Breaking Bad

[TetonWolf]

The kid was NOT poisoned. No one at the hospital said anything about poisoning. He was just sick. Jesse would have been arrested on the spot when he returned to the hospital. Jesse must have lost the cigarette with the ricin when he switched packs. They are all totally paranoid. Jesse just started the ball rolling, Walt picked it up and ran with it and Gus took the hand off from Jesse when he told him the kid was poisoned. It's all in their minds. Nothing at all happened except Gus almost bought the farm...Gus is one smart dude, a real pro. Walt and Jesse are complete amatuers.

[kerzain]

Random accidents that majorly affect the storyline suuuuuck (most especially when used to push the plot into a very specific direction it needs to go). Sopranos could get away with this shit, but Breaking Bad always felt like a tighter show than that.

[TetonWolf]

Random accidents that majorly affect the storyline suuuuuck (most especially when used to push the plot into a very specific direction it needs to go). Sopranos could get away with this shit, but Breaking Bad always felt like a tighter show than that.

This wasn't random...it was brilliant writing. It's exactly the kind of thing that get's gang wars started....par-a-noia. And it just happens to have gotten Jesse and Walt back together. Exquisite.

[kerzain]

har har

[Mike O'Malley]

REPORTED

Well, not really, but it's obviously a post produced by a troll bot. No human could be that wrong.

[tolwyn]

Well, you said Hank.

Well shit, so I did. Der.

[TetonWolf]

REPORTED

Well, not really, but it's obviously a post produced by a troll bot. No human could be that wrong.

Wait and see, genius. It's the only thing that makes ANY sense at all. All the other theories are full of holes and can't have happened. Nobody poisoined the kid. If so, WHO and WHEN? Morons like you simpy fell for it.

[Gabe Lewis]

I love watching fans of a show scrambling to find plausible explanations and justifications for what ultimately is simple shitty writing. Occam's Razor.

Even a show as good as Breaking Bad has moments of sheer stupidity. Hell, just rewatch all of Season 4 Episode 7 for examples.

[kerzain]

That's half the fun of these soap operas.

[Corey Krosting]

I think that a lot of people are overestimating and giving too much credit or desire for the writers of the show to create overly complex machinations of Walt and Gus.

My initial thought upon seeing the scene where Jessie is called to the hospital was that the kid had stolen Jessie's poisoned cigarette. And Jessie's reaction and fear when he confronted Walt was not at a betrayal by Walt, but that he was afraid that he had made a mistake and was the cause of the kid getting poisoned and he might be responsible for another death.

After the episode was over, I did consider it from both angles where either Walt or Gus had poisoned the kid.

If Gus had done it and he heard Jessie's suspicions but no accusations, he would probably realize that he was drawn out and that Jessie was complicit in drawing him out into the open.

If Gus had not done it and heard Jessie's suspicions but no accusations, he would have to consider why would anyone try to poison the kid, and his conclusion would be that someone was trying to draw him out into the open.

After reflecting on it, I think that ultimately it will be that the good took a smoke from Jessie and this forces a blowup with Gus.

The way so many shows go with with an antagonist for a set season, I would be somewhat disheartened to see this lead to Gus getting whacked next week and the setup for the final year will be Hank on the trail of Walt.

Now, what are the odds that the meth lab is underneath that one oddly old looking and bright blue industrial washer that stands out from the other and Hank notices that in the photos.

Man it was good seeing Hank acting with confidence busting his buddies chops about his unwillingness to go investigate.

[Anti-Bunny]

When Walt is spinning the gun around, the third time he spins it it stops to point at a potted White Monkshood plant. A poisonous plant.

Walt did it. It's the only way it makes sense.. and at the end of the episode, Gus figured it out.

[madkevin]

Somebody mentioned this upthread, but the main reason I don't think it's Walt is that there's no way the show would miss an opportunity to show Walt poisoning a child. It's been very clear about showing every single horrible decision, every flaw of his character. Why would they keep that off-camera?

Plus I just don't buy Walt being so far gone as to kill a child in cold blood. He hasn't broke that bad yet.

[Anti-Bunny]

Plus I just don't buy Walt being so far gone as to kill a child in cold blood.

He just stood and watched as Jesse's girl died. He had Gail killed.

[madkevin]

Jesse's girlfriend was a drug addict, who for all Walt knew was going to take down Jesse with her. He didn't murder her; he just did nothing to prevent her death. Granted, that's a fine moral line, but I can see how Walt could justify that to himself.

And re: Gail - Walt didn't kill him. He made Jesse do it. And he can even more easily justify that one because Gail knew the dangers of his job. And killing Gail was a Hail Mary pass to keep Jesse and him alive.

Neither of those two things is as outright horrible as poisoning a child in cold blood, and it doesn't explain why the writers wouldn't show him doing it.

[Two Sheds]

I think the plant thing is reaching, to be honest. I had no problem while watching buying the idea that Gus somehow figured out the ricin (he has eyes and ears everywhere, for crying out loud) and poisoned the kid with it. "He'll come around," after all.

Or maybe the kid just took it out of Jessie's pack because he's a kid. Or maybe he's just sick and Jessie lost the cigarette and everybody's paranoid.

I didn't see any bad writing there, I just saw events unfolding and characters explaining them as well as they can. I have no idea who's lying or what's true.

[delirium]

Plus I just don't buy Walt being so far gone as to kill a child in cold blood. He hasn't broke that bad yet.

The kid hasn't died, and I don't think he is going to. Wouldn't he be dead by now if he was actually poisoned by the Ricin? Isn't that the same stuff that Walt was going to use on Tuco and said (if I remember correctly) it would kill him in a few minutes and make it look like a heart attack?

[Two Sheds]

Days. A few days.

[Pogo]

Jesse's girlfriend was a drug addict, who for all Walt knew was going to take down Jesse with her. He didn't murder her; he just did nothing to prevent her death. Granted, that's a fine moral line, but I can see how Walt could justify that to himself.

The original script had Walt killing her by pushing her onto her back. The re-write had him gently rolling her onto her back. The final cut was him watching and not doing anything as she rolls onto her back.


Walt is not a nice fucking guy, people.

[Andrew Mayer]

Dammit I just watched it again and deleted it. What did you notice?

After he frisks Jessie he sticks his right hand into his Jacket pocket.

[Papageno]

The original script had Walt killing her by pushing her onto her back. The re-write had him gently rolling her onto her back. The final cut was him watching and not doing anything as she rolls onto her back.


Walt is not a nice fucking guy, people.

I agree, Walt has gotten less sympathetic as the series has progressed. I remember that scene vividly. Walt breaks into the apartment (I think it was to get the money back that Jane had extorted from him) and at some point, for some reason he removes the pillow that's keeping Jane from rolling onto her back. I don't think that when he does that he realizes the danger he's putting her in (given her strung-out, unconscious state). Then, when she starts to vomit, he instinctively begins to make a move to help her, but then coldly calculates that this could solve his "Jane problem," and lets her die while he looks on.

[madkevin]

Walt is not a nice fucking guy, people.

I'm not saying he is. I'm saying that inaction is not the same as murder.

[Pogo]

1) Mass produces a product in a market in which thousands of people die every year

2) Doesn't call a phone number that can save someone's life

3) Continues to make the product for a murdering sociopath.

4) Plans and executes a murder by proxy


I'm not sure Walt even realizes what a terrible human being he is.

[Anti-Bunny]

http://blogs.amctv.com/breaking-bad/BB_Video_Crash_Code_325x200.jpg

I believe he thinks he is very much capable of it.

[Mike O'Malley]

That stuffed animal had it coming, though.

[Andrew Mayer]

I'm not saying he is. I'm saying that inaction is not the same as murder.

A man chooses.
http://cdn1.gamepro.com/article_img/gamepro/213835-10.jpg?rand=D2580407-98CC-93AD-F739C6DEB624FD0B

[madkevin]

1) Mass produces a product in a market in which thousands of people die every year

2) Doesn't call a phone number that can save someone's life

3) Continues to make the product for a murdering sociopath.

4) Plans and executes a murder by proxy.

Don't forget how he plowed into a kid and shot him in the head at the end of last season. I think that's really the point of no return for his character.

And, yes, these are all bad things. But they are also all things that Walt can justify to himself.

1) Nobody forces anybody to become a meth addict. That's a choice people make.

2) Again, inaction to save (he thought) Jesse's life.

3) See 1).

4) He didn't jump immediately to offing poor Gail, though. It was a last-ditch attempt to save his and Jesse's life. Walt, I assume, rationalizes that as self-defense. And, tellingly, he didn't do it himself. He made Jesse do it. When you're talking about poisoning a child, that's an important detail.

And, of course, none of that addresses my point as to why the writers would have the poisoning happen off-screen. Or, you know, how he was even able to do it in the first place.

On the plus side, I suspect we won't have long to wait for answers.

[mystery]

After he frisks Jessie he sticks his right hand into his Jacket pocket.

Yep, he does (his left hand). It's not clear, in the darkness of the office, if he has anything in his hand, but that's the first thing he does after Saul waves him off the frisk:

http://i.imgur.com/1Qc2o.png

[Eilonwy]

That still doesn't explain how he got the other pack back in Jesse's pocket.

Walt may be the guy who knocks, but I don't know if I buy him being able to pull all this off. I'm still not even sure the kid was poisoned-the ricin supposedly takes a few days to work, right? Where you seem like you have the flu that just gets worse, which leads me to believe that the kid had to have already been sick for at least a day or two so that the mom felt like she needed to take him to a doctor and then he "didn't get better."

[Papageno]

When Walt runs over the dealers that Jesse means to kill (for killing whatsername's brother/cousin/whatever) it's because he knows that those two dudes were going to PWN Jesse.

