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Breaking Bad - Season 4 - Sundays on AMC

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Wthermans

Banned
After two long years of watching the show I finally got my wife interested. I bought the first season on Blu Ray a couple days ago and we've already got Seasons 2 & 3 on the way from Amazon. She can't stop watching. I can't wait until Season 4. I love Bryan Cranston and I can only wish that he gets another Emmy after this Season.
 

satriales

Member
-Pyromaniac- said:
There will obviously be another type of episode like that for budget reasons, but it probably wont play out the same way. I enjoyed it though, great character episode.
There aren't any bottle episodes in season 4.
 

Saty

Member
Amir0x said:
Because he's not a GOOD drug lord. He's learning. But yes, it's power. Just like in real life, money and power are the ultimate motivators for anything - including putting your family at risk. The show has gone to great lengths to show how Walt has gone from a promising chemist to a washed up school teacher who is unhappy with everything in his life and who only has his pride to keep him from going completely under. It is this pride that drives him initially; it is the feeling of being in control that ultimately keeps him there.
Yes but he does myriad of things that aren't necessary at all to keep that feeling, and others that are just plain stupid w\o a shred of common sense. Gilligan went on record stating what he does to Walter and why. It's just a shame that in doing so all the other things are sacrificed. When the show isn't stuck on its Walter angle it can be quite good.
 

dave is ok

aztek is ok
Saty said:
Yes but he does myriad of things that aren't necessary at all to keep that feeling, and others that are just plain stupid w\o a shred of common sense. Gilligan went on record stating what he does to Walter and why. It's just a shame that in doing so all the other things are sacrificed. When the show isn't stuck on its Walter angle it can be quite good.
Even though the writers have a downward trajectory planned, it's not like they sacrifice all of semblance of story to accomplish that. Everything Walt does makes perfect sense in regard to who he is. He's a prideful quick tempered person - which is why he'll do something like tell Jesse to kill people who ripped them off and then feel bad and apologize to him about it the next day.
 
BertramCooper said:
I didn't mind Fly.

It reminded me a lot of The Suitcase episode of Mad Men, though not nearly as good.

Thematically, they're very similar episodes.

That's funny, I was totally going to post Fly >>> The Suitcase
 
Saty said:
It's not really a question because the answer is known: Walter does what he does as part of Gilligan experiment to make Walter more despisable 'til fans turn on him. Viewers are trying to explain this with his 'power addiction' but to me it's a threadbare attempt.

I don't know if that is what Vince is attempting to achieve. If viewers were able to adore Tony Soprano, who committed way more heinous shit than Walter White has even thought of, there is no way in hell us viewers will really turn on him. The fact is, we saw Walter White as a the underdog for a while. We know he's an extremely smart chemist who is working at a high school. He worked two jobs to support his family. He had cancer. He was fucked over by his own friends that won the Nobel prize for something he was directly involved with. He's got a son with cerebral palsy. Knowing all this, at one point you were rooting for the guy to do well by any means necessary. And this feeling still, IMO, resonates in viewers' minds. In short, it will take a LOT for the viewers to turn on Walter White.
 
tycoonheart said:
I don't know if that is what Vince is attempting to achieve. If viewers were able to adore Tony Soprano, who committed way more heinous shit than Walter White has even thought of, there is no way in hell us viewers will really turn on him. The fact is, we saw Walter White as a the underdog for a while. We know he's an extremely smart chemist who is working at a high school. He worked two jobs to support his family. He had cancer. He was fucked over by his own friends that won the Nobel prize for something he was directly involved with. He's got a son with cerebral palsy. Knowing all this, at one point you were rooting for the guy to do well by any means necessary. And this feeling still, IMO, resonates in viewers' minds. In short, it will take a LOT for the viewers to turn on Walter White.

Like watching an innocent woman choke on her own vomit?

Or making a kid shoot a guy who drives around with the lamest bike in New Mexico on the roof of his car in the face?
 
blahblah...blah said:
Really nice article, thanks for the link. Only two minor spoilers, possibly only one in fact (
is it even noteworthy that there were Latino extras in the background of the scene outside the Schrader home?
)

I thought the Walt and Jesse stuff, pictures especially, was spoilery.

Don't tase me, bitch?
 
BenjaminBirdie said:
Like watching an innocent woman choke on her own vomit?

Was a bad influence on Jesse, and Walter realized this. Her ODing was her own fault.

