Breaking Bad

GH2001 · « **Reply #80 on:** July 30, 2012, 10:33:25 AM »

Quote from: Kaos on July 27, 2012, 06:12:09 PM

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.

When did this become a Sopranos vs Breaking Bad pissing contest? You might enjoy the show a little more if you would quit worrying about the similarities and which one is better. BTW - a lot of shows and movies have that same setup - self destructing lead, nagging wife, dysfunctional son, etc etc. I love the Sopranos. I think it's one of the top 3 shows of all time. But not once do I think about it while watching Breaking Bad. You've almost become OCD with the comparisons.

GH2001 · « **Reply #81 on:** July 30, 2012, 10:38:56 AM »

Quote from: wesfau2 on July 30, 2012, 10:28:25 AM

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.

Spot on.

And yes, Walt has officially broken bad all the way. Fucker is all in at this point. I'm still not sure what to think about Mike. I don't think we've seen the half of him. The scene with Skyler and Marie was intense. The "shut up shut up shut up......" dialogue was strong. Wasn't expecting her to snap this quick.

In the end, Walt has gone fucking insane - some ways good and some ways bad. Dude is a mad scientist, pun intended.

Kaos · « **Reply #82 on:** July 30, 2012, 11:02:44 AM »

Quote from: wesfau2 on July 30, 2012, 10:29:24 AM

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

And ubiquitous movie quotes are germane to all threads in which they appear?

Perhaps you should start a movie quotes thread to contain them all Titan. Either that or reduce your eViagra intake.

Saniflush · « **Reply #83 on:** July 30, 2012, 11:03:53 AM »

Quote from: wesfau2 on July 30, 2012, 10:29:24 AM

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

The got-damn Germans got nothin' to do with this!

Kaos · « **Reply #84 on:** July 30, 2012, 11:13:04 AM »

Quote from: GH2001 on July 30, 2012, 10:33:25 AM

When did this become a Sopranos vs Breaking Bad pissing contest? You might enjoy the show a little more if you would quit worrying about the similarities and which one is better. BTW - a lot of shows and movies have that same setup - self destructing lead, nagging wife, dysfunctional son, etc etc. I love the Sopranos. I think it's one of the top 3 shows of all time. But not once do I think about it while watching Breaking Bad. You've almost become OCD with the comparisons.

The love/hate relationship between Walt and Jesse (and Walt's willingness to damage others to manipulate that relationship) is eerily reminiscent of the fractured Chrissy/Tony arc. So, too, is the slide into complicity of Skyler/Carm. Those to angles alone are either homage or replication of Sopranos. That's what makes me think of it. I can't watch Walt and Jesse or Walt and Skyler without being reminded of Tony/Chris/Carm.

Not entirely sure why that upsets anybody's applecart. Lots of shows take formulas that work and recreate them. if you have a 12-year old, you know Big Time Rush are essentially The Monkees.

it's a good show. Doesn't put me to sleep like The Glades does. Better than any reality show whether it be bridal shopping, cooking, fishing, hunting, dating, surviving, chasing or whatever all that shit is.

Continue your deep analysis.

Townhallsavoy · « **Reply #85 on:** July 30, 2012, 11:39:46 AM »

Quote from: Kaos on July 30, 2012, 11:02:44 AM

And ubiquitous movie quotes are germane to all threads in which they appear?

Perhaps you should start a movie quotes thread to contain them all Titan. Either that or reduce your eViagra intake.

Agreed although I don't care any bit about a Breaking Bad - Sopranos comparison.

This is the X. We're anarchists. You want to flood this thread with a conversation about My Little Pony? Do it.

Townhallsavoy · « **Reply #86 on:** July 30, 2012, 11:44:24 AM »

Quote from: wesfau2 on July 30, 2012, 10:28:25 AM

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.

Yeah. Not a whole lot though to this episode besides getting the lab set up.

I think we're seeing Walt build a web he doesn't know how to handle. I didn't realize it's only been a year since he was diagnosed. In a year's time, he's gone from a strict school teacher with delusions of grandeur to the biggest drug manufacturer in the Southwest. That's way too much for him to handle, but his pride will never admit that.

Mike said it took Gus twenty years to build what he had. Walt's doing it in a year. It's going to end badly, which we already know based on the opening scene.

Also, would you say that Gus was a fair, caring employer as long as his employees did their jobs correctly? That's the vibe I got. I mean, Gus provided a CostCo snack plate for drug lord meetings. He was nothing but class and a brilliant CEO unless you stepped over the line. Walt is the opposite. Jesse's doing his job, but Walt is controlling his personal life. Mike is trying to protect their best interests, but Walt wants to be the one to protect their interests. Saul is trying to offer proper legal and safety advice, but Walt knows what's best for all of them.

