Walt is back! Breaking Bad returns.

SubJeff on 12/10/2011 at 09:55

Quote Posted by The Alchemist

"Stay the hell out of my territory" !! Fucking love it, so badass.

That scene was awesome. The track in the background was perfect. One of my favorite but of the whole show, and a great foreshadowing of what's to come.

Scots Taffer on 12/10/2011 at 10:37

Music over the last two episodes was amazing too.

Apollo Sunshine's track "We Are Born When We Die" is thematically appropriate and musically pitch perfect for Walt's "best of three" at the poolside.

Apparat's "Goodbye" was a great send-off for Gus as he strides towards the camera and his death in the nursing home.

I fucking LOVE "Freestyle" by the youngsters called The Taalbi Brothers which plays over: "We've got work to do." The confidence with which that whole scene plays out with is excellent and exactly where I want the show to be in wrapping up, so utterly in control of audience and building towards this cool, stylistic finish after giving us a massive emotional pay-off (this is without even realising a rug-pull is coming up in the closing scene).

And I think "Black" by Danger Mouse is perfect lyrically and musically for the final scenes on the parking lot and poolside. "Until you travel to that place you can't come back..." Indeed.

The comments from Alchy are definitely making me want to revisit the show as a whole, which I considered prior to s4. Glad I didn't now. Have something to look forward to. :D

Scots Taffer on 12/10/2011 at 11:06

Quote Posted by Renzatic

Also bonus bragging points for me, because I knew exactly what was going to happen before it happened. Didn't make that one scene any less tense or shocking though.

I meant to comment on this in passing in my earlier post, but I don't think Gilligan et al meant for Gus's demise to be in any way surprising, in fact, they were really telegraphing and (if anything) paying tribute to Gus with his final few scenes. As soon as it started to dolly in on him waiting in the car outside the nursing home, it was very much a "enjoy your last minute or so with Gus". And I did love it. :)

Quote Posted by Rug Burn Junky

To raise the stakes next season, he'd have to do something along one of four axes: a) take a more active role in b) actually killing, c) someone more intimate to himself, who d) poses a less realistic threat. I don't see how they show Walt's corruption as complete without one heartbreaking death, and you can make a case for each of them: Skyler knows too much, Hank is investigating him, Jesse's self-explanatory. Even his son (innocent and oblivious) or Marie (I could see a shakespearian misunderstanding where Walt thinks she's going to tell Hank something) are candidates. It's wide open - fantastic possibility.

Yeah, I think it's clearly going to be Hank that's going to come into the line of fire. He's the one that clearly pushes the boundary most (outside of his wife or kids, of course) in terms of making Walt as despicable as possible. In the end, I imagine Walt will rationalise any decision to attempt to kill as Hank as "good business". I think it might be that action that eventually pushes Jesse over the edge and pull in his right hand, Mike, to do the deed on Walt.

Quote Posted by Rug Burn Junky

As weak as I've thought his acting was in the past, he stepped up a bit this season.

Hank? I think he went from being comic relief fodder around the time of the turtle-head-blast (season 2?) and really started to come into his own, the pathos they've built into his character over time to make us really start to root for his investigation has been pretty successful. If you're just speaking technically about his acting then yeah, I guess you could say he was playing it light for the first two seasons and has only really started doing some heavy lifting again recently. I loved it when he pulled out the fingerprint from Gale's apartment. The spark in his eyes was brilliant.

Quote Posted by Rug Burn Junky

You could say that Walt was safe, or at least had time to extricate himself more slowly, carefully. I've thought that the whole season. That Gus wasn't the pure concentrated evil that Walt was puffing him up to be - he was a business man, and taking out Walt/Jesse wasn't as imminent as Walt kept complaining. The cold-blooded killing in the season opener wasn't the message that Walt received, and that was my concern with the middle of the season - Walt devolving into an hysterical ninny. His tactical impotence was brought on by his "misread" of the situation, and if that was going to cost him, I didn't think there was much pay-off. Turns out that that arc was perfect

Not sure I quite agree with Gus being less of a real threat to Walt, particularly after the desert sequence when it all started to hit the fan. Prior to that Walt's reactions weren't about Gus wanting to immediately kill them, it was about Walt's loss of power and his being distanced from Jesse as an obvious marker that his death (and his alone) was on the cards for the not so distant future. Like you say, impotence was the defining feature of Walt's character in this season and I think it was done very deliberately to keep him frustrated (and the more Walt gets frustrated, the wilder his actions become and more narcissistic his behaviour, which in turn makes us like him less) and in the background so that his sudden ascent as the victor would be all the more surprising. I reflect back to the scene with Jesse where he says "it's all about me" as being a key moment for Walt in this season as it distilled his self-absorbed and control-freak personality down to its self-destructive essence (being so blind to Jesse's part in it all and actually making it worse).

Quote Posted by Rug Burn Junky

He deliberately kept us waiting for that this season, but the whole time he does, he's elevating Jesse to the point where he can now carry those scenes - with Gus, with Walt, hell, even with Saul and the cops.

Agreed. One thing I haven't seen a lot of love for is how utterly hilarious the finale was. Gilligan (who wrote/directed) really has a perfect grip on this silly pitch black humour that somehow doesn't undercut the growing sense of tension and anticipation.

"Musta seen it on house or something."

Quote Posted by Rug Burn Junky

I think Mike is more than just a soldier, he's said that Gus values loyalty, and him decking Walt in the bar had an edge beyond self-preservation (don't fuck with my guy). But he also has some tie to Jesse now, and he's the only contact that Walt has that knows the infrastructure of the operation. Walt can't build that himself, so he's going to need Mike, but won't be able to trust him.

