Board 8 > So this Breaking Bad show, it's pretty good.

(+) Yeah! (+)

I can see why people seem to like it. Or maybe I can't, as I am only on the 6th episode of the first season and I hear it gets even better later on. Still, what I've witnessed so far is a quality product. The writing, pacing, and acting have all been solid. A few questionable decisions from White regarding some issues like turning down an offer from a former pal, but even that speaks to a story not seen and is given some rationalization by White at the intervention.

Thankfully, I'm going into this thing pretty blind, as I've made a point to avoid discussions of the show beyond the broadest of strokes. I knew it involved a teacher dude who made some special new meth and got rich doing so, but none of the hows or whys. Heck, I've heard people mention the name Skylar before, but assumed it was some future male associate of Walt's...color me surprised to learn that was the name of his wife. Really, biggest surprise for me is that Walter White had hair, was starting to think the bald guy with the hat was some other as-yet-unseen character, but 6th episode is strongly hinting it is gonna be chemo Walt, and I am ok with that.

So yeah, enjoying the show. It manages to take boring normal situations and add spice to them by virtue of Walt's slow sink into the criminal world. Probably not gonna make this a watchthrough topic, as I think there were some not to long ago? But I'll inevitably discuss random things that catch my attention as they happen.

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Watchthroughs are great even if there are 50 here at the same time

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Glad you're enjoying it! I think you should tag the BEE thread

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/78723000

But NOT read anything until you finish. Once you're done, you'll enjoy our discussion there.


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I did see that topic, but knew better than to enter it, and it was one of a handful of things that pushed me over the edge to finally watch it. I've also heard good things about Better Call Saul which I know is connected in some manner to Breaking Bad, though again I've kept myself in the dark there too. I imagine Walt will be in some legal pickle and need help, and hell...given how small this world is I bet that jerkass guy Walt torched the car of is in the same sphere of influence as Saul will be.


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Beautiful scene with the family enjoying a card game and casually discussing why Hugo the janitor is scum in front of Walt and Us the audience who know Hugo as a clearly good-intentioned person just happening to get caught up in the cause and effect of Walt's decisions. This show's excelled at setting up pins and knocking them down.

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"This is not Meth"

Jeebus, was NOT expecting this level of michael bay badassery from a chemistry teacher. Worth noting how the beginning of the episode's lecture on 'explosions' definitely planted the seed though. I imagine every chem lesson's had hidden meanings, though I don't think I've caught them all. I bet there are folks who've picked every one apart though.

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probably the most fun bingewatch out there

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Enjoy mate. If you're digging the first series then you'll love the rest of it. My fave show ever

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it's pretty good. is there something specific that made you decide to start watching it now?

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MariaTaylor posted...

it's pretty good. is there something specific that made you decide to start watching it now?

The seed thought was some comment made somewhere about the show being a funny example of chronology passing at different speeds in the show and in real life, with various real world news snippets in the show that could not possibly have occurred at the pace they did in our world. This raised my curiosity, but what drove me to checking the series out was a mixture of seeing some recent topics here, desiring a new show to watch, and realizing that this show's been hovering at the edge of my radar since forever and given current events this is definitely a fine time to binge shows.

So I guess to actually answer your question, no, nothing specific, just a combination of variables adding up. It also helps that there aren't nearly as many episodes of it as I expected there to be.

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Considering how a number of states have legal weed nowadays, it almost feels a little silly to hear Walt and Hank talk about drugs and legality. Their point still stands concerning the harder drugs, but Hank seeming to always laser focus on pot as a gateway drug feels very 90's to me, although it might also attest to an older cop like him being more set in his views.

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I like how, when confronted with the need to pay 10k for a professional heist, Walt decides 'fuck it, I know how atoms work, we'll steal it'. As if knowing how to make thermite is all you need to be a master thief. Pretty sure I haven't read any stories of Adam and Jamie going on any crime sprees, and they made thermite all the time on Mythbusters. That said, Adam does have that boston dynamics robot now, he could do practically anything with that thing....

