Trent Strong
Banned
She's pretty hot.
Breaking Bad - Season 5, Part 1 - Sundays on AMC
- Thread starter Cornballer
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She's pretty hot.
Wait....Do you really think if it was a guy he would get the same level of hate?
I hope not.
naw Ive been saying it since she first appeared lydia was hot as hell
IMO, that's only part of why she's hated, but it doesn't help that the person she fucked was Ted.
Fucking Ted, dude.
In this hypothetical situation, you have a compelling female protagonist played by the best thespian on the show. She's married to a somewhat annoying husband character who kicks her out of the house without giving her a chance to explain herself, then goes and fucks the female equivalent of Ted (I think this argument falls apart because there is no female equivalent to Ted. Ted simply is. Ted is eternal). He then jerks around acting like a total nitwit and later stages some fake pool suicide to get the kids out rather than sacking up and delivering an ultimatum to his criminal wife.
I think this hypothetical husband would get more hate than Skyler, TBH.
The only time it could've been debatable was when Carmella wanted to sleep with Furio in The Sopranos. She also slept with one of AJ's teacher's in season 5, but her and Tony were separated at the time.
Since Tony fucked anything he could, Carmella wanting to sleep with Furio wouldn't be that scandalous compared to Tony. I wasn't posting in forums for The Sopranos at that time, but I don't remember any backlash for Carmella for that situation.
I don't think Skyler's fucking Ted was the reason for the fans' disdain. I think it's just that she's been downright unpleasant basically ever since Walt filled her in on his meth business. That's not to say her reaction isn't warranted, but it's hard to watch week after week.
Carmela, in contrast, was mostly supportive of her husband. There were rough patches, sure, but they didn't go on forever.
Carmela, in contrast, was mostly supportive of her husband. There were rough patches, sure, but they didn't go on forever.
I mean in general, not on The Sopranos. I can't speak to The Sopranos because I'm only just now actually watching it.
she was unpleasant long before that. She actually got a lot better after he filled her in, when she wanted to run the carwash, etc. She fell off a cliff at the start of this season
-Pyromaniac-
Member
Skylar was unpleasant the second she appeared on screen.
That's true. She got worse and worse as Walt continued to lie to her about the meth. She eased up when she got the carwash, but then shortly thereafter came back worse than ever.
I liked mike when he showed up bugging the house and shooting dudes in the warehouse, he's a hardass.
Gilligan realized that the audience wasn't turning on Walt as quickly as he'd expected, so Skyler became the stand-in for the audience's expected attitude towards Walt.
I also meant in general. I cant think of any other show where the wife of a protagonist isn't stigmatized by fans for going against her husband, even if its for good reason.
Skyler's not nearly as exciting a character as the other main characters, but I have no problems with Skyler. Anna Gunn's a fine actress.
SCULLIBUNDO
Banned
Hating Skylar has nothing to do with her sleeping with Ted imo. It has everything to do with her being a shitty character. Everything she does seems downright predictable from a writing standpoint. It's a case of 'Yes, I know what she's doing. Can we just get this shitty scene over with so we can get back to the plot?'
There are only so many love-lost scenes with her staring with hatred at Walt/giving Walt the silent treatment/Swirling her glass and smoking to show Walt her disdain/asking Walt how safe his activities are before you just wish she was fucking dead or would get some fucking guts and do something that surprises us - whether it's to Walt's detriment or benefit. Either do something interesting with Skylar or stop showing her do the same shit ad nauseum. It's been the same in every other season as well. It was either I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW CARELESS YOU'RE BEING ABOUT YOUR CANCER mode Skylar or WALT, YOU NEED TO TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON Skylar. We fucking GET IT. We know her situation and don't need the same shitty scenes repeated over and over and over.
She's just such a cardboard goddamn character and she wouldn't come across like that if they stopped spending time on her without changing her schtick up.
There are only so many love-lost scenes with her staring with hatred at Walt/giving Walt the silent treatment/Swirling her glass and smoking to show Walt her disdain/asking Walt how safe his activities are before you just wish she was fucking dead or would get some fucking guts and do something that surprises us - whether it's to Walt's detriment or benefit. Either do something interesting with Skylar or stop showing her do the same shit ad nauseum. It's been the same in every other season as well. It was either I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW CARELESS YOU'RE BEING ABOUT YOUR CANCER mode Skylar or WALT, YOU NEED TO TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON Skylar. We fucking GET IT. We know her situation and don't need the same shitty scenes repeated over and over and over.
She's just such a cardboard goddamn character and she wouldn't come across like that if they stopped spending time on her without changing her schtick up.
Air Zombie Meat
Member
With all the talk about her in this thread I find it funny that I still don't know the correct spelling of her name.
I don't see how any of this is bad. She's an ordinary character. Walt is constantly acting out in some way, and she responds like any normal person would.
Buckethead
Banned
I don't like Skylar because instead of going to the police or something, she's complicit in Walt's meth empire.
She sits on her high horse when Walt cooks and sells the stuff but she has no problem helping him, enabling him, and taking the money for her family.
Total hypocrite.
She sits on her high horse when Walt cooks and sells the stuff but she has no problem helping him, enabling him, and taking the money for her family.
Total hypocrite.
SCULLIBUNDO
Banned
Again, I would be perfectly fine with Skylar being written exactly as she is if they didn't keep giving her so much screen time. This past ep was fine. But if you're not going to do anything with the character, stop showing the character.
-Pyromaniac-
Member
but how will they fill the quota of catty drab comments toward Walt per episode. That's like her thing now.
Not a Jellyfish
but I am a sheep
eh
Talk about trying to see meaning in nothing. haha
See this just doesn't wash. Almost everyone in the show (actually, everyone in the show but Jesse) gets in Walt's way.
