I just started and finished watching Breaking Bad

[The Poojer]

oh i think that there was way more of a seed planted...you could just tell how disturbed/fightened Mike was while he was in the bar the first time...he may be a bad ass, but Gus got to him BIG time!

 

 

I was getting the same vibe about Marie wanting to screw the PT guy. As Hank continues to push Marie away I think she starts to stray and ends up with somebody with some kind of connection to Walt/Jesse/Gus/Mike/New Guy/Saul and starts to get pulled in

 

I think Victor's death planted a seed of doubt in Mike's mind about Gus. He rejected Walt's offer in the bar but he didn't actually say No. I wouldn't be surprised if Mike's seed of doubt keeps growing throughout the season

 

And Saul was awesome as usual

 

[SageAgainstTheMachine]

Well, last night's episode lacked the punch slash of the premiere, but each season has to build its own part of the castle, brick by brick.

 

The theme of "38 Snub" for the major characters was a proposal followed by a rejection. In Skylar's case, the car wash guy wouldn't sell because of how Walt quit (questionable whether he would have sold to anyone, though); over a drink, Walt got turned down by Mike when he asked to "get me in the same room [with Gus]" so as to remove what he tried to sell as a common threat; Jesse partied hard with Badger and (?) and when offering to keep it going, they left. They had different goals. Skylar wants her own part in all this, Walt wants to be out of the shadow of another madman, Jesse doesn't want to be alone. Their plans haven't succeeded. I suppose you could throw in Marie with this lot as well, with Hank responding to the physio but pushing her further away. Not the greatest episode, but....

 

I was just getting the sense from Jesse's sound system... it's similarity to the lab equipment. Specifically, the machine first machine that Victor turned on last week when he tried making his own batch. Just something in the light pattern. Jesse is such a... you know, he wants to impress people with things that give him something to say but his ability to form real connections with people is gone. While Walt is thinking about a future state of security, Jesse's content to surround himself with people who are there for as long as they can party and couldn't give a **** less about him and his things. They just trash a place and leave... and on that note, his previous trying to keep the house looking nice, including the robotic vacuum, went out the window. Part of me thinks this had been building for awhile, but there's a part that thinks something in Jesse quietly snapped in witnessing Victor's death. Like he's now living for the short term.

 

I was half expecting Angela to throw the wad of money in his face. Can't believe she took blood money, but then again, it's hard to blame.

 

I think Jesse snapped at the moment he pulled the trigger on Gale. In that moment, he ceased to be a morally centered (though perpetually troubled) human and become more like a simple organism, a piece of debris on the open waters. When Gus killed Victor, what we saw in Jesse's face was an instinctive bubbling of outrage followed quickly by a recognition of their sameness. Gus killed Victory brutally with a box cutter. Jesse killed Gale quickly with a gun. But what's the real difference?

 

Somewhere, Jesse's humanity still exists. I think we saw a glimpse of that at the end of "38 Snub" when he sinks to his knees in front of the sound system. But the man is irrevocably broken, in any case. Out of all the characters on the show, salvation isn't waiting for Mr. Jesse Pinkman. My prediction is that he's a corpse by the end of Season 4, as much as it pains me to say that.

Edited July 26, 2011 by SageAgainstTheMachine

[HopsGuy]

I think Jesse snapped at the moment he pulled the trigger on Gale. In that moment, he ceased to be a morally centered (though perpetually troubled) human and become more like a simple organism, a piece of debris on the open waters. When Gus killed Victor, what we saw in Jesse's face was an instinctive bubbling of outrage followed quickly by a recognition of their sameness. Gus killed Victory brutally with a box cutter. Jesse killed Gale quickly with a gun. But what's the real difference?

 

Somewhere, Jesse's humanity still exists. I think we saw a glimpse of that at the end of "38 Snub" when he sinks to his knees in front of the sound system. But the man is irrevocably broken, in any case. Out of all the characters on the show, salvation isn't waiting for Mr. Jesse Pinkman. My prediction is that he's a corpse by the end of Season 4, as much as it pains me to say that.

 

I agree with your assessment of Jesse's current state. The original story-line had Jesse dying in Season One. Once they saw what they had in Aaron Paul, they decided to keep him around. I don't know if they'd kill him off this season or wait around until Season Five (the final season).