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Finally, the meth is blue here at the end of season 1. About damn time too. That's one of the few things I knew the meth would be like going into the show, and it is interesting how little it actually seems to matter. The first episode already established that Walt's superpower was being really good at atoms, so I reasoned that when the blue happened it would be an act of product identity like the red chili powder, or an accident. Seems to be more the latter, but it wouldn't surprise me if next season details some planning on Walt's part. A bit of misdirection protection from eventual imitators who reason the blue is what makes it special and not the paying attention in chemistry class.

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SovietOmega posted...

A few questionable decisions from White

this is absolutely key.
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Tag, show is so good.

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First episode of s2 threw me for a loop in the first few minutes. I was like 'but didn't last season end with this?'. I'm not used to seeing repeated scenes in western shows like this. I suppose it was a bit of an awkward cliffhanger spot that merited refreshing audience's minds. To say nothing of the opening bit before it that raises more questions than answers, which I'm sure will unfold as the season develops.

All in all, a pretty alright way to kick off the new season. I like how everyone's got their own little circle of people they can interact with because that's basically life. So Hank can go to a DEA office and pal around with someone for a bit and it feels natural and right. It all works to shift the overall plot ever forward, but if we didn't know Walt was the main character, conceivably anyone else could step up and fill in the void and not a whole lot would change (aside from the entire feel of the show).

Anyway, rambling aside, I'm pretty keen to find out what Tuco has planned for Walt and Jesse with this charming little kidnapping cliffhanger. Also keen on seeing just how much Walt can milk his cancer as an excuse for all the shady things he's doing like staying up with a knife watching the windows.


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Season 1 had to end abruptly because of the writer strike that happened at the same time. That's mainly why Season 2 starts right where Season 1 ended.

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Ah, that ol' writer's strike strikes again.

So this show manages to take a tired premise of 'kill the bad guy with poison but heroes fail because reasons' and breathes a bit of new life into it by virtue of Tuco playing 20 questions with a bell. It is quite a good thing Walt and his pal have been dealing with a crazy person, because that's about the only way their plot armor can be justified at this point.

Timing is another cool thing I've seen this show make good use of. Like having Hank show up doesn't feel like a cop out, when it was explicitly set up earlier in the episode. Then you have the dinging of the bell riiiiight as the credits pop up. There is an adorable undercurrent of humor that occasionally gets mixed into this otherwise serious business show, and I love it.

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I think it's cute that Wendy gives a callback to the s1 Hank/Walt Jr. scene, and clams up because she recognizes Hank from that time. Biiiiit of a stretch that events would go down like this, but then if it adhered strictly to reality, we'd have an extra short show on our hands. I can't say I'm in love with the Hank character, but he's definitely got a personality that sells every scene he's in. That and he makes an excellent foil for Walt's drug antics.

I can't wait to see how the inevitable confrontation goes down between him and Walt when all this circling around the drain drama reaches its inevitable peak. I imagine it can go a handful of ways. Walt might die because of it and it's the last scene of the show. Hank might die from it and that fuels further drama...probably a season 3/4 kind of thing. Hank might get incapacitated from it and be medically/physically/locationally unable to express the truth. Hank might somehow accept it, and while this one feels super unlikely, there is some small precedent with Marie's shoplifting antics. I suppose it also might be that Hank just never finds out, or does so in a way that a confrontation would be impossible.

Point is, Hank is a narrative time bomb, and I'm eager to see it go off.

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The humor of Breaking Bad is part of why its one of the best TV shows out there. It adds so much breathing room to an otherwise tense show. Also its legit funny. Several of the actors have had backgrounds in comedy so their comedic timing and delivery is excellent.

Season 2 is when they have a change in cinematography. Starting from Season 2 onwards, the camerawork and how they portray Albuquerque is utterly beautiful. Some of the best camerawork I've seen.

Great comments so far, BTW.

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I usually skip the Tuco kidnapping section on rewatch cuz it's way too anxiety inducing

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yeah, BB is incredibly funny. i do think major stretches of S2 are considerably less funny than S1, though.
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The idea that the old guy is so anti-fed that he wouldn't even tell on Jesse when given the opportunity is gold. I don't care that it is a prime example of fortune again favoring Walt and his friend, it's just too good not to let slide.

