Breaking Bad Discussion

[bowl of soup]

Not reading a word of this until I catch up.  I recently watched the first three seasons in about 2 weeks and I now feel like I live in this show.  Anyway I'm sort of screwed on season 4 - on demand only has the last 4 episodes of this season - not sure where to watch the first part of this season.  Am I just screwed until the DVD comes out?

not sure if these work or not, give it a shot: http://www.free-tv-video-online.me/internet/breaking_bad/season_4.html

A late thanks for this brother - allowed me to catch up and worked pretty well aside from the occassional pop-up inviting me to meet attractive Asian women; and hey, who doesn't want to meet attractive Asian women?

Just finished last night; seemed more like the end of the show rather than season.  I think the show has become more about Jesse than Walt - not really a bad thing, but interesting in that Jesse was supposed to be killed off early.  My guess is that next year focuses on Walt's death and with him ending up right where he started from.

[Ruckus]

Haven't read the thread because I just started Season 4 but this show has really grown on me even though I find the female characters to be nothing but annoying.

I just love the indie film sensibility in the direction of this series:  the odd camera angles, the stark and sparse backdrop, lengthy conversational pauses, lack of music, etc.  The series really hit its stride in Season 3 I think.  I think the Fly episode was understated genius!

Anyone else immediately draw parallels between Dexter and Breaking Bad concerning the general plot though they share nothing else in common?  Supremely intelligent individual in less than prestigious position where job facilitates the need to break the law for whatever reason.  Loud mouthed, hyperactive sister/brother in law (also best friend) is who they are being chased by and from whom they keep their secret...etc.

[Jon T.]

Anyone else immediately draw parallels between Dexter and Breaking Bad concerning the general plot though they share nothing else in common?  Supremely intelligent individual in less than prestigious position where job facilitates the need to break the law for whatever reason.  Loud mouthed, hyperactive sister/brother in law (also best friend) is who they are being chased by and from whom they keep their secret...etc.

Yep.  And I'll preface this by saying possible spoiler alert, but it is just sheer speculation, but I think it's got to be their respective relatives that figures them out... right?

[bowl of soup]

Anyone else immediately draw parallels between Dexter and Breaking Bad concerning the general plot though they share nothing else in common?  Supremely intelligent individual in less than prestigious position where job facilitates the need to break the law for whatever reason.  Loud mouthed, hyperactive sister/brother in law (also best friend) is who they are being chased by and from whom they keep their secret...etc.

Yep.  And I'll preface this by saying possible spoiler alert, but it is just sheer speculation, but I think it's got to be their respective relatives that figures them out... right?

Hank busting Walt would be a supremely shitty way for this show to end.  I really think that Walt begins his death march this year due to the cancer and winds up with nothing at the end despite all of the mayhem that he has created.  Maybe he finally does something noble and takes the fall for the whole enterprise while Jesse flies off to New Zealand with his girlfriend and Brock.  And what does Mike do when he returns?

[johnnYYac]

Anyone else immediately draw parallels between Dexter and Breaking Bad concerning the general plot though they share nothing else in common?  Supremely intelligent individual in less than prestigious position where job facilitates the need to break the law for whatever reason.  Loud mouthed, hyperactive sister/brother in law (also best friend) is who they are being chased by and from whom they keep their secret...etc.

Yep.  And I'll preface this by saying possible spoiler alert, but it is just sheer speculation, but I think it's got to be their respective relatives that figures them out... right?

Hank busting Walt would be a supremely shitty way for this show to end.  I really think that Walt begins his death march this year due to the cancer and winds up with nothing at the end despite all of the mayhem that he has created.  Maybe he finally does something noble and takes the fall for the whole enterprise while Jesse flies off to New Zealand with his girlfriend and Brock.  And what does Mike do when he returns?

Season 4 SPOILER AHEAD...






I was thinking... Mike owes Jesse his life, perhaps becomes an enforcer for Walt, who becomes a true kingpin - the new Gus.  That would be the start of Season 5.   

[Sticky Icky Green Stuff]

Anyone else immediately draw parallels between Dexter and Breaking Bad concerning the general plot though they share nothing else in common?  Supremely intelligent individual in less than prestigious position where job facilitates the need to break the law for whatever reason.  Loud mouthed, hyperactive sister/brother in law (also best friend) is who they are being chased by and from whom they keep their secret...etc.

