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[Zeliard]

There's probably a distinction to be made between rooting for a character and thinking they're good people or whatever. It's natural to root for the main protagonist because he's, well, the main protagonist. Everything tends to revolve around everything that person does. Now whether you think that character is basically a scumbag or not is a different argument. There shouldn't be an issue with rooting for the asshole or even the bad guy in a fictional show, and that can often be enjoyable, but judging their morality is another matter.

Is Walt a good person? I think he started out as one, but I think he pretty clearly isn't now, or at least has descended down a much darker path. The guy has plenty of money but is still out there risking everyone's life to cook some meth for a major drug lord. So his entire reasoning for doing it in the first place - which was always shaky - is thrown out the window. He even extended his contract with Gus from 3 months to a year, didn't he?

And then Walt masterminds Gale's death at the hands of someone who'd never killed anyone. Granted Gale as a meth cook wasn't exactly innocent himself but he was certainly shown to be a lot more so than Jesse and especially Walt. The further Walt gets in the worse it seems to get for those around him, including Hank getting shot up and possibly being paralyzed. Don't see how it'll get anything but worse from here on. But Walt and Jesse (and now Skylar?) are certainly fun to root for, especially given the show's unpredictability.

 

[Amir0x]

I don't understand the concept that you must root for these guys. There are entirely different viewing desires than merely wishing success on everyone no matter what they are doing, and what's more it makes logical sense to react different based on how the character behaves, not based on their importance in the show. As a viewer it doesn't impact my entertainment one bit to not root for the main character as long as the writing is good, and Breaking Bad is mostly good.

 

[Lambtron]

She had cigarette while pregnant, AND after the baby was born. In a house with a cancer patient. She is neglegent.

You can't seem to apply your morals to Skylar, only Walt.

Comparing her actions to Walt's are hilarious. Absolutely hilarious.

 

[tycoonheart]

.



Not word for word but heavily implying he's not sympathetic at least not for a long while.

There was a video interview where Vince actually said "maybe we started him out a bit sympathetic but in my mind there's nothing sympathetic about him anymore. We want viewers to feel some empathy about the situation this family is in but, I don't think, sympathy is the right word." but I can't find the link right now.



Fuck no! Once she goes down that road, since her motivations would be selfish too (money), she'll be in the same boat. Up until this point she HAS been the sympathetic character of the show, unlike Walt.

That will change with Season 4 if the writers bring her down the road we expect.

And sorry the whole gosh a cigarette reasoning for Skylar being negligent is so absurd it's honestly not worth considering in a serious debate. It's a cigarette, not fucking meth, and she did it only a few times as a direct response to stressful stimulus received by Walt. Yes, it is wrong, but in this case it IS sympathetic and it is not for selfish reasons. There is such a world of difference between the two up until this point.

However, I fully expect that will change with S4.

http://sepinwall.blogspot.com/2009/05/breaking-bad-vince-gilligan-post.html

Okay, Gilligan is saying he's a monster because his actions have directly lead to a lot of deaths and his family disbanding. But no where in that answer do I find Gilligan agreeing to the interviewer's assertion that Walt isn't sympathetic anymore.

 

[Cipherr]

This is such a lame excuse for disliking a character acting like any sensible person would in the situation and represents such a lack of, well, thinking on the part of the intelligent viewer that it's almost shocking to reply to. And that is absolutely NOT how the show is written, not even remotely, so I hope you have a better understanding of the show then you're letting on.

You're essentially implying that because a character may be a protagonist, no matter how bad they are, the viewer will automatically want them to succeed and any character that inhibits his/her wrong doing will be seen as someone to hate. Sorry, I don't buy it. Not only am I smarter than such retarded non-thinking analysis of a show, but I frequently watch shows with morally bankrupt main characters whose female or otherwise characters "inhibit" them and I think "you know, good for them" because THAT'S WHAT YOU DO. And I've seen a few others on the Skylar team too, because she's doing the logical and, frankly, honorable thing (up until now - seems she's going over board by the end of Season 3). In any situation 99% of people would not only react the same way they'd go further, they'd probably call the police. And 99% of people would applaud her.