Walt sneaking out and back into the hospital, let alone his own house, also pretty implausible, but gun-in-a-box with wads of cash kinda is a game over state if discovered, so it was an issue that needed to be resolved. Basically just a quick time event and Walt is secretly good at games.

So...cake was gotten for Hank. The gut piece was cut out. I'm starting to think I know how the Hank-Walt confrontation is gonna go now. Or maybe the cake bit has no intrinsic meaning beyond the DEA department thinking well of Hank.

This episode ends with Walt in the dark while his wife is going to sleep next to a lamp, right after him telling her he does not have a second cell phone. Clear visual representation of Walt sticking to his shadowy life when given a chance to come clean about something. I dig it.


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Tag.

Always love watching someone experience this show for the first time.

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SovietOmega posted...

The idea that the old guy is so anti-fed that he wouldn't even tell on Jesse when given the opportunity is gold. I don't care that it is a prime example of fortune again favoring Walt and his friend, it's just too good not to let slide.

love hector's tio
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Forceful_Dragon posted...

Tag.

Always love watching someone experience this show for the first time.

Same.

Really enjoying the observations

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Oh snap, glasses at the freaky toy murder pool crime scene. Will Walt's prescription become a plot point? "No, that couldn't be my glasses Hank, I've got lung cancer!" Walt then pays someone to hack into the DEA database to alter the rx values to erase any lingering suspicion. But I get ahead of myself...

Although now with Tuco biting it, our dynamic duo are gonna need to find a new distributor, or find some means of playing that role themselves. It's fun watching them knocked back to square one, but I think I'm about ready for them to ramp up even harder. That said, knowing these goons eventually become some kind of big wig crime lords later on is hilarious when watching them here make so many questionable decisions walking around like headless chickens.

Man...poor Walt. He makes a nice family breakfast and casually slips in a way to get rid of his wife for a bit, as well as new thoughts on his cell phone ringing actually being his alarm, but Skylar is not having any of it. Biiit of a strong reaction from her to just drop everything and drove off like that, but hey, Walt's technically been guilty of that too, must run in the family. Is it that implausible though? Heck, I think my alarm sound isn't too different from my phone sound. I guess this is one of those 'married couple' things where she knew something was up the moment she smelled the pancakes. I'm going to have to sit through marriage counseling scenes eventually, aren't I?

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It's kinda funny watching everyone being 'boo hoo hoo, we're gonna lose our Walt' in season 1, but he has one little incident and now his son is calling themselves Flynn and his wife is giving him minimal communication. It probably isn't too far from how the average family might react though, as sympathy only stretches so far while various stages of acceptance slowly sink in.

Bwahaha...mover guy unplugs and takes house phone right after Jesse steps away for a second. Yup...really not-a-good-day-at-all he's having here. All his contacts striking out, and even his bike stolen. I bet this hit really hard for some folks at the time. ...and then the porta potty scene. Jeebus give this guy some meth money plz, this is growing unbearable to watch XD

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More bearable is Walt's wife drama...she's no dummy and wants to know the truth. It is all well and good drama, but I just keep thinking 'man, that baby could pop aaaaany time' and then THAT will be more exploitable drama.

Speaking of drama...it just keeps happening.Skyler is mad at Walt who takes it out on Jesse who unfortunately possesses the common tv affliction of not being able to speak about their problems fast enough to resolve tension.

Episode ends with Skyler smoking, instantly making me think less of her. Never could see the appeal of cigarettes, and doing it while pregnant like that is just begging for the audience to gripe about it.

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I'm smoking while reading your post. Lol. Sorry man

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you probably aren't pregnant :D

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Yeah...definitely noticing the cinematography more this season. It isn't something I'd expect was common in shows around this time, though probably more common in years since.

So...Walt finds a cigarette pack in the toilet. Gross, but...how the devil does Skyler thing that is at all a good thing to do to hide her budding habit? It does make a cute parallel to Walt hiding his meth antics, but toilets are not magic portals, she really should have known better!

Shit...Hank's getting a promotion and feeling on top of the world right now. We barely got to know him :(

Cue elevator scene....dunno what that's about, but whatever it is, it isn't good.