Walt's in too deep.

AUTiger1 · « **Reply #87 on:** July 30, 2012, 12:57:04 PM »

Quote from: Townhallsavoy on July 30, 2012, 11:39:46 AM

Agreed although I don't care any bit about a Breaking Bad - Sopranos comparison.

This is the X. We're anarchists. You want to flood this thread with a conversation about My Little Pony? Do it.

My Little Pony, My Little Pony,
What is friendship all about?
My Little Pony, My Little Pony
Friendship is magic!

I used to wonder what friendship could be.
Until you all shared its magic with me.

Buzz, help a brother out will you? I know this is your favorite BookFace game.

Buzz Killington · « **Reply #88 on:** July 30, 2012, 01:16:14 PM »

Quote from: AUTiger1 on July 30, 2012, 12:57:04 PM

My Little Pony, My Little Pony,
What is friendship all about?
My Little Pony, My Little Pony
Friendship is magic!

I used to wonder what friendship could be.
Until you all shared its magic with me.

Buzz, help a brother out will you? I know this is your favorite BookFace game.

I think you have me confused with someone else. I only play Farmville.

AUTiger1 · « **Reply #89 on:** July 30, 2012, 01:27:50 PM »

Quote from: Buzz Killington on July 30, 2012, 01:16:14 PM

I think you have me confused with someone else. I only play Farmville.

Liar! When I was stalking your pro.......wait, yes, you are correct. I have you confused with someone else.

Townhallsavoy · « **Reply #90 on:** July 30, 2012, 01:33:29 PM »

A couple of other things -

The kid with the pest control company that warned about the nanny cam - there's more to him than meets the eye.

At the end watching Scarface - Walt says, "Everybody dies in this movie."

Kaos · « **Reply #91 on:** July 30, 2012, 04:01:10 PM »

Quote from: Townhallsavoy on July 30, 2012, 01:33:29 PM

A couple of other things -

The kid with the pest control company that warned about the nanny cam - there's more to him than meets the eye.

At the end watching Scarface - Walt says, "Everybody dies in this movie."

So here it's Scarface references.

It was Godfather call outs in ...... Nevermind.

GH2001 · « **Reply #92 on:** July 30, 2012, 04:30:51 PM »

Quote from: Kaos on July 30, 2012, 11:13:04 AM

Not entirely sure why that upsets anybody's applecart.

I could say the same thing right back in your critique of BB as it relates to Sopranos. It bothers you that they have similarities and I am not sure why. Don't make me take your applecart and dump it over in the road.

GH2001 · « **Reply #93 on:** July 30, 2012, 04:34:42 PM »

Quote from: Townhallsavoy on July 30, 2012, 11:44:24 AM

Yeah. Not a whole lot though to this episode besides getting the lab set up.

I think we're seeing Walt build a web he doesn't know how to handle. I didn't realize it's only been a year since he was diagnosed. In a year's time, he's gone from a strict school teacher with delusions of grandeur to the biggest drug manufacturer in the Southwest. That's way too much for him to handle, but his pride will never admit that.

Mike said it took Gus twenty years to build what he had. Walt's doing it in a year. It's going to end badly, which we already know based on the opening scene.

Also, would you say that Gus was a fair, caring employer as long as his employees did their jobs correctly? That's the vibe I got. I mean, Gus provided a CostCo snack plate for drug lord meetings. He was nothing but class and a brilliant CEO unless you stepped over the line. Walt is the opposite. Jesse's doing his job, but Walt is controlling his personal life. Mike is trying to protect their best interests, but Walt wants to be the one to protect their interests. Saul is trying to offer proper legal and safety advice, but Walt knows what's best for all of them.

Walt's in too deep.

Another good analysis. Fucker has gone off the deep end and it will end badly. Thats about what we know. I see a Walt vs Mike showdown with Jesse and Saul in the middle. I will admit that Saul is my favorite character on the show. Dude cracks me up.

Kaos · « **Reply #94 on:** July 30, 2012, 04:40:12 PM »

Quote from: GH2001 on July 30, 2012, 04:30:51 PM

I could say the same thing right back in your critique of BB as it relates to Sopranos. It bothers you that they have similarities and I am not sure why. Don't make me take your applecart and dump it over in the road.