Yep.  And I'll preface this by saying possible spoiler alert, but it is just sheer speculation, but I think it's got to be their respective relatives that figures them out... right?

Hank busting Walt would be a supremely shitty way for this show to end.  I really think that Walt begins his death march this year due to the cancer and winds up with nothing at the end despite all of the mayhem that he has created.  Maybe he finally does something noble and takes the fall for the whole enterprise while Jesse flies off to New Zealand with his girlfriend and Brock.  And what does Mike do when he returns?

Season 4 SPOILER AHEAD...






I was thinking... Mike owes Jesse his life, perhaps becomes an enforcer for Walt, who becomes a true kingpin - the new Gus.  That would be the start of Season 5.   

I'm pretty sure Vince said Mike will be back next season for sure.  it'll be interesting.  I'm preparing myself to end up hating Walt.  season 4 spoiler... brock and the flower shit feels like the first real taste of the evil Walt is going to unleash in season 5.  I wouldn't be surprised if Walt ends up killing Hank or Gomez or both of them.  he can build bombs, make untraceable poison compounds.  I have a feeling the cartel isn't done with him yet.   or maybe it will be Gus' people who come after him, I suppose that's more likely.

[bowl of soup]

ALL SPOILER.  I think they have to return to the beginning.  He's still a dude with a death sentence and I think that they were hinting seriously towrds the end of last season that the cancer was back.  Walt going kingpin does not make too much sense - he doesn't have the network or the time to develope an organization.  Just because he killed Gus doesn't mean he gets to take over.

And where does he cook now?  I imagine he's not welcome at the laundry.  And all of his money is gone.  Time to buy a new RV and call Skinny P and Badger.  Mike's the biggest variable, even Vince G. acknowledged that in his interview.

All in all, not a good time to be a meth-head.  The cartel had its 12 or so top guys killed and Gus had his face blown off - so its gonna be a little hard to find a good hit of meth on the streets.

[johnnYYac]

ALL SPOILER.  I think they have to return to the beginning.  He's still a dude with a death sentence and I think that they were hinting seriously towrds the end of last season that the cancer was back.  Walt going kingpin does not make too much sense - he doesn't have the network or the time to develope an organization.  Just because he killed Gus doesn't mean he gets to take over.

And where does he cook now?  I imagine he's not welcome at the laundry.  And all of his money is gone.  Time to buy a new RV and call Skinny P and Badger.  Mike's the biggest variable, even Vince G. acknowledged that in his interview.

All in all, not a good time to be a meth-head.  The cartel had its 12 or so top guys killed and Gus had his face blown off - so its gonna be a little hard to find a good hit of meth on the streets.

Unlike the wiping-out of the cartel, only Gus and his bodyguard were killed in the explosion, so Walt steps into that vacuum but has Gus's network otherwise in place.  I think, between he, Jesse, and Mike they could pull it off.  Perhaps a meth lab at the car wash?  Walt is gonna be desperate to make back the money Sylar gave her former boss to pay his tax debt.  That or he decides to go back to teaching high school chemistry until the lung cancer gets 'im.  Maybe Walter Jr. becomes a meth head. 

[Sticky Icky Green Stuff]

ALL SPOILER.  I think they have to return to the beginning.  He's still a dude with a death sentence and I think that they were hinting seriously towrds the end of last season that the cancer was back.  Walt going kingpin does not make too much sense - he doesn't have the network or the time to develope an organization.  Just because he killed Gus doesn't mean he gets to take over.

And where does he cook now?  I imagine he's not welcome at the laundry.  And all of his money is gone.  Time to buy a new RV and call Skinny P and Badger.  Mike's the biggest variable, even Vince G. acknowledged that in his interview.

All in all, not a good time to be a meth-head.  The cartel had its 12 or so top guys killed and Gus had his face blown off - so its gonna be a little hard to find a good hit of meth on the streets.