I like acronym girl...I feel like she's gonna be more than a one note character for Jesse, like they might hook up or something. It's nice to see some positive things happen for him, although we know it is mostly due to his illegal meth money and this happiness is ultimately fleeting. Crime doesn't pay, stay in school kids! I wish I had some illegal meth money :(

I appreciate how much this show lets other characters beyond the protagonist(s) breathe. Walt is the primary focus, but those in his circle are free to have scenes without him as they go about their normal life, like watching Hank make beer in his man cave. They're not just nothing scenes either, everything feels like it is serving the larger narrative in some capacity.

Random thought: You think anyone ever notices the bullet holes in the RV when they need to get gas for it?

Finally the seeds of a drug empire are formed, as Jesse realizes they need to become the Tuco. He's got pals to rope in, and small though it may be to start, something like this is bound to catch some eyes that might see something special in the making.


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hank be having panic attacks

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Idk what to think about this kid living in that dump of a house Jesse adorably failed at murdering anyone in. What angle are you playing at, show?

On the Walt side of things, a drama storm is brewing as Skyler and Gretchen have a little conversation and it only a matter of time before it hits. If there's one thing this show is getting across, it is that lying just digs you in an ever deeper hole.

And now we have Walt in class acting speciesist against silicon life proclaiming that Carbon is central to everything that lives. Has he never watched/read any good sci-fi?

Ah, here we go. Jesse finally gets to hold up the Kenny family for cash...and they just happen to have stolen an ATM. No witnesses and no problems, lawl. Truly pro decision makers these crackheads are <3

It amazes me how Walt is able to sidestep the issue of him not seeming to have a good reason for pretending he has accepted money from Elliott and Gretchen by quite literally going 'Fuck you' to Gretchen. Definitely some past issues going on there, but I still kinda struggle to see what the harm in taking that money would be. Aside from no longer needing to cook to pay for a growing list of things. Here's hoping Walt ends up with more than a $10 bond for all his efforts.

Ahahaha...Walt is literally using the recession to back up his lie, I can't even XFD

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Did...did Walt commission a spanish music group to sing a song about his drug trade? Sure seems like that, as drugs and mexico go hand in hand, and who really listens to spanish songs on the US side of the border anyway?

So many amazing little touches this show has, like when Jane and Walt are talking, Walt wants to be let in. He says he is Jesse's father. She asks if he is Mr. Jackson. Walt has to visibly pause here to process that. Is she saying that as a ruse to get him to admit to a false name, or is it something Jesse has done to offer a layer of security. He settles on the latter and things work out, but it is always nice to see scenes like this play out in such a natural way that doesn't feel forced or fake or any of a number of symptoms that would plague bad writing and acting direction.

Jesse is a blowfish.

Shame about turtle guy...I was liking his vibes, and then the explosion happened. Which nicely touches back to the nuke exhibit Walt was at earlier. Hank being in this scene was almost surreal, like he's a slightly loony tune character among people trying to do a real job. Not that he's comical, but he was very much a fish out of water, like a character designed for one genre suddenly plopped into a different one.

Yuuuup, had a feeling Jane and Jesse would become a thing. Question remains how far into the inner circle she'll go, or if the drama will be keeping it from her instead. She seems pretty accepting, so long as it is away from her property though.

But man, poor Hank. The outcome will likely be for him to come back to his old job, because goodness knows he's not gonna be learning spanish or playing nice anytime soon.

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GOAT episode coming up

don't think you mentioned this, but walt sexually assaults skyler in 2x01, which certainly has to color how she sees him afterward
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Oh yeah, that was an awkward scene for sure. It does make sense that it would affect her going forward.

So this episode, I have high hopes for as I notice that it is named 'Better Call Saul'. Presumably Saul will make an appearance in the episode, and I will get to see a taste of what the spinoff series is all about!

This chump friend of Jesse's...does seem to have some street smarts. Betcha there will be a policeman sting with a garbage truck sometime in this series.

I'd be down on the series if it seriously tried to pull the 'a cop has to tell you he is a cop if asked' card, but it being part of a larger con is simply beautiful. It was pretty obvious what was gonna happen, but that in no way diminished the end result.

Lovin' the cheezy lawyer ad.

Real talk with Walt and Hank is solid, but great as it is, I just want this episode to get to the lawyering.

