BREAKING BAD

[Quintus 5,399]

Now then according to Jason you've just watched the two crappiest episodes of the entire thing... so the only way is up, apparently.

I've actually started the show again and have been watching the episodes after you have finished them.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Is it really relevant what Jason believes?

[Quintus 5,399]

Yes. For orientation purposes. He, Koray and Sharky have their uses in that way.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Ah yes. The "common man"....Joe the Plumber, Mondeo-man etc...

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

I like publicist's proverbial "Joe Sixpack"

[Quintus 5,399]

If I'm ever lost during a movie I just look at those guys (Jay, Sharky and Koray) and find may through it, like a sailor using the stars.

[Datameister 2,042]

Personally, I think some of the low points come in S2. But even those are just caused by a handful of elements that rub me the wrong way, not by a drop in the overall quality. Everything from season 3 on is just gold.

[Quintus 5,399]

When I watch season 2 I'll see if I can spot what it is you're referring to, because nothing springs out to my mind now from that season as bothering me. I LOVED season 2. Indeed, there's still, as far as I can remember, only two moments in the whole show which bugged me. Both came much later in, and one was much, much worse than the other. The other being completely superfluous anyway, a nit-picky non-issue, but yeah a bug is a bug

[KK 3,307]

Season 2 was great. I loved how they teased at the season arc through the whole thing.

[Datameister 2,042]

Well I'm embarrassed to say that with further "research", I've discovered that the elements I was remembering were in S3, not S2. (I was thinking mainly of

the entire subplot with "the cousins"

.) And y'know, even those moments weren't bad. God, I need to stop trying to find stuff that's wrong with this show. It's just too damn difficult.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Cancer Man

Deals with the aftermath, not just of Walts act, but with the whole situation. It has Walter and Jesse in their seperate ways trying to go back to a normal life,and failing.

For the first time Jesse is more then an obnoxious comic buffoon. The contrast between him and him family home is startling. After his experience he tries in a half hearted way to go back to a more secure part of life life.

It's a ice touch to see Pinkman once came from a normal home and still caries some of that with him (he actually knows how to set plates for dinner). But thats no longer who he is.

Walt deals with the shell-shock of having brutally murdered someone, and the fact that his cancer is now out in the open. Skyler tries to help him, but in some way Walt just wants to be left alone. Once again the quiet anger turns to rage when he takes it out on a banker's car for no reason (this ep is from 2008, just at the start of the economic crises).

Once again the script carefully chooses a set of circumstances that will turn Walt back to a life a crime. He needs the money.

What choice does he have?

A masterpiece of audience manipulation. Many of us would do the same, or would wish he had the ability to do the same.

Grey Matter

The first one to really deal in depth with both Walter's cancer and his essential pride or stubborn-ness.

It's also the first one where the character actually has several choices, albeit all bad, and choses the worst one.

Opens with the party from hell, I'm sure many attended one like it. Where everyone you know has done a lot better then you have. And you know it, and they know it.

The key to Walter White's character is the amount of condescendence he has to deal with every day. From everyone. they all care for him, all try to convince him to do what's best, and it's driving him crazy.

The culmination of this happens during the "intervention from hell" (love the look Hank gives Walter when he comes home).

Walter ultimately chooses to be treated, but refuses the charity of his far more successful former co-worker, who's now married to his ex

Cooking drugs is probably the only thing at this point he can do better then anyone. So it becomes a point of pride.

[crocodile 8,012]

I love pillow talk scene.

Karol

[Quintus 5,399]

Has he reached the pillow scene yet? I can't remember how early on that is.

One of the finest sequences in the whole thing for me, and a real actors scene. It's pure power whenever I watch it.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Crazy Handful of Nothin'

The genesis of the bad-ass Walt, as he shaves his scalp since his hair is falling out from the treatment.

Tense character scenes alternated with the cooking of a new batch and making contact with the bat-shit-crazy Tuco. And Walt...AKA Heisenberg slowly gets in over hear head, but once again uses chemistry to pull himself out.

While that confrontation was cool, I'm not really sure I bought it though.

