Breaking Bad

[Jeremy Blackman]

I'm unclear on one plot point... Why exactly does the cartel need Gus alive? Mike said that they need his distribution network, but Gus isn't selling their drugs, he's only selling his own. Did the cartel already get a cut of Gus's earnings before the 50% deal? Then it would make sense... but saying that the cartel "needs his distribution network" would still be a strange/inaccurate way to describe the arrangement.

[diggler]

I'm pretty sure before Walt started cooking for Gus, he was distributing the cartel's drugs. He built the lab to produce meth independantly and Walt was his way of breaking out on his own. I think that's why it was so important for the lab to remain running because it was the only product Gus was distributing.

[Jeremy Blackman]

Hmm. Except when Saul referred Walt to Gus, the assumption was that Gus already worked with local suppliers. There's no evidence (as far as I know) that Walt was the first. When Walt talked about the quality of his product and Gus said "that is not the only consideration," the inference there is that Gus had experience working with suppliers, and that he valued suppliers that are cautious. Also when Victor started making pickups of Walt's product, it hardly seemed like a new thing for him.

You could be right, but I'm not aware of evidence for that, and there seems to be some vague evidence to the contrary.

I don't know... Was there any content about the cartel being specifically upset that Gus had found his own supplier? Because they would certainly be upset.

[diggler]

I had forgotten about the local supplier thing. It seems that the opening scene of this season with Gale building the lab sort of worked backwards on the plot a bit. If Gus had other drugs to sell, he would have no problem killing Walt and having the lab down for a short time, but it seemed very important that the lab not be down for even a few days. I think the writers left it vague because they hadn't quite filled in the gaps of everything Gus was doing before Gale and the lab came into the picture.

[Jeremy Blackman]

Yeah good points. I guess you could say that once Gus established his signature product (blue meth), he couldn't go back to old suppliers, whom he presumably cut off completely anyway.

When Gus took on Walter's high-volume operation, that had to replace someone's product. Who was it?

I feel like I'm missing or misremembering something.

[Jeremy Blackman]

The scene with Gus walking into the bullets with his arms stretched out like he was Jesus as the bullets were flying all around him was one of the silliest scenes this show has ever had. What the fuck was that?

I think it's less "you want a piece of me?" and more "okay fine, you win!" He knew the sniper wasn't going to kill him, because (as Mike points out later) they can't kill him. And the sniper was obviously aiming at the ground around Gus. As foreshadowed by Mike in the previous episode, Gus can't afford to have Hank and the cartel on him at the same time, so this was the last straw for Gus.

That part was all kinds of badass. I'll be the best friend for a day to whoever can gif that part for me.

I considered taking on your assignment, but it's actually kind of a long sequence with like 3-4 different important angles, and he doesn't put his hands up until the end. Maybe we can assign this to Polka.

[Kal]

Sooooooo gooooooooood!!!!!!!!!!!! 

[Jeremy Blackman]

Best. Episode. Ever.

Well, at least in the top 10.

The last time I was this excited after watching a Breaking Bad episode was after Box Cutter. I'm sure it's the same for a lot of people.

This is why I've been saying that a hyper-serialized show like this should be viewed and judged like one very long movie. You learn from the podcast that the show is mapped out brick-by-brick in a long, seemingly endless sequence, and in terms of plot, it's somewhat arbitrary where one episode ends and the next begins. The "slow" episodes that came before don't seem so wasteful anymore, do they? And we still have 3 episodes left of presumably hardcore plot goodness.

Gus was amazing in this episode. I'm finding myself rooting for him.

The character moments between Walt and Jr. were exceptional, too.

The editing when Jesse shoots is effing genius. (46:21)

E:

Random, irresponsible, predictions: If Gus dies, he will want Jesse to take his place. The Jesse vs. chemist scene seems like an obvious setup for that. What follows is Walt apologizing to Jesse (also set up in this episode) and trying to squirrel his way back in. Jesse lays down the law but realizes that he needs Walt, so they eventually become partners again. And I believe Mike will live, for sure.

[©brad]

This freakin show man I swear. I knew we'd be in for some great stuff this season but part of me didn't think Gilligan and co. could top the awesomeness of Half Measures. Well, I think they done did it with this one.

That ending! Good god I couldn't sit still during those last 10 minutes. Like Jeremy I am so rooting for Gus now, I really hope he makes it.

Cranston won himself another Emmy with that breakdown with Walt Jr. Also, Walt calling Walt Jr. "Jesse" might have been the most shocking thing of the night.

I loved when Jesse was taking those Mexican chemists to school, and how Gus and Mike looked on like proud parents.

But the most tragic part of the episode? The purple PT Cruiser. Poor Walt Jr. Hasn't this kid suffered enough?

[Jeremy Blackman]

But the most tragic part of the episode? The purple PT Cruiser. Poor Walt Jr. Hasn't this kid suffered enough?

I once drove a PT Cruiser as a rental car (not my choice). And yes, in case anyone wasn't aware, it's a horrible, horrible car. As if its appearance wasn't bad enough, it feels like it has a 2-cylinder engine. Even random things in the interior are cheap and falling apart.

But yes, this episode had the best of everything: superb character scenes and coldblooded plot developments.

[Jeremy Blackman]

Fresh Air had an excellent Breaking Bad double feature tonight... interviews with Aaron Paul and Vince Gilligan:

http://www.npr.org/templates/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=13&prgDate=09-19-2011

Also the podcast for this episode is one of the best I've heard.

[©brad]

Fresh Air had an excellent Breaking Bad double feature tonight... interviews with Aaron Paul and Vince Gilligan:

http://www.npr.org/templates/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=13&prgDate=09-19-2011

Also the podcast for this episode is one of the best I've heard.

Damnit I'm having trouble downloading it again. Did you listen to it on the AMC site? It's not showing up on itunes.

[Jeremy Blackman]

It was working in both places yesterday. But yeah I originally listened to it on the AMC website.

[Tictacbk]

Best. Episode. Ever.

Well, at least in the top 10.

This is why I've been saying that a hyper-serialized show like this should be viewed and judged like one very long movie.

[tpfkabi]

It was fun seeing Jesse on the set of The Office delivering to Creed. Paul was also at the Sheen Roast.