Breaking Bad

T

Th3Branded0ne

I'll be back.
That prison scene just reminded me of the Ayrian Brotherhood documentary I saw 2 hours before the show. It is possible :magni:
For some reason it felt a bit weak for me. So how will Hank act. At least Jessee got his share. See ya in a year BB thread.
 
Griffith

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
I don't know why people are so stuck on him really being out or not. It's a moot point now, but for one thing he was clearly genuinely tired of the grind, which, granted, was introduced in the montage that finally came after seven episodes of other stuff, but whatever. Anyway, I'm pretty sure it was supposed to be sincere, if for no other reason than the final reveal wouldn't have had the same meaning if he wasn't trying to move on. Of course he isn't done now that he has Hank to worry about though, that's a given. The 64 million dollar question though is what's Hank's next move? In the words Saul Goodman: blowback!

One last thing, Walt never looked more Gus-like than when he looked up at Skyler by the pool, ironically right before she persuaded him to quit.
 
Dar_Klink

Dar_Klink

Last Guardian when? - CyberKlink 20XX before dying
Holy shit that prison montage, it was amazing. So was the other one. I really love when they do these segments. I also laughed when I listened to the podcast after watching the episode and Griffith or Walt said
"They'll have to do a Godfather style whack montage" or something along those lines.

Shit literally got real at the end of this episode, I do NOT want to wait a year.

Also, if you didn't know, you see Walt first reading that book back in season 3 (episode 6 I believe) right after he meets Gale for the first time.
 
Death May Die

Death May Die

I'm glad I could see them as one happy family even if for a few moments. I wasn't expecting all barrels blazing, but I didn't see this seemingly soft finale coming either. Its all about the silence before the storm.
 
Handmade_lion

Handmade_lion

Johnstantine said:
They're pulling a Venture Bros with this whole year-long gap in the season. Oh well, it's worth the wait.
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It's funny you mention Venture Bros. because I have been thinking that Hank usually wears very Brock-like shirts.
 
Griffith

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Dar Klink said:
Also, if you didn't know, you see Walt first reading that book back in season 3 (episode 6 I believe) right after he meets Gale for the first time.
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Which makes the timing a little odd actually (there's even a Gretchen theory out there, which I thought of during my own Hank-like "info dump" after the episode, but immediately flushed since her last name starts with an S). Anyway, it works, even as a retcon since it was revealed later that he already admired Walter before meeting him.

Johnstantine said:
They're pulling a Venture Bros with this whole year-long gap in the season. Oh well, it's worth the wait.
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The only time the break had potential was on Walt's 51st birthday when it was revealed that it was exactly a year earlier from the time we see him at Denny's. If we were actually going to jump a year ahead a year from now that could have been interesting, but now that three months have passed anyway and we're likely going to pick up where this one left off save for a pre-title refresher of Walt getting his Rambo going, not so much. Now it's just a waste of time. I think my dad is more annoyed than anyone, "I could literally die in the meantime!" :ganishka:

Death May Die said:
I'm glad I could see them as one happy family even if for a few moments. I wasn't expecting all barrels blazing, but I didn't see this seemingly soft finale coming either. Its all about the silence before the storm.
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Well, the storm arrived. This is quietly the most devastating thing to happen to Walt and his family on the show. I mean, it's really over, there's no coming back from this. On that note, I've since come to appreciate it as pretty much the perfect breaking point and great intellectual cliffhanger. There's thousands of little possibilities to consider.
 
JudeauChop

JudeauChop

Griffith said:
Well, the storm arrived. This is quietly the most devastating thing to happen to Walt and his family on the show. I mean, it's really over, there's no coming back from this. On that note, I've since come to appreciate it as pretty much the perfect breaking point and great intellectual cliffhanger. There's thousands of little possibilities to consider.
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I just don't buy Hank passing up 2 magazines for a book in someone else's bathroom, seems off character to me for some reason.
 
