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

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Hmm, someone on Reddit suggested the book might have been a present from Gretchen.

I'd like that much better, even though I don't really have an issue with it being from Gale.

The problems with the theory are that Gretchen's last name is Schwartz (although they might've said Black for fun, or B might be her maiden name initial) and that the handwriting looks like Gale's.
 
Battersea Power Station said:
Hmm, someone on Reddit suggested the book might have been a present from Gretchen.

I'd like that much better, even though I don't really have an issue with it being from Gale.

The problems with the theory are that Gretchen's last name is Schwartz (although they might've said Black for fun, or B might be her maiden name initial) and that the handwriting looks like Gale's.
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That could definitely be Walt's excuse. He'd definitely have to be on his toes to pull that one on the spot if Hank ever questions him outright.
But the "other favorite W.W." with "other" underlined is a bit suspect. It ties in too closely to Gale's other document.
 
Battersea Power Station said:
Hmm, someone on Reddit suggested the book might have been a present from Gretchen.

I'd like that much better, even though I don't really have an issue with it being from Gale.

The problems with the theory are that Gretchen's last name is Schwartz (although they might've said Black for fun, or B might be her maiden name initial) and that the handwriting looks like Gale's.
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Who is Gretchen? I don't know how you guys remember all this stuff from past seasons.
 
Robot Pants said:
That could definitely be Walt's excuse. He'd definitely have to be on his toes to pull that one on the spot if Hank ever questions him outright.
But the "other favorite W.W." with "other" underlined is a bit suspect. It ties in too closely to Gale's other document.
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If it's an excuse, it won't make a difference, though. Hank is putting everything together -- he can feel someone has been one step ahead of him the whole time, and he's probably been killing himself to explain it.

But the book actually being from Gretchen, if possible, would be a nice touch.

I don't mind the Gale version, however. Walt probably wants to get caught on some level, as most psychologically disturbed criminals do. And the fly in the beginning of the episode showed he's not as obsessive about loose ends anymore.
 
Loved the finale. The murder montage made me feel sick with it's violence, it was so well done. And "you got me" sent chills.

R.E. the book: Of course would have kept it. We saw Gale give him a gift, and as established this season he will keep gifts from his "loving" underlings because they inflate his ego and massage his pride. He kept the watch from Jesse despite having no excuse to where it came from and having to fumble in front of Hank about it. The book, with its dedication, is exactly the sort of thing that a man like Walter would keep. It's a physical representation of his ego, an object that speaks both to the damage in his soul and the damage he caused as Hisenburg. It's the perfect clue for Hank to have found in my opinion.
 
Captain_Spanky said:
Loved the finale. The murder montage made me feel sick with it's violence, it was so well done. And "you got me" sent chills.

R.E. the book: Of course would have kept it. We saw Gale give him a gift, and as established this season he will keep gifts from his "loving" underlings because they inflate his ego and massage his pride. He kept the watch from Jesse despite having no excuse to where it came from and having to fumble in front of Hank about it. The book, with its dedication, is exactly the sort of thing that a man like Walter would keep. It's a physical representation of his ego, an object that speaks both to the damage in his soul and the damage he caused as Hisenburg. It's the perfect clue for Hank to have found in my opinion.
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Agreed and not only that but Hank and Walt's relationship isn't a typically cop/criminal relationship. They are associated in a more personal and intimate nature which blinds Hank. Walt is plot protected in a way by that relationship. He won't be found out by Hank like other criminals.

I thought it was a nice touch to the mid season finale. His relationship to Hank always caused him trouble during his journey but he always fought to keep it. It's only fitting that his downfall is due to it and his ego; his two biggest "weaknesses"
 
egkJ9.jpg


Walt's reading Leaves of Grass on what might be the first day he met Gale, in s3e6.

On an amusing side note, in the first scene after the open, Walt is staring at a stock painting in the model apartment, similar to when he was talking with Todd's uncle.
 
Trent Strong said:
Something about too much time passing in that montage and all that passing time going against the way Breaking Bad always does things and Skyler being too comfortable and happy near the end or something. I don't know. I just listened to it about 15 minutes ago, but I've already forgotten it.
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Must have been a real barn burner of an argument then.

Time has been on super speed this entire season.
 
xbhaskarx said:
Why do people think Walt is some perfect evil genius who would never forget about the inscription inside a book... He has moments where he comes up with brilliant plans, but he also bungles shit ALL the time. And if "hubris" isn't one of the top five words that pops into your head when you think of Walt, I don't know what show you're watching.... it also works perfectly with the rest of the episode: Walt will go so far as to KILL TEN PEOPLE to tie up loose ends but in the end he is the loose end.
If Hank discovered Walt's identity through good detective work frankly that would almost take something away from the show, which is about Walt. Pride comes before the fall, and all that. Of course there are still people here who don't realize that Walt is the bad guy on this show, and think there will be a happy ending for him....
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Serious question, have you ever forgotten a book you had or were reading had an inscription in it?