 

There was quite a discussion over who called Walt when he was in front of Gus' house. So Alan Sepinwall decided to call Vince Gilligan and ask. Turns out it was Tyrus, the new guy. Go figure.

[/dev/null]

My prediction is that he's a corpse by the end of Season 4, as much as it pains me to say that.

I disagree. One word that comes to mind for Jesse is "Codependency". He's always had some kind of crutch to fall back on, either his drug addictions or Walt. As long as he has one or the other he finds a way to continue.

 

Jesse will outlive Walt, unless Walt loses control and containment and is no longer to provide Jesse the crutch he needs. At which point Jesse will succumb to one of the many enemies he's made, Gus, Hank, DEA, cops, or his own addiction

[SageAgainstTheMachine]

I disagree. One word that comes to mind for Jesse is "Codependency". He's always had some kind of crutch to fall back on, either his drug addictions or Walt. As long as he has one or the other he finds a way to continue.

 

Jesse will outlive Walt, unless Walt loses control and containment and is no longer to provide Jesse the crutch he needs. At which point Jesse will succumb to one of the many enemies he's made, Gus, Hank, DEA, cops, or his own addiction

 

You raise a good point regarding codependency. Here's my opinion though...

 

When it comes to light that Walt took a seat and watched while Jane choked on her own vomit, either Jesse or Walt isn't going to be breathing at the end of that conflict. As usual, Walt will manage to to jitterbug himself out of harm's way, so that leaves Jesse. Just my opinion on the natural resolution of that plotline.

 

Of course, perhaps more than any other show in tv history, we just don't know. When the show's most beloved character (Jesse) shot the show's most likable character (Gale) through the eye, Vince Gilligan sent a very clear message (not unlike Gus) that his job isn't to mollycoddle the audience and bow to their whims.

[Buftex]

You raise a good point regarding codependency. Here's my opinion though...

 

When it comes to light that Walt took a seat and watched while Jane choked on her own vomit, either Jesse or Walt isn't going to be breathing at the end of that conflict. As usual, Walt will manage to to jitterbug himself out of harm's way, so that leaves Jesse. Just my opinion on the natural resolution of that plotline.

 

Of course, perhaps more than any other show in tv history, we just don't know. When the show's most beloved character (Jesse) shot the show's most likable character (Gale) through the eye, Vince Gilligan sent a very clear message (not unlike Gus) that his job isn't to mollycoddle the audience and bow to their whims.

 

 

Don't forget the Sopranos...it wasn't so shocking that Christopher Moltisaniti (the "Jesse Pinkman" of the Sopranos) died, but it was more the who did it, when, and the way, that nobody could have seen coming...

[ajzepp]

Do you guys think that fans read more into what happens in a show than the writers do when they're writing it?

[The Poojer]

i think in these stories they build the characters so well that they intentionally try and lead the viewer into believing way more than they should...i don't think its us the viewers doing it on our own...

 

Do you guys think that fans read more into what happens in a show than the writers do when they're writing it?

[ajzepp]

i think in these stories they build the characters so well that they intentionally try and lead the viewer into believing way more than they should...i don't think its us the viewers doing it on our own...

 

It's just funny, cause I remember reading all sorts of amazingly detailed theories on Lost, but whenever I would read articles/interviews about the writers/producers/etc, it just never seemed like any of that was really going on. People often try to read into every little nuance and detail, yet often I think it has no intended meaning at all by the creators. I don't mean for this to be a criticism at all, I just find it interesting how detailed some folks get when it comes to trying to read between the lines.

[SageAgainstTheMachine]

It's just funny, cause I remember reading all sorts of amazingly detailed theories on Lost, but whenever I would read articles/interviews about the writers/producers/etc, it just never seemed like any of that was really going on. People often try to read into every little nuance and detail, yet often I think it has no intended meaning at all by the creators. I don't mean for this to be a criticism at all, I just find it interesting how detailed some folks get when it comes to trying to read between the lines.

 

With all due respect to Lost (great show), the folks on Breaking Bad are characterized in a much more eloquent way and therefore the fans are privy to more of an emotional basis for insight. Every facial expression, every syllable of speech can be examined under the microscope...and that's a testament to the writing, but even more so the acting (Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Giancarlo Esposito and Dean Norris in particular).