Just because a character is the primary character does not mean you have to root for them. They're called character studies for a reason. And, more importantly, disliking a character's moral center does not equate disliking watching the character. I think Walt is a horrible human being, the same as I think Don Draper is. I don't root for them to succeed. But I love the way they're written precisely because this is the case. They're fascinating to watch. It's the literal deconstruction of the American Dream in both cases, as also with the case of Tony Soprano, and it's so throwaway to just say "well of course we hate these characters they're in the way of the main character!"

I assume as adults we can think about the characters and their logical actions with more depth than the kiddie pool

Scratch the bullshit, because drawing this into some unrealistic stupid argument is ridiculous.

Fact 1: I and some others don't like the Skylar character

Fact 2: That doesn't imply anything other than I ans some others don't like 'X' character on 'X' television show.

Fact 3: You have such a hard time accepting that, that you try and tie it into some psychological nonsense instead of just accepting it for what it is. A television show with a character some people don't like.

Get over it. We aren't the ones who drove this conversation into loonyville, you did when you all started insisting that sexism and all the other bullshit had something to do with one person enjoying a show in a different way than you did. I don't really give a damn about the writers intentions for a character. I absorb a show how I absorb it.

 

[tycoonheart]

Comparing her actions to Walt's are hilarious. Absolutely hilarious.

Okay, lets look at her actions on its own, without having to relate them to Walt's.

Would you classify a lot of shit she's done as being stupid/horrible/questionable/etc? If you do, will you call her a terrible person undeserving of sympathy as well?

 

[Amir0x]

Scratch the bullshit, because drawing this into some unrealistic stupid argument is ridiculous.

Fact 1: I and some others don't like the Skylar character

Yes, for utterly illogical reasons. We've established that.

Fact 2: That doesn't imply anything other than I ans some others don't like 'X' character on 'X' television show.

I never said it does. They were just examples from other shows.

Fact 3: You have such a hard time accepting that, that you try and tie it into some psychological nonsense instead of just accepting it for what it is. A television show with a character some people don't like.

It is a theory based on many GAF television shows threads where almost uniformly a majority in each topic rejects the female lead and authoritatively supports the male lead, no matter how obviously worse that person is in every conceivable way and how seemingly understandable the actions are of the female.

You are fine to disagree with my assessment but it is fair to say there has been correlation. Of course, that doesn't mean it's the cause. It is just a theory.

I don't really give a damn about the writers intentions for a character.

Obviously since there is a clear lack of understanding of what the show is about from many of the viewers of the show judging from this topic.

 

[Firestorm]

What about Ari Gold?

House?

Tony Soprano? Christopher Moltisanti?

Jack Bauer?

Judging TV characters by applying "real life morals" isn't the way I watch TV shows or movies. I root for characters who I find appealing, for whatever reasons they may be.

House I root for as well but more along the lines of I'm rooting for Wilson and Cuddy to help him become happy. I don't watch the other shows.

We both just have different ways of watching these shows. I judge them based on my own morality lines. Walt has done some things that have ruined other people's lives considerably for his own personal gain and that's really what's made me dislike him as a person. It doesn't stop him from being an interesting character or the show from being interesting.

 

[Amir0x]

House I root for as well but more along the lines of I'm rooting for Wilson and Cuddy to help him become happy. I don't watch the other shows.

We both just have different ways of watching these shows. I judge them based on my own morality lines. Walt has done some things that have ruined other people's lives considerably for his own personal gain and that's really what's made me dislike him as a person. It doesn't stop him from being an interesting character or the show from being interesting.

Yeah these characters are so fascinating because they feel real in that they're not sympathetic, just like a lot of real people. This isn't some negative aspect that should be avoided. So many shows puss out.

 

[BamYouHaveAids]

.



Not word for word but heavily implying he's not sympathetic at least not for a long while.

There was a video interview where Vince actually said "maybe we started him out a bit sympathetic but in my mind there's nothing sympathetic about him anymore. We want viewers to feel some empathy about the situation this family is in but, I don't think, sympathy is the right word." but I can't find the link right now.



Fuck no! Once she goes down that road, since her motivations would be selfish too (money), she'll be in the same boat. Up until this point she HAS been the sympathetic character of the show, unlike Walt.

That will change with Season 4 if the writers bring her down the road we expect.

