Breaking Bad

modage · July 30, 2012, 12:00:09 PM

I've been recapping for The Playlist if anyone is interested....

Episode 1: http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/breaking-bad-returns-for-brilliant-season-5-opener-20120715#.UALSg3BjFwg
Episode 2: http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/review-an-uneasy-alliance-forms-in-typically-strong-breaking-bad-episode-madrigal-20120723#.UA13sESWTMI
Episode 3: http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/recap-walt-learns-about-his-overhead-in-breaking-bad-episode-3-hazard-pay-20120730

There's quite an art to recapping and I'm still trying to get a handle on it. Trying to keep it informative without getting toooo long which is tough since almost everything that happens ends up being important.

Brando · July 30, 2012, 01:33:23 PM

#9 and probably the best one: Finds out Skyler had a nervous breakdown, looks down the hallway menacingly then eats an apple.

modage · July 30, 2012, 02:24:53 PM

Listening to last week's podcast and I just figured out where the opening scene of the season (likely) takes place.

SPOILERS
Gilligan mentions that Lydia doesn't live in Albequerque but instead in Houston, TX though it's not really clear when Mike visits her that he's someplace else. Check Google maps. Houston TX is a little more than a 30 hour drive from New Hampshire which is how far Walt says the drive is during the opening scene. (Albequerque is 37 hours from NH.) Boom.

Jeremy Blackman · July 30, 2012, 04:02:21 PM

MORE DEEP SPOILERS, IN RESPONSE TO MODAGE

Dang, good work. Is he going after Lydia, then? Don't answer that.

But targeting one person doesn't explain the need for all that firepower. Maybe Lydia has acquired a roaming posse of some kind.

©brad · July 30, 2012, 09:54:52 PM

No one does a motherfuckin montage like Breaking Bad. That meth-cooking scene was some of their best work yet.

How brilliant and darkly funny is it that they're cooking in the homes of unsuspecting suburbanites! They subverted everyone's expectations as to where the next warehouse would be. It's got to be bigger and badder, right? They even went through all the trouble of showing us three different places we exptected and why they were all totally wrong. How many shows would've just done all that through dialogue in an office? Love it.

Most chilling moment was the Scarface scene. When I initially saw it I almost groaned, and this might be a condition of knowing too much behind the scenes stuff and hearing the "Mr. Chips turning into Scarface" bit way too many times from the writers. But it worked. "Everyone dies in this movie right?" FUCKKKKKKK.

That is a very telling statement. We all assume Walt's death is the obvious ending for this. But him dying for everything he's done is almost a gift. Wouldn't the ultimate punishment be his entire family dying, and him having to live with that?

Brando · July 30, 2012, 11:13:24 PM

Walt just dying is too much of a gift. He wanted to die in the first season. He almost shot himself in the pilot then was pissed when he got the news that he was in remission. Up to this point in his actions, having the cancer return and him slowly dying would turn him back into a sympathetic character again and don't think the writers want that. He did cough in the flash forward which he hasn't done in a while but he did take medicine. if your suicidal or about to use this huge gun you just bought to go out in blaze of gun fire you wouldn't continue to take your pills.

You have to believe they are going have to do something in which Walt is confronted by the results of his actions. He can't just die before that. It has to be significant enough that Walt can no longer lie to himself. In that situation he will either finally realize what he's done or he'll be so far gone he won't care. That situation almost would have to do with his family because it was to protect his family why he started all of this. Even if it was with Jesse, Walt would be able to lie to himself or see it in his skewed perspective but his family he wouldn't be able to do that. Skyler might just go crazy.

It's only three episodes but it seems like the writers have purposely chosen not show Walt as Walt this season because he is fully Heisenberg and there is nothing left of Walt. Last season there were still moments of old Walt like when he was talking to Hank about his minerals. Now when Walt seems to be Walt again there is always an underlying evil to it. When Walt begins to talk to Jesse about his girlfriend and Brock it seems to be nice but then you realize what he's doing. Watching a film with his son and daughter is no longer innocent. I mean when he hears his wife had a nervous breakdown instead of talking to her he instead eats an apple. In the beginning he was so forceful in his relationship with Skyler. Now he is distant and uninterested.