 

By the way, I think I may be developing an unhealthy fixation on Breaking Bad (an addiction perhaps?). For a brief moment today (maybe 5 minutes) I thought it was Friday instead of Thursday. The moment that I realized my error, my first thought was "Dammit! The new episode of Breaking Bad is three days from now, and not two days."

[ajzepp]

With all due respect to Lost (great show), the folks on Breaking Bad are characterized in a much more eloquent way and therefore the fans are privy to more of an emotional basis for insight. Every facial expression, every syllable of speech can be examined under the microscope...and that's a testament to the writing, but even more so the acting (Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Giancarlo Esposito and Dean Norris in particular).

 

By the way, I think I may be developing an unhealthy fixation on Breaking Bad (an addiction perhaps?). For a brief moment today (maybe 5 minutes) I thought it was Friday instead of Thursday. The moment that I realized my error, my first thought was "Dammit! The new episode of Breaking Bad is three days from now, and not two days."

 

I feel the same way...when that show comes on, I'm absolutely riveted. Everything else I'm watching pales in comparison...I just wish that this season was already in the books so I could rent the episodes and see wtf is going to happen next!

[UConn James]

With all due respect to Lost (great show), the folks on Breaking Bad are characterized in a much more eloquent way and therefore the fans are privy to more of an emotional basis for insight. Every facial expression, every syllable of speech can be examined under the microscope...and that's a testament to the writing, but even more so the acting (Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Giancarlo Esposito and Dean Norris in particular).

 

By the way, I think I may be developing an unhealthy fixation on Breaking Bad (an addiction perhaps?). For a brief moment today (maybe 5 minutes) I thought it was Friday instead of Thursday. The moment that I realized my error, my first thought was "Dammit! The new episode of Breaking Bad is three days from now, and not two days."

 

Mmmm... I wouldn't exactly use the word "eloquent" when describing the characterization on BB. Four seasons in and I'm still trying to figure out the motivations behind the personalities of many of these characters. There's so much stuff we haven't seen, not the least of which is Walt. Why the hell did he turn down a golden health plan when he had cancer? What was the back-story there? Why is there such a high degree of hubris and obsessive-compulsiveness? I understand that it is his personality, but we've got very little on how it it got that way. And, perhaps most of all... why does Walt wear tightie whities?!?

 

Four seasons into LOST, there wasn't nearly this much of a vacuum of information on the basics of characters. It was the island and its past / meta-physical properties that was the biggest mystery. And LOST had so many main characters (and many mid-major ones) to deal with, whereas in BB there's a core of what... six? In a NYT article, Gilligan said that he's intending to wrap up BB with the fifth season. So, there doesn't seem to be a lot of time for further fleshing out. I think that song "If You Don't Know Me By Now..." kind of sums up where we are / where I am with BB. And don't get me wrong, I'm perfectly OK with it if Gilligan doesn't want to get into too much back-story. It's a series that concentrates on the characters 'as is, and moving forward' much more than how they got there. Characterized more than LOST? You're entitled to your opinion. But I'm sorry, it's not even close.

 

----

 

"Open House"

 

Another episode of mostly set-up material that should have pay-off later this season.

 

ajzepp, I can now understand how it was when you binged on the first five seasons in a couple of months, and then got to the last season of LOST. Wow, these weeks are just eking along. Painfully slow.

Edited August 1, 2011 by UConn James

[HopsGuy]

Mmmm... I wouldn't exactly use the word "eloquent" when describing the characterization on BB. Four seasons in and I'm still trying to figure out the motivations behind the personalities of many of these characters. There's so much stuff we haven't seen, not the least of which is Walt. Why the hell did he turn down a golden health plan when he had cancer? What was the back-story there? Why is there such a high degree of hubris and obsessive-compulsiveness? I understand that it is his personality, but we've got very little on how it it got that way. And, perhaps most of all... why does Walt wear tightie whities?!?

 

Four seasons into LOST, there wasn't nearly this much of a vacuum of information on the basics of characters. It was the island and its past / meta-physical properties that was the biggest mystery. And LOST had so many main characters (and many mid-major ones) to deal with, whereas in BB there's a core of what... six? In a NYT article, Gilligan said that he's intending to wrap up BB with the fifth season. So, there doesn't seem to be a lot of time for further fleshing out.