[Jibble]

I kind of feel like Gus is headed back into the hospital so he can drag Jesse out of there and put him in the car to go for a drive. Would make sense if he's reasoned everything out in his head and wants to keep Walt from killing him.

As for the poison, Walt's path went from Jesse's house to the desert (he was tased on Jesse's lawn and driven out there) to Saul's to his house, then he's with Skylar until the DEA shows up, then he's spinning the gun by his pool, then he disappears (unreachable by cell phone) until we see him holed up when Jesse shows up at the house. I'm not sure whether that was meant to create a sense of unease about his fate during that portion of the episode or to create a hole in the timeline for suspicion, but it could easily be either. I guess we'll see on Sunday.

[mystery]

As for the poison, Walt's path went from Jesse's house to the desert (he was tased on Jesse's lawn and driven out there) to Saul's to his house, then he's with Skylar until the DEA shows up, then he's spinning the gun by his pool, then he disappears (unreachable by cell phone) until we see him holed up when Jesse shows up at the house. I'm not sure whether that was meant to create a sense of unease about his fate during that portion of the episode or to create a hole in the timeline for suspicion, but it could easily be either. I guess we'll see on Sunday.

Good breakdown. I'm relatively confident that Walt was too damned-accounted-for during that time to have come into contact with the child and somehow administer the poison.

Gus, however, has henchmen (including Saul).

[Anti-Bunny]

here's something to make if you're watching the Finale with friends:
http://www.ehow.com/how_4441895_make-candy-glass.html
Just add blue food colouring! This is the same stuff they use on the show.. The actor that plays Jessie has said he can't stop eating the stuff off camera and usually tries to talk new actors into trying it, which is pretty funny.

[kerzain]

They should make a recipe for blue urinal water to wash it down with.

[Athryn]

Holy shit, that was awesome.

[drake113]

HOLY CRAP!

[Pogo]

Fucking awesome.

[Mike O'Malley]

To quote the inestimable Bill D-

AWWWW YISSSSS!

That was amazing. Would've been a great series ender if they'd needed it.

[Athryn]

There's a great interview with Vince Gilligan about the finale (serious spoilers!) here (http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/09/vince-gilligan-of-breaking-bad-talks-about-ending-the-season-and-the-series/?src=tp).

[Warning]

Damn that was great! So next (last) season will be Walt vs. Hank?

[Quaro]

Spoiler averse, stay away from the interview -- it talks about the trajectory of the show if you didn't already hear it from the writers.



at the end of the day, the show is about Walter White and his journey from Mr. Chips to Scarface. In that regard, he has to, with every season, get a little further down that path.

Although...

Does that mean you could have a flash of inspiration between now and November that could completely alter how “Breaking Bad” will wrap up?

Absolutely. I don’t want to sound too loosey-goosey about it, because I think the more time you have to plot out your story, the better off you’ll be. But we try to combine the best of both possibilities, which is to say we have enough lead time to question every possible permutation of story and reason out all the different ways we could tell the story and go with the best one. But also, with that kind of scenario, we have the possibility to suddenly get some 11th-hour inspiration and take things in a different direction. Television is not usually an arena in which you get the time to really ponder things. And that’s a big reason why this show has been such a blessing and such a source of enjoyment for me, it’s because I get to do just that.

[Pogo]

I had no problem with the interview in that regard.

[Papageno]

Haha, I turned on the TV while the repeat was running and I thought for sure I'd spoiled myself about Gus' fate, but good thing I hit the TiVo button when I did!
And how about that last shot, eh? That settles that question.
Also, nice episode title, hehe.

[kerzain]

I'll remove the spoiler tags soon enough.

Figured out the bomb trigger the moment Walt met with Tio. It didn't diminish the scene for me, but I was sitting there waiting for it to happen. Also, some of their episode titles are a little sploilery, so I had sort of figured out someone was losing a face based on that alone, haha.

Glad to see Gus finally get around to showing some emotion for once, I guess now we all know his O face. I knew he had to die this episode, I just couldn't see the show moving on with him in it, but I'm going to miss him.

Missed Mike this episode, I was hoping he'd make some sort of appearance before they go on hiatus for a year. but, well, it's one thing to have Walt outsmart Gus and Tyrus, but there's no way he should be able to outsmart Mike. By removing him from the playing field, Gilligan was able to keep up the mystique about Mike being pretty much better than anybody else in the business, and also keep him out of further harms way. With the story having played out like this, we may just see Mike again, in a different capacity. I look forward to seeing how they might work him back in.

As for the poisoning, totally called Walt on it last week, though I was up in the air whether it was truly ricin, or some other mild poison. I couldn't see how it could be ricin though without Jesse going away for good, so it made sense to see it was just from Walt's plant (as someone else suggested earlier). I'm also glad Walt was the culprit, he is a maniacal scheming bastard when he wants to be, and this further goes to show just how complex his schemes can be, and still be pulled off.

I so look forward to next season with Walt vs Hank.

As for the DEA mole, it's still up in the air about who this mole is, but it's doubtful it could have been anyone in the interview room with Tio because they could have simply told Tyrus that Tio didn't actually say anything, and there'd have been no reason for Gus to pay a visit. So, even though I'm convinced that whoever made the call to Hank, when he was shot up a couple seasons ago, sounds a whole hell of a lot like Hank's boss, I find it hard to believe that he could have sat there watching Hank get told to go fuck himself without mentioning it to Gus's man.

Now that Skylar knows Walt is a murderer, she's got to start wondering if that's the first time. Not sure how she'll react to that next season, but now that A) the cartel's gone, and B) Gus is gone, there's nothing really standing in Walt's way from taking over completely, except for a protesting wife. If he continues making meth (don't know what this show would be unless he continues making meth), it will only inspire Hank to look that much harder. With bombs going off and the like, (especially for known suspects Hank's suspect anyway, even if the DEA officially said, "naw bro"), not sure how they can keep other agencies out of this mix.

All in all the episode got off to a slow start. I didn't like the two detectives interviewing Jesse, they just didn't seem to fit the vibe of the show, and I couldn't stand Walt's interaction with Sauls' secretary, or the stupid (and time-eating) effort he goes through to get the bribe money. But, I guess he didn't have much choice, since by hurting her he'd alienate Saul for good. I just keep feeling like that scene was added just to give that actress something to do for once, and it just felt out of place.

Basically the episode played out pretty much the only way I imagined it could have, with only the how's being unaccounted for before the viewing.

It's a good thing this show got renewed, because, yea, this could have been a series finale, rather than a season finale. And, as fulfilling it would would still be to see the show end in this manner, there'd be a huge gaping hole where Hank's further investigation should be. There's no way he's not going to get the resources to run this fucking thing like a pro, not with all that's happened now. People are going to fucking pay attention for once. Now that Walt is on top, and hank is getting healthier by the episode, I have a feeling the next season may be the best yet.

Also, since one reason Gus has always been giving a bit of lenience from the cartel has been his ties back in his home country (him being called Generalissimo early on in the series is at least one hint as to what type of power/connections he had), I gotta wonder if there will be any reprisal from that end. I mean, if the Cartel wouldn't all out fuck with him, they were obviously avoiding the wrath of somebody.

Still gotta account for that mole though, don't know how they might surface to challenge Hank, or if they're even in a position to do so.

[Blips]

Pretty satisfying conclusion. Happy it didn't end as a cliff hanger.

Saul was working with Walt to poison the kid and remove the poisoned cigarette from Jesse's coat. It still feels extremely far fetched and would have preferred if they had just left as an accidental poisoning.

Now the long wait to Season 5!

[kerzain]

What the fuck happened to Ted?? Is he going to be playing the nemesis-in-the-wheelchair next season, or is he dead, or what? It would be funny to see Walt visiting him on the nursing home, with Ted all paralyzed and shit, reminiscent of Gus & Tio, only to have Walt ridiculing him for fucking Skylar.

[wumpus]

Pretty sure Ted is dead. Not sure why it even matters, he was a dinky tertiary character there to cause certain events to happen. Who he is, does not and never did matter.

Mike is the key player we haven't seen that I suspect may come back in some form next season, but it's likely to be the Walt, Jesse, and Hank show for sure.

[kerzain]

Ted was very important for one reason, without him Walt never would have tried, and failed, throwing that massive potted plant through his office window. One of Walt's best temper tantrums in the show.

I guess there's the added bonus of that event subsequently leading to the introduction of Mike to Walt.

[Strollen]

It is is depressing to think there is going to be months without any new Breaking Bad episodes. :(

[Paul_cze]

That whole scene that begins with Gus in the car preparing to go to hospital is legendary. And such a good song there.

This could have been series finale and I would be 100% satisfied, frankly.

[Pogo]

I'll remove the spoiler tags soon enough.

What DEA mole, what the fuck are you talking about?

[DT]

I liked how Fring's final image felt symbolic (at least to me) of the nature of his character. Hopefully, they have something just as cool in store for Walt.

[Jeff Green]

Ah shit! So, duh--that must be why Walt asked for a cigarette from Jesse outside of the meth lab, right? That was the point at which he pulled the ricin-laced one out...making it appear "lost", making Jesse think that Gus had taken to poison Brock. I was trying to think how/why the cigarette disappeared.

Loved the finale.

[Bahimiron]

The Harvey Dent scene may cause nightmares.

Glad to see that all the 'you guys are trying too hard to justify this, it's just sloppy writing!' people were proven wrong.

Great finale. If they wanted to end the show there, I think I'd be okay with it. Still, I can't wait to see what next year will bring us. Mike is still out there and while he's an incredible threat to Walt, I can't see him being a full season threat.

[Pogo]

I'm not sure I see why. Mike is someone that can get work anywhere. He probably has a pretty damn big contact list and is connected to shady underground networks.

He also seems like the type of person that understands "it's just business," and I doubt he'll take it personally because that doesn't seem like what he does.