I dunno, I wouldn't be surprised if it was intentional symbolism but it doesn't matter too much.
Skylar is kind of a major part of Walt's life. It'd be unnatural for her to be in a few scenes per season just because she doesn't know whats going on.
I always thought of Skylar as representing Walt's normal life, and as it crashes down around him, the more unstable it gets. Now it culminates in this, with Skylar despising walt and things never being the same.
Anyway, if the criticism that she is repetitive is enough to get you that riled up so badly, I cannot imagine how must you must have hated Jesse, doing the same thing every other episode for so long (screwing up the cook somehow)
She is isn't supportive wife.
SCULLIBUNDO
Banned
Bah nm.
PhoenixDark
Banned
There's no way a similar situation would lead to the same ugly or sexist reactions Skylar, Carmela, and Betty have received over the last decade. The antihero's behavior is never questioned, and instead spun as some badass behavior worth support or praise. The level of male entitlement and fantasy building is rather troubling to me, and I think it's perhaps more evident with Breaking Bad because Walt is (arguably) more likable than Tony Soprano, Don Draper, Vic Mackey, etc. Up until last week more than a few people were arguing that he was a decent person, as if selling drugs, killing people, and being a manipulative bastard for 5 seasons was nothing ("he was just protecting his family!").
Sean Collins called it a few weeks ago
http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/breaking-bad-recap-the-sky-is-falling-20120729
Zeus Molecules
illegal immigrants are stealing our air
You know what I just realized we will likely never know why the Hell the Cartel was scared to kill Gus...
Mr. Saturn
Member
I think, some people want to see Walt just win at everything and his wife praises him for being the real man he is and no one ever opposes or questions him.
lol
Mr. Saturn
Member
Yeah that seems strange. I'd imagine if Walt behaved the same way Joffrey did, the fans would hate him and wouldn't object so much to Skyler being a thorn (rightfully so) in his side, but then again what do I know?
haha. yes. That is Exactly what we are saying.
Sansa is a prisoner and was a saint before joef entered her life. Joef has been a little shit since day one. Nothing he has ever done ever can be considered close to be redeeming.
He had George Bush decapitated and his head stuck on a pike.
keltickennedy
Member
Those people really need to actually read the books...
That is the single worst paragraph I've read this month. Sean Collins is a goddamn hack.
Also, Sansa, Cersei and Catelyn are all amazing characters, even if Cersei does deserve to be devoured by scarab beetles. GRRM's female characters kick the shit out of Vince Gilligan's female characters.
That's to say nothing of the fact that no one hates Betty Draper to the same degree that many reasonable people hate Skyler.
You're trying to win a medal in the Outrage Olympics by making Skyler hate into some kind of latent misogyny on the part of the fanbase. It's not just insulting and inappropriate; it's a huge waste of time.
PhoenixDark
Banned
Puddles you haven't offered a logical argument against the article. Skylar is well written and is an intelligent character who actually cares about her family. Yet fans act like she's the manipulative, dangerous one.
I have never been an Outrage Olympics participant. I'm just gonna stop discussing this here though, it's impossible to have a decent conversation.
No with Sansa it's relating to (first season spoiler
I have never been an Outrage Olympics participant. I'm just gonna stop discussing this here though, it's impossible to have a decent conversation.
No with Sansa it's relating to (first season spoiler
her involvement in her father's death, and the general argument that she "does nothing" to better her situation in King's Landing
You have got to be joking with this.
I maintain it's the actress that is simply not conveying the character in a way that would make her likable. Might be irrational, but there you have it, there's just something very unsympathic about Skyler White and I think it's there from the first time you see her so it's not so much her actions, but those nasty first impressions. Unjust maybe, but whatcha gonna do?
As for Sansa, the general idea is that she's very young and naive in contrast to her sister. She lives in a kid's fantasy world where all the knights are gallant and the courts are just. The second her father dies she's ripped from her fantasy and dropped into the real world and the rest of her journey is her wising up to the world around her. It's made her by far one of my favorite characters in ASOIAF.
As for Sansa, the general idea is that she's very young and naive in contrast to her sister. She lives in a kid's fantasy world where all the knights are gallant and the courts are just. The second her father dies she's ripped from her fantasy and dropped into the real world and the rest of her journey is her wising up to the world around her. It's made her by far one of my favorite characters in ASOIAF.
GremlinFool
Member
I don't think Carmella is a precise parallel to Skylar. In terms of how the characters are portrayed, Betty Draper from the first few seasons of Mad Men is a good point of comparison for the backlash towards Skylar (though obviously the milieux of each character are dramatically different).
Captain_Spanky
Member
Puddles you haven't offered a logical argument against the article. Skylar is well written and is an intelligent character who actually cares about her family. Yet fans act like she's the manipulative, dangerous one.
I have never been an Outrage Olympics participant. I'm just gonna stop discussing this here though, it's impossible to have a decent conversation.
No with Sansa it's relating to (first season spoilerher involvement in her father's death, and the general argument that she "does nothing" to better her situation in King's Landing
Yeah but she is like 12 or 13, maybe younger.
SCULLIBUNDO
Banned
Skylar is Kay to Walt's Michael Corleone.
Only Kay was very likable.
Only Kay was very likable.
Michael was also way more of a dick than Walt.
People still liked him, because Al Pacino.
Lamel
Banned
I hope Skylar instead becomes Apollonia, if you know what I mean.
Michael was super macho though.
It's really annoying that we have to have this conversation again. We had it for Seasons 3 and 4, and that should have been the end of it, but no, here we go again.
No one who posts in this thread regularly is a misogynist, yet a lot of us hate Skyler. All that needs to be said, really. And you're right, the way Anna Gunn plays her has a lot to do with it.
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