 

Remember the cold-open "call back" in the first season that shows a very young Walt with Gretchen as they flesh-out the chemical composition of the human body? It appears as though they were grad students. Later we see that Gretchen had married Walt's partner and were doing quite well. Further on we find that Walt had been pushed out of the business (as he saw it) and was now being offered charity to pay for his soaring health costs. Walk is a proud man and was willing to do anything to support his family - work two jobs, cook meth, etc. Gilligan stated that the "no going back" point when Walt "Breaks Bad" is when he turns down this offer of assistance.

 

As for last night...

 

 

Marie's adventures at the realty open-houses was her regressing back to her klepto ways to cope with just how miserable it is to be home with Hank and his rocks minerals. Jesse is also regressing. He craves human interaction, though the recent attendees at the party house seem less than human. Badger and Skinny Pete would probably think that crew wasn't worthy of their company. The deaths of Jane, Tomas, and ultimately Gale were on Jesse. Watching Victor's murder pushed him past his humanity and here he sits wracked with guilt and nothing to support him.

 

In the final moments we see Hank picking up Gale's lab notebook. It was as if he opened right to the page that said something like, "Distillation using methylamine create a center-faced-cubic crystalline structure that gives the product its blue color." (I made that up from my fundamentals of materials class from 20 years ago.) Hank will be back on the trail of Heisenberg.

 

Tyrus, Victor's replacement, was sitting outside Jesse's house. Between that and the camera in the lab, we now that Gus is watching every move. Good stuff.

 

[UConn James]

Remember the cold-open "call back" in the first season that shows a very young Walt with Gretchen as they flesh-out the chemical composition of the human body? It appears as though they were grad students. Later we see that Gretchen had married Walt's partner and were doing quite well. Further on we find that Walt had been pushed out of the business (as he saw it) and was now being offered charity to pay for his soaring health costs. Walk is a proud man and was willing to do anything to support his family - work two jobs, cook meth, etc. Gilligan stated that the "no going back" point when Walt "Breaks Bad" is when he turns down this offer of assistance.

 

I'm well aware of all that. As I was saying, tho, that few-minute flashback does little to show a progression of why Walt is the way he is... how he changed from the guy who got his geek on and had fun with his work and excitedly buying a house with a Jr.-pregnant-Skylar to where he is now. We aren't shown the spark (or was it an extinguishing?) that created this very mechanistic mindset --- we're mostly just supposed to infer that it happened somewhere. As I wrote, I'm OK with that(!) but I was simply refuting the opinion that BB has more character richness/roundness than LOST. It doesn't, because there are huge gaps in their stories.

[HopsGuy]

I'm well aware of all that. As I was saying, tho, that few-minute flashback does little to show a progression of why Walt is the way he is... how he changed from the guy who got his geek on and had fun with his work and excitedly buying a house with a Jr.-pregnant-Skylar to where he is now. We aren't shown the spark (or was it an extinguishing?) that created this very mechanistic mindset --- we're mostly just supposed to infer that it happened somewhere. As I wrote, I'm OK with that(!) but I was simply refuting the opinion that BB has more character richness/roundness than LOST. It doesn't, because there are huge gaps in their stories.

 

Maybe we'll get more on that as we progress. What bothered me in season 3 was that Gus had built the Super Lab before he had secured Walt's services. I had wondered how he was able to do so without necessarily knowing the equipment he would need. The cold-open flashback in S04E01 showed that Gale had actually been the one that designed the lab. I guess that could have been inferred since Gale was the first person he met (love that they still have the coffee setup), but it explained a plot-hole for me. I never saw LOST, so I cannot comment on the character back-stories.

[/dev/null]

Last nights episode had kind of a housekeeping feel to it. Just a few things to care of. Nothing major just some stuff that had to be done

 

Episode 1 was Shock and Awe

Episode 2 was take a step back and contemplate wtf is going on

Episode 3 is the characters starting to settle into a new normal

[UConn James]

Last nights episode had kind of a housekeeping feel to it. Just a few things to care of. Nothing major just some stuff that had to be done

 

Episode 1 was Shock and Awe

Episode 2 was take a step back and contemplate wtf is going on

Episode 3 is the characters starting to settle into a new normal

 

Agreed on the "housekeeping" term for this week. The title usually gives a lot of overarching description / what was most important in that episode. As such, last week was titled "38 Snub" and while it was the type of handgun Walt bought, it also summed up what happened to each of the main characters featured --- they were snubbed re: something they wanted.

