Just finished Season 3, it's a fecking awesome show.
Television Breaking Bad
- Thread starter Burndogg
- Start date
Armchair I'd be careful because there's a lot of stuff being discussed currently that'll ruin what happens next!
Yeah I don't ever dare venture into these threads until I'm fully caught up.
I know, I know, I skimming very quickly.
I forgot about thatthanks for bringing that up and reminding me
Mike didn't deserve to die like that.
Edit: Probably best to have spoilered that as there are people that haven't seen it.
Good call, spoilered.
It was brutal, up there with 'the bad thing' in Dexter.
Haven't seen dexter myself, from what I've been told ill end up hating it so I'm going to give it a miss.
I miss west wing, no one had to die in that. Except for one person
but it wasn't helped from the fact that he died in real life.I would say
Jesse and Walt will both be dead by the end of the show.
Those talking about the 'other' GB, I thought similar myself, but the handwriting's identical.
Also, I'm sure I read that a main character does die, although I may have just made that up.
Also, I'm sure I read that a main character does die, although I may have just made that up.
As for the writers inserting several unrealistic scenes and expecting the viewers to just "accept" them, how about Hank going for a dump in the en-suite of Walter and Skylar's bedroom? Why on earth would he go to drop a log in there when they have the main house bathroom just down the hall?
Nonsense.
Nonsense.
I think
Either Skylar or Jr will die, because we haven't seen Walt have to deal with anything like that yet so it makes sense they'd do it because of how powerful it would be. Walt dealing with Skylars death would be particularly interesting.
Then Walt will probably die. I can't see how they can end it any other way. He might walk off into the distance but it'd seem a bit open ended that way.
The thing is they can really take it any way they want. They could have Jesse die and we'd all feel sorry for him because he's a decent person deep down and could potentially lead a normal life. They could also have Jesse live and leave us wondering whether he sorted himself out or wasted away on drugs. Both would be as good as the other really, story-wise.
Then Walt will probably die. I can't see how they can end it any other way. He might walk off into the distance but it'd seem a bit open ended that way.
The thing is they can really take it any way they want. They could have Jesse die and we'd all feel sorry for him because he's a decent person deep down and could potentially lead a normal life. They could also have Jesse live and leave us wondering whether he sorted himself out or wasted away on drugs. Both would be as good as the other really, story-wise.
I didn't notice that. Maybe someone else was using it?
In fairness, that does seem like a Hank thing to do 
Bored of a life he only just decided to return to? Nah, that's ludicrous.
Like I said it's only a minor quibble and I completely get the reasons for it and what it shows us about his character and ego.
Re: people dying.
Surely he has to lose someone really close to him? That would make the most sense. He's dying of cancer anyway and he's not suffered anything like Jesse has at times. It makes sense for him to have to lose someone close to him in order for there to be some kind of realization on his part of what he's become. After all, he did it for his family in the first place.
If I had to guess, I'd say that Skylar will end up dead, as will Walt and Marie and Hank will end up looking after the kids.
If I had to guess, I'd say that Skylar will end up dead, as will Walt and Marie and Hank will end up looking after the kids.
I'm not looking forward to Jesse finding out everything either. That's gonna be....interesting....bitch.
I tell you what did make me laugh. When Walt
Such a goofball.
And actually now that I think of it, it does kind of make more sense of him leaving the book in his shitter.
shoots Mike and then comes out with "You know I just realised I could've got the list from Lydia"
Such a goofball.And actually now that I think of it, it does kind of make more sense of him leaving the book in his shitter.
OK. I have gotten through four seasons of this in about 4 weeks, which in itself says a lot about how enjoyable this show is. Breaking Bad is unquestionably entertaining but I can't work out how it has attained a 9.4 rating on IMDB.