Brando · July 30, 2012, 11:23:12 PM

http://www.redbubble.com/people/danndesigns/works/9173022-vamonos-pest

GET YOUR BAND SHIRTS AND STICKERS HERE AND KEEP THE SCENE ALIVE!

Jeremy Blackman · July 31, 2012, 12:24:11 AM

@ cbrad

I'm glad you liked the Scarface scene. I think it's my favorite scene of the season so far. So much is happening there within a few seconds. I already described why I appreciate it, but yeah, it's absolutely one of those iconic scenes.

As you might have heard by now, the podcast reveals that the "everyone dies" line was an improvisation by Bryan Cranston, of which the writers gleefully approved. And I think it's worth relishing exactly how it's said: "Oh-my-God look, look... It's, ugh... everyone dies in this movie don't they..." The way it's delivered so naturalistically, casually, and fleetingly, interrupted by gunfire at the end, is just perfect.

The scene actually reminds me of We Need To Talk About Kevin. In that movie, Kevin projects this wholesome family image to his dad while tormenting his mom, often simultaneously. In this scene, Walt is doing the supposedly wholesome family thing with Junior and Holly while clearly tormenting Skyler. Walt is even less subtle than Kevin... Scarface being not exactly a wholesome family activity, and Walt cheerfully pretending that it is.

@ Brando

Yup, good points.

Walt seemed to have an authentic twinge of relief when he learned that Brock was probably going to make it, but I think that was the last vapor of normal human decency escaping from him. They talked at length in the podcast about how all of his moments in this episode that appear to be compassionate or sincere are revealed to be manipulations. His puppeteering of Jesse seems effortless, and his wonderful improv with Marie seemed even more effortless. Vince has said several times now that he considers Walt to be "the best liar in the world" (hyperbole on his part, but it gets the point across).

I'm really not sure what Walt is doing with Skyler right now. Does he expect her to come around? Is he content with simply tormenting her in perpetuity? Is he still deciding?

To your first point, I think it's reasonably safe to say that Walt (1) will do at least a few more seriously bad things that will turn him several shades darker, (2) will be confronted with the complex consequences of his actions, but (3) will not be redeemed. What kills him, and when, feels almost immaterial.

jerome · July 31, 2012, 11:33:10 AM

Quote from: Jeremy Blackman on July 30, 2012, 02:50:32 AM
The podcast is up, but it's 1 hour and 25 minutes long. Wow. I'll have to listen to it tomorrow.

http://www.amctv.com/shows/breaking-bad/insider-podcast-season-5

PTA/PSH/The Master name-drop at around 52:30

Jeremy Blackman · July 31, 2012, 11:44:00 AM

Yeah that was great. For whatever reason I forgot to mention that here with my other podcast musings. It's worth listening to at least that part of the podcast. It was a completely sincere and relevant shout-out, and I was impressed that the guy (was it Peter Gould?) even knew which character Jesse Plemons plays in The Master.

PSH does kind of seem wrong for the Gale role... he seems to have too much gravity... but I know I'm wrong, and I know he could have done it. He could play Gale. He could play David Costabile playing Gale if he wanted to. And man, the Cranston/PSH combo would have been explosive.

Brando · July 31, 2012, 01:09:10 PM

Quote from: Jeremy Blackman on July 31, 2012, 12:24:11 AM

I'm really not sure what Walt is doing with Skyler right now. Does he expect her to come around? Is he content with simply tormenting her in perpetuity? Is he still deciding?

My initial thought was that Walt is just oblivious to how disturbed Skyler is right now. That may be true to a certain point. But also I think there's more to it. There has been a power shift in their relationship. Skyler has always had an upper hand or the power in their marriage. Last season, she was still telling Walt what to do. Made him give back jr's car, she handled the buying of the car wash and treated Walt like a child when she saw him after Mike beat him up. I think Walt now knows he has the upper hand in their relationship. That scene from episode one where Skyler say's Beneke isn't going to talk and Walt says he forgives her is the moment the two realize the power shift of their relationship. He knows she's scared of him and isn't going to the police. I also think there is some vengeance in his actions. He thinks what she is going through is what Skyler put him through for the past year. She made him move out, she wanted a divorce against his wishes, she slept with Beneke and gave him his money. He probably feels all the torment he's been through is now it's her turn. At the end of episode two, Walt tells her something about how you learn to live with these feelings cause you did it to protect your family. Talking about all of Walt's actions having an underlying evil. That could be seen as him saying "this is what i've been going through for the past year but i'm not going to abandon you like you did me."

