Breaking Bad - Season 5 (AMC) (1 Viewer)

[TonyD]

Yeah that's a shame and also scary. Over on dvd talk they aren't as angry at the character as that fb stuff. The worst that is said there is usually just a butchering of her name as a running joke. Calling her Skybar or Skrylixx or something else just as silly.

 

[joshEH]

For me, a huge part of the tale has always been the tension between a normal suburban life and the meth business. It's pretty much the driving force of the show. And Skyler being tough and strong, made -- especially those first seasons -- tense as fuck. Hearing about these other folks experiencing the same show I was watching, yet all they can complain about is HOW THEY HATE HER. And that she's an overbearing bitch. Or that domestic scenes are boring.

What...??

I LOVED the tension of Walt trying to hide things from her in the earlier seasons, and her struggles to figure out what to do after she finds out. Look, there's always gonna be viewers who enjoy these type of shows that deal with criminality on a more shallow level (they want to see Walt do badass criminal-things) and find most of Skyler's scenes (which usually don't involve violent criminal activity) to be "boring," compared to the rest of the show.

Matt Zoller Seitz discussed this very subject, in comparison to The Sopranos:

Personally, I'm perceiving a much richer and tense show because Skyler was smart, and had steely nerve in dealing with Walt. BB is a lesser show without Skyler, especially early on. Imagine if Walt had a passive ditz of a wife who was too stupid or too wary of conflict to confront him or call him on his shit. It's good that she was a bit overbearing and even naggy about maintaining their "normality" and domesticity.

That there were legitimate consequences for Walt's side-life interfering with his family life, added an enormous amount of tension to an already-tense show. I've said it before, but for the first couple of seasons, Walt was playing the meth-game under a curfew. It was as nail-biting an element as the ticking cancer-clock of doom. Or the insanity of Tuco!

 

[TravisR]

Boy, Walt and the writers were geniuses for coming up with the idea of implicating Hank as the mastermind. I realized Hank would end up getting stuck because of the money for his medical bills but I definitely didn't think of the idea of making Hank the architect. Walt is diabolical.

I don't think Walt has too much human feeling left but even though he was manipulating Jesse to get him to leave, I do think he sincerely loves Jesse as another son. That being said, if it came down to it, Walt would kill him (even before Jesse's arson plan).

The street that Jesse was getting picked up on was the same one that Gale used to live on.

About the only 'problem' with that episode was that the cliffhanger is kind of lessened since the flashforwards have already shown that Jesse doesn't burn Walt's house down. Though I guess I can spend the week wondering what exactly stops him from doing it.

 

[joshEH]

Not that there was ever any coming back for Walt, but boy, is there no coming back for Walt now.

 

[joshEH]

Just here to say.

The fucking audacity of that confession is just...is just....

 

[joshEH]

Just throwing together some random thoughts after that freight train of an episode:

[*]#TheOnlyWay
[*]There was about four entire seasons' worth of drama in that 46 minutes. Good seasons.
[*]Better call Saul back.
[*]Why do I imagine Saul would say "nucular" instead?
[*]Also, why does Low Winter Sun look so incredibly unwatchable after each episode of this show?
[*]Chekhov's pack of cigarettes. Wow.
[/list]

One of the top 5 episodes of the entire show. That "confession" was one of the most badass things I've ever seen on television.


Pinkman is the key. He was always the only one in this endgame with choices. Now at long last, we know how he'll choose. Likewise, I wouldn't be surprised if Saul just tells Walt to fuck off after this. I don't think he wants any part of them any longer.


All right. That confession. Like seriously -- that was some Game of Thrones-type villainy-shit right there. Some seedy, backstabbing, ballsy stuff that had me cackling like a madman. I mean, I know this just makes the Whites look absolutely horrible (if that were even possible any more), but holy shit, did I get a kick out of seeing Hank's face.
Will Hank ever go back? I think he is done. He's broken. He can't fake it there at the DEA any more. This was the Emmy-episode for Dean Norris. He did some phenomenal acting here.

 

[joshEH]

Samuel L. Jackson looks like a black Heisenberg on Talking Bad right now.

"Say my motherfucking name"

 

[ScottH]

Agree that this was one of the better episodes of the entire series. One thing I'm a little confused on - didn't Walt use an extract of the Lily of the Valley plant on Brock? I realize the point was that holding the cigarettes turned the light on for Jesse, but Saul's explanation to him seemed to indicate he used the ricin.

