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[Doctor Decimate]

The only two major weak points I can think of in BB are the S2 plane crash and Tuco's cousins. Mainly because both were given a lot of build up and were ultimately anticlimactic. Otherwise, nitpicking about specific lines or "slapstick" moments seems silly. Breaking Bad is unapologetic about its absurdity; it has always had a layer of dark humor from the very first episode and the very premise is arguably unrealistic. To me, stuff like that just doesn't detract from the show, because the dialogue, characterization, atmosphere, and storytelling is strong across the board.

i think the plane crash is weak, but not because it was anticlimactic. i thought the very premise of it crossed a line of what i'm willing to suspend my disbelief for; they were trying to pin that on Walter, and it just seemed really forced and absurd.

Walter opened the door which disturbed Jane and caused her to roll over and then she started to choke on her own vomit and Walter didn't save her and then her dad discovers her and is distraught and his sadness means he does poorly at his job and him doing poorly at his job causes the planes to crash. this show has had its fair share of borderline absurdity but i mean, really? the writers seemed to forget about it midway through the third season at least.

 

[Ionian]

Wild guess but maybe Lydia kidnaps Jesse to help fix the cooking problem, can't see him going willingly.

Walt then goes to save him with the M60 but after taking the ricin which he never successfully used on anyone, to finish himself off.

 

[triplestation]

Hank would have no reason to either know nor believe that.

But of course BB writers have no idea about real human beings so fuck it...

oh my bad i forgot about that haha

im gonna go watch the superior show that is dexter, at least the characters are realistic in that one

 

[CharminUltra]

The flashforward barely added anything, Lydia's scene was completely flat, the Hank stuff was good but ultimately nothing new and felt like a crutch for the viewers who didn't quite get why Hank flew off like he did, and I found the Jesse scenes utterly insufferable (the whole vacant, mute act isn't why I appreciate the character).

And then those last four minutes were great.


Let's be honest, from the moment he read that line on the toilet we all knew that he knew.

I wanted him to light the fire in the opening few minutes, at the house.

That would have been the worst idea ever, not to mention a shoddy piece of writing. Hank is a DEA agent, he knows better than to start making accusations before being 100% certain.

 

[-griffy-]

The flashforward barely added anything

Yeah, it barely added anything if you didn't pay any attention to the context or content of the scene at all. We now know that the White household was completely destroyed, that people seemingly know Walt was Heisenberg, that the mere sight of him is enough to freeze his neighbor in terror, and that he has a plan for using the ricin. Barely anything.

 

[Raiden]

i think the plane crash is weak, but not because it was anticlimactic. i thought the very premise of it crossed a line of what i'm willing to suspend my disbelief for; they were trying to pin that on Walter, and it just seemed really forced and absurd.

Walter opened the door which disturbed Jane and caused her to roll over and then she started to choke on her own vomit and Walter didn't save her and then her dad discovers her and is distraught and his sadness means he does poorly at his job and him doing poorly at his job causes the planes to crash. this show has had its fair share of borderline absurdity but i mean, really? the writers seemed to forget about it midway through the third season at least.

I honestly loved that. It shows how major events can happen for reasons nobody will ever know for real. Not even the people directly responsible for it. Same thng happens in traffic everyday, who knows what was on that drivers mind for a splitsecond when he ran a red light. Stuff like that is not too far fetched for a tv-show, not even one like Breaking Bad.

 

[RoKKeR]

I felt like they needed those final four minutes to be really good because the 40 before it were a tad pants. I mean, 25 minutes in and we've barely progressed from the end of episode 8.

I feel like I'm missing the joke here.

 

[triplestation]

I honestly loved that. It shows how major events can happen for reasons nobody will ever know for real. Not even the people directly responsible for it. Same thng happens in traffic everyday, who knows what was on that drivers mind for a splitsecond when he ran a red light. Stuff like that is not too far fetched for a tv-show, not even one like Breaking Bad.

this

 

[Dai101]

Wild guess but maybe Lydia kidnaps Jesse to help fix the cooking problem, can't see him going willingly.

Kidnapped by Lydia.... hmm....

Where do i sign?

 

[TimeEffect]

Yeah, it barely added anything if you didn't pay any attention to the context or content of the scene at all. We now know that the White household was completely destroyed, that people seemingly know Walt was Heisenberg, that the mere sight of him is enough to freeze his neighbor in terror, and that he has a plan for using the ricin. Barely anything.