Do people really get such an avalanche of personalized gifts in their lives?
 
Gale's death was faked and he was put into witness protection by the DEA. Hank seeing the book made him think Gale had made contact with Walt and ruined Hank's case he has been building since season 1.
 
BenjaminBirdie said:
Serious question, have you ever forgotten a book you had or were reading had an inscription in it?

Do people really get such an avalanche of personalized gifts in their lives?
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When I was a kid, any time a book was given, an inscription was included. That was just the way it was done. And since phones and game systems weren't widespread, books were frequent gifts. Walt and Gale are quite a bit older than me, and men of academia.
 
daviyoung said:
What's top tier?
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The Wire, Mad Men, Sopranos.

Breaking Bad's a fantastic show, but it borders on the ridiculous far too often to be considered truly great, for me. The train robbery just being one of many examples. It's amazing television, but when it's done I won't look back on it like I do the other aforementioned shows.

I hope we get a Lily of the Valley reveal at some point, although I really don't know how that would come about without Walt explicitly admitting it to Jesse.
 
Arnie said:
No.

Very good show, but not top tier.
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Breaking Bad is not top tier?

Boo this man.

Edit: you mean top tier all-time? In that case, I might agree, but I would remove Mad Men and add Six Feet Under and The Shield to the all-time top tier.

Mad Men is not appreciably better than Breaking Bad in any way, shape or form.
 
Arnie said:
The Wire, Mad Men, Sopranos.

Breaking Bad's a fantastic show, but it borders on the ridiculous far too often to be considered truly great, for me. The train robbery just being one of many examples. It's amazing television, but when it's done I won't look back on it like I do the other aforementioned shows.

I hope we get a Lily of the Valley reveal at some point, although I really don't know how that would come about without Walt explicitly admitting it to Jesse.
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Although you're right, what squeezes it into top tier are the moments like Mike's Half Measures speech, Hank's Tree Job, Jesse's Problem Dog; those monologues could only exist on a top tier drama with people capable of top tier performances.

You never buy that sort of thing on simply "great" TV shows.
 
BenjaminBirdie said:
Although you're right, what squeezes it into top tier are the moments like Mike's Half Measures speech, Hank's Tree Job, Jesse's Problem Dog; those monologues could only exist on a top tier drama with people capable of top tier performances.

You never buy that sort of thing on simply "great" TV shows.
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I agree with you, for me Breaking Bad exists on this strange middle ground; it isn't Lost (I love Lost, I'm not insulting it), or Dexter, whereby it's this wholly contrived show with a fairly ridiculous plot, but it isn't what I'd consider truly top television (The Wire, Mad Men etc). It's somewhere in the middle, it has those ridiculous moments (that make good television still) such as the train robbery, or the magnets, but then it has these brilliant character moments and nuances that take it a step further.

Puddles said:
Mad Men is not appreciably better than Breaking Bad in any way, shape or form.
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In terms of writing it's a large leap forward, without a doubt.

Need to watch Six Feet Under, as I need to watch The West Wing.
 
Yea God Tier or Top Tier list is something like:
Six Feet Under
The Wire
The Sopranos

Breaking Bad is up there, but like Arnie says, it's a little far fetched at times, especially in the previous seasons, and is holding itself back.
 
Arnie said:
In terms of writing it's a large leap forward, without a doubt.
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I don't see it.

I'm two seasons into Mad Men, and there's no doubt it's good. But I just don't see any separation between MM and the other really good shows that are on right now. Maybe when I get to seasons 3 and 4 I'll feel differently, but it would really have to take a leap forward in quality.
 
IMO you can't really 'tier' shows until they end.

What makes The Wire perfect is the way it tells Baltimore's story over its 5 seasons. When it's over and you re-watch it for the second (*cough* or forth *cough*) time you realise just how intrinsic every season was to the overall story.

I wasn't sure The Shield was top-teir until it finished because I always thought it was too 'trashy'. But the final season cemented it by having one of the most perfect series endings ever. You couldn't have asked for more.

If Breaking Bad can bring a satisfying finish to Walt's story whilst maintaining the high standards of the previous season, it's most definitely top-tier.

Mad Men/Boardwalk Empire would need a miracle to even be considered with the above.
 
If you type "Glid" into Google right now, you get Gliding Over All as one of the suggested searches. I would bet major cash that this was not the case a few weeks ago.
 
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