Unlike the wiping-out of the cartel, only Gus and his bodyguard were killed in the explosion, so Walt steps into that vacuum but has Gus's network otherwise in place.  I think, between he, Jesse, and Mike they could pull it off.  Perhaps a meth lab at the car wash?  Walt is gonna be desperate to make back the money Sylar gave her former boss to pay his tax debt.  That or he decides to go back to teaching high school chemistry until the lung cancer gets 'im.  Maybe Walter Jr. becomes a meth head.

yeah exactly.  I kept thinking they were going to move the lab to the car wash last season so it's definitely a plausible option if you ask me.  walt needs to make enough money to disappear now and take his family with him.  skyler gave ted all that bread making walt have to work longer now.  the never ending cycle that will inevitably turn walt insane.

[Sticky Icky Green Stuff]

also, that explosion won't go unnoticed.  I think it's safe to say the Feds will be coming soon.  they already sorta teased it when Jesse was questioned. 

[el_chode]

I wonder how many loose ends they'll tie up. Will it be none, like LOST? Most, like Sopranos? Or as many as possible like Battlestar (even if the explanation is sort of lame)?

You have Jesse's girlfriend getting untold amounts of money and buying a house without the job to explain it to the gov't. You have a dead Beneke. You have a shady lawyer. You've got Hank on the trail. A snooping Marie with a propensity to lie. A cartel that has seen it's top tiers decimated along with its competition.

[bowl of soup]

I just re-watched the pilot (the best first-episode of anything ever) and I think the answer is in the beginning.  Early in the episode, Walt is in his chemistry class and goes into a speech about what chemistry is.  One of the students says something about chemistry being the study of chemicals - Walt corrects him and says that chemistry is the study of change.

The chemistry is always pure in the show - the answers to all of the problems are always rooted in chemistry.  Need to kill Crazy 8 and Emillio - cause a chemical reaction in an RV that kills them.  Need to shake Tuco into doing business - blow up his office with imitation meth.  Need a barrel of chemicals - burn the door down with chemicals.  Need to kill Gus - poison a child and blow his face off with a bomb.  It goes on and on.

In the end - Walt will die.  The show has always been about his inevitable death in some way.  Everyone else will be changed.  Jesse goes to New Zealand with his girlfriend and son to live a peaceful life.  Skyler falls in love with breaking bad and maintains the operation with the help of Hank who turns after being canned by the DEA.  Walt Jr. gets hooked on drugs, etc.

[bowl of soup]

This:

http://www.youtube.com/embed/t4Qv2hCprbs?feature=player_embedded

[Jackets N Pones]

This promo has tied me over until Season 5: Badger's revenge.

Do not watch if you have not finsihed Season 4!

Breaking Bad - The Ecstasy of Gold (tribute video) BETA version

[el_chode]

There was one thing missing from this "season"'s finale:

"plop"

This show has the potential to oust the Sopranos as my all-time favorite, depending on how next year goes

[johnnYYac]

There was one thing missing from this "season"'s finale:

"plop"

This show has the potential to oust the Sopranos as my all-time favorite, depending on how next year goes

I have to admit, I though the same thing... plop.

[Dillsnufus]

There was one thing missing from this "season"'s finale:

"plop"

This show has the potential to oust the Sopranos as my all-time favorite, depending on how next year goes

I have to admit, I though the same thing... plop.

plop.

[Sticky Icky Green Stuff]

There was one thing missing from this "season"'s finale:

"plop"

This show has the potential to oust the Sopranos as my all-time favorite, depending on how next year goes

has there ever been a show as cinematic-ly complex as breaking bad is? a lot of the mystery solving is thru observation too.  every frame seems important and thought out.  the bugs, the pool, the book, the ricin.  everything.  best show ever made for sure, imo.

[mind at large]

i agree with sticky on this one, for me, the show got even better when i re-watched it over again knowing what to expect.  you can pay more attention to the subtleties in vince gilligan's writing - as the show is littered with "easter eggs" of intricate story telling.

caught this on slashflim, fantastic summary in one video (contains many spoilers for those that aren't up to date.) 

Breaking Bad fan tribute - The Journey of Walter White

[bowl of soup]

I have not read this anywhere else, but there is another G.B. in Walt's life: Gretchen Black, his old partner at Gray Matter. We never really did see Gale expressly give Leaves of Grass to Walt - it was implied. Sure he quoted Whitman, but there's a reason for everything on this show.

A relationship between Walt and Gretchen was implied in earlier seasons and a poetry book is a gift that nerdy folks give each other, especially if feelings are involved.

At the very least it gives Waly a fairly ready explanation when Hank comes asking.