And sorry the whole gosh a cigarette reasoning for Skylar being negligent is so absurd it's honestly not worth considering in a serious debate. It's a cigarette, not fucking meth, and she did it only a few times as a direct response to stressful stimulus received by Walt. Yes, it is wrong, but in this case it IS sympathetic and it is not for selfish reasons. There is such a world of difference between the two up until this point.

However, I fully expect that will change with S4.

So you rank behavior on a scale? "She might have done this but it is no where near as bad as what Walt did?" Well compared to Hitler, Walt is a saint, I guess he is a morally righteous character. Negligent also doesn't mean neglectful, but smoking while pregnant is inexcusable whether a response to stress or not, you can't just disregard that. "Hey I only beat my wife a few times, but it's ok she made me angry." Amazing defense there.

She is negligent because she often left her infant daughter with a relative so she could bang a criminal. Also, she held Walt's family hostage so she could further her criminal career--she weaseled herself into his criminal enterprise despite the risk it imposed on her children and the action being completely unnecessary due to her lust for power and importance. She is exactly like Walt. Just because Walt is morally bankrupt and unsympathetic doesn't mean Skyler isn't as well, the exception being of course we see some of Walt's redeeming traits as the show is tailored around him, while for the most part only the negative traits of Skyler are portrayed. Regardless, I like Walt and not Skyler because I find his character interesting and entertaining while I find her's dull and boring.

If you think I'm just going to stand there and be insulted or condescend to you are welcome to ban me, in fact I encourage you to.

 

[Amir0x]

So you rank behavior on a scale? "She might have done this but it is no where near as bad as what Walt did?" Well compared to Hitler, Walt is a saint, I guess he is a morally righteous character. Negligent also doesn't mean neglectful, but smoking while pregnant is inexcusable whether a response to stress or not, you can't just disregard that. "Hey I only beat my wife a few times, but it's ok she made me angry." Amazing defense there.

One, having - according to her - three or four cigarettes is not going to cause the baby harm. She stopped fairly quickly since it was not removing the stress from her life. Two, it was a result from the stress... she felt trapped, she could not find answers, Walt as always ruined another person. No, that doesn't make it right. I've said so. But yes, there ARE different scales of wrongness. Her scale of wrongness is so minuscule compared to Walt that it is absurd to use it as an example of why you can't feel sympathy for her while simultaneously feeling sympathy for Walt.

She is negligent because she often left her infant daughter with a relative so she could bang a criminal. Also, she held Walt's family hostage so she could further her criminal career--she weaseled herself into his criminal enterprise despite the risk it imposed on her children and the action being completely unnecessary due to her lust for power and importance. She is exactly like Walt. Just because Walt is morally bankrupt and unsympathetic doesn't mean Skyler isn't as well, the exception being of course we see some of Walt's redeeming traits as the show is tailored around him, while for the most part only the negative traits of Skyler are portrayed.

She left the kid with her sister so you can spend time having a sex life. Wow. Yeah, that's terrible. Like I said, she has slowly been becoming what Walt is, due to Walt, so soon enough she'll be as unsympathetic as he is. But it is absolutely clear that in regards to what we were discussing, how people hate her because she's impeding Walt in his horrible enterprise, that she's too uptight or that she won't listen to his explanations (not saying you said this but this is how the conversation you entered into actually started), it is clear people are really misinterpreting the show. Skylar reacted exactly how someone in her situation should, particularly considering the man she thought she knew. She's just a suburban housewife after all.

Regardless, I like Walt and not Skyler because I find his character interesting and entertaining while I find her's dull and boring.

It's fair to say that it makes sense Skylar is boring, though. She is a suburban housewife used to a certain, how do you say, 'routine' which is why we see her getting so excited eventually by Walt's spontaneity. In the context of which you find MORE ENTERTAINING, obviously Walt is more entertaining. I find him more entertaining too. But Skylar is more sympathetic and she is absolutely more morally upright than Walt.

If you think I'm just going to stand there and be insulted or condescend to you are welcome to ban me, in fact I encourage you to.

You weren't insulted, that was the point. You made it up in one of your typical insular rants against moderation in classic misinterpretation form. if I want to insult you I will be completely unambiguous about it I can assure you. You've been banned so many times that if it happens again it will be perm, and so the warning is a favor to you.