Griffith

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
JudeauChop said:
I just don't buy Hank passing up 2 magazines for a book in someone else's bathroom, seems off character to me for some reason.
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:ganishka:

I don't have a problem with it on Hank's end, no pun intended. As a matter of fact, that's about the only situation I can see that Hank picking up and leafing through Leaves of Grass at Walt's house, and that's my problem with it on Walt's end. Not only that he would keep such a damning piece of evidence, but that he'd leave in about the only place Hank, virtually the only person it's a damning piece of evidence for, could or would get his hands on it. You'd think he would have gotten rid of it as soon as he had that uncomfortable moment with Hank over Gale's lab notes, or when he tossed everything else, or that he'd at least hide it, or just not leave it sitting in the bathroom reading rack for public consumption. Anyway, chalk it up to a huge oversight, something Walt didn't think much of that's coming back to bite him. Well, bite him is an understatement, this is his downfall, and as far as that goes it coming from Gale's nice gesture is about the definition of poetic justice. It's just hard to believe Walt would let it come to that at this point.
 
Saephon

Saephon

Die young and save yourself
I have often felt conflicted while watching the show and seeing oversights like that, because it's a little off-putting to see the protagonist come so far and slip up so glaringly. Yet on the other hand, as I rewatch the whole thing, Walt has been struggling from day 1, in no small part due to his own vices and flaws. I would definitely describe the man as "ruthless", as opposed to "calculated."

I'm not totally bothered by
him leaving the book lying around because in the interests of the story, it was only a matter of time he screwed up and Hank pieced it all together; it might as well be something this poetic (no pun intended). Besides, from a certain point of view, it makes sense that something like that would be Walt's undoing. His journey has been an interesting one; he's transformed from ignorance to a position of overconfidence and power. I know people like to dwell on Walt's manipulative tendencies, but let's be frank: he's never really been that good at lying. His chief advantage is that people underestimate him. His family and Jesse underestimate his dark side until it's undeniable, and his enemies underestimate his determination and capability to back up his talk.

It is fitting, then, that as we approached the final act of the story, that he feels comfortable in a sense of invincibility (Which is of course unfounded), just before his downfall. Walt's whole fight has been premised on the fact that he can somehow separate his "work" from his home life, that while he's fighting tooth and nail outside the house, he has absolute domain inside of it. Combine that with his arrogance and need to feel validated, to see tangible proof that he achieved greatness? I'm not surprised he just left the book there. He thought he'd won.
 
Dar_Klink

Dar_Klink

Last Guardian when? - CyberKlink 20XX before dying
X724Y.gif
 
B

Bekul

Holy shit. Everyone watch this immediately: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djaLf6bgFuU

A profound summary of his character arc from the very first episode to 'Gliding Over All'.

Holy shit.
 
Walter

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Bert gif made me lol

Bekul said:
Holy shit. Everyone watch this immediately: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djaLf6bgFuU

A profound summary of his character arc from the very first episode to 'Gliding Over All'.

Holy shit.
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Very nice! Though I think the soundtrack they use is a little overbearing.

Saephon said:
I have often felt conflicted while watching the show and seeing oversights like that, because it's a little off-putting to see the protagonist come so far and slip up so glaringly.
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Here's Vince Gilligan's take on it, in an otherwise worthless interview with Salon.com

Q: What was he thinking leaving the book there? Does he want to be caught? Did he just happen to bring it in from the bedroom, and was reading it on the can?

A: I think it’s the latter. I don’t really believe Walter wants to be caught. I don’t think it’s one of those. And we do all hear about those kind of moments in real life, don’t we? Where people seem to want to be caught. It seems to be a huge relief once they are, and they seem to be making mistakes toward the end. It was obviously ill-advised on Walt’s part to leave that around. But I think it speaks more to his comfort level at being a criminal now. I think I’ve always been fascinated by human beings’ capacity to adapt. To anything, really. I mean, humans can adapt to any kind of circumstance, provided their heart’s still beating. I think Walt has gotten his mind pretty completely around the idea of being a criminal. Of course, at the moment that this happens, he’s “out of the business” — but he’s got pretty comfortable as we saw. For many episodes, where he would argue with Skyler and say “everything’s fine. Nobody’s going to come busting in that door. I’m the boss. I’m the danger. I’m the power.” And I think Walt’s mistake was one born of arrogance, and one born of comfort. He was overly certain of himself, and his abilities, and he probably does not think of Hank as much of a reader.