Or making a kid shoot a guy who drives around with the lamest bike in New Mexico on the roof of his car in the face?

Survival. Whats his other option? To get himself and Jesse killed?

Walter is not a cold-blooded murderer.
 
tycoonheart said:
Was a bad influence on Jesse, and Walter realized this. Her ODing was her own fault.



Survival. Whats his other option? To get himself and Jesse killed?

Walter is not a cold-blooded murderer.

He's not sympathetic either.

Jesse begged him, literally, to go to the cops.

Fuck Walter White.
 
BenjaminBirdie said:
He's not sympathetic either.

Jesse begged him, literally, to go to the cops.

Fuck Walter White.

He is sympathetic, at least to me, in the sense that I want to see him succeed with whatever it is that he is doing.
 

dave is ok

aztek is ok
I actually believed he was giving up Jesse in the S3 finale when he told Mike he'd call him. That's why this show is awesome
 
dave is ok said:
I actually believed he was giving up Jesse in the S3 finale when he told Mike he'd call him. That's why this show is awesome

Walter acting like he was scared to only call Jesse and tell him to kill Gale was absolutely incredible. He goes from scared shitless to "you fucked with the wrong guy" mode in matter of seconds. Awesome stuff.
 

Zeliard

Member
I came in late to Breaking Bad and thought The Fly was one of its most enjoyable episodes. I was looking forward to that episode specifically because I wanted to see what Rian Johnson would do with a Breaking Bad ep, and I had heard beforehand it was very polarizing, but I thought Cranston and Paul were hilarious throughout.
 
BenjaminBirdie said:
To be honest, that's not the Mike I love. I love the talking Mike. Shooting's easy. It's cool shooting, sure, but god damn. Mike? Just talking?

That's Mike, man. That's the best dude in the room.
The stuff with his grand daughter and the scene with him helping Jesse deal with Jane's body were good, too.
 

dave is ok

aztek is ok
BenjaminBirdie said:
I just always go back to "Get that car fixed."

Classic Mike.
'She's gonna need her shoe!'

'You know Walter, sometimes it doesn't hurt to have someone looking out for you'

His voice and delivery are so perfect
 
"First of all, each one of these cost $800. Second of all, you're not very interesting. So yes, I will get all of them"

I love Mike.
 
Saty said:
It's not really a question because the answer is known: Walter does what he does as part of Gilligan experiment to make Walter more despisable 'til fans turn on him. Viewers are trying to explain this with his 'power addiction' but to me it's a threadbare attempt.

Why does Walter hand Jesse a gun and sends him to murder 2 people when there are better option to get the desired effect, why does he let Jesse's girlfriend die (some lame excuse about her wasting Jesse's money or her convincing Jesse to leave town)? Why does he do anything that he does? It has nothing to do with his so-called addiction, they are just throwing him to extremities.
If anything, i would have described Walter as having a death-wish, with him being so mad and displeased after he got the news that his cancer is in remission.

This show is basically Walter and the writing team going out of their way to make Walter an increasing awful person, and in the process they are steamrolling good writing and common sense. Walter would have various options and paths of actions and he will alaways pick the one that will hurt the character the most in the viewers' eyes.

First he didn't send Jesse to murder them, he just wanted him to scare them. Afterwards he regretted it and tried to tell Jesse to call it off.

He let his girlfriend die to save Jesse. He knew a couple of addicts with unlimited money would be dead within the month. Jesse admited as much on the "Fly" episode. Plus it was a split second decision, it wasn't premeditated and it still affected him plenty. I think it was the right decision too, I probably would have done the same in his shoes.

I think his worst decisions have been related to saving Jesse, who really brings very little to the partnership. But he obviously cares for the kid and sees him as family, maybe the son he never had, so again it's understandable.
 
crazygambit said:
I think his worst decisions have been related to saving Jesse, who really brings very little to the partnership. But he obviously cares for the kid and sees him as family, maybe the son he never had, so again it's understandable.

He does have an actual son. I actually don't ever think he thinks of WJR as less of a son. I don't think he's that repugnant.
 
BenjaminBirdie said:
He does have an actual son. I actually don't ever think he thinks of WJR as less of a son. I don't think he's that repugnant.

Ok, agreed. He clearly loves his son too. However he doesn't see him as someone who can follow his footsteps. You can see that when he no longer cares about him driving using both feet. He's given up on that dream.