About the only 'problem' with that episode was that the cliffhanger is kind of lessened since the flashforwards have already shown that Jesse doesn't burn Walt's house down. Though I guess I can spend the week wondering what exactly stops him from doing it.

And now we likely know how the "Heisenberg" ended up on the wall.

[*]Also, why does Low Winter Sun look so incredibly unwatchable after each episode of this show?
[/list]

I feel the same way when I watch Dexter right after Breaking Bad.

 

[joshEH]

Putting that new show on after Breaking Bad is a mistake. You don't have time to digest Breaking Bad, and then watch that show. You go straight to the Internet and see what people are saying about Breaking Bad.

That huge left-turn that the show took with Walt's "confession" was one of the craziest plot-twists I've ever seen, but I wonder if we're gonna look back and view it as over-the-top cartoonish years from now, as we let this show marinate. As of right now, I doubt it, and I still have to let this episode digest, but at least in the moment, that was one mind-blowing hour of TV.I'm wondering if the reason that Skyler looked so catatonic in the later car-wash scenes was that she had been standing behind the video camera and watched Walt's "confession," and just realized the absolute depth of her husband's lack of morality, and total ability for deceit. Of course, she knew, and had some experience with it, but this was one of Walt's lowest non-killing, non-poisoning moments ever in the series.

 

[TravisR]

One thing I'm a little confused on - didn't Walt use an extract of the Lily of the Valley plant on Brock? I realize the point was that holding the cigarettes turned the light on for Jesse, but Saul's explanation to him seemed to indicate he used the ricin.

Yes, the extract is what Walt used on Brock. I'd have to watch the scene again but I think you can assume that Saul is just not bothering to split hairs between what was and wasn't used since the real matter is that he and Huell were participants in Walt's scheme. Though in fairness to Saul, he didn't know Walt was planning to poison a kid. They just had to get the ricin cigarette away from Jesse.

 

[Quentin]

I think Skylar isn't so much jarred by her husband's ability to lie with ease as she is that she is all in at this point. She got pushed into a corner and she decided what side she was going to take and now she has helped Walt threaten her own family with some really twisted lies. She is a full-on criminal now and she knows it and is blown away by it.

And, that confession tape is just...devastating. I honestly don't see how Hank bounces back in any way. Jesse could scream to the Heavens that Walt is Hiesenberg and he can paint it on the walls and it still doesn't matter. The only person that can save Hank is Skylar. She would have to come forward and admit she was an accomplice in making the film confession and it is a lie. Barring that, Hank should just retire now and get out. Game over.

I am super curious about Todd now. He admires Walt so much he wants to talk to him and get his approval/admiration for the 'change in management' move. He is now what Walt always wanted Jesse to be - a sycophantic sociopath. How this will play into the greater story is a mystery to me...but, I'm dying to see it.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Just finished watching this week's episode.

You know, just when you think the writers of this show couldn't
be more brilliant, they pull off yet another plot twist, that as it
unfolds, you just sit there and think "Holy Shit!"For Walt to make that kind of confession is just pure genius.
In fact, what makes it more genius is that all the elements of
the money used to pay Hanks medical bills come so perfectly
into play. It's as if the writers knew then what the eventual
confession would entail, though I doubt that was actually the case.

I am still sitting here totally dumbfounded by how perfect that
confession was and how it changes everything for the moment.

Now I have a question for all of you guys and it does contain
spoiler information so don't read any further if you have yet to
see this week's episode...

I have forgotten some things....obviously.

Spoiler

I knew Walt hid a ricin cigarette in hopes of using it (I think)
against Gus Fring.

I was totally lost in the last 5 minutes of the episode. Jesse
is searching his pockets. He pulls out the pack of cigarettes.
How does he come to the conclusion that Walt was involved
in poisoning his girlfriend's kid?

It just seemed like a sudden revelation and I am not certain how
it all went down and how the pack of cigarettes triggered it.

 

[TravisR]

Spoiler

I knew Walt hid a ricin cigarette in hopes of using it (I think)
against Gus Fring.

I was totally lost in the last 5 minutes of the episode. Jesse
is searching his pockets. He pulls out the pack of cigarettes.
How does he come to the conclusion that Walt was involved
in poisoning his girlfriend's kid?

It just seemed like a sudden revelation and I am not certain how
it all went down and how the pack of cigarettes triggered it.