[Athryn]

The Harvey Dent scene may cause nightmares.



I had to rewind it and rewatch it a few times, because it was just so awesome. I think that what was left of the other guy is what falls from the ceiling behind him.

Great job by the Walking Dead team!

[Bahimiron]

He also seems like the type of person that understands "it's just business," and I doubt he'll take it personally because that doesn't seem like what he does.

Mike has been shown more than once to have a genuine loyalty to Gus. When Walt even hinted that he felt Gus had gone over the line and they should do something about it, Mike laid Walt out. And just in case my word isn't good enough for you...


Mike may have a problem with what transpired, and I wouldn’t want Mike mad at me, I can tell you that.

[Papageno]

What DEA mole, what the fuck are you talking about?

I'm also curious about said mole. Am I forgetting something? As to who warned Hank about the Cartel assassins, I'm pretty sure that was Gus' voice on the line.

[Jeff Green]

I'm here to make fun of my own last post. This is what happens when you get old. You misremember everything. Of course it was not the moment when Walt bums the cigarette that he stole the ricin. He only bummed the cigarette to get Jesse to see the ricin had been stolen. I suppose it must be like others said---the ricin was stolen when Jesse was frisked in Saul's office. Doy!

[delirium]

Mike has been shown more than once to have a genuine loyalty to Gus. When Walt even hinted that he felt Gus had gone over the line and they should do something about it, Mike laid Walt out. And just in case my word isn't good enough for you...


Mike is a loyal guy, but I get the feeling that it is because of his professionalism and not because he is emotionally attached to his employers. Mike's whole reputation lies on being a guy who will get things done and will be unwaveringly loyal, and Walt's idea to bring Mike in to help kill Gus would have put his whole career and life at stake. With Gus dead, I don't think Mike has anything to gain by coming after Walt.

edit: But if Vince Gilligan thinks Mike might have a problem with it, then who am I to say otherwise?

[Pogo]

Yeah that's how I was going to respond about Mike. He was loyal to Gus as an employer, not as some kind of friend.

His anger is going to be in having to find another job which probably won't be as financially lucrative as working for a top guy like Gus, and he would have to consider that Walt actually managed to take Gus out and it's probably not worth creating a feud over this.

But yeah, if that's the way the writers take it, then so be it. I'll be slightly disappointed but not really that surprised.

Or... Mike gets hired by Walt!

[Papageno]

I'm here to make fun of my own last post. This is what happens when you get old. You misremember everything. Of course it was not the moment when Walt bums the cigarette that he stole the ricin. He only bummed the cigarette to get Jesse to see the ricin had been stolen. I suppose it must be like others said---the ricin was stolen when Jesse was frisked in Saul's office. Doy!

Wait, I thought Jesse only figures out that the "lucky" cigarette had been stolen when he gets the call from his GF. Where was Jesse then (I can't remember)?

[Pogo]

Yeah he's wrong about when Jesse realizes it's stolen. He realizes it at the hospital.

[Papageno]

Yeah he's wrong about when Jesse realizes it's stolen. He realizes it at the hospital.

On his own, right?

BTW, it's still not at all clear (and I hope they reveal this somehow next season) how the poisoning of the kid with the berries happened.

[lordkosc]

Holy shit what a satisfying season finale!

[Athryn]

I think what cracks me up about the whole end of Gus is also knowing that Giancarlo Esposito will be back on TV in a couple of weeks ......


.... as the magic mirror in Once Upon a Time.

[kerzain]

What DEA mole, what the fuck are you talking about?
I rewatched the scene, to see why you were being such a butthole, and I realized that what I thought came out as "We may have a problem, I've got eyes in the DEA...." is actually "We've got a problem, I've got eyes on the DEA...".

It's one of those lines that could have gone either way.

Plus, there was a throw away line about having someone in the DEA a couple weeks ago, but unlike last night's episode, I can't remember the exact scene or context.

[Papageno]

What I found rather implausible (apart from Terminator Gus walking out of that room and straightening his tie) was that Mr. Lieutenant Guy who came to check the place out beforehand didn't notice the big honking pipe bomb under the seat of Salamanca's wheelchair. Unless that wheelchair somehow had a drape over the sides and back, I think he would have spotted that.

[Pogo]

My butthole needs no justification.

But yeah what I was going to guess you were referring to was back in Season 2 when Turtle (the cartel informant for the DEA played by Machete) was discovered as an information, and that you were insinuating that situation must have had an inside leak and therefore there's still a leak now.


On his own, right?

BTW, it's still not at all clear (and I hope they reveal this somehow next season) how the poisoning of the kid with the berries happened.

I don't think we're going to find that out for a long time. This secret of Walt's is something that would create an explosive situation between him and Jesse, so I don't see Walt spilling the details about something like that except in a big confrontation where he angrily/guiltily spills his guts about what exactly he did.

[Papageno]

Well, they'd better not just handwave that detail away. It remains pretty hard to believe that Walt had the opportunity to do the poisoning, unless he sneaked into the kid's school, found his lunchbox and put it in his fruit cup or something.

[Jeff Green]

Every post I'm making is worse than the last.

I'll just say I loved the season finale again and leave it at that.

I LOVED THE SEASON FINALE

[Quaro]

For me, Walt's most unsympathetic, villainous moment yet wasn't the poisoning. He could easily justify that as doing what he needed to do, and since he's super smart, the kid will be fine.

It was when the casually sent his neighbor into his house to test it. I fully expected the neighbor to be blown to bits upon opening the door. After he was willing to risk a genuinely innocent bystander, the plant reveal was minor.

[Pogo]

I'm not sure if that had the associated risk that we're imagining. Gus doesn't really hire fools. Two professional killers are probably not going to want to kill anyone else.

Although at the time of watching the episode, yeah I had the same thought as you... that sending in someone that trusts him is one of the most selfish moves he's ever done.

[Papageno]

I agree that the neighbor ploy was horrible, and I also expected that she would wind up dead. Still, from a plausibility standpoint, we get to see how it happened. With the poisoning, we're just supposed to take it on faith because...? I fully believe that Walt is responsible for it. I just want to know how it happened because otherwise it smacks of deus ex machina.

[kerzain]

I imagine that, like several other acts that took place throughout Breaking Bad's history, this particular scene may be revisited in a flashback, especially if it can have some future impact on the show. Since it's probable that Walt did not act alone in this (Saul's fat henchman being a possible accomplice), there could be all sorts of reasons to reexamine and expand on how it took place and what effects that may have in the future. Anytime you involve a third party there's room for added drama.

[Drastic]

The neighbor ploy was wonderfully horrible. I'm also delighted to eat some crow about what I said about Walt not really being the scheming type.

I think my only complaint with the finale is that Walt should have been wearing his Heisenberg hat when he gets revealed in the elevator.

[kerzain]

I don't think Walt needs to become Heisenbeg any more, I think the transformation is complete. He no longer needs the get-up to feel like he's the man, he is the man. Although I love the hat, last time he put it on (when going to Gus' house to in the middle of the night) his plans were foiled. At that point in time he still hadn't made a complete transition, but since poisoning the kid, sending the neighbor lady over, bombing the nursing home, and going on a killing spree... he just doesn't need an outfit to look the part any more.

In Walt's head he always seemed to treat the Walt in the hat as being someone different than the Walt without the hat. Now there's only one Walt left.

[Warning]

I don't think Walt needs to become Heisenbeg any more, I think the transformation is complete. He no longer needs the get-up to feel like he's the man, he is the man.

He is the one who knocks.

[kerzain]

Fuck doorbells.

[Pogo]

He is the one who knocks.

He knocks by getting some clueless shmuck to knock for him!

[Jeff Green]

I don't think Walt needs to become Heisenbeg any more, I think the transformation is complete. He no longer needs the get-up to feel like he's the man, he is the man. Although I love the hat, last time he put it on (when going to Gus' house to in the middle of the night) his plans were foiled. At that point in time he still hadn't made a complete transition, but since poisoning the kid, sending the neighbor lady over, bombing the nursing home, and going on a killing spree... he just doesn't need an outfit to look the part any more.

In Walt's head he always seemed to treat the Walt in the hat as being someone different than the Walt without the hat. Now there's only one Walt left.

This is an excellent post. Now that you say it, I agree. With the Heisenberg hat on, he was a fool--especially in that scene you mention at Gus's house. Now he's the real deal.

And, yeah, sending the neighbor over was ruthless and evil.

[Corey Krosting]

I'm also curious about said mole. Am I forgetting something? As to who warned Hank about the Cartel assassins, I'm pretty sure that was Gus' voice on the line.

I agree, there is no evidence that I have seen of a mole. the original call to warn hank was from Gus himself I believe, who destroyed the phone he made the call from.

Also Gus's new assistant Tyrus??? seems to be stating that he was watching the DEA as part of his normal course of checking in on things and just happened to see Tio or someone else is tasked with this and passed the infor up the chain.

Though I could be wrong and there is a plot thread about a DEA mole that escaped me.

Regardless I thought the season finale was fantastic. I felt that the kid had simply stolen the cigarette and had poisoned himself.

I was certain Gus was going to die, seeing how the story arc is constructed and that Hank would be the antagonist for Walt in the final year, but that's not how I wanted it to play out. The last half of this season I've been rooting for Gus!

[Gabe Lewis]

Mea Culpa on my part. Walt did it, and having rewatched End Times last night, the clues in the episode are obvious. I'm still not real cozy with that whole plot turn, but the wind up to the season was excellent in spite of, not because of it.

Gus marching out with half a head was shocking and a fitting end for the character.

Tio's trip to the DEA was the funniest thing I've seen on TV in a long long time.

[kerzain]

Tio's trip to the DEA was the funniest thing I've seen on TV in a long long time."Yea, I know how to spell. Thanks."