The Ricin still confuses me because can't he get his hands on any other kind of poison? Why risk going all the way back for that? Unless he was in town for other business, I guess.

Even though I think it's better for the show not to, a small part of me hopes Walt is going to save Jesse from Lydia as his final act of redemption...but that's too mushy of an ending...even though it would make me so happy. I can't decide if I want a happy ending for Jesse and Walt, or if they need to crash and burn totally

 

[Appleman]

The Ricin still confuses me because can't he get his hands on any other kind of poison? Why risk going all the way back for that? Unless he was in town for other business, I guess.

Even though I think it's better for the show not to, a small part of me hopes Walt is going to save Jesse from Lydia as his final act of redemption...but that's too mushy of an ending.

Yeah, I always felt that they way overhyped this one vial of ricin, can't Walt just make the stuff?

 

[Dominican Power]

The Ricin still confuses me because can't he get his hands on any other kind of poison? Why risk going all the way back for that? Unless he was in town for other business, I guess.

Even though I think it's better for the show not to, a small part of me hopes Walt is going to save Jesse from Lydia as his final act of redemption...but that's too mushy of an ending...even though it would make me so happy. I can't decide if I want a happy ending for Jesse and Walt, or if they need to crash and burn totally

It looks the business he has to handle is in ABQ, so it makes sense for him to go back to his old home to get the ricin.

 

[brianjones]

Yeah, I always felt that they way overhyped this one vial of ricin, can't Walt just make the stuff?

i cant even remember how walt got the stuff to make it in the first place

he just showed up at jesses with the beans one time lol

was there an explanation im not remembering

there could just be something symbolic about that vial that he wants

 

[CharminUltra]

The Ricin still confuses me because can't he get his hands on any other kind of poison? Why risk going all the way back for that? Unless he was in town for other business, I guess.

Even though I think it's better for the show not to, a small part of me hopes Walt is going to save Jesse from Lydia as his final act of redemption...but that's too mushy of an ending...even though it would make me so happy. I can't decide if I want a happy ending for Jesse and Walt, or if they need to crash and burn

I believe Ricin is pretty damn difficult to detect unless the doctors know specifically what to look for (at least in the BB world, based on that one episode where Walt poisons Brock). My guess is that Walt wants someone to die quietly and not necessarily right away, which IMO is not only revealing, but also raises more questions.

 

[sappyday]

The Ricin still confuses me because can't he get his hands on any other kind of poison? Why risk going all the way back for that? Unless he was in town for other business, I guess.

Even though I think it's better for the show not to, a small part of me hopes Walt is going to save Jesse from Lydia as his final act of redemption...but that's too mushy of an ending...even though it would make me so happy. I can't decide if I want a happy ending for Jesse and Walt, or if they need to crash and burn totally

I truly believe that the Walt we're seeing in the flash forwards is the one that is going to die. He's already blowing his cover, he knows it but he doesn't care. That means he plans on dying that same day. In that case he probably doesn't have time to go cook up some new poison. The biggest question is what he needs the ricin for and what he needs the M60 for.

 

[Arnie]

That would have been the worst idea ever, not to mention a shoddy piece of writing. Hank is a DEA agent, he knows better than to start making accusations before being 100% certain.

He was certain on the toilet, he knew right there and then, his panic attack is testament to that.

I get that there's some logic in going away, re-reading some evidence and being completely sure, but I felt that at that point there must've been such an explosive emotional reaction that the idea of driving away and pretending this bomb hadn't gone off felt unnatural, DEA background or not.

This is his brother-in-law, and Heisenberg is the character he's been chasing for over a year. I thought that'd be the beginning of the end, and it felt like the perfect place to put it (we're already half-way through this season).

Yeah, it barely added anything if you didn't pay any attention to the context or content of the scene at all. We now know that the White household was completely destroyed, that people seemingly know Walt was Heisenberg, that the mere sight of him is enough to freeze his neighbor in terror, and that he has a plan for using the ricin. Barely anything.

No need to be passive aggressive because I didn't have the same emotional reaction to a piece of television as you.

I understood all of those things, and yet, unlike the scene at the beginning of series five, this one didn't leave me in a similar state of awe. A solitary scene that's out of context to the rest of the episode should knock your socks off, and I didn't get that here. I probably inferred that shit had gone wrong because of his demeanour, his re-arragning of the bacon, and the M60 in his boot.

