Breaking Bad

[War Eagle!!!]

You really think Mr. I'm the New Gus But Only More Prideful Walt is going to go back to cancer treatments? 

I think he'll find out he has cancer and then kill the doctor for forgetting to call him "sir."

:snicker:

[GH2001]

You really think Mr. I'm the New Gus But Only More Prideful Walt is going to go back to cancer treatments? 

I think he'll find out he has cancer and then kill the doctor for forgetting to call him "sir."

Nothing to do with the cancer treatment so much (or lack thereof) but more to do with the elapsed time between that opening in the diner and the current episode. Takes a while for that amount of hair to grow back. But yes, it also tells us he is either cancer free or has stopped any kind of treatment.

[Townhallsavoy]

Takes a while for that amount of hair to grow back. But yes, it also tells us he is either cancer free or has stopped any kind of treatment.

You realize he hasn't been having cancer treatment the past few seasons, right?  He's just kept it shaved. 

[GH2001]

You realize he hasn't been having cancer treatment the past few seasons, right?  He's just kept it shaved.

 

Cancer treatment or lack thereof = not the point. Not sure what isn't comprehending there for you. The main observation I was making in response to what Wes said was that the scene in the diner is probably somewhat in the distant future with his hair being grown back that much.

I swear to Lord Sabynz a few of you fuckers are on your period today.

[ssgaufan]

Cancer treatment or lack thereof = not the point. Not sure what isn't comprehending there for you. The main observation I was making in response to what Wes said was that the scene in the diner is probably somewhat in the distant future with his hair being grown back that much.

I swear to Lord Sabynz a few of you fuckers are on your period today.

 

[wesfau2]

I'm quite surprised that Gus's nefarious actions would be so directly linked to ze Germans.  Seems like you'd have layers and layers of plausible deniability if you were an international conglomerate dabbling in the meth trade.

Walt has lost his damned mind.  He's setting up shop in downtown ABQ because "If Gus could manage it, we can manage it."  Well, except that you don't have a brilliant cover for moving tons of chemicals around...and you don't have a built in distribution structure.

Lying to Jessie...tsk tsk.  What a shithead to not react when he saw how sick Jessie was over nearly shooting him.

You had to figure that Mike would be forced back into the game with Walt and Jessie.  But who the fuck is Lydia?  I assume she was the ace money launderer for Gus, since she knows who is on the payroll and who supplies the precursor.  Having her involved is going to be a clusterfuck.  She's jumpy as shit.

[GH2001]

I'm quite surprised that Gus's nefarious actions would be so directly linked to ze Germans.  Seems like you'd have layers and layers of plausible deniability if you were an international conglomerate dabbling in the meth trade.

Walt has lost his damned mind.  He's setting up shop in downtown ABQ because "If Gus could manage it, we can manage it."  Well, except that you don't have a brilliant cover for moving tons of chemicals around...and you don't have a built in distribution structure.

Lying to Jessie...tsk tsk.  What a shithead to not react when he saw how sick Jessie was over nearly shooting him.

You had to figure that Mike would be forced back into the game with Walt and Jessie.  But who the fuck is Lydia?  I assume she was the ace money launderer for Gus, since she knows who is on the payroll and who supplies the precursor.  Having her involved is going to be a clusterfuck.  She's jumpy as shit.

Good observation on Walt acting insane. Setting up shop in downtown ABQ is a setup for failure. With the Lydia/Mike angle in the picture now, this has all the makings of some major fireworks and double crossings.

Did you get the feeling Mike spared Lydia for either: 1. Lydia playing off his emotions with her daughter and his granddaughter  OR  needing her to get the hookup on the chems Walt needs and calling off the hits on him in exchange for him not blasting her in the house? Maybe a little of both. One of the few times I have seen Mike struggle with a decision and show a tad bit of weakness. Def not his MO.

[wesfau2]

Did you get the feeling Mike spared Lydia for either: 1. Lydia playing off his emotions with her daughter and his granddaughter  OR  needing her to get the hookup on the chems Walt needs and calling off the hits on him in exchange for him not blasting her in the house? Maybe a little of both. One of the few times I have seen Mike struggle with a decision and show a tad bit of weakness. Def not his MO.

Mostly #1, with a touch of #2 for rationalization.

[Townhallsavoy]

Mostly #1, with a touch of #2 for rationalization.

I thought mostly #2 with #1 helping him realize what it is he needs to do. 

Mike reminds me of Walt from seasons 1-3.  He was definitely not happy to learn that his granddaughter's money was being taken away.  I get the feeling the whole reason why he's in the business is to provide for her.  We haven't seen either of her parents yet.  I wonder what kind of problems they have. 

Also, some serious foreshadowing going on.  The opening of season 5 showed Walt looking rather haggardly and disheveled and getting his hands on guns and ammunition.  Then in episode 2, Mike says he doesn't want to do business with Walt because Walt is a ticking time bomb. 

Vince also seems to have little deference for women. 

The female characters:

Skylar - The fat, emotional, cheating wife of the main character.
Marie - A flippant, psychotic, idiotic thief who can be a bit of a nag to her husband.
Lydia - Over-reacting, over-dramatic and careless and indifferent to people's lives. 

[GH2001]

I thought mostly #2 with #1 helping him realize what it is he needs to do. 

Mike reminds me of Walt from seasons 1-3.  He was definitely not happy to learn that his granddaughter's money was being taken away.  I get the feeling the whole reason why he's in the business is to provide for her.  We haven't seen either of her parents yet.  I wonder what kind of problems they have. 