Edited August 2, 2011 by UConn James

[ajzepp]

 

 

ajzepp, I can now understand how it was when you binged on the first five seasons in a couple of months, and then got to the last season of LOST. Wow, these weeks are just eking along. Painfully slow.

 

lol, I think about that quite a bit...I think what I've learned is that if I start off watching a show week to week, then I'm just used to that pace and everything is cool. I look forward to the show each week, often times even forgetting it's on until I see the DVR recording...but when I start off watching a show on dvd/streaming/etc in order to get caught up, and THEN transition to week-to-week, it's frickin agony!

 

I never saw LOST

 

If you have netflix, it's probably still available on streaming. That's assuming youre interested, of course...but why wouldn't you be? It's a great ride!

Edited August 2, 2011 by ajzepp

[/dev/null]

Loved the opening scene with Mike. That character has really developed well

 

Jesse seems to be in a pile of s#it

 

As Walt and Hank were going thru Gales notebook, I noticed a Ron Paul 2012 sticker in there

[cantankerous]

Loved the opening scene with Mike. That character has really developed well

 

Jesse seems to be in a pile of s#it

 

As Walt and Hank were going thru Gales notebook, I noticed a Ron Paul 2012 sticker in there

 

Great episode. I thought I saw that RP sticker!

[HopsGuy]

Great episode. I thought I saw that RP sticker!

 

I saw it and had to rewind and slow-mo for confirmation. Nice nod to Dr. Paul's stance on the "War on Drugs".

 

 

Jesse really showed insight with his observations that if the cops were looking at him for Gale's murder, they would have already dragged him in for questioning. Also he noted that Mike wasn't going to kill the guy that stole his money because he went to the trouble of blind-folding him. While his mind is drug-addled, he's clear in some respects. Also, he's still skimming - "Smoke up, b*^ches!"

 

Think Mike put Jesse in re-hab? Couldn't have killed him off, right?

 

[/dev/null]

 

I caught the preview for next week. Looks like there's a scene where Mike and Jesse are out in the middle of nowhere digging a hole.

 

But I don't think Mike kills Jesse. I think Mike kills the guy who stole Jesse's cash. Just a little "F*ck you,you little pr*ck for doubting that I wouldn't kill him" And to try to scare Jesse straight.

I saw it and had to rewind and slow-mo for confirmation. Nice nod to Dr. Paul's stance on the "War on Drugs".

 

 

Jesse really showed insight with his observations that if the cops were looking at him for Gale's murder, they would have already dragged him in for questioning. Also he noted that Mike wasn't going to kill the guy that stole his money because he went to the trouble of blind-folding him. While his mind is drug-addled, he's clear in some respects. Also, he's still skimming - "Smoke up, b*^ches!"

 

Think Mike put Jesse in re-hab? Couldn't have killed him off, right?

 

[ajzepp]

My favorite scene last night was the exchange between Walt and Hank when they were reviewing the case file...Walt was trapped in his duality for those few minutes, and that was some of the best acting I've seen in any season of this show. It's scenes like that that make me appreciate the craftsmanship and overall quality of shows like this...just superb.

[Andrew in CA]

My favorite scene last night was the exchange between Walt and Hank when they were reviewing the case file...Walt was trapped in his duality for those few minutes, and that was some of the best acting I've seen in any season of this show. It's scenes like that that make me appreciate the craftsmanship and overall quality of shows like this...just superb.

 

I loved Walt's reaction to the music video Hank showed, especially juxtaposed with Walt Jr's and Hank's reactions.

[ajzepp]

I loved Walt's reaction to the music video Hank showed, especially juxtaposed with Walt Jr's and Hank's reactions.

 

Definitely...that whole five mins or so was just excellent acting.

 

I also loved the way Walt walked toward the camera in the lab, looked up with an intense expression and grumbled, "where is he!"

[SageAgainstTheMachine]

My favorite scene last night was the exchange between Walt and Hank when they were reviewing the case file...Walt was trapped in his duality for those few minutes, and that was some of the best acting I've seen in any season of this show. It's scenes like that that make me appreciate the craftsmanship and overall quality of shows like this...just superb.

 

My favorite part was Jesse vacantly staring into his duffelbag of cash, and then later dismissively shrugging off its disappearance. It was a sort of dismal reminder of why Jesse got himself into this mess in the first place, and how little he now cares about his initial motivation. Season 2 Jesse would have been a wreck over his money growing legs. Now he's just so broken that it doesn't matter.