Perhaps I took more from the diner scene than you did. I'd already understood that he's no longer the family man, and his neighbour freezing with fright or a boarded up home didn't feel like a revelation, more a confirmation. Just like the 10 minutes or so of Hank pointing to bits in the book before a closeup told us what we already knew. Again, it felt heavy handed and slightly forced.

 

[BenjaminBirdie]

Yeah, I always felt that they way overhyped this one vial of ricin, can't Walt just make the stuff?

Uhhh last time he had to make it in the superlab, first time he had access to chemistry equipment soooooo

no

 

[Dominican Power]

I truly believe that the Walt we're seeing in the flash forwards is the one that is going to die. He's already blowing his cover, he knows it but he doesn't care. That means he plans on dying that same day. In that case he probably doesn't have time to go cook up some new poison. The biggest question is what he needs the ricin for and what he needs the M60 for.

It looks like he has a score to settle.

 

[Chezzymann]

It looks like he has a score to settle.

I am thinking there's going to be a scene in the finale that is very similar to the ending of scarface. If it is, I wonder who will be the person that shoots him in the back of the head? Jesse? Hank? Skyler? My bet is Jesse.

 

[Deleted member 1235]

so good to have this show back. loved the episode, especially the shutting the garage door bit.

 

[CharminUltra]

This is his brother-in-law, and Heisenberg is the character he's been chasing for over a year. I thought that'd be the beginning of the end, and it felt like the perfect place to put it (we're already half-way through this season).

Exactly, even more reason to not just explode on the spot and start throwing accusations around right away, especially during a family gathering. The way it played out during the episode i.e. ending the episode with an epic, private confrontation was the most organic and effective way to do it.

 

[Nameless]

For those confused at the Hank + Walt conversation:

CC's from AMC's website.

Silly Hank.

If Walt didn't give a shit about family, Hank would either be broke, crippled, or dead.

 

[mattiewheels]

Man, Anna Gunn looked so much better with darker hair at the beginning of the show. After rewatching the blonde hair makes her look 10 years older.

 

[RoninChaos]

So why IS this season 5.2 and not season 6?

 

[zewone]

Uhhh last time he had to make it in the superlab, first time he had access to chemistry equipment soooooo

no

Didn't they make the first ricin vial from a bunch of Etch-A-Sketches?

So why IS this season 5.2 and not season 6?

That's what their contract with AMC has it listed as.

 

[brianjones]

Didn't they make the first ricin vial from a bunch of Etch-A-Sketches?

i thought that was for the lock burning to get the methlamine

 

[BenjaminBirdie]

Didn't they make the first ricin vial from a bunch of Etch-A-Sketches?

I don't think it's a question of ingredients, but rather means.

 

[Arnie]

Exactly, even more reason to not just explode on the spot and start throwing accusations around right away, especially during a family gathering. The way it played out during the episode i.e. ending the episode with an epic, private confrontation was the most organic and effective way to do it.

Agree to disagree.

I honestly felt like that route was chosen to cushion some viewers back into the plot, rather than for just its merits as a plot line. It was fine, and the final confrontation was superb, but it didn't feel like the natural extension of that toilet scene, for me.

 

[smokeymicpot]

Didn't they make the first ricin vial from a bunch of Etch-A-Sketches?

No forgot what they made the ricin out of I just know it was in season 2. The Etch-A-Sketches blew up the door to get the methylamine.

 

[zewone]

Silly Hank.

If Walt didn't give a shit about family, Hank would either be broke, crippled, or dead.

His involvement in the drug game got him into all of these situations.

Walt put his entire family in danger.

 

[Raiden]

so good to have this show back. loved the episode, especially the shutting the garage door bit.

My jaw was dropping at that very moment. I love how they can still shock me like that. I thought they were going to drag it out a couple more episodes. I'm really curious to see where the next 7 episodes will go to.

I dont even know how i want this to end. I dont even know how to feel about Walt.


IDOESNT KNOW!!

 

[triplestation]

i have no idea what is going to happen and it hurts

there are so many images running through my head of possibilities and none of them will come close to what will actually happen

monday, tuesday, wednesday, etc. all filler

nothing matters

only 9 o clock sunday matters T_______________T

 

[zewone]

i thought that was for the lock burning to get the methlamine

I don't think it's a question of ingredients, but rather means.

No forgot what they made the ricin out of I just know it was in season 2. The Etch-A-Sketches blew up the door to get the methylamine.

Ah right.

 

[Cornballer]

So why IS this season 5.2 and not season 6?

