were told to let him go (and Gus said that Jesse should have let him take care of it himself).
Alex
Member
Oh, made a typo, my bad, what I meant was pertaining to next weeks half-season finale, in which we get to wait a year afterwards!
HP_Wuvcraft
Banned
Gus very clearly gave his silent consent.
Also, Gus told Walter point blank that he would personally kill Holly.
Alex
Member
I dunno about the first, but the second is true, although I figured that was more of a crazy, all or nothing empty threat to get Walter to just go the fuck away, which Jesse was demanding he get him to do.
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
I'm intrigued that it's not just the "confidant supervillain" route. The scared, impulsive murder of Mike makes this very intriguing... and more disturbing.
Mike was mostly trying to get out because he realized Walt is in fact a complete nutcase, and he hated that the system didn't flow as well as it had with Gus and they had to resort to a lot of great risk-taking.
It's less about Mike being a good guy (he wasn't), but more that Walt is someone who has truly gone off the rails and basically has no idea what he's doing at all. As his ego has gotten even larger, he's become more impulsive and brazen in his actions.
I'm not talking about it from a moral standpoint. I'm talking in terms of what led to it. Cause and effect.
And there's no need to point at who he worked for when Mike himself killed tons of people personally. The guy was an enforcer for an international drug lord; he obviously wasn't a good person.
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
Not only Mike.. Jessie isn't exactly law-abiding either. But it's been interesting to see where they have drawn their moral lines in the sand, as opposed to Walt. Compared to them he's a rookie at being a criminal, too 
and he's gone way past them...
and he's gone way past them...Impeccable
Member
Random speculation:
I've been wondering what if all of this is caused by a brain tumor(after his lung cancer spread) changing his personality to the extreme.
Alex
Member
I think it's just pent up actions from a more mundane life than he'd rather have had. He regrets losing that Grey Matter empire of his and became addicted to more and more with every taste of success and glory he got.
It's an interesting theory, though.
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