Also, seeing Tio asked if he has to poopie... funny shit (yet depressing at the same time).

[Mike O'Malley]

Tio's trip to the DEA was the funniest thing I've seen on TV in a long long time.

I thought that once Tio got it out of his system (as Hank observed), the second round would be a bit more informative. Two letters into it, I had to pause the show due to laughter.

[Gabe Lewis]

When I heard the "F" I thought surely he would spell out Fring. I was glad to be wrong.

[mystery]

I felt there wasn't enough dialog in one of those scenes, so I created the following:

http://i.imgur.com/yjP56.png

[Brian Seiler]

Holy mother of fuck. I didn't get the last minute or two of the show because obviously the clock on my recorder PC hates me, but damn. Good job paying off the whole season dudes. Glad I didn't watch the next to final episode until tonight. I'm sure that would have been irritating to wait for closure on.

[Walter Yarbrough]

Amazing finale.

[Jazar]

How the hell did they not spot the bomb wiring on the wheelchair?

[Juntei]

How the hell did they not spot the bomb wiring on the wheelchair?

I'm guessing the first visit that Tyrus? maded was to check the place out and there was no bomb yet, after he left Walt came in off the ledge and planted the bomb. On the subsequent trip security must have been more lax and didn't really look for traps beyond maybe people?

That's my theory.

[Jibble]

Can't get the damn spoiler tag to work, so I'll just say:

Fucking awesome.

[BaconisPrime]

On the whole very, very happy with season 4. I do have a bit of a problem with the way Jesse reacts to finding out Brock may have been poisoned. I just don't quite understand why he would think Walt would want to kill or hurt Brock.

Is there a reason beyond the missing ricin that Jesse suspects (knows) Walt was behind the poisoning?

[Brian Seiler]

Jesse isn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed and he reacts in the heat of the moment. That's why he's so easily persuaded when Walt challenges him on it. His thinking at the time went, the kid was poisoned, so somebody who knew about the ricin had to have given it to him, because that's the poison that occurs to him, and the only people who knew about the ricin were him and Walt, and Walt obviously isn't happy with him because he kicked his little bitch ass and took his job so now he's jealous, and Walt knows that Brock exists and, because I know that he's important to me then he must know he's important to me, so clearly HE MUST HAVE POISONED BROCK RAAAARRRGH.

If we're picking nits, I have a little bit of an issue with the way that Walter answers the door and how he behaves on camera when he gets that knock but isn't visible to Jesse (assuming I remember it correctly, which is quite probably not the case), but that's minor.

[Jibble]

Is there a reason beyond the missing ricin that Jesse suspects (knows) Walt was behind the poisoning?
Two people knew about the ricin. Jesse was one of them, and he didn't do it.

[BaconisPrime]

I guess my problem is I'm looking at Walt with all the knowledge that Jesse doesn't have. From the viewer's perspective it's fair to say Walt doesn't bear Jesse any ill will yes? Based on what he said when his son was tending to him after his fight with Jesse. ''Sorry Jesse'' or something like that right?

Ok, I think I've come to accept Jesse's train of thought.

[BaconisPrime]

Also, what does Jesse think about the missing cigarette now? I guess he's still a bit frazzled from recent goings on, but I hope that does get addressed in season 5.

I'm so jealous of people who have 4 seasons of Breaking Bad available to run through for the first time.

Potentially nice place to end if season 5 jumps the shark.

[Jazar]

I'm guessing the first visit that Tyrus? maded was to check the place out and there was no bomb yet, after he left Walt came in off the ledge and planted the bomb. On the subsequent trip security must have been more lax and didn't really look for traps beyond maybe people?

That's my theory.

I'm sure that's the given explanation but even so it seems like something that would really stand out.

[Drastic]

Part of how satisfying the resolution there for me was, Hector himself was just about Gus' only blind spot of complacency. They were expecting threats that weren't him--something with the DEA, a cartel-remnant ambush, desperate assassination attempt from Walt, etc. But Hector himself, stroke-crippled in his chair, didn't enter Gus' mind until that final great realization and yell before boom.


From the viewer's perspective it's fair to say Walt doesn't bear Jesse any ill will yes?
Well...yes and no. It's a really dysfunctional relationship. Walt cares for Jesse in a kind of adoptive sense, sure, but there's a lot of rage and violence (potential to actual) right with it. From the start, inside his head Walt's always been firmly starring in The Walt Show as folks put up somewhere previously (it's probably the main fault line that he's been, you know, breaking bad along), and that violence comes right out whenever Jesse's inconvenient aspects interfere with that.

Bound to get even more dysfunctional next season. It'll be a long hiatus.

[stusser]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvloVIoAU94

[Brian Seiler]

Cranston interview (http://www.tvline.com/2011/10/bryan-cranston-breaking-bad-season-4-finale-batman-year-one/). Relevant point - when the cigarettes were taken. Like Lost, I think maybe they get a little TOO subtle with stuff like this (best example from Lost - the supposedly smoking cigarette that I was supposed to see in the monitoring bunker the first time they went in - either my television sucked or my eyes did, because I only found out that it was actually smoking when I checked on the podcast transcript), but it's good to know they've thought it through.

[stusser]

You weren't really supposed to notice that the bodyguard palmed the cigarette or the gun pointed towards the lily of the valley until the next episode aired and you went back through in slow-mo. If you had it all figured out, the final reveal of the finale wouldn't be a surprise.

[Pogo]

Yeah, I think a lot of us look like assholes for thinking the poisoning situation wasn't going to work itself out. Lots of people jumped to Walt not having the time or ability to do it, but then when you look back you see how the show tricked you with the conversation between Walt and Jessie about the matter. Some people also gave Walt a bigger heart than he has (which some of us pointed out that you have to take Walt in context... he's been on an escalator to hell for 3 seasons).


How the hell did they not spot the bomb wiring on the wheelchair?

It was a brilliant plan, really. It was Gus' most likely weak spot, something Gus would never have expected, possibly because of the semi-public situation that Hector is in at the nursing home, and also because he probably would have thought that Hector would never agree to anything with Walt due to their hatred of each other. Cartel members aren't exactly suicide bombers either, Gus should have no reason to suspect that 1) Walt would find out about Hector from Jessie, 2) Walt would actually convince Hector to blow himself up, and 3) Tyrus already scanned the whole room for bugs, was thorough, and gave him the go ahead (and Tyrus is a worker that thus far has not fucked up).

As for the wiring itself... come on dude, they had to make it easily visible to the viewer for dramatics sake, otherwise we'd be wondering why the camera is panning to a shot of some easy-to-miss wiring under his armrest.

The only way this whole thing was going to end was with a misstep by Gus, something that blindsided both him and the viewer. I thought it was brilliant.

[drewl]

people on another board zoomed in on the shredder and it was Brock's moms school schedule.
Walt really couldn't have done alot of what he did without Saul....he really is the man.

[Drastic]

That's neat, and another demonstration that sometimes you don't just need a criminal lawyer, but a criminal lawyer.

[Jon Rowe]

I thought that teaser for the new season of Walking Dead that they sneaked into the episode was pretty neat.

[Juntei]

I thought that teaser for the new season of Walking Dead that they sneaked into the episode was pretty neat.

What are the odds of Giancarlo making a cameo on Walking Dead!?

[Brian Seiler]

I'd guess almost zero. It's not impossible, but they film in completely different locations and Esposito is busy with Once Upon a Time right now. I can't find the shooting schedules for the two shows to compare and see whether he'd have an opportunity. Which is a shame, because the Walking Dead guys did a kickass job with that makeup.

[Brian Seiler]

You know that thing the AV Club did with Louis C.K.? Here (http://www.avclub.com/articles/vince-gilligan-walks-us-through-season-four-of-bre,63013/) they go with Vince Gilligan.

[Two Sheds]

Tivo'd because I was out of town; finally watched this evening. Hoooooly shit. That was one hell of a satisfying season finale. And I guess I was wrong about the plant thing being a stretch! Ha!

I loved every minute of this episode. Hot damn, I cannot wait for next summer.

[Corey Krosting]

You know that thing the AV Club did with Louis C.K.? Here they go with Vince Gilligan.

Thanks for that link!

[corsair]

I finally noticed the episode name: Face Off.

Damned satisfying season conclusion.

[Brian Seiler]

Channel Surfing did raise an interesting point in their thorough rundown of the season, which I would link to except for apparently the firewall here seems to be blocking IGN traffic now, so I guess you'll have to take my word for it. Where they're at now is a prime spot to finally do a little time jump with the show, which I think would help it out immensely. Unless Gilligan falls in love with the idea of having Hank find something in the burned out wreckage of the laundry (the only real reason I can think why they'd really want to pick up right after the end of the season), it would give them a chance to shift things around a little bit, get Hank back on his feet and maybe back at his job, and possibly trade in The Invisible Baby for something with a little bit more personality. And material existence. Seriously - was the baby even at Hank's house? Because I'm thinking and I don't remember seeing it at all.

I AM eagerly awaiting some payout on why the hell Gus was so important to everybody that, no matter what he did, he could not manage to get himself killed until some dumb hedge chemist with an ego blew him up without doing his homework. I'm guessing that his family or regime or whoever it is in Argentina that made it so that Don Elaido couldn't just evacuate his skull cavity all the way back in the nineties won't be terribly pleased with the way things went down.

[Two Sheds]

The baby was at Hank's. She was in the stroller a lot, and later on Skyler was holding her when they were all talking to Walt on the phone.

A time jump might be interesting, but I kind of want to see things pick up where they left off. And yeah, I have a feeling there's going to be hell to pay for Walt.

