Breaking Bad

[O.]

Retrospectively, it's an incredibly complex scene to do correctly. I would've suggested taking a day or two more with that scene alone to get that perfect blend right.

[Jeremy Blackman]

Yeah. They actually originally planned to devote half a day to that scene. That's kind of the way it works on their schedule, because they are given only 8 days to shoot each episode. They took the whole day for that scene and in exchange dumped another scene that probably would have been omitted from the final cut anyway.

Vince is a good director, but I gather that he's not the most experienced television director in terms of efficiency. At least compared to BB's other directors.

[Fernando]

awesome episode.

more than the shoot me scene being cliched, I'd worry more about some holes in it, like taking out Gus in the hospital's parking garage. The hospital most have cameras all over the place and it would be rather easy to connect Jesse with them, I mean, if I were Jesse id thought of that, of course, I understand that at that moment they probably didn't find a better shot at them than this one or didn't think of the consequences. Fortunately for me, I never think about that stuff while watching, not even the cliched shoot me scene put me out of the episode, that way I'm always immersed in it.

thanks to JB now I'm listening the podcast. Aaron Paul's T-Shirt story was great, he starts talking around the 35min mark.

[socketlevel]

that or keep a goon posted at the car.

but still, great episode.

[ono]

Why would "Gus the citizen" need a goon posted at his car?  That'd blow his cover of "hiding in plain sight."

[Jeremy Blackman]

BB has had some minor plot holes, but I would rank this below the champagne incident and the ambiguous business workings between Gus and the cartel.

It's not really a plot hole, just a logistical weakness. Walt's plan was weak, of course, because he's emotional and had very little time (note that he had to be satisfied with the imperfect detonator). We can't assume he didn't take precautions planting the IED, because we didn't see it.

Also, I'm having second thoughts about my disapproval of the "just shoot me" scene. It is a horrible cliche, but it's 100% true to both characters. Walt is vaguely suicidal (see the gun spinning scene), so he would definitely take a risk. Jesse is angry but not actually homicidal, because he's not a killer at heart, and he has some subconscious understanding of the truth. So, really no problems with the scene except that it's been done a million times before.

Credit cbrad for the podcast... I somehow didn't know about it before he mentioned it here.

[socketlevel]

Why would "Gus the citizen" need a goon posted at his car?  That'd blow his cover of "hiding in plain sight."

but it would solve the "oh shit should i get in my car because it might blow up... here let me look at the view and think about it."

The 'citizen' also brought two said goons in the hospital where he would be seen with them.

[Jeremy Blackman]

Yes, but having someone actually guard his car is more goonish. (Though I guess they could wait in the passenger seat.)

However, I will agree that his goons do look a little too goon-like to be trotting around in public. Tyrus could lose the leather jacket and perhaps not walk around like he's going to eff someone up.

[squints]

After the ending of last week's i was pretty disappointed with this week's. I kept saying to myself out loud "Oh shit." when jesse started sifting through his cigarettes and not finding the ricen. I was saying "Oh shit" because immediately i thought "oh man the kid stole one of his cigarettes" which i thought would make jesse upset at walt for even making him put it there in the first place.

But what happens after that, i mean come on? Convolution indeed. But not in a good Double Indemnity way. In a bad writing way.

I was riding high from last week all through the episode but while the last 10 or so minutes of last week's was some of the best tv i've ever seen. This week's last 10min was lazy and sloppy.

one more episode, pretty shitty time to start turning silly and cliched

[Jeremy Blackman]

This week's last 10min was lazy and sloppy.

Invalidated.

Really? The scene with Gus figuring things out in the garage was the opposite of lazy and sloppy. It was elegant and intense. Like I was saying, the sheer volume communicated by Giancarlo Esposito in that scene only with his eyes was pretty amazing. It was also the opposite of cliche. (In a cliche version of this scene, Gus would have gotten in the car or would have spotted Walt.)

[Pozer]

it was borderline cliche. pretty sure they had the glasses up on Walt's head for sunglare to give away his position but decided to cut that shot out. but yes, the scene served great intensiveness.

In a bad writing way.

you wanna see real bad writing ways on tv check out Dexter's season opener.

[Jeremy Blackman]

pretty sure they had the glasses up on Walt's head for sunglare to give away his position but decided to cut that shot out.

No.

[Tictacbk]

pretty sure they had the glasses up on Walt's head for sunglare to give away his position but decided to cut that shot out.

No.

He knows this because he listens to the podcast that explains everything...instead of leaving the content to speak for itself and be interpreted/discussed.

[O.]

pretty sure they had the glasses up on Walt's head for sunglare to give away his position but decided to cut that shot out.

No.

He knows this because he listens to the podcast that explains everything...instead of leaving the content to speak for itself and be interpreted/discussed.

I have honestly no clue why they do that podcast, artistically -- nor why anyone would listen until the season finishes. Especially JB, has been a champ when it comes to resisting spoiler temptation, listening to the podcast is in the same league, more or less.

McCarthy puts it well: "Well, I don't think it's good for your head if you spend a lot of time thiking about how to write a book, you shouldn't be talking about it. you probably should be doing it."

[Pozer]

pretty sure they had the glasses up on Walt's head for sunglare to give away his position but decided to cut that shot out.

No.

um, yes, Jeremy Blackman. and squints' comments are more validated than yours, FYI. some lazy writing in the last 10mins.

He knows this because he listens to the podcast that explains everything...instead of leaving the content to speak for itself and be interpreted/discussed.

um, no, twitacbk. never listened to the f-ing podcast that f-ing explains everything like perhaps you did. it's how the scene spoke for itself.