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Breaking Bad - Season 5, Part 1 - Sundays on AMC

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Content Roundup:

HZJKD.jpg


Reviews:
- Sepinwall
- Onion A|V Club
- Maureen Ryan
- Matt Zoller Seitz
- Ken Tucker
- Slate.com
- Rolling Stone
- Salon.com

Other Content:
- Inside Episode 503 (AMC vid)
- The Making of Episode 3 (AMC vid)
- Sneak peek at Episode 504 *please spoiler tag any discussion* (youtube)
- Breaking Bad Insider Podcast
- Promo for Episode 4 *please spoiler tag any discussion* (youtube)
- Maureen Ryan interview with Vince Gilligan, mostly about the use of Scarface in this episode


Please remember to spoiler any and all sneak peek and promo discussion. Thank you.
 
CrunchyFrog said:
Some people are complaining that it's too obvious that walt bites it at the end, that it's too cliche of a good vs evil kind of ending, that it's being foreshadowed too early and spoiling the end of the show. To that I say you've completely missed the point. As I've said to a friend of mine who was hesitant to start the show because he'd already seen the ending of season 4, this show was never about the ending, the major plot turns, the big set pieces: It's been about the journey. This show is about the fine line between good and evil, and how easily and believably one can slip over that line. THAT is this show's triumph. Exposing human nature and its frailty through the transformation of a larval Walter White into the darkly beautiful Heisenberg butterfly.
Click to expand...

Maybe, but I think if you want to know what this show is about, you just have to look towards former President Abe Lincoln:

Abraham Lincoln said:
Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.
Click to expand...

Walt was given a shit situation in life, and then on top of that he was diagnosed with cancer. However, he did what he had to do, and survived through it. Yes, that means he cooked a little meth, but really who could blame him. He did it for his family. The catch though is that along the way through all that Walt discovered something he had never had before: power.

He was pushed around in his professional life, and even in his menial car wash job. But this power feeling was new, and that power consumed him. Walt has done deeds that just a short year ago he would have said were unfathomable. In the end, that sense of power will be his downfall one way or another. He went from breaking bad by cooking meth, to broken bad with what he senses as power.
 
shagg_187 said:
Watching Scarface. So good!
Click to expand...
I actually thought that was a bit too "on the nose", but not offensive or anything.
I just sorta rolled my eyes and accepted, "So everyone dies in this movie eh!?" *wink wink wink nudge nudge nudge*


My favorite moment was the contrast of Jesse being wrecked by the mention of Gale vs. Walt snickering to himself as he looks at Leaves of Grass. So much pride, so little remorse. Now he's starting to think like Gus.

MEANWHILE, I have theory:
Dumb looking kid from FNL is
a former student of Walt's. It's been so long since we've mentioned his days as a teacher, it would be nice if a long forgotten former student was a cog in the machine that grinds Walt to pieces.
 
BPRD said:
Also anyone notice after they were done cooking, Jesse turned on the poisonous gas onto the still built meth lab, AND he left the door open... that poison cannot be good on the lab equipment..
Click to expand...

the equipment was already on the boxes...
 
Yeah same. I assumed it was the guy from boxcutter but definitely wasn't positive. Definitely wouldn't have remembered if someone just mentioned the name. But seriously, do you guys have really good memory or did you just rewatch season 4?
 
so... apparently if the cops find out about the pest place it'll be like custers last stand....

I could see a use for a machine gun at custer's last stand.
 
SystemShock2 said:
Yeah same. I assumed it was the guy from boxcutter but definitely wasn't positive. Definitely wouldn't have remembered if someone just mentioned the name. But seriously, do you guys have really good memory or did you just rewatch season 4?
Click to expand...

I think we just pay strict attention to a show that lives and dies by the tiniest details.
 
I was a bit confused. How did what Jesse and those two strangers inputted into that plastic thing they were holding "control" the corresponding actions on the screen?
 
SystemShock2 said:
Yeah same. I assumed it was the guy from boxcutter but definitely wasn't positive. Definitely wouldn't have remembered if someone just mentioned the name. But seriously, do you guys have really good memory or did you just rewatch season 4?
Click to expand...

I just remember the last guy I saw on the show get his neck slit in front of walt. I didn't EXACTLy remember his name, but the context basically reminded us.
 
ahhhhhh jesse jesse jesse jesse jesse jesse no "I" people no "i" it's jesse jesse this must be stressed until everyone is doing it right
 
I started watching this show a couple of weeks ago, and I'm up to the fifth episode in Season 2. I LOVE IT! Want to catch up before this season finishes up.

The tension and the changing character of Walt are some of the best I've seen. I also absolutely loved everything involving Tuco: that guy played the role perfectly.

Anyways, I'm bailing out to avoid the spoilers. Just thought of repeated the all-too-known message of "Yes. This show is awesome."
 
Walt is getting ridiculous. Smart idea with the "mobile" meth lab disguised as a pesticide company. That was actually a great idea. However, his quibbling over the money, and his comments on Victor are just stupid.

I understand him fussing about the money, to at least set the tone that he disagrees with it. However, he doesn't need to try taking any extra measures with Mike or Jesse. It seems like it was directed at Mike, as he feels Mike is trying to be too bossy, but wtf does he expect to do without Mike's network?

Also, I see people saying they left the lab setup, but I don't think so. I thought the cases were visible inside the tent, and so I assumed the equipment was put back into the cases. The turnaround on payment for the batch of meth should take more than a day, so the exterminators should have been able to go back in and recover the gear. Afterall, they were the ones who setup the tent and cases in the first place.

I do see the nanny cam or a future lab explosion being a potential plot point, but I don't think it was the case here.

Great episode. I like that Heisenberg is becoming his permanent persona, but he's just getting too power-hungry right now. He's getting less money than before, though he's an owner, but their situation is comfortable right now. He should at least wait a little bit for the heat to settle before he decides to try acting stupid again. PEACE.
 
Great episode. The first half felt like a heist flick; fast pace, lots of discussion/debate amongst characters, etc.

It's amazing how larger the operation's circle expanded in just this episode, but I guess it had to happen. Still I do wonder whether it's smart to go all-in with a group of c-level criminals who could be under police surveillance already.

All it takes is for one of them to get busted on something, anything - and they could blow the entire operation.
 
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