The final season of The Wire was awful. Absolutely pointless, annoying, retarded garbage.
Television Breaking Bad
- Thread starter Burndogg
- Start date
Slight overreaction.
Yep, I thought it was a disaster. I remember almost giving up on it, that's how bad it was.
You're both retarded. The end of The Wire was perfect. The season may not have been, but the character arcs and resolutions were.
It's a tough one to call (between 4 and 5 of BB) I genuinely think it could be 5. I think these last run of episodes have been the most consistent string in the whole run and the highest water mark I've ever seen a show end on (I still think the Wire is a better show for it's scope and what it attempted to do, but that's a different conversation) But whichever one you fall on, 4 and 5 will have been the best series of the show, and considering the cavalcade of shows that start well and then trail off, to keep getting better right until the end is a remarkable achievement.
It's a tough one to call (between 4 and 5 of BB) I genuinely think it could be 5. I think these last run of episodes have been the most consistent string in the whole run and the highest water mark I've ever seen a show end on (I still think the Wire is a better show for it's scope and what it attempted to do, but that's a different conversation) But whichever one you fall on, 4 and 5 will have been the best series of the show, and considering the cavalcade of shows that start well and then trail off, to keep getting better right until the end is a remarkable achievement.
I probably need to wait for the finale first, personally I think these seven episodes could easily have been ten and at times it was just a little too rushed for it to be perfect. 4 on the other hand just had perfect pacing throughout with an absolutely incredible climax. It's going to be hard for the finale to top Face Off.
I thought Face Off could've actually been the end to the whole thing at the time and I would've been completely satisfied.
Looking back on it now though, so much more has happened that needed to in the arc of the whole show.
Looking back on it now though, so much more has happened that needed to in the arc of the whole show.
I know people who actually stopped watching after Face Off because they thought it ended it so well. I keep trying to convince them what they're missing.
feck me, what an episode. Every minute was excellent. As many have mentioned, Walt's phone call to Flynn and his begging for Arthur Petrelli to stay was heart-wrenching. Most of all was watching Jesse see Andrea get shot. That really took the biscuit.
I think it's interesting to draw a parallel between Walt's and Jesse's living situation in this episode. Both were effectively imprisoned, with Walt away from civilisation and Jesse in his cell. We saw a little bit of the Jesse of old with his escape attempt (wasn't it the first episode he escaped the DEA raid?)
I really hope Walt loses his shit and just takes every man and his dog out. Go out in a blaze of glory!
I think it's interesting to draw a parallel between Walt's and Jesse's living situation in this episode. Both were effectively imprisoned, with Walt away from civilisation and Jesse in his cell. We saw a little bit of the Jesse of old with his escape attempt (wasn't it the first episode he escaped the DEA raid?)
I really hope Walt loses his shit and just takes every man and his dog out. Go out in a blaze of glory!
Bullshit.
Hard to say how well paced 5 is with that season gap and having to wait every week for an episode as I guess most on this thread are not used to.
I remember thinking this last 8 was quite slow to get going actually.
I remember thinking the first 8 of 5 were a bit underwhelming, but I think this may have just been, as you say, the comedown from binge watching. When I think back on what actually happened - the train heist, everything with Mike, the pest-tent cooking solution etc - there were some cracking episodes.
The second ep of 5A which kind of focused on Mike was absolutely brilliant.
I can't compare S5(b) with any other part of the show. Everything seemed to build up to the end of S4 where Walt finally disposed of Gus, and as Mockney said, that could've been the end. Walt wins, he's wealthy, he quits, everyone goes their separate ways. But then there was the weird gap for 5a, which was a significant dip in quality IMO and seemed to be more about cooking meth and getting methylamine and dealing with a lot of political stuff. Then 5b comes along and it's a different show. It's not about anything it once was. The main cast have just imploded. Hank wants to get Walt, then Skyler. Jesse becomes scared of Walt and turns to Hank. Then it's about Walt killing Jesse. There's no meth involved in this, it's just a case of 'let's end this with as many deaths as possible'. It's almost like comparing footballers of different generations to me. It's just too different to draw the similarities.
I almost agree with you Liam.
The last few episodes have been movie quality. Well, back when movies were good, quality. Ridiculously cinematic and emotive. The start of 5 was slow, but then it had to build back up entirely from the end of 4. I have criticisms of 5, Jesse has gone grossly underused, parts that shoul have had an entire season developing barely had an episode. It's all the more remarkable though what they have done in 4 or so episodes.
The last few episodes have been movie quality. Well, back when movies were good, quality. Ridiculously cinematic and emotive. The start of 5 was slow, but then it had to build back up entirely from the end of 4. I have criticisms of 5, Jesse has gone grossly underused, parts that shoul have had an entire season developing barely had an episode. It's all the more remarkable though what they have done in 4 or so episodes.
Mike, one of my favourite characters from the entire show and normally a fountain of knowledge, has got it spectacularly wrong about the Nazis.
"Nothing to worry about. They're just flexing."
"Nothing to worry about. They're just flexing."
You should rewatch it. A lot of it is laughable.
Mike, one of my favourite characters from the entire show and normally a fountain of knowledge, has got it spectacularly wrong about the Nazis.
