Breaking Bad

[Townhallsavoy]

Exactly when?  I mean, no one is clear. 

I hear it's the end of summer, but EXACTLY WHEN?  I NEED MY BREAKING BAD. 

[War Eagle!!!]

I looked at this last week because I want to watch it so bad. I couldn't find anything. I know they started taping in January and all I saw was "Airing Summer 2011".

This show kicks ass...

[Jumbo]

Never watched one episode.

[wesfau2]

Never watched one episode.

You need to watch the first three seasons...stat.

I think I heard it was going to start airing in July.

[chinook]

[wesfau2]

Intense.

Holy shit, Gus is a bad man.

[GH2001]

You need to watch the first three seasons...stat.

I think I heard it was going to start airing in July.

I want to watch this show pronto. Haven't seen an episode yet. Is it on teh Netflix?

It looks quality which there is little of on TV since Uncle Tony left the diner. I also would like to check out Boardwalk Empire with Steve Buschemi. Anyone seen any of that one?

[Townhallsavoy]

Intense.

Holy shit, Gus is a bad man.

I don't know which was more intense - that scene from last night or Hank in the parking lot. 

Great episode.

When it started, I was worried that the show would start losing its ability to surprise me.  I thought I was desensitized to the craziness of Walt's life.

Vince is a genius.

[Kaos]

So I watched a couple of shows from the past to get the mood. 

And I watched last night hoping for greatness. 

What I got? 

A big ball of meh. 

[War Eagle!!!]

What do you think Gus' next play is? No way he let's this slide. What about the notes?

[GH2001]

What do you think Gus' next play is? No way he let's this slide. What about the notes?

He'll probably get gobbled up by the wigwoms and the zipzorps.

[Townhallsavoy]

What do you think Gus' next play is? No way he let's this slide. What about the notes?

I'm thinking Gale gets pinned as Heisenberg, which leads to Hank getting back involved.  Hank will be the one to recognize it's not the right guy, and we'll see Hank in a wheelchair trying to chase down the real dealer. 

But then again, this show is great because it's unpredictable. 

[wesfau2]

So I watched a couple of shows from the past to get the mood. 

And I watched last night hoping for greatness. 

What I got? 

A big ball of meh.

I tossed aside a few shitty remarks about your legendary bad taste in art because I love this show and so should everyone else.

Did you watch a few random episodes because you'd never watched the entire series or are you a watcher, but just wanted to get into the groove?

If the former, then you couldn't understand all the nuance and character development going on in that episode.  If the latter, then you're just a colossal dipshit who didn't get what VG was doing with his characters.

Here's what I got from this episode:

1) We saw that the lab was built for Gale, not Walt.  Walt is only involved with Gus because of his superior (to the chemistry geeks only, Gus was happy with Gale's product) output.  Gale got himself killed by convincing Gus to hire Walt.  Gus did not want to hire Walt because Walt is not "a professional."  Going against his instinct bit Gus in the ass.

2) We saw that Skyler has slipped into the life of crime pretty easily.  Her handling of the locksmith was so nice and she was pretty fucking cool when Walt shows up out of nowhere in a Willie Nelson T-shirt with the "Large" sticker still on the shoulder.

3) We see that Jesse is making peace with his bad guy side finally.  He waffled for a bit, but his shot to Gale's eyeball and the subsequent fallout has him in the zone.  Walt, on the other hand, is not doing so well with it these days.

4) We saw that Gus isn't interested in a mechanic/cook who knows the recipe any more than he is interested in someone that doesn't do the job they are assigned.  The Mexican thought he was holding all the cards when Gus walked in (frankly, so did I).  Gus is a bad, bad man.  He freaked out his muscle, Mike, even.

5) Jesse is right: there is a stasis between Walt/Jesse and Gus now.  Each side needs the other and each knows that the other will kill for their position.  Walt is also right in that Gus will be looking to replace Walt/Jesse at the first opportunity.  The problem, as Jesse pointed out, is that it probably took years to find a chemist of Gale's caliber in the first place.

6)  Hank.  Oh, fuckin Hank.  He's angry and there will be blood...

I'm thinking Gale gets pinned as Heisenberg, which leads to Hank getting back involved.  Hank will be the one to recognize it's not the right guy, and we'll see Hank in a wheelchair trying to chase down the real dealer. 