 

The scene you mention was awesome too. I love Walt lifting his hands and saying "you got me" as Hank jokingly (?) accused him of being the W.W. in Gale's notebook.

[HopsGuy]

My favorite part was Jesse vacantly staring into his duffelbag of cash, and then later dismissively shrugging off its disappearance. It was a sort of dismal reminder of why Jesse got himself into this mess in the first place, and how little he now cares about his initial motivation. Season 2 Jesse would have been a wreck over his money growing legs. Now he's just so broken that it doesn't matter.

 

The scene you mention was awesome too. I love Walt lifting his hands and saying "you got me" as Hank jokingly (?) accused him of being the W.W. in Gale's notebook.

 

I've seen at least 3 descriptions of Jesse as being totally nihilistic. That's probably apt. Also, he played that Jane-like girl in a go-cart related video game. Lots of call-backs there.

 

Does anyone else have "Major Tom (Coming Home)" invading their brains? Gale had depth.

[UConn James]

I had been wondering what exactly Mike did for Gus....

 

dev/null, do you now see the problem with putting spoiler tags on discussion of episodes that have aired? In the first post of this page, that's what it is --- discussion about "Bullet Points" wrapped in spoilers on Monday morning about an episode that aired 12 hours earlier.

 

Then in your post, you put in spoiler quotes (correctly) details about the next episode. I actually opened that expecting more "Bullet Points" discussion, as that's kind of the norm. And then I got to read snippets about next week.

 

We need to come to an agreement on this.

[ajzepp]

My favorite part was Jesse vacantly staring into his duffelbag of cash, and then later dismissively shrugging off its disappearance. It was a sort of dismal reminder of why Jesse got himself into this mess in the first place, and how little he now cares about his initial motivation. Season 2 Jesse would have been a wreck over his money growing legs. Now he's just so broken that it doesn't matter.

 

The scene you mention was awesome too. I love Walt lifting his hands and saying "you got me" as Hank jokingly (?) accused him of being the W.W. in Gale's notebook.

 

The "you got me" line was great...and I love how Hank for just a SECOND contemplated a "what if?", and then you could tell he immediately let the thought move on from his brain...just brilliant stuff!

 

I'm sure it's a combination of both directing and acting, but the fact that subtle gestures and expressions can convey so much meaning is a real tribute to this show. I know a lot of us blow tons of sunshine up this show's arse already, but I think it's truly deserving. I have this uneasy feeling, almost a sort of anxiety, for the entire hour it's on each week. It's to the point where I'm so caught up in the characters that I'm almost relieved when everything seems to be okay LOL...it's really fugged up, but I love it.

[The Poojer]

do you think Hank thought Walt was involved, or was it the writers wanting us to think that? I know thats a very bizarre question because Hank and Walt arent real people...but do you think the writers intent was for Hank to have a suspicion about Walt? That beginning scene and the after dinner scene were both pretty riveting....Jesse is quickly becoming one of my favorite characters in television history...

 

 

The "you got me" line was great...and I love how Hank for just a SECOND contemplated a "what if?", and then you could tell he immediately let the thought move on from his brain...just brilliant stuff!

 

I'm sure it's a combination of both directing and acting, but the fact that subtle gestures and expressions can convey so much meaning is a real tribute to this show. I know a lot of us blow tons of sunshine up this show's arse already, but I think it's truly deserving. I have this uneasy feeling, almost a sort of anxiety, for the entire hour it's on each week. It's to the point where I'm so caught up in the characters that I'm almost relieved when everything seems to be okay LOL...it's really fugged up, but I love it.

[SageAgainstTheMachine]

do you think Hank thought Walt was involved, or was it the writers wanting us to think that? I know thats a very bizarre question because Hank and Walt arent real people...but do you think the writers intent was for Hank to have a suspicion about Walt? That beginning scene and the after dinner scene were both pretty riveting....Jesse is quickly becoming one of my favorite characters in television history...

 

I like to think the writers intended for us to think that way. In the beginning of the series, when Walt was a Casper Milquetoast, Hank didn't have enough respect for him to ever consider Walt's involvement. Now that W.W carries himself with a sense of identity, the inklings would be more believable. I hope that made sense.