Which the show obliges, and Hank being back is quite critical given he's jumping to go meet this blue meth dealer they just caught. I also greatly enjoy how silly the guy who busted Badger looks in a tie.

Enter Saul, who comes on like a freight train. Amusing how his cost is $4650 when just a few scenes ago Walt and Jesse were enjoying a cool 5k split.

"When the going gets tough, you don't want a criminal lawyer, you want a "criminal" lawyer" A+ line, I love it!


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show really hits its stride around here. it was already good but the players added here really round out the cast and add a lot of color

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I wonder how many dads Walt will pose as by the end of the series...

I love all the sleezy cheezy props involved with Saul. You know exactly what you're dealing with with him, and yet he is apparently going to be effective if Jesse's stories about him are true.

All of Walt's attempts to find another way with Saul fail...not even the story of the ATM machine because the person killed was a former client of Saul's because of course he was.

Aaaand even Saul has his limits, no bribe for him, hah.

....kidnapping Saul, huh. "It wasn't me, it was Ignacio. He's the one!" I bet that will be important in the spinoff series.

"Why don't you just kill Badger" XD I love this guy.

"Put a dollar in my pocket" This guy is unreal. The way this whole scene is shot is pretty fantastic too. Feels almost dreamlike.

So the solution is to get a bald guy to go to prison for them because that person likes being in prison. Amazing.

And then yet another bald guy because Albuquerque is full of bald people now, prompting Walt into hilarious action.

In the end, it all works out, and Saul tracks Walt down informing him that his services will be an ongoing need. Pretty perfect end to an amazing episode!

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SovietOmega posted...

"When the going gets tough, you don't want a criminal lawyer, you want a "criminal" lawyer" A+ line, I love it!

one of the best lines in the series along with

SovietOmega posted...

Saul tracks Walt down informing him that his services will be an ongoing need.

if you want to make more money, and keep what you make...

better call saul!

next ep is also a classic!
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Yeah things really hit their stride and don't have even a hiccup for some time.

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Yeah, the show's been doing good, but it has been a whole lot of meh recently. Character interactions are always nice, but I've been ready for the action to heat up a tad for a while now.

I'm growing more convinced that this series is part of a psychological experiment to see how many scenes of a grown man getting into coughing fits an audience will tolerate. Seems to happen at least once an episode. It's surprisingly tolerable, but always noticed.

I like how they pretty much always have to montage the meth making scenes, since it is probably pretty illegal to give a legit step-by-step. It gets the point across well, and we presume Walt knows what he is doing.

Naturally, since they made exceptional amounts of meth, the situation is such that they are now stranded. Probably gonna lose all or most of the product they made too, because they just can't ever seem to catch a break. Now they gotta depend on Skinny to come through for them, which I would not give high odds on.

It helps that this episode doesn't bounce around between two many plots. This is all about Walt and Jesse. It's prettty much a bottle episode...I've seen this happen on other shows like Star Trek where crew get trapped in a shuttle for a bit. Nothing to stop them from dying but their own ingenuity.

Here the idea seems to be to crank a dodad to get enough juice to zap the battery back to life. It...does not seem to work because the powers that be enjoy watching these guys suffer.

But in their suffering, a ray of hope appears...they're gonna make a battery using the powers of chemistry and luck.

Naturally, it works this time. If Walt had been a physics teacher, the crank would probably have worked >_>

But good news! Walt is dying of cancer less quickly than he might otherwise be! Hooray! Just need to watch out for a bloody cough that could cause him to bleed out and die. And also paper towel dispensers. Those are super deadly too, but thankfully Walt punched one to death at the end of this episode, that was a close call!

Yeah, solid character episode, and they even got to keep all their meth to spur on all kinds of future nonsense.

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Ahhh, wire!

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SovietOmega posted...

Yeah, the show's been doing good, but it has been a whole lot of meh recently. Character interactions are always nice, but I've been ready for the action to heat up a tad for a while now.

Yeah the first half of Season 2 is kinda difficult for me to rewatch. Definitely the weakest stretch for me

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Agreed, that's the only section of a season that isn't a straight A for me.


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Good to hear early season's a low point for the show. It was still fine, but I've seen the show do better prior and hence and the difference is night and day.