Still good, but the weakest ep thus far.

A No-Rough-Stuff-Type Deal

Bit tame for a season finale. But some nice scenes with Walt trying to rationalize the path he took, and crime in general for himself.

The break-in scene was quite hilarious, though Walt does seem very sprightly for a man undergoing chemo.

Marie being a shoplifter is really the first interesting thing done with the character. Her husband went from an obnoxious bore to an obnoxious person with some depth.

Very interesting series, but the 2 final episodes seemed to lack something.

[Quintus 5,399]

So it begins...

[crocodile 8,012]

This wasn't supposed to be season finale, that's why.

Karol

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

So it begins...

What do you mean?

[Quintus 5,399]

You seemed to have begun the binge, no?

Plus season 2 is where it moves into gear, and doesn't look back. Hold onto your trousers!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Well 1 ep last night and 3 today doesnt really constitute a binge in casa el Cosman, but OK. Just have some free time now.

I really hope it gets better.

[Datameister 2,042]

You ain't seen nothin' yet, Steef.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Hmmm. Ok

Still need to do a few eps anyway so Lee will watch all 13 eps of this years Who.

[Quintus 5,399]

Heisenberg slowly gets in over hear head, but once again uses chemistry to pull himself out.

While that confrontation was cool, I'm not really sure I bought it though.

One of the signatures of BB is its 'larger than life' fantastical moments, such as that now iconic confrontation with Tuco. "This isn't crystal" is such an uber cool moment in the character's arc and I love that scene from start to finish. But yes, there are a number of times when the story takes on a more cinematic style and it revels in it, as does Cranston. The direction becomes highly stylised in those moments and I think it was those touches which lent a sense of bold gravitas to BB and lifted it on occasion beyond its TV origins, making it feel like something much more exciting.

Btw, did you notice the literal birth of Heisenberg near the end of that episode? After he returns to his car, triumphant (and shook up). Rewind it, it's most fascinating

[Jay 37,355]

Bit tame for a season finale. [...] but the 2 final episodes seemed to lack something.

That episode wasn't written or shot as the season finale - it just ended up that way as a result of the 2007 writer's strike. The team had a 13 episode plan for season 1, but after only 7 episodes where written the Writer's Strike happened, so they could only finish making those 7 episodes. When the strike was over, AMC decided to just count the shot episodes as the entire Season 1, and renewed it for a 13 episode season 2.

Now the thing with season 2 is, the first 3 episodes wrap up the season 1 story and have more of a "real" ending, and then the remaining 10 episodes is basically the "real" season 2, so if you look at it as a 10 episode season 1 and 10 episode season 2 it all works a little better, at least in terms of the "beginnings and endings" realm.

Hope that made sense.

[Quintus 5,399]

In the end the writers strike made for a better opener to s2 anyway. Those first few episodes are gripping! (plus there's that ever present amusing absurdity when things are at their most dangerous). And then the segue into events afterwards is beautifully seamless. Season 2 is amazing.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Oh fuck it...binging it is then!

[Datameister 2,042]

[Quintus 5,399]

Go ed son!

I'm quite looking forward to DW on the weekend

[KK 3,307]

Steef binging on BB and Lee binging (well not really but still) on DW...perhaps there is hope for JWFan!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Finished what was supposed to be the full season 1.

Certainly picks up. Episode 8 would have actually been a great cliffhanger, with Jesse and Walt captured by Tuco, driving into the distance.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

Now I want to rewatch this.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Now at some point Walt is going to have to tell the missus

[Jay 37,355]

Stefan I would love to see your usual writeups for the last 3 episodes you saw.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Seven Thirty-Seven

Picks up nicely from last season when things go from bad to worse. Love the rationalization Walt does in the beginning. That he only needs to make a certain amount of money and how that translates into 11 weeks of work.

The usual theme of paranoia is ramped up when it seems possible the bat-shit crazy Tuco will hunt for Walter and Jesse.

Slowly the situation between Walter and Skyler becomes untennable. The show does do a great job in showing the tension of a relationship under stress.