[Staff Sergeant]

I AM eagerly awaiting some payout on why the hell Gus was so important to everybody that, no matter what he did, he could not manage to get himself killed until some dumb hedge chemist with an ego blew him up without doing his homework. I'm guessing that his family or regime or whoever it is in Argentina that made it so that Don Elaido couldn't just evacuate his skull cavity all the way back in the nineties won't be terribly pleased with the way things went down.

They outright say in the last couple of episodes that Fring was safe from harm from the Mexican cartel because they needed his distribution infrastructure to sell meth in the US. Also he is from Chile, not Argentina.

[Brian Seiler]

They outright say in the last couple of episodes that Fring was safe from harm from the Mexican cartel because they needed his distribution infrastructure to sell meth in the US.

That would explain why they couldn't kill him in the present day - not why they couldn't kill him when he was just some random dipshit nobody had ever heard of with a fast food franchise and the unexplained desire to make methamphetamine. My impression in the flashback was that Gus wasn't anybody of any particular note in the drug scene when Don Elaido invited him to his estate to shoot his scientist in the brains, but he still shot the guy with actual, practical knowledge on how to make product instead of the business guy that was actually responsible for the bad things that happened, or why Elaido cryptically commented that "he knows who Gus is" (the implication being that he's safe for some reason not related to any business he might be conducting with the Don). Did I miss something? It's been known to happen.

[Staff Sergeant]

Yeah that's true. Also he appears to be incredibly independently wealthy from the looks of his set-up in Albequerque so that probably came from somewhere.

[stusser]

They didn't explain it in the show. General consensus is he was some sort of big cheese in the Pinochet regime.

[Papageno]

They didn't explain it in the show. General consensus is he was some sort of big cheese in the Pinochet regime.

Which I find rather silly, unless it was toward the very end of said regime. The guy is only what, 50 or so if that?

[stusser]

"Connected" somehow, then. Let your imagination run wild, because Vince Gilligan has come out and said it's like the briefcase in pulp fiction. They don't want to explain it.

[anaqer]

That's a shame. I mean, I can buy that without any kind of flashbacksposition, but still - Gus was a great character played by a great actor, so having that avenue shut off is a bit of a downer.

[lordkosc]

I felt there wasn't enough dialog in one of those scenes, so I created the following:

http://i.imgur.com/yjP56.png

I feel this needs to be on every page. :)

[Angrycoder]

Unless Gilligan falls in love with the idea of having Hank find something in the burned out wreckage of the laundry (the only real reason I can think why they'd really want to pick up right after the end of the season),

Why does he need to find something in the wreckage of the laundry? There is enough evidence on Gus's laptop in his office at the chicken joint. He had cameras on the lab all the time.

[Mike O'Malley]

I posted this in the OWS thread, but I don't think anyone got it:

http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/3577/walterwhite99jpg.jpg

[mystery]

Halloween Win:

http://www.portlandmercury.com/imager/here-are-your-breaking-bad-halloween-costumes/b/big/4963797/45d9/1319049036-bbwpic.jpg

[Eilonwy]

One of my friends from high school went like this:

http://i41.tinypic.com/25ji6c0.jpg

No one had any idea who he was but I LOVED it!

[kerzain]

Yea, he seemed to be the flavor of the year this time around. Bald headed meth cookers everywhere you look.

What we needed were a few more Terminator Gus costumes!

[Anti-Bunny]

Halloween Win:
Better:
http://breakingbadcostume.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/walter-white-aaron-paul.gif

[Eric T Cheng]

Netflix Canada finally has Breaking Bad. I spent the weekend watching the first two seasons. This is one of the best (if not the best) tv shows. Ever.

[kerzain]

I just noticed, is that Hank in the background, in the fishing hat?

[Bahimiron]

It could be. These photos are actually taken from wrap parties. I think that one is from season 2.

[Eric T Cheng]

I'm watching an episode in Season 2 where Walter and Skyler gets a hospital bill for $13,000. I then realize that Breaking Bad could never happen in Canada. Weeds maybe.

[kerzain]

That's okay, it could never happen in the United States either.

[Valentine]

here's something to make if you're watching the Finale with friends:
(candy glass link)
Just add blue food colouring! This is the same stuff they use on the show.. The actor that plays Jessie has said he can't stop eating the stuff off camera and usually tries to talk new actors into trying it, which is pretty funny.
Great for lollipops too if you get a mold. I've been making a ton of this stuff lately. As long as you keep an eye on it it turns out great thanks.

[TimElhajj]

I posted this in the OWS thread, but I don't think anyone got it:

http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/3577/walterwhite99jpg.jpg

Hahahahaha, brilliant!

[TimElhajj]

I just watched all four seasons, even investing in an SD versions of season 4 from iTunes. I had started watching the show when it first premiered on TV, but then dropped off because while it's a great show, sometimes even brilliant, it can be a real pain in the ass to watch when it's not. I have to say a good bit of season 4 was not particularly brilliant. A lot of Skyler acting shrill and stupid, even when she is supposed to be coming out on top, like with her tangle with Eyebrows. And fucking Jessie and his meth addiction stretched my patience to its absolute limits. Thank god he got to act with a little balls in Mexico, in the lab and the finale. Loved how his gaming expertise came into play. For me, the highlight of season 4 was the ending of the third to last show, Crawl Space. This is what Breaking Bad is all about! I love how the writers are able to pitch Walt into increasingly more complicated troubles, with ever mounting risks. I love how deliberate and plodding Walt's fall is. One way to make up for the slow parts of the series is to wait for the season to end and then tackle all the shows in one fell swoop. Now I have to wait for season 5. When is it scheduled to air?

[Papageno]

Not scheduled to come back till the summer, and its last season may be split in half, Walking Dead style.

[Brian Seiler]

Not scheduled to come back till the summer, and its last season may be split in half, Walking Dead style.

Not quite. The last season might be split in half Battlestar Galactica style. Walking Dead was just dodging the holiday break and then added a few weeks so they could have a sort-of continuous schedule through summer. The conjecture is that Breaking Bad could be split Summer -> Summer, 8 and 8. I wish that AMC would announce it one way or another, if only because it'd make me more confident that Gilligan knows what the schedule is going to be, but I grasp why they haven't yet.

[TimElhajj]

Not scheduled to come back till the summer, and its last season may be split in half, Walking Dead style.

Oh, Walking Dead could be next on my hit parade. Thanks Papageno

[Uncle Larry]

So I finally got around to checking this show out and I serially watched the whole thing in like a week. Don't tell the Sopranos, but this might be my favorite show ever.

[Relayer71]

So I finally got around to checking this show out and I serially watched the whole thing in like a week. Don't tell the Sopranos, but this might be my favorite show ever.

I won't if you won't tell Deadwood and Cheers.

[jeffd]

Also, what does Jesse think about the missing cigarette now? I guess he's still a bit frazzled from recent goings on, but I hope that does get addressed in season 5.

I'm so jealous of people who have 4 seasons of Breaking Bad available to run through for the first time.

Potentially nice place to end if season 5 jumps the shark.

I am that person, and holy shit this show is awesome.

There are several random bits left hanging with Walt and Jesse, and the cigarette is only one of them. There's also what'shername, whom Walt just watched choke to death while Jesse lay next to her.

[Moggraider]

Just powered through all four seasons myself. Great show. I'm only annoyed by some of the writing shortcuts -- Jesse just happens to be at the hospital when Hank is shot up and taken there; Walt just happens to be at the bar when Jane's dad is there; etc. Oh and, as a Spanish speaker, I'm annoyed at the actor for Tio Salamanca having the worst, most fake Spanish.

I hope Season 5 just plays down or omits the Cartel and Co. and focuses on ABQ.

[Two Sheds]

http://i.imgur.com/YyzZk.jpg

Yessssssssss

[Paul_cze]

Yes, that is a great poster and I cannot wait. Only a month..

[lordkosc]

But the final season!!!!! D:

Its going to be a good summer!

[Pogo]

But the final season!!!!! D:

Its going to be a good summer!

Sort of...

"The final season of the Emmy® Award-winning and critically acclaimed drama, produced by Sony Pictures Television, consists of 16 episodes, with the first eight episodes beginning July 15th and culminating with the series' final eight episodes next summer 2013."

[Freezer-TPF-]

Sort of...

"The final season of the Emmy® Award-winning and critically acclaimed drama, produced by Sony Pictures Television, consists of 16 episodes, with the first eight episodes beginning July 15th and culminating with the series' final eight episodes next summer 2013."
Oh, that will be painful.

[Moggraider]

ARGH. I hate split seasons.

[Armiger]

I dunno, I view most amc/hbo shows as a single story split by yearly seasons. Just think of it as getting two more seasons of bb vs one.

[lordkosc]

Oh, that will be painful.

Indeed, and you just know it will be a omg wut cliffhanger.

[Uncle Larry]

We're done... when I say we're done. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_jphULKZ4E&feature=player_embedded)

[BleedTheFreak]

Season 5 Promo (http://www.amctv.com/breaking-bad/videos/season-5-comic-con-trailer-breaking-bad) aired at comic-con. Incredible, as one would expect.

[Omniscia]

Spoiler-filled, may we assume?

[wumpus]

I only saw one scene that I *think* I hadn't seen in any other season. (The beginning, with the cars in the desert playing chicken, etc.)

And it was not a spoiler at all.

The rest was old footage, I'm fairly sure. Feel free to correct me, anyone.

[Blips]

Just two more days, bitches!

[Mr_PeaCH]

You just knew we hadn't seen the last of Mike, right?

[Vesper]

So....excited!

I don't know if I'll be able to handle a week between episodes. This is the first season I'm watching live.

[MisterFlannery]

I don't know what the spoiler policy is on this thread, so be warned. Spoilers.

I'm thrilled for this. Watched all of season four live and this is going to be just as intense. I'm genuinely lost as to who the villain will be this time though. I'm guessing either Hank, the Cartel, or both. Plus there's the whole looming Walt/Jesse fallout that has to happen for real sooner or later. Any thoughts?