For me, this show is like the Con Air of TV series. It is action packed and entertaining, but it is absolutely bloody ridiculous! I thought that it was developing exceptionally well until the end of season 2. I found the moment when Walt let Jane die especially poignant, it really emphasised that the dark world he had slipped into had started to become him. Then they had to follow it up with the fanciful extravagance that was the plane crash. I felt the writers were trying to be clever by tying everything in, by emphasising the devastating cause and effect of Walt's actions, but it felt like a step into the absurd for me.
Season 3 & 4 really descended into implausible event after implausible event, there are too many to mention. Then you had Tuco's ridiculous cousins. They were absolutely laughable going round with that silver axe and their shoes with skulls and bones on them. I laughed out loud with incredulity in season 4 when Hector Salamanca returned to the old folks home from the police station and Walt just popped out of his toilet ready to rig his wheelchair with a bomb. Walt and Jesse would have been caught and killed a thousand times over in real life acting like they do in the series.
Then you have Hank. A man who happens to be the best detective in New Mexico whilst also being the worst detective in the world. With his skills he should have been suspecting Walt in S1 when the stuff was stolen from the meth lab and Walt started acting weird.
I just feel that this show could have been something really special. All the absurd events just kill any tension for me, you know that something ridiculous is always going to happen to save Walt and Jesse.
I guess season 5 is the money maker because some bad and final things are going to have to happen.
For me, this show is like the Con Air of TV series. It is action packed and entertaining, but it is absolutely bloody ridiculous! I thought that it was developing exceptionally well until the end of season 2. I found the moment when Walt let Jane die especially poignant, it really emphasised that the dark world he had slipped into had started to become him. Then they had to follow it up with the fanciful extravagance that was the plane crash. I felt the writers were trying to be clever by tying everything in, by emphasising the devastating cause and effect of Walt's actions, but it felt like a step into the absurd for me.
Season 3 & 4 really descended into implausible event after implausible event, there are too many to mention. Then you had Tuco's ridiculous cousins. They were absolutely laughable going round with that silver axe and their shoes with skulls and bones on them. I laughed out loud with incredulity in season 4 when Hector Salamanca returned to the old folks home from the police station and Walt just popped out of his toilet ready to rig his wheelchair with a bomb. Walt and Jesse would have been caught and killed a thousand times over in real life acting like they do in the series.
Then you have Hank. A man who happens to be the best detective in New Mexico whilst also being the worst detective in the world. With his skills he should have been suspecting Walt in S1 when the stuff was stolen from the meth lab and Walt started acting weird.
I just feel that this show could have been something really special. All the absurd events just kill any tension for me, you know that something ridiculous is always going to happen to save Walt and Jesse.
I guess season 5 is the money maker because some bad and final things are going to have to happen.
The absurdities are part of its stylistic charm, without them the show wouldn't be what it is. It certainly wouldn't as entertaining as it is.
To answer your point about Hank and Walt - don't forget, everyone assumed that he went mental thanks to getting cancer.
And it's not like he's escaped all of the dramas which come with the lifestyle, his family life for example has fallen apart.
To answer your point about Hank and Walt - don't forget, everyone assumed that he went mental thanks to getting cancer.
And it's not like he's escaped all of the dramas which come with the lifestyle, his family life for example has fallen apart.
Yeah lets just have Walt be caught in the first season. Show is done. Yay!
I never said that he should have been caught. There are a thousand ways that the missing apparatus could have been resolved rather than Hank chalking it down to being a bit of a mystery.
Didn't they blame it on the janitor when they caught him in possession of some sort of drug?
I thought he stole the equipment from a school lab?
Stuff goes missing from schools all the time.
Stuff goes missing from schools all the time.
Oh yeah, I forgot about him. Didn't he already have drug-related convictions too?
I think it's widely accepted that the plane crash was a misstep. I generally caveat it when I'm encouraging people to watch BB. "Season 2 ends a bit stupidly, but stick with it!"
They did blame it on the janitor, though he had no meth history if I remember correctly. Hank shows himself to be super sharp throughout the show, except where Walt is concerned, where he is dumb as feck. There was the issue of keys. No forced entry and Walt was one of the few people to have keys.