He sees Jesse as someone who can continue his legacy. He's clearly proud of him, you can see that when he tells him Jesse's meth is as good as his. Also he loves him as a son, so in that respect, Jesse is like the son he never had IMO.
 

dmshaposv

Member
The cinematography in this show is sooo good. High budget Movie-calibre.

One of my favourite episodes - the "fullminated mercury" one - has the best opening shots in the show. The light seeping through the bullet holes in the door is wonderfully shot.

tycoonheart said:
And the consequence of Mike telling Walt "no more half measures"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RB8t0CCZB4

Love both the scenes.

Godly scene. I had chills.
 
crazygambit said:
Ok, agreed. He clearly loves his son too. However he doesn't see him as someone who can follow his footsteps. You can see that when he no longer cares about him driving using both feet. He's given up on that dream.

He sees Jesse as someone who can continue his legacy. He's clearly proud of him, you can see that when he tells him Jesse's meth is as good as his. Also he loves him as a son, so in that respect, Jesse is like the son he never had IMO.

I never realized that aspect of it. Very astutely observed! Man, FUCK Walter White!!

lol
 

dmshaposv

Member
Yeah at this point there is no arguing that Walter White is in anyway a sympathetic character. Any sympathy and semblance of humanity he may claim is mainly due to the way Cranston plays the role - but we all know his cancer just triggered a downward spiral which he himself fell deeper into. He could've stopped ages ago, but has crossed many lines and there is no turning back.

What makes this show so brilliant is how Cranston manipulates us through his acting that he still cares about his family, while his actions clearly depict otherwise. He no longer cares about them but rather the inflated sense of self-esteem he gets knowing how his product is the best in the market. In this way he can realise his dream of being a recognised figure in his field of science.
 

Jarmel

Banned
crazygambit said:
Ok, agreed. He clearly loves his son too. However he doesn't see him as someone who can follow his footsteps. You can see that when he no longer cares about him driving using both feet. He's given up on that dream.

He sees Jesse as someone who can continue his legacy. He's clearly proud of him, you can see that when he tells him Jesse's meth is as good as his. Also he loves him as a son, so in that respect, Jesse is like the son he never had IMO.

Great post. It's something I've noticed as well and I can't really blame him for it. He really has no legacy and it drives him up the wall, that's why he's so focused on creating the best meth he can.
 

Funky Papa

FUNK-Y-PPA-4
dmshaposv said:
Yeah at this point there is no arguing that Walter White is in anyway a sympathetic character. Any sympathy and semblance of humanity he may claim is mainly due to the way Cranston plays the role - but we all know his cancer just triggered a downward spiral which he himself fell deeper into. He could've stopped ages ago, but has crossed many lines and there is no turning back.

What makes this show so brilliant is how Cranston manipulates us through his acting that he still cares about his family, while his actions clearly depict otherwise. He no longer cares about them but rather the inflated sense of self-esteem he gets knowing how his product is the best in the market. In this way he can realise his dream of being a recognised figure in his field of science.
As someone wiser than me pointed out, Walt's self righteousness makes him the biggest asshole in the show.
 
BenjaminBirdie said:
I never realized that aspect of it. Very astutely observed! Man, FUCK Walter White!!

lol
It's also worth noting that he returned to try to talk some sense into/save Jesse after giving him & Jane the share of the money, after having a discussion at a bar with Jane's father.
 
dmshaposv said:
Yeah at this point there is no arguing that Walter White is in anyway a sympathetic character. Any sympathy and semblance of humanity he may claim is mainly due to the way Cranston plays the role - but we all know his cancer just triggered a downward spiral which he himself fell deeper into. He could've stopped ages ago, but has crossed many lines and there is no turning back.

What makes this show so brilliant is how Cranston manipulates us through his acting that he still cares about his family, while his actions clearly depict otherwise. He no longer cares about them but rather the inflated sense of self-esteem he gets knowing how his product is the best in the market. In this way he can realise his dream of being a recognised figure in his field of science.
eh, I think it's flat out wrong to say he doesn't care about his family any more. You're interpreting the show one way but me and others will interpret it another way. I think he obviously still cares about them very much, but he is also "finding himself", if that's the right wording, and the guy seems as confused as he seems ruthless at times. I don't think there is any possible conclusion that extreme that can be drawn yet.
 
dmshaposv said:
The cinematography in this show is sooo good. High budget Movie-calibre.
Doubly impressive for making crappy New Mexico seem like one of the most wonderful places to live on Earth. Such beautiful scenery.
 
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