[Mike O'Malley]

Just a simple one: the villain is Walt.

[Mr_PeaCH]

So....excited!

I don't know if I'll be able to handle a week between episodes. This is the first season I'm watching live.


Same here... am caught up now with the first four seasons including some wonderful binge moments in the past few weeks.

So what's the drill for someone like me who doesn't have access to regular TV on a regular basis? Amazon for $1.99 streaming? Are there other choices a'la B&N, Google, iTunes? How soon do they make the episode available after it airs? Why don't I know any of this already?!?!

[Omniscia]

If you subscribe to the season on Amazon, it's more like $1.80 per episode. They're available for viewing the next day.

Works great for me. I subscribed to Mad Men season 4 through iTunes and had to download each episode, but went with Amazon for season 5 and just streamed it through my Roku.

[CharlesC]

Season 4 is now on Netflix streaming.

[TimElhajj]

As someone who has watched all of these on Netflix/iTunes, is there any way to view this on the web at the same time it appears live?

[Lunch of Kong]

Nope.

[BleedTheFreak]

As someone who has watched all of these on Netflix/iTunes, is there any way to view this on the web at the same time it appears live?

If you can't watch it live, you'll probably have less anxiety watching this first half of season 5 all at once later in the year anyway... :)

[TimElhajj]

I got my wife to show me how to work the new DVR and my son showed me how to hook up his headphones to the TV. I'm all set for late night viewing, after the kids go to bed.

I typically like to watch these things in a single weekend after the season is done, so I can totally junk out. Something about the anxiety of waiting a week for the new show, or maybe the pacing of the season itself, drives me crazy. I watched the first few shows of season 1, and I liked the premise, but bailed for some reason. But then last fall (I think) I watched all 4 seasons and now I'm addicted. :)

[BleedTheFreak]

My dilemma is do I wait and watch all 8 at once for the obvious reasons, or do I watch tonight so I can come here and be part of the discussion? It's a touch call. I suspect I'll cave at some point tonight and power up the DVR and just watch it. The real issue is the wait between this first half of season 5 and the second half, which I believe isn't airing until September 2013.

[Omniscia]

I'm waiting until tomorrow to see if it shows up through the Xfinity app. If so, I'll forgo the Amazon subscription. If not, then Amazon all the way, baby.

[ColonelT]

BIGTIME SPOILERS FOR THE SEASON PREMIERE

The cold open was atypically straightforward; too much so, I thought. Walt's going to wind up on the run and his cancer's coming back? OK, I guess. I trust Gilligan and Co. to throw some twists in there but I feel like the show just spoiled its own season arc. (Compare to the mysterious shots of debris that opened season two....)

EDIT: Eh, in retrospect, I'm probably assuming too much there.

[BleedTheFreak]

Spoiler tags!

[Blips]

SPOILERS

I bet walt is going to use that giant gun to shoot up a school bus filled with fluffy kittens and children.


But on a more serious note. Glad to have the show back. Just bummed the episodes are 10 minutes shorter than Game of Thrones.

[MisterFlannery]

Just a simple one: the villain is Walt.

spoilers




Okay, "villain" was probably not the best term to use. But still, especially with how this one opened I have to wonder just who's intended to be in the path of that gun. I don't know how I feel about how pulpy the show's getting. I mean first we have Gus and his face parting ways, and now, "Magnets, bitches!" That was like something out of a comic book. I've got faith, but it's odd for a show that started so grounded to end up so over-the-top. Decent premier overall.

[Chuck]

And once again, Walt uses science to solve a problem. Such a good show! That episode was like a mini caper flick.

To Skylar: "I forgive you."

[BleedTheFreak]

Seriously, do we not use spoiler tags anymore? I wanted to get people's thoughts on the episode, but I haven't been able to watch it yet, and I thought the point of the spoiler tags was to let folks read general impression and discussion withough accidentally eyeballing stuff they might not want to see yet. I could be wrong, though. I'll just avoid the thread until after I get to watch it finally.

[corsair]

Seriously, do we not use spoiler tags anymore? I wanted to get people's thoughts on the episode, but I haven't been able to watch it yet, and I thought the point of the spoiler tags was to let folks read general impression and discussion withough accidentally eyeballing stuff they might not want to see yet. I could be wrong, though. I'll just avoid the thread until after I get to watch it finally.

[Looks at four spoiler tags in a row and wonders what you are talking about]

I wasn't going to read the thread until I watched the episode, so I made sure that I got to the episode right away. My mildest of spoilers comment: They blinded them with science!

[sluggo]

Do the actual spoiler tags even work any more? I just tried using one and it didn't show up.

It's pretty clear to me that this thread is open season on spoilers, which is fine by me. I'll just avoid it weekly until I've seen the latest episode.

[BleedTheFreak]

[Looks at four spoiler tags in a row and wonders what you are talking about]

I wasn't going to read the thread until I watched the episode, so I made sure that I got to the episode right away. My mildest of spoilers comment: They blinded them with science!

This is a test

[jeansberg]

That one works. The only spoiler tag on the page as far as I can see.

[BleedTheFreak]

That one works. The only spoiler tag on the page as far as I can see.

That's what it looked like to me, as well. /shrug

[Sander 001]

I declare this is spoiler territory for any episode beyond its original air date.

-The junkyard dude was the actor who played the actor playing Kramer from that Seinfield episode[spoiler for anybody who hasn't seen that episode yet].
-Mike should want to kill Walt as his duty, not because of emotion.
-Jesse channelling too much Jesse. "Magnets, bitches!" ugh
-Magnets rule and saved everything.

Can magnets do all that?

[BleedTheFreak]

I declare this is spoiler territory for any episode beyond its original air date.

-The junkyard dude was the actor who played the actor playing Kramer from that Seinfield episode[spoiler for anybody who hasn't seen that episode yet].
-Mike should want to kill Walt as his duty, not because of emotion.
-Jesse channelling too much Jesse. "Magnets, bitches!" ugh
-Magnets rule and saved everything.

Can magnets do all that?

-Wasn't he also on Friends, as the crazy neighbor guy who stole their monkey?
-I don't know what you mean here. What duty? To a dead man? I suppose he (Gus) could be considered a friend, sure, but I don't really see it as a "duty" over an "emotion" either way
-Jesse has always channeled too much Jesse, not sure why this is suddenly an issue for some folks. I thought it was a little obnoxious in Season 3 and 4, to be honest. I think it's fine, it's just the way Jesse is.
-Yes, magnets are actually fucking amazing.

[Papageno]

Yup, I recognized the junkyard guy as both those dudes, but I made the Seinfeld connection first. He's the one that George accused of stealing his box of raisins.

That whole scene (the 2nd magnet scene) was pretty freaking awesome.

[Sander 001]

Yes, the monkey perp!

I think of Mike as a cleaner/triggerman who is very professional. He gets the job done with minimum fuss and drama. I just thought him getting upset over spilt milk was ill suited for his character.

edit: LOL the raisins, I forgot about that. We don't get comedy like that anymore[do we?].

[curst]

I viewed it not as Mike getting sentimental/dramatic, but rather his anger being the result of having to shift his mindset from "I am employed by a ridiculously rich and powerful and above all else wise and cautious man who'll never be found out by the police... life is great!" to "I am employed by a not-so-rich-or-powerful Dr. Batshit Explodeypants who just set off a bomb in a nursing home and now wants me to help EMP an entire PD's fleet of computers".

I don't care how pro you are... you're probably gonna want to let go of some bullets at that point. Luckily Walt and Jesse thought of the camera footage, because I can't imagine what else they could have done to convince Mike from lowering his gun.

[Wholly Schmidt]

Yes, the monkey perp!

I think of Mike as a cleaner/triggerman who is very professional. He gets the job done with minimum fuss and drama. I just thought him getting upset over spilt milk was ill suited for his character.

But Walt just ruined Mike's very professional gig. If he's going to get upset or emotional about something, this seems like pretty good motivation. Throughout his varying degrees of indifference/amusement/frustration/annoyance with the actions of Walt and Jesse, he has remained very much on Gus's "side" of things. Not through any greater affection for Gus as a person, but because Gus was also very professional, and from Mike's perspective, there was never much Gus did to Walt or Jesse that they didn't bring upon themselves from being "unprofessional".

This makes sense as about the only thing that really could make Mike so upset.

[Blips]

When Jesse was originally going on about magnets in the background of the conversation, I thought he meant using an EMP bomb, and sneaking that into the evidence room when Mike shot down Walkter's idea of sneaking an incendiary in.

Was pretty happy in the direction the episode took.

[Mike O'Malley]

I thought he meant literally pulling the computer out of the police station with a magnet- through the wall, intact.

[ElGuapo]

I kind of want Saul's job.

[Jon Rowe]

I thought he meant literally pulling the computer out of the police station with a magnet- through the wall, intact.

This.

[ElGuapo]

Season 4 question: Why is his wife heavier/fat all of a sudden? Was she pregnant in real life or is that a plot development?

[Blips]

Season 4 question: Why is his wife heavier/fat all of a sudden? Was she pregnant in real life or is that a plot development?
Stress eating.

[Omniscia]

Good episode. Things are looking up for ol' Walt, though he'd better not get too comfortable or complacent.

How much of that was told in flashback, though? Everything after the trunk reveal?

He's like a boring, suburban, middle-class Michael Corleone at this point.

[stusser]

The very beginning of the episode was a flash-forward, probably to the penultimate episode of the season.

I really thought they'd use an EMP to get the laptop. I didn't expect the huge-ass magnet.

[Omniscia]

Yeah, I was expecting an EMP, too.