 

[Spire]

How about the show ends when it should end? The Shield went 7 seasons and the last three are unquestionably the best. No one here is clairvoyant, Breaking Bad could have 10 great seasons in it, we don't know. For a show that's all about transformation, I find it odd that people seem to think they know when it'll grow stale.

 

[BigAT]

Skylar "discussion" still going on?

 

[tycoonheart]

I can only hope she gets killed off in S4 so we can stop this discussion. :-D

 

[Vlad]

Uh, wow.

Between discovering this weekend that there are people in the world who actually LIKED the movie Tree of Life and coming in here to find people trying to argue that Walt is a sympathetic character, I really thought I had woken up in Bizarro World or something....

My tolerance for annoyance is at a minimum today (still miffed that I spent good money to watch Tree of Life), so I didn't read the entire back and forth up to this point. Just to throw in my own two cent's worth, though:

As far as Walt goes, he had my sympathy up until "Gray Matter". Sure, common sense would tell most of us that cooking and selling meth would be anything but "easy money", but hey, he had just been told he had months to live, so we can chalk up Walt's actions in the first few episodes to desperation, shock, and ignorance. After the first batch of episodes, he got a small amount of money from the first batch of meth, cleaned up as much of the aftermath as he could (who knows if Hank would have even pursued him if the blue meth didn't start flooding the streets?), and had made a clean break from Jesse.

So when "Gray Matter" rolled around, he was at the Elliot's party, and Elliot offered him a job, with what was probably very decent pay and good benefits. For the first time in what turned out to be many, Walt let his pride guide his decision and turned down Elliot's offer. Sure, the offer was obviously charity, made after Skyler told Elliot about Walt's condition, but that hardly justifies Walt's decision to start cooking again by the end of the episode. Walt already knew the kind of people he'd have to deal with in the meth game at this point, and he had to have known that he'd be putting his family at risk by continuing on the current path (which came to fruition when a pair of axe-wielding murderers waltzed into the home of Walt's family), but he still knowingly turned down a perfectly safe and legal job because he couldn't bring himself to accept Elliot's charity.

To me, Walt has only become increasingly more unsympathetic ever since. Sure, he has his bright points, usually when he ends up looking out for Jesse, but ever since Season 1, Episode 5, he's just been a walking, slow-motion train wreck. In fact, that's what the huge charm of the show is to me. They're making no effort to have Walt redeem himself in the end. Much like the last three seasons of The Shield, it's plain to see that the chance of this show having a "happy ending" is fast approaching zero, but that's what makes it great.

Now, as for Skyler, I've always been downright confused about all the "Skyler is a bitch"-type comments. Sure, she was shown as being fairly distant in the beginning (the Ebay handjob scene, for example), but I'm always amazed (and a little disturbed) by the sheer amount of hate she tends to get from the fans. Walt's cancer diagnosis upended her world just as much as Walt's, if not more. She was the one who would be left behind, raising two children by herself. After finally convincing her husband to get treatment for his cancer, he then ends up disappearing for days on end, giving her obvious lies as to his whereabouts, misses the birth of their daughter, and then she ends up finding out that he's been making and selling drugs.

Given all that, I'm not at all surprised that she'd be a little pissed. I'm actually really looking forward to her storyline this season. She's been completely oblivious to all that Walt's gone through so far. To her, her husband just goes off for these random periods of time, and has now made hundreds of thousands of dollars cash. I'm sure she'll be in for a rude awakening once she realizes that being a criminal isn't all that easy or safe.

 

[Drewsky]

Look the writers didn't say that he wasn't a sympathetic character, simply that he was a monster and was going to continue to become more of one. I've already conceded this point. I still like Walt.

Have you never rooted for a bad guy? In Collateral for instance (I don't know if you've seen it) it's implied in the beginning of the movie that Vincent, the contract killer, is only contracted to kill bad people, but then later in the movie it is revealed that he was actually just killing witnesses for a trial, they could have all been more or less innocent. The interesting thing was that I still liked him, even up until the end of the movie. I didn't want him to "win", just as I don't want Walt to "win", but I still sympathized with him to some extent.

Breaking Bad is similar in that way. The beginning of the series it is shown that Walt is doing it for his family, but as the series has progressed you know he is doing it more for himself.