AMC got embroiled in long negotiations with Gilligan and Co about how to finish off the show (how many seasons, how many episodes, money, etc...). Ultimately, AMC didn't want a sixth season in the contract because it meant they'd have to pay raises that are built into the contract. They came to this compromise in the end (16-episodes split over two years but listed as a single season.) It's another messy example of AMC's stinginess, but Gilligan was happy with the episode count and getting to finish on his own terms.

 

[sappyday]

Silly Hank.

If Walt didn't give a shit about family, Hank would either be broke, crippled, or dead.

Hank would of never even be in that situation if Walt started to cook and endanger his family.

 

[Raiden]

His involvement in the drug game got him into all of these situations.

Walt put his entire family in danger.

Not entirely true. He genuinly got into the meth cooking to support his family after death. He just got sucked into his Heisenberg alter ego and it took complete control of him in a downward spiral.

 

[BenjaminBirdie]

His involvement in the drug game got him into all of these situations.

Walt put his entire family in danger.

Yup. And that's what sends Hank over the edge at the very end.

He says "Ok. Let's just get your kids safe at least. I know you've been mortally insane for a year putting them in danger but we can at least agree that's over with, right?"

And Walt's all "lol fuck you dude, no way"

And that's when Hank is like, like Tim in Spaced, "You've got to be fucking kidding."

**credits**

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

fucking insane start.

hold me gaf

 

[MGL]

So are we going to find out anything about Gus' secretive past in Chile or the Mexican cartel? Or have they just dropping them?

 

[faceless007]

Hmm, now that I think about it, you'd think Hank could have found a better way to hide the bug than the way he had taught Walt to do on Gus. I guess the underside perimeter of a car is only so big though.

 

[Intheflorsh]

So are we going to find out anything about Gus' secretive past in Chile or the Mexican cartel? Or have they just dropping them?

Let's hope they do drop it. There's only seven hours left of Breaking Bad after all.

 

[CharminUltra]

fucking insane start.

hold me gaf

Crazy thing is, it has the potential to get so much better. SO MUCH BETTER.

Of course, it might also disappoint, we'll see.

 

[Nameless]

His involvement in the drug game got him into all of these situations.

Walt put his entire family in danger.

He didn't intend to put his family in danger. And Hank's obsession with Blue Sky/Heisenberg helped put him in those sticky situations as well.

 

[sappyday]

Not entirely true. He genuinly got into the meth cooking to support his family after death. He just got sucked into his Heisenberg alter ego and it took complete control of him in a downward spiral.

Walt should of stopped and could of stopped after he killed Krazy 8. He genuinely got into the meth business to fill that empty void he's had for doing nothing in his life, for living in the same starter house, for being inferior to all his friends, and more.

His ego is exactly what got him into trouble. His ego is exactly the reason why he didn't behave like an considerate person.

He had a solution to all his problems if he accepted Elliot's money. Heisenberg is just a name that Walt gave to his ego just to have a better way of identifying the two.

 

[Dai101]

Didn't they make the first ricin vial from a bunch of Etch-A-Sketches?

No forgot what they made the ricin out of I just know it was in season 2. The Etch-A-Sketches blew up the door to get the methylamine.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castor_oil_plant

This are the seeds (beans):

Making ricin from those beans is (at least according to wiki) a "fairly complicated process similar to that used for extracting cyanide from almonds". Maybe now he hasn't the mediums or equipment to make more without being suspicious.

 

[faceless007]

So are we going to find out anything about Gus' secretive past in Chile or the Mexican cartel? Or have they just dropping them?

Well none of us know for sure, but I think it's likely the show won't return to it. We probably already know the most important elements, that he had some connection to the Pinochet regime that kept him safe from the cartel for long enough to start his business. Anything else would just be filling in the details.

 

[sappyday]

So are we going to find out anything about Gus' secretive past in Chile or the Mexican cartel? Or have they just dropping them?

I wouldn't be surprised if it had something to do with Pinochet's regime.

 

[CharminUltra]

I wonder how many people had never even heard of Ricin before Breaking Bad. I couldn't even figure out how to spell it when it was mentioned in the show.

 

[BadTaste]

What do you guys think of Bryan Cranston as a director? He did direct Blood Money.

 

[Various Artists]

I wonder how many people had never even heard of Ricin before Breaking Bad. I couldn't even figure out how to spell it when it was mentioned in the show.

I remember reading about it in a book quite a while back . I think it was a James Patterson Book.