It was an absolute oversight. And very unfortunate for him, to be sure.
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JudeauChop

JudeauChop

Walter said:
Looking into the next season, I've got one question for Breaking Bad fans:
Can Hank prove it?
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My initial thought is, Hank goes by his gut. He finds ways to prove things. Look at the way he went after Gus, or had Mike's lawyer tailed. He's a high risk guy. If he can't prove it, I can see him destroying his career trying.
 
Griffith

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Walter said:
Looking into the next season, I've got one question for Breaking Bad fans:
Can Hank prove it?
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Mr. Lambert seems to think so.

Though I can see an extended game of cat and mouse playing out where Walt tries to cover his tracks, since that's been the shows M.O. thus far. That's not even the most interesting part of this to me though, it's the that if
Hank goes through with this he would destroy his career and his family, and possibly lose his life if he's foolish enough to try and handle this with Walt man to man rather than bringing in the DEA right away. I'd love to see that mano a mano confrontation though, to see if would Walt would dare to both ask for mercy and forgiveness while also reminding Hank of blowback to their wives and his children (gonna lock up your wife's sister? Make the kids orphans, or try to raise them after busting their parents?), and perhaps make Hank aware that he paid for his physical therapy and could possibly be implicated himself *cough cough*, his only defense being that he's so bad at his job he had no idea any of this was going on. I do think Hank is ultimately going to be compelled to do the right thing no matter what the consequences, but this isn't so cut and dry on his end either, and it's going to really test his character.
 
Walter

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Griffith said:
Mr. Lambert seems to think so.
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I'm still not sure that look of fear, and the gun, is because of
Hank.


Hank has a scary hunch right now. But if he really analyzes the past year of his life, and Walt's life, the circumstantial evidence is towering. It's really a matter of it he'll resolve this situation via the DEA or personally, like Griff said.

However it goes down, it is going to be the ultimate showdown for this series. I've been waiting for it for years. I really cannot wait. :daiba:
 
Griffith

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Walter said:
I'm still not sure that look of fear, and the gun, is because of
Hank.
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I don't think he's afraid of him either, but I assume the primary reason for the alias, disguise, and new address is because he's on the run from the authorities, among others he probably wouldn't need such drastic measures to escape from.

Walter said:
Hank has a scary hunch right now. But if he really analyzes the past year of his life, and Walt's life, the circumstantial evidence is towering. It's really a matter of it he'll resolve this situation via the DEA or personally, like Griff said.
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Legally it's circumstantial, but it's more than a hunch. Taken with the new light it casts on everything else about Walt's life since his diagnosis, it's confirmation. It'll be interesting to see what Walt can do in the vein of "it's not what you know, it's what you can prove" style damage control.
And we thought some of these family dinners were uncomfortable before. =)

Walter said:
However it goes down, it is going to be the ultimate showdown for this series. I've been waiting for it for years. I really cannot wait. :daiba:
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I'm not so sure if it will be that, or another milestone on Walt's path to Hell.
From what Gilligan has been saying in the seemingly endless interviews he's doing, nothing is off the table for the last 8 episodes (in the same interview he suggested Hank walking out of the can and shooting Walt in the head, or at least feeling like it =) . Anyway, this situation might be more about just what Walt's capable of when cornered. Could Walt kill Hank? Jesse? Skyler? We'll see.
 
Walter

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Gobolatula said:
As much as I love Aaron Paul, I was hoping Giancarlo would get the award. Gus was the best.
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I love Giancarlo Esposito as Gus. But Paul deserved this one.

As for Cranston being snubbed for his hands-down best season (4)... well, all I'll say is The Emmys never recognized The Wire, and that sort of says it all.
 
Johnstantine

Johnstantine

Skibbidy Boo Bop
Walter said:
I love Giancarlo Esposito as Gus. But Paul deserved this one.

As for Cranston being snubbed for his hands-down best season (4)... well, all I'll say is The Emmys never recognized The Wire, and that sort of says it all.
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For being such a wonderful series, few people have ever heard/seen The Wire. I got to season 3 but had some stuff come up. Still haven't finished it, but I totally plan to.
 
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