Both characters are absolute monsters if you look at them through the prism of the real world, but in the context of the fiction, I kinda like both of them. I don't know what else to say. I don't think that shows a misunderstanding of the material.

I'm willing to shut up about this whenever. I'd rather go back to all of us fellating Breaking Bad for how awesome it is honestly, whether you like Walt of not.

PS- Sorry for spoiling Collateral, I figured the statute of limitations is up on that by now.

 

[PhoenixDark]

Walt is sympathetic to a degree, just as Don Draper is to a certain degree. He is not a "good guy" hence me shaking my head at people savaging Skylar for her natural responses to his bullshit.

Television shows don't need sympathetic "good" characters to be successful, good shows. The Shield is a far better example of a character you root for until a final straw breaks the camel's back. Breaking Bad is reaching that point with respect to Walt, and I can't wait to see where things go.

 

[Drewsky]

I'm finding Walt much more sympathetic than I ever did Vic Mackey. Don't know why exactly, I love both shows.

 

[Firestorm]

One thing to be said for Skylar, she isn't close to Betty Draper level. I hate Betty Draper.

 

[PhoenixDark]

I'm finding Walt much more sympathetic than I ever did Vic Mackey. Don't know why exactly, I love both shows.

Walt's life situation tends to make me agree. He's a good guy who starts breaking the law to provide for his family, and slowly descends into terrible things. Mackey also had family/financial strains, but until Walt he was an asshole from day one. And yet despite all the shit he did, it was clear he had enough of a moral compass to feel like a "good guy" enough, and make you forget some of the heinous stuff he pulled.

All that changes in the brilliant seventh season when you sit back and wonder "I cheered for this piece of shit?" What an amazing show

 

[ConradCervantes]

How about the show ends when it should end? The Shield went 7 seasons and the last three are unquestionably the best. No one here is clairvoyant, Breaking Bad could have 10 great seasons in it, we don't know. For a show that's all about transformation, I find it odd that people seem to think they know when it'll grow stale.

I think people want it to wrap up sooner than later because the story has been moving so quickly since the pilot. Walt started out a mild-mannered teacher and now he's running a large-scale meth operation for a highly secretive drug kingpin--with numerous deaths attributed to him in the process--all in three seasons. How much further can they possibly take it?

And maybe this is hopeful speaking, but I would hope a show of this caliber has a clearly defined beginning and end to it. From what Gilligan has said in several interviews, he seems to think five seasons is where to take the series.

 

[Zeliard]

I don't understand the concept that you must root for these guys. There are entirely different viewing desires than merely wishing success on everyone no matter what they are doing, and what's more it makes logical sense to react different based on how the character behaves, not based on their importance in the show. As a viewer it doesn't impact my entertainment one bit to not root for the main character as long as the writing is good, and Breaking Bad is mostly good.

I'm not necessarily hoping Walt and Jesse will eventually see the light, especially since I think an ending with them doing anything but that could work beautifully. I generally just root that they get out of harm's way when they're in danger and whatnot and try not to screw things up worse than they already have.

If Walt gets his just desserts eventually then hopefully it'll be in an appropriate fashion and offer solid closure on the series. At the same time when he and Jesse are trapped by some murderous lunatic, I root for them to get away (though knowing they basically will anyway).

 

[Vlad]

I think people want it to wrap up sooner than later because the story has been moving so quickly since the pilot. Walt started out a mild-mannered teacher and now he's running a large-scale meth operation for a highly secretive drug kingpin--with numerous deaths attributed to him in the process--all in three seasons. How much further can they possibly take it?

Exactly this. I just want the show's creators to at least have a general idea of where they're going in mind, and let the show go out on a high note. I still remember Prison Break, how it would have been perfectly served being done in two seasons, but then things just went completely off the rails and the show continued for two more seasons. Not to say that there weren't some good moments here and there in S3/4 of that show, but it was in no way as tightly woven as the first two seasons.

 

[xbhaskarx]

Skylar "discussion" still going on?

You will never be able to read any BB discussion on any internet forum ever again.

 

[TheBez]

Does anyone have any links to good recap videos for seasons 1 and 2?

 

[Cornballer]

Does anyone have any links to good recap videos for seasons 1 and 2?