This is probably correct.  The lab notes have the initial analysis of Heisenberg's blue meth.  Who knows what Gale has added in the meantime, but he did say in the opening scene (pre-Walt flashback) that he couldn't pinpoint the cause of the blue coloration.  I'll bet that the blue coloring agent ties to something that will lead to Walt. 

Hank will have a mostly successful recovery (moving around in a wheelchair or crutches, a la Walt, Jr.) and will end up back at the DEA offices just to get out of the house.  He will be given a copy of the case file (with Gale's Lab Notes) and he will make the connection to Walt and the blue coloring agent.  The conflict at that point will be: the blue meth pays for his med bills/PT, so does he accept it and get involved like Skyler (Marie has an outlaw bone in her body as a klepto....could be worked into the family crime syndicate) or does he go super cop and bring the whole thing down?

Awesome fucking show.

[Kaos]

I tossed aside a few shitty remarks about your legendary bad taste in art because I love this show and so should everyone else.

Did you watch a few random episodes because you'd never watched the entire series or are you a watcher, but just wanted to get into the groove?

If the former, then you couldn't understand all the nuance and character development going on in that episode.  If the latter, then you're just a colossal dipshit who didn't get what VG was doing with his characters.

Here's what I got from this episode:

1) We saw that the lab was built for Gale, not Walt.  Walt is only involved with Gus because of his superior (to the chemistry geeks only, Gus was happy with Gale's product) output.  Gale got himself killed by convincing Gus to hire Walt.  Gus did not want to hire Walt because Walt is not "a professional."  Going against his instinct bit Gus in the ass.

2) We saw that Skyler has slipped into the life of crime pretty easily.  Her handling of the locksmith was so nice and she was pretty fucking cool when Walt shows up out of nowhere in a Willie Nelson T-shirt with the "Large" sticker still on the shoulder.

3) We see that Jesse is making peace with his bad guy side finally.  He waffled for a bit, but his shot to Gale's eyeball and the subsequent fallout has him in the zone.  Walt, on the other hand, is not doing so well with it these days.

4) We saw that Gus isn't interested in a mechanic/cook who knows the recipe any more than he is interested in someone that does the job they are assigned.  The Mexican thought he was holding all the cards when Gus walked in (frankly, so did I).  Gus is a bad, bad man.  He freaked out his muscle, Mike, even.

5) Jesse is right: there is a stasis between Walt/Jesse and Gus now.  Each side needs the other and each knows that the other will kill for their position.  Walt is also right in that Gus will be looking to replace Walt/Jesse at the first opportunity.  The problem, as Jesse pointed out, is that it probably took years to find a chemist of Gale's caliber in the first place.

6)  Hank.  Oh, fuckin Hank.  He's angry and there will be blood...

This is probably correct.  The lab notes have the initial analysis of Heisenberg's blue meth.  Who knows what Gale has added in the meantime, but he did say in the opening scene (pre-Walt flashback) that he couldn't pinpoint the cause of the blue coloration.  I'll bet that the blue coloring agent ties to something that will lead to Walt. 

Hank will have a mostly successful recovery (moving around in a wheelchair or crutches, a la Walt, Jr.) and will end up back at the DEA offices just to get out of the house.  He will be given a copy of the case file (with Gale's Lab Notes) and he will make the connection to Walt and the blue coloring agent.  The conflict at that point will be: the blue meth pays for his med bills/PT, so does he accept it and get involved like Skyler (Marie has an outlaw bone in her body as a klepto....could be worked into the family crime syndicate) or does he go super cop and bring the whole thing down?

Awesome fucking show.

My taste is legendarily good.   I am extremely discerning. 

I watched to try to get a feel for the show because I wanted to pick it up this season.  I have a great appreciation for well-written, well-acted shows. 

The Sopranos is, to me, the greatest show ever (with the exception of season 6 which is essentially Godfather 3.  I pretend it didn't happen).  I refused to let anything keep me from watching an original episode.

I like Walking Dead although I do feel it is a little lacking in the writing department. 

I have gone to great lengths to make sure I could watch Dexter.

Dead Like Me is awesome. 

Oz was some of the most compelling television ever (although it did go over the top at the end, too).  It was a shock to the senses. 

I watched a couple of episodes of this to get acclimated -- to decide if it was worth going back to the beginning.  I made it a point to be in place to catch the season opener.   