It gets crazy stupid and implausible in S3 & S4 IMO. It is great entertainment but very silly. Which is why it doesn't quite make top tier for me.
I'd agree with you about the cousins. Objectively, they were cartoon.
Since when is realism a prerequisite for great television?
No on is saying it's as good as the wire, but it's widely accepted that it's in the top 5 TV shows of all time.
No on is saying it's as good as the wire, but it's widely accepted that it's in the top 5 TV shows of all time.
It isn't for everyone. I am expressing my personal opinion.
It has the same rating on IMDB as The Wire.
I agree in principle (with Silva) but the cousins were pretty shit characters in fairness. They had no personalities or plausible motivations. They were just mute evil Terminators in cool boots who - naturally - couldn't shoot the main characters very well.
I don't remotely mind the excesses of season 3 or 4 though. I think 4's finale is the greatest TV season finale ever, personally.
I don't remotely mind the excesses of season 3 or 4 though. I think 4's finale is the greatest TV season finale ever, personally.
Who cares about IMDB's fecking rating. It means literally nothing, subjectively speaking.
And IMO consistency is more important than realism, if the characters and stories remain constant with the development making sense then it's good. That applies to Breaking Bad - within the context of the Breaking Bad universe and the characters and stories we've been presented with everything does make sense - even if it is incredibly over the top.
And IMO consistency is more important than realism, if the characters and stories remain constant with the development making sense then it's good. That applies to Breaking Bad - within the context of the Breaking Bad universe and the characters and stories we've been presented with everything does make sense - even if it is incredibly over the top.
The Twins were quite important to the narrative to be fair, given how Gus used them.
IMDB ratings are a good indication of public opinion on the matter, no more no less. 200K votes is a decent sample.
I just prefer, for a show that is set in reality, a greater sense of plausibility. I really like the show but I fall a little short of loving it.
Who'd have thought that a TV show about a meek high school chemistry teacher finding out he has cancer and deciding to cook meth would have ridiculous story elements.
Yeah, devoid of any character but important in Gus' power politics with Bolsa. The end of Season 2 did piss me off, really thought Walt or his family were going to run into some trouble but it was a fecking plane crash.
To be honest the whole show is implausible as feck. A pussy Chemistry teacher dying from cancer becoming a ruthless, meth manufacturer. That's the thing about stories though, it's not so much the realism of what's happening but what the writers are trying to convey. Breaking Bad is brilliant at that, obviously you don't want ridiculous levels of artistic licence but it doesn't hurt. On a complete tangent Saul Goodman is a fantastic character.
The show was a one sentence pitch, by the way. The showrunner just said, "I want to take a chemistry teacher and turn him into Lex Luthor." And they bought the show.
It's not supposed to be plausible. It's just entertainment
It's not supposed to be plausible. It's just entertainment
I can understand that people question inconsistency when it comes to realism in a show like Breaking Bad. The cousins were very over the top and fiction-like compared to the rest of the story arcs. Nowt wrong with thinking that took a bit away from the viewer experience. I personally didnt mind, but I can see the argument.
The plane crash, as Ive said several times before, is by far the worst part of the series for me.
Found this on Breaking Bad wiki:
Make of it what you will.
In interviews for the final 8 episodes, the cast and crew have said several things stating that this episode begins a downfall that you won't want to miss
Make of it what you will.
I thought that much was obvious, given how season 5 started. - Walt in that cafe (or diner? (sp? for the americans)) getting a new identity.
You should explain what the spoiler is.
Edited
I meant for coolredwine. If you are getting something from an interview, some people might not want to know about it.
Jesse killing Walt is the obvious ending, or at least part of it. I guess that they should do something different then.
A chemistry teacher cooking crystal meth is not implausible BTW. Many seemingly normal people have become embroiled in criminal activities of all types.
A chemistry teacher cooking crystal meth is not implausible BTW. Many seemingly normal people have become embroiled in criminal activities of all types.