When he was waiting to get picked up, Jesse realized that Huell had grabbed his marijuana when Jesse bumped into him as walked past (with Huell saying "Excuse me!"). Between that and seeing his cigarette pack, he came to the conclusion that Huell and Saul had pulled the same scheme to get the ricin cigarette away from him at the end of S4. Apparently, Huell is a master pickpocket.


EDIT: And on an unrelated topic, am I crazy or was the opening with Todd and his Uncle Jack something of a homage to Pulp Fiction?

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Travis,

Okay, got it. I had forgotten how those events went down in S4 and
how they lured that Ricin cigarette away from him.

As for the Pulp Fiction tribute, that's an interesting theory. Could be
exactly that.

 

[ScottH]

A lot of people on the nets are complaining about Jesse's revelation and how quickly the light went on for him. I was kind of in that camp until I read this blog post about the details involving the ricin/lily of the valley: http://goo.gl/PN6cgB

 

[Greg_S_H]

Since we know the house doesn't get torched, Junior will probably show up with Holly. We know Jesse doesn't like to hurt kids.

 

[joshEH]

It would have been funny if Walt Jr. was just sitting there at the table eating breakfast when Jesse broke down the door and came rampaging in with the gasoline.

 

[Greg_S_H]

The one thing I would dispute with that ricin write up--with the understanding that I have trouble remembering things I watched over a year ago--is the idea that Walt used the lily of the valley because he didn't want Brock to have no chance to recover. My understanding at the time was that Walt hoped Jesse would automatically believe Gus had done it. If he hadn't, he could have produced the ricin capsule to prove he wasn't involved. Using the lily got him what he wanted while leaving no way to connect him to the poisoning.

Also, I've seen some saying they can't wait until Jesse finds out about Jane. I don't think he ever should. The only way he would is if Walt decides to gloat, but I'm fine with that being something only we and Walt know.

 

[TravisR]

The one thing I would dispute with that ricin write up--with the understanding that I have trouble remembering things I watched over a year ago--is the idea that Walt used the lily of the valley because he didn't want Brock to have no chance to recover. My understanding at the time was that Walt hoped Jesse would automatically believe Gus had done it. If he hadn't, he could have produced the ricin capsule to prove he wasn't involved. Using the lily got him what he wanted while leaving no way to connect him to the poisoning.

Since the audience didn't see Walt's planning, it's pretty open to interpretation but I don't think Walt intended for Jesse to pin it on Gus. I think he intended for it to work out pretty much the way that it did where Jesse blames Walt (since he's the only other person who knows about the ricin), Walt convinces him otherwise and they ally against Gus. Had Walt just used the Lilly and not taken the ricin, Brock probably would have died because he wasn't being treated for a poisoning until Jesse mentioned the ricin.

Also, I've seen some saying they can't wait until Jesse finds out about Jane. I don't think he ever should. The only way he would is if Walt decides to gloat, but I'm fine with that being something only we and Walt know.

Agreed. I'm fine with Jesse finding out (like you said, Walt could gloat or even confess) but I like the idea of some of Walt's deeds remaining a secret. Plus, how much more of a freak out can Jesse have against Walt at this point?

 

[mattCR]

That huge left-turn that the show took with Walt's "confession" was one of the craziest plot-twists I've ever seen, but I wonder if we're gonna look back and view it as over-the-top cartoonish years from now, as we let this show marinate. As of right now, I doubt it, and I still have to let this episode digest, but at least in the moment, that was one mind-blowing hour of TV.I'm wondering if the reason that Skyler looked so catatonic in the later car-wash scenes was that she had been standing behind the video camera and watched Walt's "confession," and just realized the absolute depth of her husband's lack of morality, and total ability for deceit. Of course, she knew, and had some experience with it, but this was one of Walt's lowest non-killing, non-poisoning moments ever in the series.

I must be in the minority because I didn't see it as a huge left turn at all. I know a lot of people did, but it always seemed like the obvious way for him to solve this problem was to pin it on Hank, I figured that was obvious after Hank & Marie took the money last season. I had thought we were heading that direction earlier when he started to plan bugs on Hank as a way to time it out. I didn't think it would happen in the video format like it did, but I guess as someone who loved "The Shield" it stuck me as the way it would go, which is why several of us thought Walt was setting to go down the Mackey way.. and this was the first big step to that.

To me the scene that really worked was that slow realization about the Ricin cigarette. You could see it turn from acceptance to just outright rage, and it was a great way to end the episode.