Right, and when I said soldier I meant that as in he's not going to come back for vengeance on his own accord, I do think he will definitely side with Jesse (who saved his life after all) and that relationship will be a continual thorn in Walt's side, who will struggle to command any kind of muscle due to his insecurity and need for constant control. I have it in my head that Mike will kill Walt at Jesse's behest. That might change, of course. It could be any number of things - cancer/cartel/jesse/mike/hank/something totally out of left field.

The Alchemist on 12/10/2011 at 11:42

Jesus Crystal. Thanks for all the spoiler tags.

Also, why does EVERYONE have the same cellphone? Seriously. Everyone.

frozenman on 12/10/2011 at 13:30

Read a comment somewhere on an article about the finale that suggested Walt's cancer is no longer in remission. There was the long scene before he was getting his scan and then he quickly dismisses his son's inquiries later in the episode. Also, something about those painkillers he was taking after his fight with Jesse. It could be this that's causing Walt to become more...unhinged? desperate? Because he knows he can't win against his cancer. Talk about impotence.

This is one huge facet I feel like season 5 must deal with. After all, it's why we're here in the first place. And the potential for tragedy here is enormous- Walt has lied so much to his family and friends, what if he now finds himself unable to tell them the truth that his cancer has returned? Descends further into being a crime lord, elusive like Gus, losing contact with his family entirely, just to avoid having to tell them the truth. (This just occurred to me- in the Walt/Gus dinner scene, Gus states that he has children...where are they? What happened to them?)

Hank: I really hope he does end up catching Walt. I can't wait to see his reaction when he realizes that Heisenberg has been under his nose the whole time. He doesn't necessarily have to catch him though, only put the pieces of the puzzle together. He's said it a couple of times- day late, dollar short

Finally- the humor bit, I really love the scene as Walt sneaks into his own home after using his neighbor to scope the place out. He has this bumbling, hunched over gait as he runs around, falls over the fence getting out- the elements of comedy are particularly well placed in this show.

The Alchemist on 12/10/2011 at 13:52

These all blue posts are simply amusing.

"May his death satisfy you."

It's funny how the bad Spanish makes it sound like Japanese, for all my brain can tell.

Edit: Holy shit that gunfight in the parking lot was AWESOME. Fucking Blockbuster quality.

Edit: I'm rapidly approaching the end of season 3 and now I'm panicking that I dont know where to get season 4. I mean torrent I guess but my internet is a bit slow to torrent <s>13 eps</s> 12eps. I just checked, 4gb... I guess I can do them one at a time.

His bouts of rage are delicious.

Ep 10 of season 3. COME AT ME BRO, COME AT ME.

That whole fly scene was kinda ridiculous.

Aaand its getting more ridiculous. Is this supposed to be a comic relief ep?

Season 3: FUCK YEAH, now THAT was a fucking ending. However, I hate this show for totally stringing me on for the next season. Torrentingtorrentingtorrenting.

First EP: ETA 30 minutes. I guess I'll play some Minecraaaaaaaaaaft.

They are downloading faster than I can watch them. Season 4 agogo! I'll be reading the spoilers by TONIGHT.

Muzman on 13/10/2011 at 00:05

At this rate Alchy is going to be all Tuco by the end of the night. He's going to need some of the blue just to be the best he can be.

Quote Posted by Rug Burn Junky

I'm ok with the rather fantastical timing and moving parts necessary for Walt to have poisoned Brock. It's still more believable than Gus grabbing the ricin and doing it. They've taken such liberties through-out the series, and have been judicious in doing so. The pay-off was worth it.

Finally having watched the end now I can throw in. They were talking about that on Firewall and Iceberg the way the story typically sticks with Walt's process and he's the audience's relating point. But from the carbomb onwards we have left him and he seems all the more successful for it. (actually I thought the bomb in particular was a bit of a stretch. Gus has to park in the right place and leave no one watching it; Walt has to run half a block and install a carbomb without being seen, not something he's usually all that good at, and run back up the building hoping the meeting isn't short (he would have said to stall him as long as poss, but all the same...)). The poisoning too seems fairly convenient. The plot to draw Gus out was awesome though.
Anyway, it possible this narrative separation marks weaning the audience off Walt entirely now his transformation is complete. But it's possible they'll flash back to flesh those parts out later on too. It's easy to forget that sort of thing used to be a big part of the show in S2. I expect the events of those couple of days will come under a lot of scrutiny. Hank's theory is going to get a lot more respect for one thing.

What about the Ted issue? I doubt we've heard the last of him. The show is a bit larger than life at times but realistic complications are never far away.

The Alchemist on 13/10/2011 at 00:48

Considering I'm Cuban I'm more of a Tony Montana, dont you think? Hell, my first name IS Tony.

Inline Image:

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/311484_10100168703773268_18705319_46481578_1274827234_n.jpg

That party scene with everybody fucking and fighting and tagging the walls.... that doesnt happen.

Scots Taffer on 13/10/2011 at 03:33

This has been an impressive 2-page arc for you Alchemist. :D

The Alchemist on 13/10/2011 at 04:16

Quote Posted by Scots Taffer

This has been an impressive 2-page arc for you Alchemist. :D

Yeah, kinda abused the forum with my ranting, but I had no one else to talk to about the show. I even called friends and family to see if they've watched and no one. :(

Started on the 10th, 13th now and I'm half way through season 4. Thats a new record for me I think. Maybe except for Dexter.

Also WAY TO THROW YOURSELF UNDER THE BUS THERE Walt. Just shut up when you're in your cups.

Shit man, I've got a good 5 hours of this shit left and I have an interview tomorrow. D: