TV: Breaking Bad

[Mecca]

Good question posed by The New York Times:

But the show never fully spelled out why Walt broke away from Gretchen and Elliott in the first place.

There were hints throughout the series. On several occasions, Walt accused them of cheating him out of his share; that bitterness seemingly helped steer him into his life of crime. But it wasn’t clear that his version was correct -- in an episode where they confront each other at a restaurant, Gretchen said that Walt left her without any explanation. And the true story never came out.

“Breaking Bad” brilliantly tracked Walt’s transformation from teacher to criminal mastermind. But it’s still a mystery why that talented chemist turned his back on fame and fortune and became a humble high school chemistry teacher. That is one secret Walter White took to the grave.

I know in those flashback scenes between a young Walt & Skyler that Walt was ambitious and confident, but it makes you wonder why he gave up that particular path with Grey Matter.

I thought he was bought out because of Elliot/Gretchen and because he needed the money because skylar was pregnant. I feel like that was answered in the show.

[BDB]

that was a little underwhelming.

i think it feels underwhelming because there were no big surprises or twists in this one - which i was expecting at least one based on how this show has been built.

it did a good job with complete closure. however i am still hung up on them not checking the trunk of the cadillac.

[@SkitchP]

Why would they check the trunk? They didnt really search the car either.

[Jorge]

that was a little underwhelming.

It did what it needed to do and tied up all the necessary loose ends with a blaze of glory.

I can get why you'd feel that way after the last half a dozen episodes. It did feel a bit obvious but I'm still pretty comfortable with it personally.

I liked how they set it up. It felt like most of the emotionally involved/complex stuff was resolved in the last couple of episodes (Hank's death, Walt and Jesse serving out their penances, Walt Jr. finding out, Skyler throwing down the gauntlet, etc) which allowed for the denouement to be pretty much all catharsis. Based on the last episode, we all knew the basics of how this would play out, but it was satisfying to see. There weren't many twists and turns, but it felt right. As Stip would put it, it felt earned.

[BDB]

Why would they check the trunk? They didnt really search the car either.

he did a visual inside the car, looked around, while commenting on the engine. checking the trunk would be fairly standard protocol for a vehicle check when there could be some risk of bomb or explosives. obviously the arians were planning on killing him, and they patted him down knowing walt could very well be trying something to revenge hank's death and/or get his money back.

[broken iris]

Two very minor nitpicks:

Why would the Aryans give a shit that Walt called them liars right before they were about to kill him? Seemed a bit forced.

Jesse's driving away scene was a bit too reminiscent of him in the Need for Speed trailer from one of the commercial breaks. Almost felt like product placement.


Raves:

Walt's goodbye to his kids. Perfectly done, especially watching Walt Jr from a distance
Marie still trying to "get" Walt
Cranston's withered appearance. He looked like he was dying of cancer.
Jack's futile bargaining with the money ended just like Walt's did

[@SkitchP]

Why would they check the trunk? They didnt really search the car either.

he did a visual inside the car, looked around, while commenting on the engine. checking the trunk would be fairly standard protocol for a vehicle check when there could be some risk of bomb or explosives. obviously the arians were planning on killing him, and they patted him down knowing walt could very well be trying something to revenge hank's death and/or get his money back.

A quick glance inside the car hardly qualifies as an inspection. They didnt check under the seats either. I got no sense there was an actual "vehicle check" implied. And if he was there to kill them, he would have just driven a bomb into the building. Parking a POS car with a giant machine gun set up to robo fire in the trunk probably just didn't occur to them for some reason. The aryans, as far as they were concerned had no real reason to fear Walt.

[Jorge]

Jack's futile bargaining with the money ended just like Walt's did

Yeah, I loved that. Walt killed him mid-sentence, like Jack killed Hank. Except Hank stood his ground. Jack bartered for his life.

[Soma.]

Jesse's driving away scene was a bit too reminiscent of him in the Need for Speed trailer from one of the commercial breaks. Almost felt like product placement.