Incidentally, I have lost a computer to what I suspect was a naturally-occurring EMP before, if there is such a thing. Lightning strike nearby blew out the UART chip on my Dell system, disabled my camcorder (which was running on battery) for an hour, opened the garage door, and turned my television on.

[djotefsoup]

I think the emp bomb idea is just shit hard to shoot for tv in any interesting way. At least as compared to magnetmobile.

[sluggo]

How much of that was told in flashback, though? Everything after the trunk reveal?

The flash forward opening takes place on Walt's 52nd birthday (assumedly, unless he was lying about it for some weird reason, which seems unlikely).

The rest of the episode takes place starting after Gus' death, at which point in the BB timeline we still haven't reached Walt's 51st birthday yet (i.e. a year hasn't passed in BB time since the pilot.) So the flash forward is a little over a year in the future from the series "present".

One thing I liked about the flash forward is that we have no idea where it'll fit in the overall scheme of episodes. We could get an episode or two this summer from that moment forward, or it could provide a convenient split point for the 2012 and 2013 half-seasons, or for all we know, it could be part of the series' ultimate finish (although I doubt it).

I didn't really get all that wrapped up in the season 2 flash forward teasers (I just caught up over the past month, so I never thought Walt and Jesse would die), but when it was all done I thought what they did with the episode titles was pretty trippy (the four episodes with the flash forwards were titled "Seven Thirty Seven" "Down" "Over" "ABQ"). Who knows how this flash forward will factor into the overall arc, but I trust they're going to deliver another great season.

[Papageno]

I thought he meant literally pulling the computer out of the police station with a magnet- through the wall, intact.

Nah, I knew they were somehow talking about exposing the hard drive to a powerful magnet, but I thought they were going to try to get something into evidence that had such a magnet. Good thing SSD tech isn't further along or the magnet idea wouldn't have worked for them.

[TimElhajj]

Are SSD drives impervious to magnets? If so, I didn't know that. I remember using magnets to erase casette tapes when I was a kid!

[Papageno]

Are SSD drives impervious to magnets? If so, I didn't know that. I remember using magnets to erase casette tapes when I was a kid!

I think I read that somewhere about SSD drives.

[TimElhajj]

That's must be why they had the magnet break the glass in Gus's. You can't use a computer with a broken screen!

[BleedTheFreak]

The only reason regular drives are affected by magnets is they use a magnetic field and ... uh, iron filament or something (I forget the details) to store data, and an outside magnetic field ruins that.

An SSD is immune because data is transferred electrically instead of magnetically.

[Uncle Larry]

I'm sure Hank will angrily explain to someone that the drive got nuked by the magnet in the next episode. Another lead goes cold! But then he'll mention the Grand Cayman bank account numbers that will put him along the trail that will lead directly to the endgame because Hank is a motherfucking unkillable detective savant.

[Kelan]

Nah, I knew they were somehow talking about exposing the hard drive to a powerful magnet, but I thought they were going to try to get something into evidence that had such a magnet. Good thing SSD tech isn't further along or the magnet idea wouldn't have worked for them.

Yeah, same here. I figured they were going to create a crime where an item needed to be put into evidence storage after and they would somehow rig a powerful magnet inside it. That or Walt was going to use his brother in law to grab it or get close to it with a magnet planted on him or something. The way they did it was way more awesome, though. I was really surprised part of their plan was to drive away with the magnet truck. I would have just planned to crank it to max and run/drive away with Mike like they ended up having to do anyway.

[corsair]

Nah, I knew they were somehow talking about exposing the hard drive to a powerful magnet, but I thought they were going to try to get something into evidence that had such a magnet. Good thing SSD tech isn't further along or the magnet idea wouldn't have worked for them.

My thoughts went down the same lines - get something into the evidence room and remotely activate it. The trick is it would have to be damn close because it couldn't have anywhere near the same power without weighing a ton and being opened up in case it was a bomb. What they came up with was great.

[TimElhajj]

It's was especially nice because the junk yard has figured into a few previous episodes.

[Uncle Larry]

Yeah, the junkyard and the desert are recurring characters.

[sluggo]

One possible play that occurred to me: Hank realizes the laptop / hard drive was the target, but since the criminals can't know for sure that they were successful, Hank bluffs and lets it leak that the hard drive wasn't wiped, hoping it might either lure the criminals back out or cause unrest among them.

[TimElhajj]

Agreed. Something like that. Hank saw the camera, so he's not going to let this go.

Could anyone make out what was uncovered behind Gus's cracked photograph in the evidence chamber? If I remember from previous seasons, Gus's true identity is somewhat of an open issue.

[Gabe Lewis]

Agreed. Something like that. Hank saw the camera, so he's not going to let this go.

Could anyone make out what was uncovered behind Gus's cracked photograph in the evidence chamber? If I remember from previous seasons, Gus's true identity is somewhat of an open issue.

It looked like bank account information.

[mystery]

Agreed. Something like that. Hank saw the camera, so he's not going to let this go.

Could anyone make out what was uncovered behind Gus's cracked photograph in the evidence chamber? If I remember from previous seasons, Gus's true identity is somewhat of an open issue.

http://i.imgur.com/zh1Y0.jpg

Bancsuisse, Cayman...Routing #

[Vesper]

Incidentally, I have lost a computer to what I suspect was a naturally-occurring EMP before, if there is such a thing. Lightning strike nearby blew out the UART chip on my Dell system, disabled my camcorder (which was running on battery) for an hour, opened the garage door, and turned my television on.
That's not EMP, just a strong power surge. I suspect your camcorder was plugged in via a USB cable, audio cable, or some other way of conducting electricity.

[TimElhajj]

Yeah, I was expecting an EMP, too.

Incidentally, I have lost a computer to what I suspect was a naturally-occurring EMP before, if there is such a thing. Lightning strike nearby blew out the UART chip on my Dell system, disabled my camcorder (which was running on battery) for an hour, opened the garage door, and turned my television on.

Maybe an EMP could wack your Dell, but open the garage door and turn on the TV? Where I come from, we call that ghosts!

[TimElhajj]

Bancsuisse, Cayman...Routing #

Ohhhh... Uncle Larry called it.

How did Mike know they weren't out of trouble yet?

[Uncle Larry]

I like that the plate on the Volvo (safest car on the road!) has a NH plate that says "Live Free or Die!" on it, and that Walt abandons it for a Cadillac with a machine gun in the trunk after walking out on a free meal. Nice layering, Breaking Bad.

Also the Volvo was a peaceful white and the Cadillac was a rusty red.

I also like watching Walt spend the entire episode trying to savor his victory. Runs home to clean up the bomb lab in the kitchen, pours himself a congratulatory whiskey *whoops forgot about the kid-poisoning plant* goes for the first sip and BLAM Walt Jr's home stealing his thunder by insisting Uncle Hank is the hero (again). Then he strikes out with Skylar, who's on the fence as to if him even surviving up to this point is a good thing, so he settles for a "this drink's to you, pardner" salute to the mirror, then finally has his reward. Then OH SHIT he remembers the loose end that's the whole plot of the episode.

I like that the magnet suggestion is just the latest in a long line of ideas pulled from Jessie's stupid ass that Walt is somehow able to salvage some kind of workable scientific angle from. That's a fun schtick.

I like that, even though he'd already blown up a top tier villain just one episode ago, Walt continues to level up as a bad guy. The first scene with Mike has Walt nearly getting shot, in the getaway shot he's telling Mike "... because I say so." Then, by the time he gets to go home and finally kick his feet up, he doesn't even need validation from Skylar anymore. "I forgive you."

"Keys, scumbag. It's the universal symbol for keys."

[mystery]

"Keys, scumbag. It's the universal symbol for keys."

Line of the episode.

[Huzurdaddi]

I really thought they'd use an EMP to get the laptop. I didn't expect the huge-ass magnet.

IDK if EMP would work to erase a hard drive. Although it would have been cool if Walt had made a chemically. powered EMP device (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Explosively_pumped_flux_compression_generator)!

[sluggo]

I loved Mike's "keys" line, but for me Jesse at the scrapyard (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUh8ZSCS9mQ) had the line that almost made me pee myself.

And I'm a few posts late, but yeah, the key writing under the photo were the words "Bancsuisse Cayman", screaming "bank account for illegal funds".

[TimElhajj]

I like that the plate on the Volvo (safest car on the road!) has a NH plate that says "Live Free or Die!" on it, and that Walt abandons it for a Cadillac with a machine gun in the trunk after walking out on a free meal.

And tucking a C note under the uneaten plate of food for a tip.

[Uncle Larry]

Yeah Walt has clearly made his bed here.

[Mr. Zero]

I hope they don't go for a Tony Montana blaze of glory.

[sluggo]

One of the things I love about BB is that even the simple question of "what would a happy ending be for Walt?" is a moving target.

Initially, he didn't care about dying and just wanted to provide for his family. But now, who knows? Is he still resigned to that fate? Does he want to live to old age now? Does he want to stay with his family? Will his ego eventually get in the way, wanting credit for being the genius Heisenberg? Does he even know what he wants any more?

I'm calling it now: the reason Walt leaves is because of Hank. Either Hank finds out about Walt on his own, or Walt just flat-out tells him, but either way, they confront each other and Hank gives him an ultimatum to vanish and never come back. Being exposed by Hank wouldn't just result in Walt going to jail, it would probably unravel everything he'd tried to provide for his family, so Walt chooses to leave. Then it's just a question of: what would make him come back?

[Josemas]

I love this show.

I wonder why in the flashforward, Walt wanted the waitress to remember him. Repeated references to New Hampshire right before he abandons his New Hampshire car in their parking lot, the whole birthday conversation as an excuse to show his fake ID with Sklyar's maiden name, the uncharacteristically large tip.