Here's one from the OP. There are a few others linked there if you want more.

 

[Air]

I believe that Walt is a sympathetic character. Not necessarily the most sympathetic character, but sympathetic enough where the viewer can watch him on screen. You may not agree with him (you shouldn't) but spending so much time with him you WILL eventually start seeing things in his point of view, even if its a little. The point is, especially as the main character, Walt has to be sympathetic enough for the audience to watch. Its similar to the bugs bunny philosophy of if bugs just starts pranking a character out of nowhere, he's an asshole, but if the character obstructs bugs first, he ends up pranking the other character for 10 minutes. In theory, bugs bunny is an asshole, but he's not so much of an asshole as the other guy cause he's been stepped on already. Its similar to Walt. Is he a disgusting human being? Yeah, but he's placed in situations where the viewer will tend to side with him.

I generally think its all about context. If Walt is put in a situation where he's facing someone opposing him, but that someone is a bigger jerk than he is, we'll sympathize with Walt's decision a little more, even if it may be morally wrong to do so. The flip side is that Walt's decisions tend to be really stupid, and it let's the viewer take notice. "Yeah I can sympathize with you Walt but did you REALLY need to do that?" We tend to side with the underdog, which makes us easier to sympathize with Walt since he generally is the underdog, even if he put himself in that position.

Just my two cents.
EDIT: deleted some stuff

But I haven't watched the show since February, so I may be misremembering things

 

[Zeliard]

I believe that Walt is a sympathetic character. Not necessarily the most sympathetic character, but sympathetic enough where the viewer can watch him on screen. You may not agree with him (you shouldn't) but spending so much time with him you WILL eventually start seeing things in his point of view, even if its a little. The point is, especially as the main character, Walt has to be sympathetic enough for the audience to watch. Its similar to the bugs bunny philosophy of if bugs just starts pranking a character out of nowhere, he's an asshole, but if the character obstructs bugs first, he ends up pranking the other character for 10 minutes. In theory, bugs bunny is an asshole, but he's not so much of an asshole as the other guy cause he's been stepped on already. Its similar to Walt. Is he a disgusting human being? Yeah, but he's placed in situations where the viewer will tend to side with him.

I generally think its all about context. If Walt is put in a situation where he's facing someone opposing him, but that someone is a bigger jerk than he is, we'll sympathize with Walt's decision a little more, even if it may be morally wrong to do so. The flip side is that Walt's decisions tend to be really stupid, and it let's the viewer take notice. "Yeah I can sympathize with you Walt but did you REALLY need to do that?" We tend to side with the underdog, which makes us easier to sympathize with Walt since he generally is the underdog, even if he put himself in that position.

I agree with this. Walt is essentially a bad person, especially at this point, but the show consistently puts him opposite people who are even more heinous. That contrast allows the viewer to side with Walt and hope he gets through whatever ordeal he's in at the time.

Just my two cents. Also I don't think comparing Skylar to Walt is a good idea. We should judge her character with how she effects those around her. Her wreck-less charading is an indication that she chose poorly for what she had to face in life.

I think they are absolutely comparable; in fact, I think that twist is one of the most brilliant aspects of the show.

Walt started off the meth cook thing becfause he wanted to provide for his family, thinking he was dying very soon. We know that as a fact because we see everything from his POV and there was never anything, at the start, to contradict that.

So now Skylar is practically doing the exact same thing, if perhaps in a slightly more indirect fashion. But she is using Walt's meth money - knowing exactly where it came from - to help a family member, Hank. Doing something deeply immoral but with good intent.

It's virtually identical to Walt's initial motivations for ever doing it in the first place, the only minor difference being that Skylar isn't cooking the meth herself. But since she's using that money that distinction is almost meaningless. It makes Skylar hypocritical but not in a way that's jarring or contradicts the character, but simply feels like a natural, almost inevitable occurrence.

 

[Stet]

Why does it make people so angry when other people interpret a television show differently from them? I don't think it matters what the show's creators think or say in interviews, because the vast majority of television viewers aren't following every interview the way that people like us do. That majority simply watches a television show so they can form their own opinions about it.