We see Hank as a DEA who's effective and fearless, but scared of his wife, the kleptomaniac. Dunno if that's going anywhere interesting though.

Like I said, the ending of Walt nearly confessing to his wife, but ending up being kidnapped is quite effective. Even if it does feel a bit too staged.

Grilled

Alternates between "the search for Walt" and Walt and Jesse in some serious shit. The scenes in the house, miles from anywhere at the mercy of an insane drug dealer are first rate. The character of the mute old guy really increases the tension. This is followed by 2 shootouts. One an incompetent Jesse and Walt freeing themselves, but not killing Tuco, and then the more professional job that Hank does, when he seems to turn up out of no where. (it's not actually clear to me why he got there? Yeah he was looking for Pinkman's car, but did they really trace it all the way there?)

The other stuff is more conventional "worried wife and son" stuff, but well done. The second cell-phone issue gets raised.

Bit By A Dead Bee

Another aftermath episode as Walt and Jesse manage to actually get away with disappearing for no good reason.

The scene where Walt carefully quizzes the shrink about client/patient confidentiality before "confessing" why he ran away was well done.

Jesse actually handles himself equally well against Hank. The mute on guy pissing on the floor was hilarious.

I'm not actually sure what the point on the exposed money and gun was? Since Walt manages to put it back without is being noticed. In a slightly awkward scene he slips out of the hospital, puts back the cash where its supposed to be, and goes back to the hospital....

What was the point of having the money and the gun out, only for it not to be discovered?

The ending is good though. Things seem to turn out ok...but then Skyler asks about the second cellphone.

[Quintus 5,399]

What was the point of having the money and the gun out, only for it not to be discovered?

Suspense mechanic? I can't remember.

You seem to be observing this more than you are watching it, any reason? I'm possibly off the mark there.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Not at all. I just thought that bunch of money was gonna be a huge problem

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

A friend from the Ik told me something last night.

If Walter had been from the UK, he would have never chose a life of crime, because he would have been on the NHS.

So ultimatly America's crummy health system is to blame!

[Quintus 5,399]

It's true!

So what did you think about the ace scene in the desert with Tuco and his decrepit uncle? Comedy suspense gold imo. The chilli powder mess comment from Jesse makes me laugh every time, I love Walt's pained reaction!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

That is a great scene indeed. So close, and then two words too many

No wonder they decided to start distributing their meth themselves....that can't go wrong.....right?

Intrigued by the odd B&W shots of things being salvaged from a pool or ater, and that pink stuffed toy.

[Quintus 5,399]

Ah yes, the pink plush toy.

It doesn't disappoint.

[Arpy 4,145]

Just finished watching Breaking Bad with my dad. The greatest piece of drama I've seen. I'm so sad it's over for me but it was a wonderful journey.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Ok i'm getting its brilliant. But best drama ever?

[Jay 37,355]

I think so. Each season is seriously better than the last, you haven't gotten to any of the really great stuff yet

[Arpy 4,145]

It's consistently good.

My dad said after the credits that he thought it was really well done and that it takes some time to get going initially.

[Jay 37,355]

Basically as the show goes on the villains gets more scary leading to better tension and drama

[Quintus 5,399]

In recent tv history, I put BB on par with The Sopranos and True Detective. But BB is my personal favourite of those, probably because it oozes rewatchability. I'll probably never watch The Sopranos again, but BB seems to get even better with repeat viewings.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Saul is annoying!

Are they really gonna do a show with him as the lead?

[Jay 37,355]

I don't think any of us are really looking forward to the show. Feels more like a money grab than an artistic endeavor.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I'm only mid way in season 2, but I dont see anyone who would be suitable for a spin-off which has the quality of BB.

I'm loving the total ineptitude of Walt and Jesse as criminals. Jesse trying to shake those old junkies who took their meth down. And failing hopelessly. Both of them trying to scare Saul, who end up representing them.

[Jay 37,355]

Badger and Skinny Pete are always funny

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Yeah, and they know that a Plamsa screen are the best man, because the blacks are like blacker, and stuff...

Love how Jesse's HUGE flatscreen doesnt look that huge in 2014