 

And yeah, you can't say enough about Aaron Paul. I'm continuously amazed by his ability to carry a scene without ever opening his mouth. Perhaps I'm just taking Bryan Cranston for granted at this point, but right now it's very debatable over which man is the more capable actor.

[The Poojer]

bryan cranston reached elevated acting status in malcolm in the middle....(i thought he was pure genius in that sit com)

 

I like to think the writers intended for us to think that way. In the beginning of the series, when Walt was a Casper Milquetoast, Hank didn't have enough respect for him to ever consider Walt's involvement. Now that W.W carries himself with a sense of identity, the inklings would be more believable. I hope that made sense.

 

And yeah, you can't say enough about Aaron Paul. I'm continuously amazed by his ability to carry a scene without ever opening his mouth. Perhaps I'm just taking Bryan Cranston for granted at this point, but right now it's very debatable over which man is the more capable actor.

[SageAgainstTheMachine]

bryan cranston reached elevated acting status in malcolm in the middle....(i thought he was pure genius in that sit com)

 

One of my favorites. I watched it when I was a child, and then I was surprised at the degree to which I still found it hilarious as an adult. By chance, do you remember a scene where Cranston's character Hal suffers a stress breakdown from being charged with responsibility over the boys for an evening, and he ends up in a confrontation with hundreds of different manifestations of his being, each one attempting to advise him? Too funny!

[ajzepp]

do you think Hank thought Walt was involved, or was it the writers wanting us to think that? I know thats a very bizarre question because Hank and Walt arent real people...but do you think the writers intent was for Hank to have a suspicion about Walt? That beginning scene and the after dinner scene were both pretty riveting....Jesse is quickly becoming one of my favorite characters in television history...

 

I remember how I felt during the scene, and given the way it went down I felt that basically Hank was allowing himself to try on the thought for size, if that makes any sense, and then quickly discarded the idea. I would expect someone in law enforcement to always consider every angle, and that's sort of what I think he did there. Do I think there is any lingering suspicion on the part of Hank? Nope, I really don't. But I think it was brilliant the way they portrayed the moment that Hank allowed it to enter his brain That being said, I think it was also interesting how when Hank was asked about the rocks, Walt sort of jumped in and went all out with the knowledge droppin'. The way Hank reacted to that was interesting, because he had just made a comment about how involved the hobby was, and then you have Walt basically spewing out a level of detail that Hank couldn't even begin to understand. The dynamic at play here between these two is really, really interesting.

 

I like to think the writers intended for us to think that way. In the beginning of the series, when Walt was a Casper Milquetoast, Hank didn't have enough respect for him to ever consider Walt's involvement. Now that W.W carries himself with a sense of identity, the inklings would be more believable. I hope that made sense.

 

And yeah, you can't say enough about Aaron Paul. I'm continuously amazed by his ability to carry a scene without ever opening his mouth. Perhaps I'm just taking Bryan Cranston for granted at this point, but right now it's very debatable over which man is the more capable actor.

You guys were singing Aaron Paul's praises long before I was...I think I've finally gotten to the same point, though...he's been given a lot to handle with regard to his character, and he's doing an unbelievable job this season. I really like the way he uses apathy as a defense mechanism.

[K-9]

... That being said, I think it was also interesting how when Hank was asked about the rocks, Walt sort of jumped in and went all out with the knowledge droppin'. ...

 

The MINERALS!

Edited August 10, 2011 by K-9

[ajzepp]

The MINERALS!

 

[The Poojer]

and the plot turns....great episode last night...

i think we saw the beginning of the role reversals...all that driving around was to see where the importance in the operation really lies...all of a sudden Jesse is the important cog and Walter is gonna start to come apart at the seams. Its funny how the unflappable Mike couldn't take Jesses antsy-ness in the car. And I really thought Mike was gonna by the farm and I was 'genuinely' worried about that prospect...i really like that character. Good plot(twist) building episode

[Buftex]

and the plot turns....great episode last night...

i think we saw the beginning of the role reversals...all that driving around was to see where the importance in the operation really lies...all of a sudden Jesse is the important cog and Walter is gonna start to come apart at the seams. Its funny how the unflappable Mike couldn't take Jesses antsy-ness in the car. And I really thought Mike was gonna by the farm and I was 'genuinely' worried about that prospect...i really like that character. Good plot(twist) building episode

 

 

 

 

Hmmm...you may be right, but I still don't get the feeling that Gus has much use for Jesse. I interpreted the whole "let him be a hero" thing to calm down the paranoia that Walt and Jesse seem to be developing...then, when they finally let their guard down...bam! It was a great episode.

