TV: Better Call Saul

[Ms Harmless]

I think he was born into a middle class family but was just kind of a fuck up. To me that's a very sympathetic character.

yes I agree

[Norah]

from the breaking bad fan wiki under Jesse Pinkman's background info:

Jesse Bruce Pinkman was born on September 24, 1984 into an upper middle-class family in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Jesse also met Emilio Koyama in his elementary school. At some point in his early life, Jesse was the drummer in the the band "TwaüghtHammër" with his friends Badger, Paul Tyree, Cheevo, and Anthony.

Jesse attended J. P. Wynne High School and was a poor student, largely due to his inattentiveness and apathy. Jesse first met Walter White in his junior year when Walter was his chemistry teacher. Walter, whom Jesse almost always calls "Mr. White," flunked Jesse in his class. Jesse's mother later recalled that Mr. White really believed in Jesse's abilities.("Grilled") Walt later tells Jesse that he "never thought much" of him, though he did frequently write "Apply Yourself" on Jesse's graded quiz papers and, when meeting Hank Schrader, his mother said "Mr. White must have seen some potential in Jesse, he really tried to motivate him, he was one of the few teachers who cared." In high school, Jesse was already involved in the use, manufacture and distribution of methamphetamine. Despite his poor academic standing, Jesse was able to graduate, with Walt present on stage when he received his diploma. ("El Camino") On Jesse's website, he mentions that he attended "DeVry University data systems management" along with J. P. Wynne High School.

After being forced to leave his parents' residence, presumably because of his continued drug use with the final straw being when he took the blame for the pot his parents found in the house to protect his little brother Jake, Jesse moved in with his Aunt Ginny, whom he took care of until her death from lung cancer. This presumably occurred when Jesse was in high school as the school has his address listed as his aunt's former residence, not his parents'. Afterwards, he was allowed to stay in her home, the ownership of which fell to Jesse's parents. Jesse has been long estranged from his parents due to his drug abuse and its attendant lifestyle. ("Crazy Handful of Nothin'")")​ Jesse gets along with Jake, despite their differences in age and aptitudes, as well as Jesse's spotty rapport with his folks. In fact, Jesse seems to connect extremely well with children in general and avoids exposing them to his own destructive behavior, especially when to do so would be criminally inept and risky.

[Norah]

a fuck up, sure, a piece of shit though? don't think so

[tragabigzanda]

Whenever there's active promotion on the part of somebody else, whenever I see somebody all dolled up for a fancy photograph and someone's handing out flyers or whenever there's active promotion for something like that, as an imposition on my day, I hate all those people and I want them to fail. I have a visceral reaction to advertising and promotion. There's just something about salesmanship that grates on me on a very base level and I react very negatively towards it. I want those people to suffer and I want their enterprises to fail.

[Norah]

There’s like a two season arch where he stumbles around numb while 100 people do hard drugs in his house. He literally throws money at then to get them to stay.

Yes that was his rock bottom.

[Ms Harmless]

I don't think taking drugs is a moral failing; I see addiction and dependence as a disease; Jesse was by that time desperate for human company even if / especially if they fuelled his addiction

I'd forgotten he was in Walter's class

[tragabigzanda]

Whenever there's active promotion on the part of somebody else, whenever I see somebody all dolled up for a fancy photograph and someone's handing out flyers or whenever there's active promotion for something like that, as an imposition on my day, I hate all those people and I want them to fail. I have a visceral reaction to advertising and promotion. There's just something about salesmanship that grates on me on a very base level and I react very negatively towards it. I want those people to suffer and I want their enterprises to fail.

[Ms Harmless]

I don't think taking drugs is a moral failing; I see addiction and dependence as a disease; Jesse was by that time desperate for human company even if / especially if they fuelled his addiction

I'd forgotten he was in Walter's class

I 100% agree on addiction. I don’t in any way connect that to the manufacturing and large scale distribution of hard drugs. That’s a business decision. In some situations it’s understandable; take forever example poor Black kids selling crack. But once you saw Jesse’s familial background, I don’t see how you could be on board with this choice.

I hear that, yep

[Ms Harmless]

I guess I think the start-up was the silly privileged decision of a kid, but once you've been thrown out and made essentially homeless, then my feelings change

[tragabigzanda]

Whenever there's active promotion on the part of somebody else, whenever I see somebody all dolled up for a fancy photograph and someone's handing out flyers or whenever there's active promotion for something like that, as an imposition on my day, I hate all those people and I want them to fail. I have a visceral reaction to advertising and promotion. There's just something about salesmanship that grates on me on a very base level and I react very negatively towards it. I want those people to suffer and I want their enterprises to fail.