The other potential source of interesting dynamics for me is that Jesse has to fund the magnet caper. If Jesse has to keep funding stuff because Walt has spent all his money, does he gradually start treating Walt as though he's the boss?

[Mike O'Malley]

Maybe Walt is setting up someone from New Hampshire. I know Mike's a former cop, but did he ever say where?

[Uncle Larry]

I watched this episode twice, and both times I saw Walt cronstucting the symbol for Omega out of bacon, though I accept that it was probably scripted specifically as 52. I hope it was both!

[lordkosc]

I watched this episode twice, and both times I saw Walt cronstucting the symbol for Omega out of bacon, though I accept that it was probably scripted specifically as 52. I hope it was both!

Thank god I am not the only one thinking this! :D

[Omniscia]

I thought it was an Omega, too.

[Papageno]

I parsed it as 52, but now that you mention it...

[Mike Cathcart]

Sorry if I missed it, but what did they decide to do with this season? Is it a whole season this year or are they splitting it up? And if it is a split, how many are airing this year?

[Pogo]

8 episodes, then 8 episodes next year.

[Cyrano]

Did anyone else think that Gus would have had his laptop well encrypted? Gus was a careful guy. No magnet needed.

[sluggo]

I think if you put enough thought into it, you could poke all sorts of holes into almost any aspect of the show. Gus is running a billion dollar business ... all from one laptop? Of course it's probably password protected, encrypted, and there's some redundancy in case it gets stolen or dropped. It's entirely plausible that the cameras fed to a backup server somewhere, there are other associates like Mike who know bits and pieces of Gus' business, and it's crazy to think that nuking that one laptop neatly ties everything up.

But like a lot of entertainment, you're not supposed to think about it that hard. It's the creators' job to keep to distracted and entertained enough that you're willing to go along for the ride, not rolling your eyes in disbelief the whole time you're watching, and I think BB does a great job of that.

[Jeremy Johnsen]

http://i.imgur.com/zh1Y0.jpg

Bancsuisse, Cayman...Routing #

Ahh, now we know why Mitt Romney is listed as an upcoming guest star.

[sluggo]

I think if you put enough thought into it, you could poke all sorts of holes into almost any aspect of the show. Gus is running a billion dollar business ... all from one laptop? Of course it's probably password protected, encrypted, and there's some redundancy in case it gets stolen or dropped. It's entirely plausible that the cameras fed to a backup server somewhere, there are other associates like Mike who know bits and pieces of Gus' business, and it's crazy to think that nuking that one laptop neatly ties verything up.

This week on Breaking Bad: yeah, a lot of this ^^^. :)

You know why I love Mike? He's the closest thing in five seasons of this show to someone who has their shit together. Walt is still a dumb amateur in a lot of ways. Jesse is a knucklehead. Hank goes from competent DEA guy to boob in 2.3 seconds. Skyler, Saul, Marie, etc, just about every character does things at times that make you facepalm. Even Gus, who seemed omnipotent at times, went against his initial instincts and made the mistake of hitching his wagon to the Laurel & Hardy of meth makers. But Mike's just a badass. He knows his shit, he sees the angles, he's got more common sense than just about everyone else combined.

Which is why I'm bummed that Mike's going to make the same dumb mistake as Gus and do business with Walt, when he really should just put a bullet in him and let the DEA find him. Poor Mike.

[Sander 001]

I missed the opening couple minutes of tonight's episode. Can somebody explain what happened? I gathered that Walt made some decoy cigarette with salt to fool Jesse so he could keep the real one for himself. But what was that cigarette and why was Jesse crying afterwards?

[Pogo]

Another solid episode. I can't be the only one that felt utterly creeped out by Walt's kissing his wife. Her inability to do anything but lay there terrified of her nonchalant husband was pretty chilling.


I missed the opening couple minutes of tonight's episode. Can somebody explain what happened? I gathered that Walt made some decoy cigarette with salt to fool Jesse so he could keep the real one for himself. But what was that cigarette and why was Jesse crying afterwards?

Jesse had a cigarette which hid a capsule of poisonous Ricin, the Ricin that Walt gave him in order to kill Gus if he ever had the chance. Jesse then "lost" that cigarette, but we found out last week that Saul Goodman had his guard lift it out of Jessie's cigarette pack when Jessie had last been to the office (near the end of Season 4).

Jesse was crying because in Season 4 finale he almost shot Walt after (correctly) assuming that Walt had it stolen in order to make Jesse think that Gus had poisoned the kid with Rycin (when in actuality Walt had poisoned the kid with a less toxic plant). So the crying was his guilt.

It's pretty important to know all this stuff. This is the biggest betrayal of Jesse's trust that Walt has done since letting Jesse's girlfriend die in Season 2... so if you have any other questions then feel free to ask.

[Wholly Schmidt]

I missed the opening couple minutes of tonight's episode. Can somebody explain what happened? I gathered that Walt made some decoy cigarette with salt to fool Jesse so he could keep the real one for himself. But what was that cigarette and why was Jesse crying afterwards?

Also, a Madrigal executive kills himself when the police come to ask him questions. It's off in their European headquarters, or something, where we gather this isn't the first inquiry they've made, that he was probably one of the most direct links to Gus (though we still don't know if he was the only one), and the company is ditching the Pollos Hermanos brand. He's the guy the other Madrigal people are talking to when they're offering cooperation with the DEA to determine if he was acting alone or what.

[djotefsoup]

http://www.amazon.com/review/R3P4G9STELUVLU/ref=cm_cr_dp_cmt?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B002QH09HY&nodeID=165793011&store=toys-and-games#wasThisHelpful

[Bandersnatch]

I want me some franch.

[Sander 001]

Thanks dudes, I would never have guessed I missed so much!

It's odd that Jesse didn't find it odd that Walt was surprised at the robot vacuum cleaner. By that point, they've been searching the place for hours and it would've been impossible to not have encountered it by then.
Or maybe Jesse's pulling a fast one himself and lied about the last time he checked it.

Good episode, loved the meet and greet between Hank and The Mike.

[Gendal]

Thanks dudes, I would never have guessed I missed so much!
10 Minute recap of the first 4 seasons (http://www.slate.com/articles/video/slate_v/2012/07/breaking_bad_s_first_four_seasons_delivered_in_10_ minutes_video_.html)

[corsair]

Another solid episode. I can't be the only one that felt utterly creeped out by Walt's kissing his wife. Her inability to do anything but lay there terrified of her nonchalant husband was pretty chilling.

It was, indeed, pretty creepy. Clearly she feels that Walt has turned a corner, and one she cannot easily excuse or rationalize.

What I really liked about this episode was Mike. He sees through Walt, as always, wants no part of him, warns Jessie as bluntly as possible that Walt is a disaster waiting to happen...and still gets trapped by circumstances. Trapped by Lydia panicking, and trapped by the Cayman Islands accounts everyone needs being frozen. So everyone needs money and there's the walking time bomb Goose That Laid the Golden Meth wanting to continue. The acting in the episode was just great.

[Sander 001]

10 Minute recap of the first 4 seasons (http://www.slate.com/articles/video/slate_v/2012/07/breaking_bad_s_first_four_seasons_delivered_in_10_ minutes_video_.html)Oh the dude from the wreck yard(and Seinfield and Friends) has made an appearance before. I guess I had forgotten.

Season 1 was my favourite. Followed by season 2, followed by 3 then 4. I think that pattern will change because season 5 is off to a strong start.

[sluggo]

I can't be the only one that felt utterly creeped out by Walt's kissing his wife. Her inability to do anything but lay there terrified of her nonchalant husband was pretty chilling.

Not only did I find it really creepy, but knowing the show's propensity for OMG THAT DID NOT JUST HAPPEN moments, there was a part of me waiting for Skyler to go "... I'm pregnant."

And even as I was doing the math in my head, thinking that couldn't happen, I was still waiting for some kind of bombshell. I think this show has just conditioned me to expect WTF moments at every turn.

[Strollen]

Not only did I find it really creepy, but knowing the show's propensity for OMG THAT DID NOT JUST HAPPEN moments, there was a part of me waiting for Skyler to go "... I'm pregnant."



I was also wondering if there was something else going on beside. "The I am so repulsed and terrified by husband the evil drug lord."

How long has it been since Skylar slept with Ted. With all the flashbacks and flashforwards it is very hard to keep track of time.

[Pogo]

Season 1 was my favourite. Followed by season 2, followed by 3 then 4. I think that pattern will change because season 5 is off to a strong start.

Yeah I'm feeling that this season is going to trump Season 4, which I thought took a bit too long to get going and had some spotty plotting.

[Uncle Larry]

Mike: the most awesome television character ever? I previously feared that more screen time would only work to demystify and eventually water him down, but Breaking Bad just keeps on awesomin'.

One curiosity: does Walt keep and stash the ricin for future use, or is it because disposing of it is a more sensitve operation than flushing it down the toilet, like you would with fake ricin?

[Pogo]

I'm going to assume Walt isn't keeping it behind the cover of a wall outlet for environmentally conscious reasons.

[Tom Chick]

Mike is a dope. Everyone knows two-player Hungry Hungry Hippos sucks.

-Tom

[Uncle Larry]

I guess that he's keeping it at all just seems like such a bad decision to me. Contingency plan? Mike?

And to piggyback your snark - Walt's a pretty smart guy, so regardless of his motivation for keeping it, why would he store such an extremely toxic substance inside something that could explode for like several reasons? In his bedoom? Right next to his bed?

It's... weird.

[Pogo]

I sorta agree about the location insofar that there's no reason to keep it in his bedroom, other than it's a private place where he could close the door so that his son doesn't come in. There's really no chance for explosion. I just think that if you're going to be that discerning about the show's motivations, there are more places to look (such as the laptop being so critical to billion-dollar operations which presumably has more paper trails than just a laptop).