 

Don't know if you all saw it, in the AMC thread, but they announced today, there is one more, 16 episode season of "Breaking Bad", and then it ends. Kind of sad, but, I guess that is a good length, five years. It gives them the advance opportunity to really map out how the show will end. I am always kind of pins and needles, wondering what will happen with Gus...and in last night's episode, it seems, Walts' ego put the bloodhound (Hank) back on his trail...this season has been tremendously action packed, in terms of advancing story lines...I feel a "Fly" coming on!

 

[UConn James]

I saw it that Gus was trying to 1) get Jesse to some place where he gives a sh-- about something again and 2) foster a split between Jesse and Walt. All with the probably goal of getting rid of the person that he didn't want from the start because Jesse's unpredictable persona and criminal history is dangerous for his business.

 

In order to control the situation, Gus needs to get Walt to stop being so protective of Jesse. That started last week with Jesse paying two meth-heads $100 to forcibly remove Walt from the house.

 

Elsewhere, it seems to finally have hit Walt that a full reconciliation and getting things back somewhat close to what they were before he started to cook isn't going to happen. Skylar will have sex with him and go through motions in public, but her thinking of Walt is now mainly as a business partner and having to craft a story to launder drug money. How long will this last? Walt is man who hasn't had success with business partners, legitimate and otherwise. In fact... gird your loins here... lawyer/adviser/leech Saul Goodman may be the most trustworthy person in Walt's circle in 4 seasons. And guys, that's saying something!

 

Soon after this epiphany, Walt proceeds to hit the vino at Hank and Marie's, and it loosens his lips and puts some spring in Hank's step. And so the stage is set for the last season and a half. Walt's almost inviting it from all sides. You look at a lot of different scenarios knowing what we know, and it's really hard to imagine a happy ending here. And it's not like we should want one for many of these characters outside of Walt Jr., the baby and perhaps Hank. Gillian's made his bones thus far on us almost rooting for Walt and Jesse, but I'm not sure he can pull off an ending where we'd be satisfied for them to go unpunished for what they've done. I don't know tho --- he's gotten this far thumbing his nose at Hollywood convention....

 

And then that Beneke coffee mug right at the close. You know that's still sticking in Walt's craw.

[Buftex]

I saw it that Gus was trying to 1) get Jesse to some place where he gives a sh-- about something again and 2) foster a split between Jesse and Walt. All with the probably goal of getting rid of the person that he didn't want from the start because Jesse's unpredictable persona and criminal history is dangerous for his business.

 

In order to control the situation, Gus needs to get Walt to stop being so protective of Jesse. That started last week with Jesse paying two meth-heads $100 to forcibly remove Walt from the house.

 

Elsewhere, it seems to finally have hit Walt that a full reconciliation and getting things back somewhat close to what they were before he started to cook isn't going to happen. Skylar will have sex with him and go through motions in public, but her thinking of Walt is now mainly as a business partner and having to craft a story to launder drug money. How long will this last? Walt is man who hasn't had success with business partners, legitimate and otherwise. In fact... gird your loins here... lawyer/adviser/leech Saul Goodman may be the most trustworthy person in Walt's circle in 4 seasons. And guys, that's saying something!

 

Soon after this epiphany, Walt proceeds to hit the vino at Hank and Marie's, and it loosens his lips and puts some spring in Hank's step. And so the stage is set for the last season and a half. Walt's almost inviting it from all sides. You look at a lot of different scenarios knowing what we know, and it's really hard to imagine a happy ending here. And it's not like we should want one for many of these characters outside of Walt Jr., the baby and perhaps Hank. Gillian's made his bones thus far on us almost rooting for Walt and Jesse, but I'm not sure he can pull off an ending where we'd be satisfied for them to go unpunished for what they've done. I don't know tho --- he's gotten this far thumbing his nose at Hollywood convention....

 

And then that Beneke coffee mug right at the close. You know that's still sticking in Walt's craw.

 

It just doesn't seem to me like Gus is ever going to change his opinion of Jesse...I think he wants him gone, but he needs Walt still...that said, given that there is now a definite end to the series in sight, Jesse's demise seems inevitable.