Actually it doesn't bother me in the least. I just find it interesting how the two shows parallel so closely. I wrongly assumed others might either see the parallels or have some interest in discussing how much alike they are -- as well as where they diverge.

Going to watch Weeds next to see how that meshes with this.

GH2001 · « **Reply #95 on:** July 30, 2012, 04:52:38 PM »

Quote from: Kaos on July 30, 2012, 04:40:12 PM

Actually it doesn't bother me in the least. I just find it interesting how the two shows parallel so closely. I wrongly assumed others might either see the parallels or have some interest in discussing how much alike they are -- as well as where they diverge.

Going to watch Weeds next to see how that meshes with this.

Whatever lady.

You tried to paint it as a cheap knock off of Sopranos. And it aggrevated you.

Kaos · « **Reply #96 on:** July 30, 2012, 05:16:09 PM »

Quote from: GH2001 on July 30, 2012, 04:52:38 PM

Whatever lady.

You tried to paint it as a cheap knock off of Sopranos. And it aggrevated you.

It is a cheap knockoff of The Sopranos. For the reasons I stated. Doesn't mean that aggrieves me, just that I see what it is. Other than Walt/Tony and perhaps Jesse/Chris the rest of the actors don't have the depth and range of Carmella, Sil, Paulie, Johnny Sack, Bobby,Ralph, Janice, Richie, Junior, Artie and Charmaine. The performances aren't quite as nuanced. The one that hurts Breaking Bad the most is Skyler. I absolutely cannot stand her at all. Her character (and the actress who plays her) is the show's weakest link. I've been wishing for her death for a while.

Knockoffs aren't always bad. A Kia/Hyundai is a cheaper knockoff of a Honda/Toyota/Nissan, but that doesn't mean it's a shitty car. I appreciate that about this show and am going to watch it to the end in spite of all of you.

wesfau2 · « **Reply #97 on:** July 30, 2012, 09:22:33 PM »

Quote from: Kaos on July 30, 2012, 11:02:44 AM

And ubiquitous movie quotes are germane to all threads in which they appear?

Perhaps you should start a movie quotes thread to contain them all Titan. Either that or reduce your eViagra intake.

No, what I mean is that your first 4 posts in this thread (prior to the season 5 discussion) were all about your comparisons of BB to the Sopranos. And...really...all your posts since then have been in support of your insistence of comparing everything to the Sopranos. Care to wax poetic about how Yo Yo Ma can't hold a candle to Gene Simmons' bass lines?

We get that you love the Sopranos. We get that no show will ever rival that for you...so quit drawing the parallel, looking for someone to agree.

We're talking about BB in this thread, and you are more than welcome to join that discussion, but to constantly insert a reference to Tony/Carm/Pussy/Chrissy into every thread is a bit...dare I say...bammerish. Long live Tony Bryant.

Kaos · « **Reply #98 on:** July 30, 2012, 10:57:02 PM »

Quote from: wesfau2 on July 30, 2012, 09:22:33 PM

No, what I mean is that your first 4 posts in this thread (prior to the season 5 discussion) were all about your comparisons of BB to the Sopranos. And...really...all your posts since then have been in support of your insistence of comparing everything to the Sopranos. Care to wax poetic about how Yo Yo Ma can't hold a candle to Gene Simmons' bass lines?

We get that you love the Sopranos. We get that no show will ever rival that for you...so quit drawing the parallel, looking for someone to agree.

We're talking about BB in this thread, and you are more than welcome to join that discussion, but to constantly insert a reference to Tony/Carm/Pussy/Chrissy into every thread is a bit...dare I say...bammerish. Long live Tony Bryant.

Those are my thoughts about the show. I find the parallels intriguing. It's interesting to me how the character development intertwines.

Do I bitch when movie and music quotes derail threads that have meaning? Name a single thread on this board that has stayed on track for the duration. This is my version of a movie/song quote.

Lock it down Titan!

BTW? I have no idea what yo ma ma does with Gene Simmon's bass. That's her business.

Snaggletiger · « **Reply #99 on:** July 31, 2012, 09:53:20 AM »

A couple of weeks ago, Wes gave me the Reader's Digest version of the show as I know full well I won't go back and watch the previous episodes to bring myself up to speed. So the other night, I watch it for the first time. Will probably be the last time. Oh, the story, acting...all that seems fine. But for gawd sake.....

TURN.....SOME FUCKING.......LIGHTS ON, PEOPLE!!!! What is the obsession with having every scene, every setting in a room with one dim 25 watt bulb in the corner for lighting? I see you dividing up hundreds of thousands of dollars...in cash. I know you have the money to pay your electric bill.