Calling someone else's interpretive opinion "wrong" is elitist, especially when you back it up with quotes from a writer. Not only is it elitist, but it's also counterproductive to the discussion at hand. It doesn't matter what the writers' intentions were, because intentions are not executions. Once something is written and in the public space, it's up to the viewers to interpret things how they want.

 

[dave is ok]

Newsweek: The Most Dangerous Show on Television

Some dialogue/setting spoilers for a pivotal moment in the season, but it only tells you which characters are involved and what they are saying- not what they are talking about.

 

[JesseZao]

Finally got to watch and finish Season 3 this weekend. The "tone?" of the show got a lot more aggressive and fast-moving. Great season all the way through and I wouldn't want the show to last past a season 5 (which in the extras was all they had on their storyboard anyway). This season made a good build-up to the final hours.

 

[Zeliard]

Newsweek: The Most Dangerous Show on Television

Some dialogue/setting spoilers for a pivotal moment in the season, but it only tells you which characters are involved and what they are saying- not what they are talking about.

That was a very enjoyable read.

 

[Cornballer]

- Breaking Bad's Cast Promises an Even 'More Intense' New Season (AMC video, *presumably some spoilers*)

What can fans expect when Breaking Bad's new season premieres this July? In this new behind-the-scenes video, the show's principal cast weighs in on the twists and turns that await Walt, Jesse and the rest of cast. "Our seasons get bigger and darker and much more intense as our series goes on," Aaron Paul explains. As for Bryan Cranston, he sums it up succinctly: "There's nothing boring about Walter White's life now." Check out the video now to hear even more thoughts from co-stars Bob Odenkirk, Giancarlo Esposito and Betsy Brandt.

 

[blahblah...blah]

- Breaking Bad's Cast Promises an Even 'More Intense' New Season (AMC video, *presumably some spoilers*)

Yes, it has some spoilers (

Spoiler

it pretty much clears up the Gale debate

) and a load of new footage. Good find.

EDIT: Holy mother of god the new footage is amazing. So much stuff cool stuff. Nothing particularly spoilerish though, to be honest.

 

[HIGH DEF JEFF]

After seeing that "Inside Breaking Bad" video I have my speculation for the season premiere.
I'll use spoiler tags even though there isn't much too it.

Spoiler

Walt and Jesse are brought to the laundry lab and are forced to teach Victor the recipe. The methodical murder that was mentioned in one of the earlier interviews is probably Walt and Jesse killing Victor as a means of escape.

 

[sixteen-bit]

I'm so tempted to highlight those spoiler tags

 

[HIGH DEF JEFF]

I'm so tempted to highlight those spoiler tags

If you mean mine, keep in mind it's pure speculation. Very obvious speculation too, based on the video and that batch of stills they released last week.

 

[blahblah...blah]

After seeing that "Inside Breaking Bad" video I have my speculation for the season premiere.
I'll use spoiler tags even though there isn't much too it.

Spoiler

Walt and Jesse are brought to the laundry lab and are forced to teach Victor the recipe. The methodical murder that was mentioned in one of the earlier interviews is probably Walt and Jesse killing Victor as a means of escape.

Spoiler

1. Gale is dead. There's a shot of Jesse, in the same location as season 3 ended, looking at the ground in tears. That's a relief, I was worried the writers would go back on their decision

2. Victor arrives on the scene, or finds Jesse soon after, and - as you say - he brings him to the lab where Mike is watching Walt

3. Here's where we differ - I don't think Gus believes that anyone can be told the recipe and make it as well as Walt. I can follow a Gordon Ramsay recipe to perfection but his food will take a shitload better than mine. I think the three of them - Gus, Victor and Mike - have a huge (verbal) fight with Walt and Jesse about what went down.

BUT, I think there is some resolution other than Walt and Jesse killing Victor (although, I must say, a brief shot in that trailer of Walt in the lab looking menacing did make me suspect it for a minute). I just can't see how Gus and Mike wouldn't kill them on the spot if Walt / Jesse killed Victor to escape. I absolutely think it's a distinct possibility, but I can't work out how it would work, as promotional shots show Jesse and Walt back in the lab under Gus' supervision. I definitely think Victor is the one to go, almost certainly with Gus' box-cutter, but I just don't know whether it'll be Gus, Mike, Walt or Jesse using it to kill him.