Jeremy Blackman · July 31, 2012, 03:44:38 PM

I think you're right. Most of what's going on is simply that - a power shift. So much plot has been rapidly unfolding that it's easy to forget how dramatically different their relationship was just 6 or 7 episodes ago. It would be fascinating to look back at last season's final episodes and identify the transition points. I think her taking the money for Ted, followed by the consequences at the end of "Crawl Space," is what caused the shift to begin. She was sort of shamed and lost her alpha status within the space of one scene. She could no longer be trusted with protecting the family or being in charge of its finances. Shortly thereafter, she clearly didn't have the clout to force Walt to come to Hank and Marie's house. Not even with Marie's support when she was yelling at Walt to get down there right now and such. Skyler didn't even try, really. She had sort of already resigned her position.

But yeah, I think there is a more malevolent element to Walt's behavior. Something beyond the power shift. You have the threatening hugs, kisses, and gropes in the first two episodes, which has now evolved to Kevin-style tormenting. I'm not feeling a specific tone of revenge... I think Walt is just relishing his power omnidirectionally. I wonder if he will continue to torment her, or just be satisfied that she's accepted her position.

diggler · July 31, 2012, 04:44:58 PM

I think there's a reason you don't see him wear the hat anymore. Heisenberg was almost like his super hero, crusading in to save the day after Tuco assaulted Jesse. Now both sides of his persona have sort of morphed into one. You see shades of his former self, like when he seemed excited about the equipment at the factory they were checking out, but then you realize his scientific enthusiasm still has a singular purpose. Even in the flash forward he seems genuine when he talks about the "great science museum", even though he's all business. It seemed like in Season 3 he had to get into character for those tense exchanges with Gus, but now it comes so naturally to him he doesn't differentiate the personalities anymore. It's a little unbelievable that this transformation has taken place over only one year, but they've made the change so gradual that I buy it.

RegularKarate · July 31, 2012, 05:10:23 PM

Yes, these just keep getting better. So much to be excited about.

RE: Scarface... I feel like a lot of that Scarface scene is Walt not getting that he's doomed. Just being oblivious to the repercussions of what he's doing.
Also, I love this scene so much (the gun in his trunk during the flash forward is similar to the one Pacino uses at the end of Scarface), but I think it's more than coincidence that this episode airs right before "Mob Week" on AMC during which they are showing Scarface.

Jesse keeps getting so much closer to getting it.

Jeremy Blackman · July 31, 2012, 05:16:27 PM

Quote from: ddiggler on July 31, 2012, 04:44:58 PM
I think there's a reason you don't see him wear the hat anymore. Heisenberg was almost like his super hero, crusading in to save the day after Tuco assaulted Jesse. Now both sides of his persona have sort of morphed into one. You see shades of his former self, like when he seemed excited about the equipment at the factory they were checking out, but then you realize his scientific enthusiasm still has a singular purpose. Even in the flash forward he seems genuine when he talks about the "great science museum", even though he's all business. It seemed like in Season 3 he had to get into character for those tense exchanges with Gus, but now it comes so naturally to him he doesn't differentiate the personalities anymore. It's a little unbelievable that this transformation has taken place over only one year, but they've made the change so gradual that I buy it.

LOST had the same thing going on; everything takes place in a surprisingly short period of time. But I buy it. You'd think that people wouldn't have time to process everything that's happening, but when there's no day job and no unrelated daily routine (true in both cases), humans really do adapt to situations where so many events happen in a compressed time frame, and they move along with it accordingly.

Here's another (perhaps more relevant) reason. This transformation is deliberate. Other than his gradually evaporating conscience, Walt has never really resisted it. From the pilot, he was ready and willing to break bad... we can't forget that. Vince reminds us of that in the podcast every now and then. Walt has been willing himself through this transformation. (You can see his process in moments like Jane's death.) Now that there is virtually no resistance left, inner or outer, he's going to be out of control.