"Nothing to worry about. They're just flexing."
YupMike, one of my favourite characters from the entire show and normally a fountain of knowledge, has got it spectacularly wrong about the Nazis.
"Nothing to worry about. They're just flexing."
I don't really see how it's a "complete different show". The first part of season 5 is about Walt continuing his ascent, his empire and being the top man in the meth game. The second part is where it all comes crumbling down, the consequences to his actions which he's long avoided. According to Gilligan the show's overriding theme is actions have consequences so to have Walt go out on top at season 4 wouldn't really have made any sense to that, likewise as a character its unlikely he'd even wanted to have stopped having lost all his money.
I know what you're saying but from episode one to the end of 5a it's been Walt building his empire. Now the show's gone full circle and everything's collapsed.
I've been feeling more optimistic about Walt surviving this, but as you said, Vince Gilligan has said it's about actions having consequences and it could feel like a cop out if he survives.
It will be. And he won't.
It definitely has been a different show in 5b though. Well, a different kind of show. The "fallout" has meant a lot of the usual tropes we've been used to for 5 and a half seasons have been dropped. There's no cooking, no montages, no "bitches", no breakfasts, no family pretences, no ingenious escapes. It's been a different approach.
It definitely has been a different show in 5b though. Well, a different kind of show. The "fallout" has meant a lot of the usual tropes we've been used to for 5 and a half seasons have been dropped. There's no cooking, no montages, no "bitches", no breakfasts, no family pretences, no ingenious escapes. It's been a different approach.
I can't remember what the first scene of breaking bad was. Thankfully I trust breaking bad to not follow lost and do a literal full circle.
It would be quite poetic if Walt was strangled by some druggy though.
It would be quite poetic if Walt was strangled by some druggy though.
Walt's trousers flying through the air.
The last thing you do before you die is evacuate your bowels. It could happen.
The last thing you do before you die is evacuate your bowels. It could happen.
The Wire taught me that. And this is why The Wire is better than BB.
I don think he has to die.
If he somehow managed to clean up the shit he caused Skyler, Fleen and Jesse and properly and was then left (or ambiguously disappeared) and was seen to be living out his last days miserable but satisfied that he had completed his initial aim of leaving his family in a better off position then I don't think the viewer would be left unsatisfied?
Especially if he manages to use his genius to take down Lydia, Todd and the Nazis in a "triumphant" way.
If he somehow managed to clean up the shit he caused Skyler, Fleen and Jesse and properly and was then left (or ambiguously disappeared) and was seen to be living out his last days miserable but satisfied that he had completed his initial aim of leaving his family in a better off position then I don't think the viewer would be left unsatisfied?
Especially if he manages to use his genius to take down Lydia, Todd and the Nazis in a "triumphant" way.
Someone needs to drop a nuke on Flynn.
He's only pissed off because he found out his dad is a Cereal killer.
(Has that one been done yet?)
Whatever your opinion of Walt, dramatically that would be unsatisfying. If you're leaving him living out his final days dying of cancer, why not just show him die? It's the final episode in the story of Walter White. That'd be very unfinal. Like leaving Hank's plotline in the middle of the shootout.
Because he'd be in the same position as when he was at the doctors and they told him he was going to die, when he realised that he had nothing to leave his family. After everything he'd been through, it's be poetic if he went through all that shit and found himself in exactly the same position, just a bit different. Or if he went though all that and his plan worked one way or another.
Of course it's highly unlikely to happen like that, although I think the programmes strength is how it pulls your guts out with entirely realistic and unsatisfying deaths for people (Gus aside). Hank, Mike, Jane, Andrea and so many others. No matter how big or small a role, they treat it realistically. Is Walt really an all guns blazing guy?
So bad it's good.Brilliant episode.
I love how they make characters with such small parts become interesting and significant within the show, the guy giving Walt a new identity was very good.
I love how they make characters with such small parts become interesting and significant within the show, the guy giving Walt a new identity was very good.
Anyone doubting that Walt Jnr has to die should now be reaffirmed. Come back Vato, all is forgiven.
Reminded me a lot of Mike.
A man who's seen it all, world weary and just wants a simple life, to make his crust and have no complications, he could see what a hurricane Walt was and just wanted to avoid getting caught up in it.
Just went back to watch the flash forward scene again. No clue any more than what I already had.
Are we going to be shown the flash forwards again, eating up precious minutes? Are we?!
Surely the first scene with WW in will begin either with the last few seconds of the flash forward or just after with him in the car with the big gun.
Funnily enough, when I saw that tea that Todd gave her the first I thought was "ricin".
The show makes you delve into all sorts of baseless guesswork.Just watched it now after holding off all day. That ending...wow. One of the best moments of the entire show. I'm still giddy about it now.
Mike, one of my favourite characters from the entire show and normally a fountain of knowledge, has got it spectacularly wrong about the Nazis.
"Nothing to worry about. They're just flexing."
Nah, Mike would've handled the nazis with no problem. Problem is Walt isn't as awesome as Mike.
I wonder if we'll hear from Saul Goodman in the last episode. What about the amazing Huell ? He's still with that DEA agent ?
?I loved that music. Any idea where from where I could get it?
Walt handled mike