So...new lawyer buddy, a fresh batch of meth, and off of the DEA radar for now. Now should be the time to expand and prosper, but how and for how long is the question.

Damn...I was so close to being able to understand Walt, and then he goes and does this thing with the tequila. First shot was fine, pretty much every kid gets that at some point, even Mr. DEA understands and expects this. But Walt keeps pouring them on. His kid, his bottle, his house. Look dude, I get it, you got cancer and an illegal drug hustle on the side. Chillax already! Or maybe this is part of a grand plan to 'attend' AA meetings to cook more? Walt's never been a master schemer so I doubt this, but who can say...he's in remission, so maybe the cancer is giving him superpowers now.

Oh man, I havent even entertained the notion that it could be a legit split personality disorder. Either he's spinning a lie to his wife, or his business name might be getting a bit more literal than intended. The first rule of Meth Club is you don't talk about Meth Club.

I should start keeping a tally of all the bald people in this show. Water heater salesguy is a fun add to the list. Has to be intentional, and I'd have it no other way.

Speaking of superpowers...cute scene with Jane and Jesse discussing old superhero drawings. I wonder if Rewindo could beat Gamefaqs Flash.

Sweet. Jane's dad is John de Lancie! Although it seems the relationship is a little less serious than I imagined it might be. I gather that Jane's got some commitment issues, if I am reading the 'tattoo artist with no tattoos' scene from a few episodes back right.

News in the background: Economy is getting bad, houses are foreclosing! Harmless background chatter, but it firmly cements the show as taking place at a very fixed time.

'Apology Girl' Maybe there's hope for Jesse yet! Great use of a prior scene's setup!

"Stay out of my territory" says Walt 2.0 to yet another baldy and his junkie pal, clear ersatz Walt and Jesse. Whole scene at the store was great too. From humor to serious business at the flip of a switch.

But Walt. You left the cans of protective coating in the store! How are you gonna deal with the rot now?! ...wait, is 'rot' being used symbolically to represent the non-Walt brand meth dealers? That he is ripping them all out and replacing them with something of his own construction? I bet scene analyzers had a field day with this one.

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SovietOmega posted...

"Stay out of my territory"

I love that moment.

Mostly for the song playing during that scene but just in general.

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didn't care for that ep, but loved "stay out of my territory"
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Huh...using a kid to take out one of Walt's men. What is this, Vietnam?

Now that the cancer is potentially operable, I am now counting down the episodes until something Blue Meth related happens that somehow alters this outcome.

Makes sense that the criminal lawyer has connections with connections. Sounds like this will be Walt and Jesse's ticket into the not-small leagues.

Dayum...Skyler knows quite the version of Happy Birthday.

Swing and a miss for this new contact apparently...but Walt's having none of that and goes back. My money's on it being the nice guy who was waiting their table. Walt seems to feel the same way too.

As do the writers. Yeah, he's the guy. Thinks drug addicts are untrustworthy. Probably right. If not for the fact that Jesse's been with Walt since the beginning, he'd probably have been let go long ago. I'm starting to feel there is some parallel here with the Jesse-Walt relation and the Walt-Elliott relation, with Walt being the Jesse in the latter one. Probably part of the reason for Grey Matter's success.

I can't say I care about this whole Ted subplot. What does it matter if he's pinching a little bit here and there? Sure, it's another fun illegal activity for the show to explore, but it also isn't Walt cooking meth. It probably exists just to give Skyler's actor something to do that isn't 'be mad/sad at Walt' or 'impending baby'.

Ahh...so Jesse getting shot up by Jane has some pretty damning consequences with the drop needing to happen sooner rather than later. I guess Gus was right after all, sorry Walt, looks like the rest of the show's gonna be Chemistry lessons.

...and now the baby's starting to kick.

There's like 4 minutes left of this episode, wtf?

Some frantic 4 minutes that was too...that music, Walt scrambling, and him choosing to go ahead with a $1.2 million deal over the birth of his child. In his defense, he probably saw the first one, and that kind of money can give that baby a future that Walt want to leave behind.

I expect next episode will probably start off with more mad dashing to get to the drop point in time.

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SovietOmega posted...

There's like 4 minutes left of this episode, wtf?

yesssss
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