This was hilarious in a way and I stopped giving a shit once I saw it. I knew Walt was fucked.

[@SkitchP]

Why would the Aryans give a shit that Walt called them liars right before they were about to kill him? Seemed a bit forced.

This one I agree with. Jack, in his parting discussion with Walter when they killed Hank, actually did agree to kill Jesse and seemed to show a sense of duty to do so.. and then didn't. I can't see why he would be so offended that Walt called him on it.

[spike]

Why would the Aryans give a shit that Walt called them liars right before they were about to kill him? Seemed a bit forced.

This one I agree with. Jack, in his parting discussion with Walter when they killed Hank, actually did agree to kill Jesse and seemed to show a sense of duty to do so.. and then didn't. I can't see why he would be so offended that Walt called him on it.

yeah, it was a pretty glaring plot device just to get jesse into the room.

[Jorge]

It was, but this show is no stranger to those. Everything always seems to fall into place during Walt's Batman Gambits.

[@SkitchP]

Why would the Aryans give a shit that Walt called them liars right before they were about to kill him? Seemed a bit forced.

This one I agree with. Jack, in his parting discussion with Walter when they killed Hank, actually did agree to kill Jesse and seemed to show a sense of duty to do so.. and then didn't. I can't see why he would be so offended that Walt called him on it.

yeah, it was a pretty glaring plot device just to get jesse into the room.

Yeah, but it would have worked just as well to have Jack say...

"you're right walt. A mans only as good as his word. we'll kill him right in front of you"

[griffinxi]

that was a little underwhelming.

It did what it needed to do and tied up all the necessary loose ends with a blaze of glory.

I can get why you'd feel that way after the last half a dozen episodes. It did feel a bit obvious but I'm still pretty comfortable with it personally.

I liked how they set it up. It felt like most of the emotionally involved/complex stuff was resolved in the last couple of episodes (Hank's death, Walt and Jesse serving out their penances, Walt Jr. finding out, Skyler throwing down the gauntlet, etc) which allowed for the denouement to be pretty much all catharsis. Based on the last episode, we all knew the basics of how this would play out, but it was satisfying to see. There weren't many twists and turns, but it felt right. As Stip would put it, it felt earned.

Completely agree. For all the heavy artillery, this was a pretty quiet and inevitable conclusion, and utterly satisfying to me. The bluster and fire had all been used up-- I loved, loved, loved how many times the cinematography revealed Walt to be in a room I had no reason to expect he was in, like he was this weary, strangely irresistible force. And how lucky he was in the whole approach to tying up his loose ends-- the cops leaving the car untouched; the keys falling out of the visor, the undercover cops failing to notice him-- the seas parted for Walter. I don't know if you read into that as A) His final run at this thing was justified/ordained, or B) He was an irresistible force of ego; if he wanted it, he took it, and nothing could stop him.

A writer online had tried to tie the uncertainty principle back into the theme here, which I'm a fan of-- the act of trying to measure Walter changes Walter. Whenever he gets written off or seemingly put in his place without any options, he starts moving in new directions. It was only in Granite State-- in isolation, unobserved-- that you started to see that veneer coming off; and then Gretchen and Elliot write him off, and he alters his course. The way he slowly resolved into scenes he was not expected to be in-- brilliant directing.

Really going to miss this show. It will be a while before something hits me like this again, if ever.

[spike]

Why would the Aryans give a shit that Walt called them liars right before they were about to kill him? Seemed a bit forced.

This one I agree with. Jack, in his parting discussion with Walter when they killed Hank, actually did agree to kill Jesse and seemed to show a sense of duty to do so.. and then didn't. I can't see why he would be so offended that Walt called him on it.

yeah, it was a pretty glaring plot device just to get jesse into the room.

Yeah, but it would have worked just as well to have Jack say...

"you're right walt. A mans only as good as his word. we'll kill him right in front of you"

totally.