And I'm sorry.  I was underwhelmed.  I'm on the fence about whether I'll bother to try to catch up and watch any more of it.  It was nothing I haven't seen before. 

[wesfau2]

I wanted to pick it up this season.

You could have saved the rest of the typing.
 
You haven't followed the saga.  You don't know why Gale's death impacted Gus so strongly.  You don't know why Skyler was covering for Walt.  You don't, frankly, know shit.

If someone told you that they wanted to get into the Sopranos, but they wanted to start on episode 1 of Season 5 but do some prep work by taking some random episodes from previous seasons, what would you have told them?

[wesfau2]

So.....I was completely wrong about Jesse.  He's in self-destruct mode.  He needs to be distracted from the thoughts in his head.  He wants to be caught...or he wants to die. 

Walt will always be two steps behind Mike and Gus.  Plan a murder?  Gus and Mike see it coming a mile away.  Walt's approach to Mike was clumsy and rebuffed, but was Mike setting up plausible deniability?

Hank's obsession with the minerals will be how he connects the dots from the blue meth to Walt.  He is pushing Marie out, though, and here is what I see happening:

1) Hank and Marie separate, Marie goes to live with Skyler;
2) Marie is sent in to pitch the purchase of the car wash, as she has no visible relation to Walt;
3) Marie gets nosy and finds out the source of funds for Hank's med bills;
4) Marie gets involved, Hank connects the meth dots and the dilemma then becomes: rat out his wife, rat out his extended family, and more importantly, cut off his PT funds...or...get in the game.

[GH2001]

So.....I was completely wrong about Jesse.  He's in self-destruct mode.  He needs to be distracted from the thoughts in his head.  He wants to be caught...or he wants to die. 

Walt will always be two steps behind Mike and Gus.  Plan a murder?  Gus and Mike see it coming a mile away.  Walt's approach to Mike was clumsy and rebuffed, but was Mike setting up plausible deniability?

Hank's obsession with the minerals will be how he connects the dots from the blue meth to Walt.  He is pushing Marie out, though, and here is what I see happening:

1) Hank and Marie separate, Marie goes to live with Skyler;
2) Marie is sent in to pitch the purchase of the car wash, as she has no visible relation to Walt;
3) Marie gets nosy and finds out the source of funds for Hank's med bills;
4) Marie gets involved, Hank connects the meth dots and the dilemma then becomes: rat out his wife, rat out his extended family, and more importantly, cut off his PT funds...or...get in the game.

Watched about half of it last night. Purely on YOUR recommendation weskie. I really think I need to watch the first 2 seasons before watching these new ones.

[wesfau2]

Watched about half of it last night. Purely on YOUR recommendation weskie. I really think I need to watch the first 2 seasons before watching these new ones.

Yeah, there is a ton of nuance and character development happening right now.

[War Eagle!!!]

Watched about half of it last night. Purely on YOUR recommendation weskie. I really think I need to watch the first 2 seasons before watching these new ones.

If you just picked the last 2 episodes to start, I think you picked a bad time. These have been slower episodes and it is building for later.

Walt will always be two steps behind Mike and Gus.  Plan a murder?  Gus and Mike see it coming a mile away.  Walt's approach to Mike was clumsy and rebuffed, but was Mike setting up plausible deniability?

I still think Mike is going to join with Walk before it is over. You know he is thinking about that shit. The first scene where he finds the blood on his sleeve is proof.

Hank's obsession with the minerals will be how he connects the dots from the blue meth to Walt.  He is pushing Marie out, though, and here is what I see happening:

1) Hank and Marie separate, Marie goes to live with Skyler;
2) Marie is sent in to pitch the purchase of the car wash, as she has no visible relation to Walt;
3) Marie gets nosy and finds out the source of funds for Hank's med bills;
4) Marie gets involved, Hank connects the meth dots and the dilemma then becomes: rat out his wife, rat out his extended family, and more importantly, cut off his PT funds...or...get in the game.

This is what I am guessing.

So.....I was completely wrong about Jesse.  He's in self-destruct mode.  He needs to be distracted from the thoughts in his head.  He wants to be caught...or he wants to die. 

He has always been in self-destruct mode. It's what he does. The thing is, Walt was too distracted by trying to take out Gus to notice. If Walt new Jesse was partying like that, he would go nuts...

[GH2001]

Yeah, there is a ton of nuance and character development happening right now.

That's what I gathered. It still looks like a very well put together show from what I saw.