Also, some serious foreshadowing going on.  The opening of season 5 showed Walt looking rather haggardly and disheveled and getting his hands on guns and ammunition.  Then in episode 2, Mike says he doesn't want to do business with Walt because Walt is a ticking time bomb. 

Vince also seems to have little deference for women. 

The female characters:

Skylar - The fat, emotional, cheating wife of the main character.
Marie - A flippant, psychotic, idiotic thief who can be a bit of a nag to her husband.
Lydia - Over-reacting, over-dramatic and careless and indifferent to people's lives.

I was thinking along the lines of what Wes said. She got his attention with daughter angle making him think of his grand daughter. Then he rationalized it while the grand daughter was on his mind. But I could see it the other way as well. I like the angle potential they are going with this season already. Too damn complex to even remotely predict. But Mike was right about one thing - Walt is a ticking time bomb who will explode eventually. Not if but when.

[Townhallsavoy]

Forgot to bring this up -

Anyone else notice that Hank knows about Walt? 

[GH2001]

Forgot to bring this up -

Anyone else notice that Hank knows about Walt?

I felt like he may have known for a while and is just playing it cool, going all the way back to Gale's lab notes. No way Hank could not have deducted something from that. He is a lot smarter than we think (as an audience). I think he plays that dumb card a lot.

[Townhallsavoy]

I felt like he may have known for a while and is just playing it cool, going all the way back to Gale's lab notes. No way Hank could not have deducted something from that. He is a lot smarter than we think (as an audience). I think he plays that dumb card a lot.

I could see him fucking with Walt by showing him that karaoke video.  But would Hank withhold Walt's name from the investigation because they're related?  I don't see that in his character.

I think he's only found out recently.  Or more likely, he doesn't really have a connection at all, but he's figured out that the only person in town that could handle a chemistry lab like that is Walter White.

Or even more likely, Vince will continue to surprise the hell out of us as the show unfolds. 

[GH2001]

Or even more likely, Vince will continue to surprise the hell out of us as the show unfolds.

Which is why I am not even remotely trying to predict anything aside from Walt imploding at some point. That's the only given. Ive made about 20 predictions on plot directions so far with this show and been right about 5% of the time.

[Kaos]

i just finished season 4. 

It's a low-rent Sopranos.  Many of the same themes, from the culpability of the wives to the slow decline into self destruction of the lead character to the dysfunctional son to the fuck up nephew/friend.   

I despise Skyler's character and loathe the woman playing the part.  She's no Carm.  Not even close.

It definitely doesn't hold me like Sopranos, Oz, Dexter, Homeland or some of the other top shelf shows did.   

I'll finish it because I'm this far in, but it's just not the "groundbreaking" awesome can't miss series I expected. 

[wesfau2]

i just finished season 4. 

It's a low-rent Sopranos.  Many of the same themes, from the culpability of the wives to the slow decline into self destruction of the lead character to the dysfunctional son to the fuck up nephew/friend.   

I despise Skyler's character and loathe the woman playing the part.  She's no Carm.  Not even close.

It definitely doesn't hold me like Sopranos, Oz, Dexter, Homeland or some of the other top shelf shows did.   

I'll finish it because I'm this far in, but it's just not the "groundbreaking" awesome can't miss series I expected.

Hey, boss: we get it.  You think the Sopranos is the end-all of televised drama.  Nothing will ever compare.  So quit fucking trying to compare it and leave those of us who enjoy this series to our discussion.

[Vandy Vol]

Hey, boss: we get it.  You think the Sopranos is the end-all of televised drama.  Nothing will ever compare.  So quit fucking trying to compare it and leave those of us who enjoy this series to our discussion.

What the fuck are you talking about?  The Sopranos is what all other great television is based on.

[Kaos]

Hey, boss: we get it.  You think the Sopranos is the end-all of televised drama.  Nothing will ever compare.  So quit fucking trying to compare it and leave those of us who enjoy this series to our discussion.

Hey fucksnout.  Just making the poInt that it's almost a carbon copy of Sopranos in terms of character development and story arcs.  You can draw direct parallels to almost every character. 

That's not a bad thing.  Other shows fail spectacularly trying to follow that pattern.  This one doesn't. 

I like it enough to see it through to the end.

[wesfau2]

Mike is buying silence...and making Walt and Jesse contribute.  That won't end well.  Jesse is correct that they are making 1/4 the weight, but netting a higher percentage of profit as owners rather than employees.  The problem is, I think Walt will believe this to be too small-time for a big shot drug kingpin like himself.

The pest control cover is pretty fucking genius.  Mobile lab with transient cook sites...it's the RV concept dressed up and made all professional-like.  Walt just can't help himself, though.  He tells Saul that he'll handle Mike and approves the pest control cover with no vote.  The icing on the cake was the Victor/Daedalus story.  Mike is getting too big for the britches that Walt thinks he ought to be wearing.

Walt manipulating Jesse into ending his relationship was dirty.  He sounded so sincere (though the viewers know that he is clearly not) during their mid-cook conversation and then totally disengaged after the money-split.  He's obviously worried about Brock ID'ing him, but I think those odds went up substantially when he tried to talk to the kid about being in the hospital.  Fucking hubris.

Marie was so close to the truth, but Walt gets the easy out by confessing some truths and guilting her into keeping quiet.  The "join us" bit with Walt and Jr. watching Scarface was pretty ham-handed.  We get that Skylar is regretting her (and, presumably, her family's) involvement in the underworld.

[wesfau2]

Just making the poInt that it's almost a carbon copy of Sopranos in terms of character development and story arcs.  You can draw direct parallels to almost every character. 

And that is not fucking germane to the current discussion.  Start your own thread if you want to draw imaginary parallels to other shows.