[mf]

2 episodes ago i hated Walt and was eagerly awaiting his inevitable epic death scene, and by last night i was full on rooting for him again. that was the twist for me. the rest played out more or less as expected but the fact that i was once again empathizing with Walt came as a surprise.

[griffinxi]

Why would the Aryans give a shit that Walt called them liars right before they were about to kill him? Seemed a bit forced.

This one I agree with. Jack, in his parting discussion with Walter when they killed Hank, actually did agree to kill Jesse and seemed to show a sense of duty to do so.. and then didn't. I can't see why he would be so offended that Walt called him on it.

yeah, it was a pretty glaring plot device just to get jesse into the room.

Yeah, but it would have worked just as well to have Jack say...

"you're right walt. A mans only as good as his word. we'll kill him right in front of you"

totally.

I can see your point, except that I don't see Jack being so malleable as to volunteer to kill their prize meth slave at Walt's insinuation; so having him trot out his prize to gloat before offing Walt seems less of a narrative risk, even if you have to stretch a bit.

[@SkitchP]

Why would the Aryans give a shit that Walt called them liars right before they were about to kill him? Seemed a bit forced.

This one I agree with. Jack, in his parting discussion with Walter when they killed Hank, actually did agree to kill Jesse and seemed to show a sense of duty to do so.. and then didn't. I can't see why he would be so offended that Walt called him on it.

yeah, it was a pretty glaring plot device just to get jesse into the room.

Yeah, but it would have worked just as well to have Jack say...

"you're right walt. A mans only as good as his word. we'll kill him right in front of you"

totally.

I can see your point, except that I don't see Jack being so malleable as to kill their prize meth slave at Walt's insinuation; so having him trot out his prize to gloat before offing Walt seems less of a narrative risk, even if you have to stretch a bit.

Jack didn't really care that much about keeping Jesse alive- and said as much. He kept him alive at Todds request. he was todds prize, not jacks.

[griffinxi]

Why would the Aryans give a shit that Walt called them liars right before they were about to kill him? Seemed a bit forced.

This one I agree with. Jack, in his parting discussion with Walter when they killed Hank, actually did agree to kill Jesse and seemed to show a sense of duty to do so.. and then didn't. I can't see why he would be so offended that Walt called him on it.

yeah, it was a pretty glaring plot device just to get jesse into the room.

Yeah, but it would have worked just as well to have Jack say...

"you're right walt. A mans only as good as his word. we'll kill him right in front of you"

totally.

I can see your point, except that I don't see Jack being so malleable as to kill their prize meth slave at Walt's insinuation; so having him trot out his prize to gloat before offing Walt seems less of a narrative risk, even if you have to stretch a bit.

Jack didn't really care that much about keeping Jesse alive- and said as much. He kept him alive at Todds request. he was todds prize, not jacks.

True, you're right-- but in that case, I guess honoring Todd's wishes (to get in w/ Lydia) would've kept Jack from popping Jesse in the finale the same as it did in the previous episode. I don't think offering to kill Jesse would've been consistent w/ Jack's character so far, but taking some umbrage to being called a liar/ a cheat might've.

[broken iris]

Why would they check the trunk? They didnt really search the car either.

he did a visual inside the car, looked around, while commenting on the engine. checking the trunk would be fairly standard protocol for a vehicle check when there could be some risk of bomb or explosives. obviously the arians were planning on killing him, and they patted him down knowing walt could very well be trying something to revenge hank's death and/or get his money back.

A quick glance inside the car hardly qualifies as an inspection. They didnt check under the seats either. I got no sense there was an actual "vehicle check" implied. And if he was there to kill them, he would have just driven a bomb into the building. Parking a POS car with a giant machine gun set up to robo fire in the trunk probably just didn't occur to them for some reason. The aryans, as far as they were concerned had no real reason to fear Walt.

I have a tendency to read too much into things, but I think this is key. He wasn't Heisenberg to them anymore, he was Walter White the cancer-stricken high school science teacher. They commented on his hair to point out their perceptual difference. We the audience see Walt for what he is and what he is capable of, the Aryans did not.