I'm really looking forward to seeing how Walt justifies his release from the lab.

Come on people, watch the video so we can speculate (pretty much my whole post is speculation, not spoilers)

 

[Cornballer]

Come on people, watch the video so we can speculate

No way, man. I'm going in fresh or at least mostly unspoiled.

 

[kehs]

- Breaking Bad's Cast Promises an Even 'More Intense' New Season (AMC video, *presumably some spoilers*)

First thing that jumped at me, Bryan Cranston is amazing, he's sitting there talking about Walt, and I don't see Walt because he's not in character....that's so awesome.

Second thing, seeing the the actor that plays Gus laughing it up is kinda disconcerting.

Third thing, omg omg omg.

 

[Drewsky]

Inside Breaking Bad feature doesn't give much of anything away. I'm not even going to speculate, I'm just so god damn ready for the premiere.

 

[dave is ok]

I'm going crazy trying to think of scenarios that might fit the scene described in the Newsweek article. This show is too unpredictable though - could be anything

 

[Drewsky]

I'm going crazy trying to think of scenarios that might fit the scene described in the Newsweek article. This show is too unpredictable though - could be anything

I skipped over the couple of paragraphs about that scene. The article said, "they're filming a pivotal scene for S4," and I just stopped reading.

 

[Zeliard]

The Newsweek article isn't that spoilery and I'm usually a stickler for that sort of thing. It pretty much just emphasizes that some shit is seriously gonna go down.

 

[big ander]

Newsweek: The Most Dangerous Show on Television

Some dialogue/setting spoilers for a pivotal moment in the season, but it only tells you which characters are involved and what they are saying- not what they are talking about.

- Breaking Bad's Cast Promises an Even 'More Intense' New Season (AMC video, *presumably some spoilers*)

Hype levels through the motherfucking roof.

My crazy ass speculation after reading/watching those two:

Spoiler

Gus will die in the premiere.
That shot from the teaser isn't a trick. There's supposedly a gigantic twist in the first episode. It all makes sense to me. It's going to put Walt in the place Gus is in now.

This is definitely wrong :lol

 

[kehs]

No one was excited about what Erlicht calls “the subject matter”: a dying sad sack who cooks crystal meth. One executive asked if Walt could be a bank robber instead. Another said he should deal marijuana.

Oh you tv executives! you rascals you!

 

[LM4sure]

That Newsweek article was a great read. It was good to know that they don't plan on holding any punches. Vince Gilligan even says they may lose viewers as Walt becomse darker because people may not be able to sympathize with him anymore. I wonder if that is why they decided to keep Jesse alive past the first season. As Walt becomes less and less sympathetic, is Jesse supposed to be the one that viewers start to sympathize with? That would be quite the feat. I remember I detested that punk in the first season. But by the end of last season I felt bad for him.

 

[blahblah...blah]

Hype levels through the motherfucking roof.

My crazy ass speculation after reading/watching those two:

Spoiler

Gus will die in the premiere.
That shot from the teaser isn't a trick. There's supposedly a gigantic twist in the first episode. It all makes sense to me. It's going to put Walt in the place Gus is in now.

This is definitely wrong :lol

I hate to say it, but unless they've pulled the greatest trick ever, your theory is definitely wrong:

Spoiler

for one, the shot from the teaser absolutely is a trick, Walt's outfit is different in the penultimate and final shot, and it's a scene from season 3; for another thing, Gus is meant to play a huge part again in this season, so - unless everyone involved has lied (which would be an amazing surprise!), he's going to live.

EDIT: That said, the new clip shows Walt firing the gun after pulling it up in that close shot, so someone's dying, unless he's target practicing!

 

[dave is ok]

Spoiler

EDIT: That said, the new clip shows Walt firing the gun after pulling it up in that close shot, so someone's dying, unless he's target practicing!

Spoiler

The promo shot of Walt sitting with an exploding car nearby makes me think he's aiming at the gas tank of an automobile in that shot

 

[blahblah...blah]

Spoiler

The promo shot of Walt sitting with an exploding car nearby makes me think he's aiming at the gas tank of an automobile in that shot

Interesting theory, and makes sense. Is he sitting down in the shot though? (And if he's standing, he seems to be aiming straight ahead, not down)