[Ms Harmless]

I guess I think the start-up was the silly privileged decision of a kid, but once you've been thrown out and made essentially homeless, then my feelings change

That’s fair. And one criticism I’d give of the show is that the relationship with his family was used more as a plot device than a deep exploration of character. If they had parsed this out more, maybe I’d see it your way.

agreed, for sure

I've worked at a charity for the homeless and saw a lot of "sofa hoppers" like Jesse, I was definitely bringing that experience as a viewer

[Ms Harmless]

apparently these two episodes will be on UK Netflix tomorrow

[spike]

I think they did quite well at the nuance where, yes, Jesse was a POS, but he was still manipulated and exploited by the bigger and more experienced POS (Walt -- I don't mean experienced in crime but certainly experienced in manipulation and abuse); also, Jesse was born into poverty which pushed him into crime, Walter was a bored rich suburbian (the angle that America requires people to spend inhumane amounts on healthcare was a good plot device but didn't make me sympathise with him, I believe he could've found the money somewhere, I don't believe that so much of Jesse)

Man I loved when Walt puts the dollar amount on how much he needs to make in the game before he quits. His decision to keep going was the real heel turn.

absolutely, that's one moment where he realises he's actually enjoying it; something in him already existed to make him the perfect guy for the game; I don't feel like Jesse had the same amount of awareness

this post is a semicolonoscopy!

[Jorge]

Happy Better Call Saul day, everyone

I will probably have to watch both episodes tomorrow during my flight

[spike]

I will prioritize The Batman today.

[VinylGuy]

damn they are putting in it on Netlflix tomorrow

Maybe today at midnight?

[Jorge]

It will go up on international Netflix at midnight Pacific time (that's 4 AM Argentina time)

[Ms Harmless]

I think they did quite well at the nuance where, yes, Jesse was a POS, but he was still manipulated and exploited by the bigger and more experienced POS (Walt -- I don't mean experienced in crime but certainly experienced in manipulation and abuse); also, Jesse was born into poverty which pushed him into crime, Walter was a bored rich suburbian (the angle that America requires people to spend inhumane amounts on healthcare was a good plot device but didn't make me sympathise with him, I believe he could've found the money somewhere, I don't believe that so much of Jesse)

Man I loved when Walt puts the dollar amount on how much he needs to make in the game before he quits. His decision to keep going was the real heel turn.

absolutely, that's one moment where he realises he's actually enjoying it; something in him already existed to make him the perfect guy for the game; I don't feel like Jesse had the same amount of awareness

this post is a semicolonoscopy!

I don't know when but there was a point a few years ago where I made the important decision to only ever use semi-colons for punctuation on social media (or rather, no full-stops / periods); it's generally worked for me

[Mecca]

I think they did quite well at the nuance where, yes, Jesse was a POS, but he was still manipulated and exploited by the bigger and more experienced POS (Walt -- I don't mean experienced in crime but certainly experienced in manipulation and abuse); also, Jesse was born into poverty which pushed him into crime, Walter was a bored rich suburbian (the angle that America requires people to spend inhumane amounts on healthcare was a good plot device but didn't make me sympathise with him, I believe he could've found the money somewhere, I don't believe that so much of Jesse)

Man I loved when Walt puts the dollar amount on how much he needs to make in the game before he quits. His decision to keep going was the real heel turn.

absolutely, that's one moment where he realises he's actually enjoying it; something in him already existed to make him the perfect guy for the game; I don't feel like Jesse had the same amount of awareness

this post is a semicolonoscopy!

I don't know when but there was a point a few years ago where I made the important decision to only ever use semi-colons for punctuation on social media (or rather, no full-stops / periods); it's generally worked for me

“This subject ends when I say it ends”

[Ms Harmless]

I think they did quite well at the nuance where, yes, Jesse was a POS, but he was still manipulated and exploited by the bigger and more experienced POS (Walt -- I don't mean experienced in crime but certainly experienced in manipulation and abuse); also, Jesse was born into poverty which pushed him into crime, Walter was a bored rich suburbian (the angle that America requires people to spend inhumane amounts on healthcare was a good plot device but didn't make me sympathise with him, I believe he could've found the money somewhere, I don't believe that so much of Jesse)

Man I loved when Walt puts the dollar amount on how much he needs to make in the game before he quits. His decision to keep going was the real heel turn.

absolutely, that's one moment where he realises he's actually enjoying it; something in him already existed to make him the perfect guy for the game; I don't feel like Jesse had the same amount of awareness

this post is a semicolonoscopy!

I don't know when but there was a point a few years ago where I made the important decision to only ever use semi-colons for punctuation on social media (or rather, no full-stops / periods); it's generally worked for me

“This subject ends when I say it ends”

I love that, next time I explain my choice I'll use it